[vankonk]

1st off just want to say hi and thanks for taking the time to help us noobs out. I'm a jetski/pwc guy and have never owned an atv. I've been wrenching on skis for a long time and have owned and ridden a lot. So my buddy owns a 2006 Honda Rancher 350 and was looking for help so I jumped in. With the use of this forum and searches, I quickly found that his problem was the starter clutch - hit the start button, starter would spin, motor would not. The rest of the engine is good. Turns over with pull, good compression.

He has the service manual so that was a good starting point. It says to remove the engine but we chose not to do that (could be the mistake and why I am writing this now!) Anyway, let's get to the point. Last night, we got the new starter clutch in and put all the pieces back together following the service manual. New clutch is working as it should but I think I screwed up the gear position switch when I installed the rear crankcase cover. We can get to neutral and crank the motor over but any movement of the atv shifts it into gear or reverse. We also don't need to use the reverse switch to change gears into reverse. When we can get the motor to turn over in neutral, we believe it is actually in gear.

So there's my problem. I know I'm going to open the motor back up but any help in pointing me in the right direction would be awesome. Thanks again and sorry for all the noob speak.

 

[Jeepwm69]

We can get to neutral and crank the motor over but any movement of the atv shifts it into gear or reverse. We also don't need to use the reverse switch to change gears into reverse. When we can get the motor to turn over in neutral, we believe it is actually in gear.

So there's my problem. I know I'm going to open the motor back up but any help in pointing me in the right direction would be awesome. Thanks again and sorry for all the noob speak.

Not sure if I understand exactly what you mean here.

The gear position switch is a T on the back cover that fits up in the slot in the back of the shift drum.

The longer end of that T should point towards the N (which has a circle around it) on the switch. Then if the machine is in Neutral the T should align perfectly with the notch in the back of the shift drum.

The Reverse lockout is a cable that pulls a lever on the back of the motor to the side, which disengages a lever from the shift drum that prevents the shift drum from rotating to reverse unless the lever is pulled. Is that lever being pulled all the time, or is the lever not installed in the motor? The lever is part number 7 or 8 in this schematic, depending on whether you have a footshift (FM) or electric shift (ES)

Honda ATV Parts 2006 TRX350FM A REAR CRANKCASE COVER Diagram

 

[vankonk]

I might need to check out the reverse lock out. We did struggle with that part since the manual was vague.

When the key is on and the atv is in neutral with the light illuminated, all you need to do is rock the atv forward or backwards and it will shift out of neutral. You don't even need to be turning the motor over to happen. But when you turn the motor over in neutral and give it gas it wants to lunge forward like it's in gear.

It's an electric shift.