[waterbouy66]

I am new to the forum and like what I see. Question: I have an 04 Rancher for about 18 months and started plowing snow with it. The machine smokes pretty bad and it needs new rings. Is this something the average Joe can do or should I pay the $300.00 and have it done. I bought a boat last year and replaced the gimble bearing in the stern drive so I am not totally inept. My main question is do I have to pull the motor or can I remove the jug with the engine installed.

 

[TRX2fiveO]

you should be able to do it on the frame. if you can do a gimble bearing you can do this. It's all pretty self explanitory, the timing is going to be the most challenging but it's easy too. Make sure you put the piston back in the correct way...it should have "IN" stamped in the top that goes towards the intake and the marks on the rings go up also make sure you have spaced all the ring gaps away from eachother or you will learn a few new words when you go to start it. good luck

 

[Helmut]

Yeah, follow Moose's instructions and you should have no problems. As far as the timing, you won't have to worry about the timing, because the Rancher don't have an overhead cam. You can do it on the frame. All you have to do is pull the valve cover, the cylinder head, and the cylinder. You will have to unbolt the head pipe from the head. Just two bolts. You will also have to loosen the two bolts where the head pipe connects to the muffler and pull the head pipe and muffler apart. There are two push rods that extend up through the side of the cylinder. You just lift them out with your hand. No timing chain to have to deal with. The timing chain and cam is down in the bottom of the engine. This makes it a lot easier to put piston and rings in.

 

[brucefulcher]

we had to put them in mine and we did it in a few hours, not to bad if you just have a little clue of what youre doing. good luck!

 

[TRX2fiveO]

Dang must be nice to work on a non OHV engine...lol

 

[Saber6]

Have you done a compression check? It could be a valve or valve seals. If compression is low in the cylinder, you can isolate the problem to the valves or rings by squirting a little 30 weight motor oil into the cylinder through the spark plug hole and repeating the compression test. The oil temporarily seals the rings.

If the compression readings are higher the second time around, it means the rings and/or cylinder is worn. No change in the compression readings would tell you the cylinder has a bad valve.

 

[Cutter]

All very good information!!!

 

[waterbouy66]

Thanks a lot for the advice. If by chance the cylinder looks good, do I still need to hone the cylinder?

 

[jrl305]

Yes, at least to rough it up a bit.

Edit: Make sure you have a good crosshatch pattern covering the entire cylinder wall and check to see if there isn't a deep ridge around the cylinder near the top. If there is, you'll probably want to go bore it to the next size piston and rings.

 

[Saber6]

I Agree^^^^^^^^^

 

[brucefulcher]

Yall are all so smart an here. Haha.

 

[waterbouy66]

Hey, JRL, you say to rough the walls up with the crosshatch, I thought the cylinder walls were to be smooth. Is this for the oil to stay on the cylinder walls longer or what?

 

[Helmut]

Hey, JRL, you say to rough the walls up with the crosshatch, I thought the cylinder walls were to be smooth. Is this for the oil to stay on the cylinder walls longer or what?

Yeah, the cylinder needs to be honed to a crosshatch pattern. Work the drill with the honing stones, up and down in the cylinder, making sure the lines intersect at about 60 degrees(doesn't have to be exact). As you finish, cut the drill off, but keep it moving up and down until the drill comes to a complete stop, so the lines will stay at about 60 degrees.

The reason you do this is that it helps the rings seat to the cylinder.

 

[waterbouy66]

Thanks, I was asking my brother and a neighbor and we had never heard that. I haven't started the project but was surfing youtube and discovered the leak down test vs the compression test. Is it worth the hassle or should I just tear it down and visually check the parts to replace?

 

[Helmut]

If it's smoking, I would just go ahead and tear it down and check the parts by eye.