What’s the worst problem to have with a Polaris side-by-side? The answer is, of course, any problem related to your transmission. Not only does a busted tranny knock out your drivetrain and sideline your machine, the money you need to spend on repairs can make your stomach churn.
Saving money is top of mind, so is it cheaper to replace or rebuild a Polaris transmission? Of course, a lot of that depends on what’s broken, and today we’re looking at how much each part costs compared to the cost of replacing your entire transmission.
By the end, you’ll feel confident about whatever transmission transaction you choose.
When you replace individual parts of your transmission, you’re not stuck with just Polaris parts. Aftermarket transmission parts are often cheaper and are usually a bit better.
Below, we’ll take a look at the parts that fail most often on Polaris Ranger, RZR, and General tramissions and compare the SuperATV price with the OEM price provided by Polaris.
| Part | SATV Price* | OEM Price* |
|---|---|---|
| Seal Kit | $67.95 | $132.96 + shipping |
| Reverse Chain | $729.95 | $593.96 + shipping |
| Front Output Shaft | $259.95 | $134.89 + shipping |
| Pinion Shaft and Snorkel Gear Kit | $859.95 | $541.47 + shipping |
| Transmission Case | $939.90 | $1,139.97 + shipping |
SuperATV’s transmission parts are ideal for rebuilding your Polaris transmission. They’re upgraded over stock for better performance and far superior strength across the board. And while they don’t always beat the stock price, they offer much more value for the cost.
Besides, you don’t want to replace your broken parts with the exact same parts that didn’t hold up in the first place, right?
But looking at replacement parts doesn’t tell you whether you should rebuild or replace your transmission. Let’s look at the complete transmission next.
To figure out if you should replace or rebuild your Polaris transmission, you first need to take a gander at your replacement tranny options:
| SATV Transmission* | OEM Transmission* |
|---|---|
| $3,214.95 | $3,455.99 + shipping |
These two transmissions aren’t created equal. The SuperATV transmission has an upgraded case and upgraded internals. It also does away with weak turf mode gears and gives you gear reduction options when you buy.
To figure out what makes the most sense for you, compare the price of the parts you need to replace with the cost of a new complete transmission.
Then, factor in the shop time. Mechanic rates vary from about $70 to $100 per hour. For a full transmission swap, you’ll likely be billed for a half-day job. To replace individual parts inside the transmission, it’ll take at least a day.
Depending on who’s doing the work, you can expect to pay between $280 and $600 in labor for a full swap and between $560 and $1,200 to rebuild a Polaris transmission. Ask for quotes and do the math.
A general rule of thumb is that if your case is cracked, you’ve probably done enough damage to make replacing the complete transmission cheaper than piecing out repairs. Not to mention, you get all-new replacements of all the other miscellaneous gears and shafts that don’t usually break (but you’ve been abusing).
And thankfully, you can get a bigger, better transmission than stock for less than an OEM tranny.
With a complete transmission from SuperATV, you get a better case, stronger reverse chain, beefed up front output shaft, higher-quality snorkel gear, built-in gear reduction options, and a load of other improvements.
Our transmission and all the individual parts are built for all the rides that wrecked your stock transmission.
10 Comments
Very satisfied with the transmission upgrade replacement, great investment
We’re glad you’ve liked it. Thanks for the support, Jose!
If a 7 yr old transmission failed but the casing looks good, should I assume I need to replace everything except the casing?
Hey Mike! In theory, you could replace all internals, but your best bet is going to be buying new from us given it’s 7 years old. OEM is a lot pricier than ours and with ours, you get all upgraded internals, an upgraded case with larger cooling capacity, and reinforced metal at high abuse areas. Which should save you in the long run. Check this link out to see if we offer a full transmission upgrade for your ride: https://www.superatv.com/search/?q=complete%20transmission
Folks I have a 2018 Polaris Crew Ranger 4×4 a (diesel) and the transmission works fine in reverse but will not work going forward. Should I rebuild or change out? Estimate for 6 hours labor to strip down is 1080 and the same to rebuild excluding parts. Estime for new transmission is $3600 plus $1500 labor. Feels like I should rebuild – your advice would be appreciated
Hey Connell. I tend to agree that a rebuild is the way to go for you. If you could find a cheap refurbished transmission from a reputable source, that could change the math. Then you’d be able to sell your complete, busted transmission too. But honestly, that sounds like a headache to me and it’s still not guaranteed to be cheaper than a rebuild. Not to mention a refurbished transmission ain’t exactly new.
I am wanting to purchase one of your transmissions for my 2019 General EPS white lightning but my transmission number does not match the ones listed on your website! Where do I go from here ?
Hey Corey. Sometimes Polaris throws us a curve ball with their part numbers. Give us a call at 855-743-3427, and we should be able to get you sorted out after we do some more digging. Thanks for the question.
I have a 2018 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 , and the high gear is not working. Is this a case for a rebuild or a new transmission?
Hey Giuseppe. That depends. It could be a small problem like a broken shift fork. Or it could be something bigger like broken gears. I think you’ll probably have trouble finding a good transmission at a decent price for your 2018 Ranger XP 1000, so I’m leaning toward rebuild on this one unless you have a lot of internal damage. The amount of damage and the difference in labor costs will make the decision for you. I’d get a quote from a shop and go from there.