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trx 350 piston rings

7K views 90 replies 11 participants last post by  jeraldberald 
#1 ·
I recently bought my first Honda atv, and it needs a bit of work.Its a 2006 rancher 350 FE. It smokes and seems to be lacking power, and I believe it needs new piston rings. I am planning on replacing all the gaskets and piston rings, but I have never done this before, so I am deciding if I want to do this on my own, or take it into a mechanic. I have experience with basic repairs and maintenance, but I have never had to do anything inside the engine block. It also needs a new clutch bearing, so Ill do that too. I talked to a mechanic, and If I do take it to a mechanic, Ill remove the engine from the machine to save a couple hundred bucks. the mechanic charges 79$ an hour, and told me that it would be 5-6 hours for the whole machine, and 2-3 for just the engine. so the question is, Should I do it myself and save a few hundred dollars, or take it into the shop to be safe?
 
#78 ·
It didn't make this sound before I rebuilt the top end,so why would my thought is it would have to be something I came in contact with. I'll take the head off and inspect the valve seats and push rods, and then the connecting rod. I'm sure I already checked the connecting rod, and it was fine, but I'll do It again anyway. Is the cam follower that ball thing on the ends of the push rods?
 
#80 ·
they will work either way. as for the sound your hearing ?, my money says it's your valves not set right ?, or cam chain ?, or valve seat working it's way out when warm ?.
 
#83 ·
Valve seats (from what I've heard) can work loose on the 350 heads. Shade brought that up with mine.

I swapped a different head onto it and it helped, but is still louder than I think it should be.

How do you check the valve seats for play? Just replace them or ???
 
#84 ·
you can't replace the valve seats, they are pressed into the head from the factory. valve guides you can replace, but not valve seats.
 
#86 ·
it was the valve seats. there was a defect in the trx350 rancher heads on the seats working their way out of the head once they got warm ?, my bud at Honda told me this, AFTER I REPLACED EVERY DAM PART CONNECTED TO THE FREAKING HEAD, AND SOME !..LMFAO. I replaced the cam, cam chain, valves, valve springs, it was all good, until I blipped the throttle, and heard what sounded like a loose cam chain rattle/click ?, I was stumped big time !. then went to my bud ( tommy ), asked him, he told me, well, your problem must be the defective valve seats ?, I said huh ???..lol. he explained to me, what I've been telling you.
 
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#87 ·
I seemed to fix the ticking, or at least make it quieter, I tuned the valves again, and it helped. there is a flat spot on the tappet i think. Anyway, took it for a test drive, and it has trouble shifting between neutral and first. it is fine shifting to other gears, but in struggles on 1st and N. It struggles going both ways from 1st to N, and from N to 1st. it sometimes doesn't shift, and when it does it lurches forward pretty bad. what could this be? do I need to adjust the clutch?
 
#89 ·
ajusted the clutch, and also, i tuned the valves one last time, and stopped the ticking completely. hooray It runs great!~ except i broke a bolt for the valve cover. took it over to the shop right away, will be done in half an hour. after that, all I got to do is put the plastics on and change the differential fluid. i got 75w-90 marine grade i think. also, The machine has the 4x4 disconnect drive shaft, but there is no switch or plunger or nothing... I just built one out of a deadbolt that should work. I should be on the trails as soon as the snow melts!
thanks again for all the help!
 
#91 ·
i adjusted them to a tight .006, i think the problem was i didn't do it top dead center. I just looked at the valves, and when neither were open, i adjusted it there, but now I went back and actually found the T and made sure I was on the compression stroke
 
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