How to Remove the Drive Belt on a 2010 Polaris Ranger 800 EBS (And Why the Secondary Clutch Fights Back)
Why the EBS Secondary Clutch Fights Back
The Polaris Ranger 800’s EBS driven clutch is spring-loaded harder than a standard secondary. That extra tension is what gives you engine braking on downhills — and it’s also why prying the sheaves apart by hand or with a screwdriver won’t get you anywhere. You need the belt removal tool, and it has to go in right.
What You’ll Need
- 10mm socket and ratchet
- Belt removal tool PN 2877408 (should be in your factory tool kit)
- Clean rag or shop towel
- Optional: a short rubber strip or scrap belt section to hold the sheaves apart during install
Getting to the Clutch
Park on level ground, block the wheels, and shift to neutral. The seat and storage bin both need to come off before you can reach the clutch cover. Disconnect the PVT air outlet duct hose, then pull the clutch cover bolts with the 10mm socket. The cover lifts right off.
Using the Belt Removal Tool Correctly — The Part People Get Wrong
This is where most people stall on the EBS. The tool has to sit flat and square against the moveable sheave face — full contact across the whole face of the tool. If it’s tilted even slightly, rotating it just skids along the sheave without generating the leverage needed to push the halves apart.
Once it’s seated square, rotate the tool toward the clutch. Inward. That’s the direction that opens the sheaves. A lot of people rotate it outward and wonder why nothing moves. When it’s working, you’ll feel the sheaves start to separate as you apply the rotation.
With the driven clutch spread open, walk the belt off the driven clutch first — lift it over the sheave edge section by section rather than trying to yank the whole thing at once. Then walk it off the drive clutch.
Inspect the Old Belt Before You Toss It
Look at what came off. Common signs of a belt past its life: hourglass shape (narrowed at the center), cracked or missing cogs, glazed or burned side walls, frayed edges. Mark the rotation direction on the old belt as a reference — the new belt goes on in the same direction, with the part number readable from the operator’s side in the direction of travel.
While the cover’s off, wipe the inside of the clutch housing clean. Belt dust and debris in there will shorten the new belt’s life faster than hard use will.
Installing the New Belt
Leave the removal tool in place — it holds the driven sheaves open while you work. Loop the belt over the primary (drive) clutch first, sitting it high on the sheaves. Then work it onto the driven clutch from the bottom up.
To seat the belt: push down on the top of the belt while turning the rear moveable sheave clockwise. As it rotates, the belt drops down between the sheaves and seats itself. Don’t use a pry bar against the belt cords to force it — you can damage the cords before the belt has done any actual work.
A practical trick worth knowing: after spreading the sheaves with the tool, wedge a short piece of rubber between them. It holds the sheaves open while you wrestle the new belt in. Pull the rubber out once the belt is seated and you’re ready to close up.
Seating and Closing Up
With the belt on, rotate the driven clutch five to seven turns by hand before you close the cover. This seats the belt properly in the sheaves. Reinstall the clutch cover, reconnect the PVT duct hose, and put the storage bin and seat back on.
One last thing to check: if the old belt was slipping, glazing early, or the housing was running unusually hot, inspect the PVT inlet and outlet ducts for blockage. A clogged duct traps heat inside the belt housing, and a new belt will wear out just as fast under the same conditions.
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