Honda ATV Forum banner

350 Rancher

26K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  mendoAu 
#1 ·
I just recently picked up a 2001 350 Rancher and it appears to be locked in place. What I mean is when I jack up the front end and turn one wheel clockwise and the other goes counter clock wise. The rear seems to be in the same mode. Nothing I do with the gear shift seems to change that.

It is not running (no spark) so I can not tell if that would be able to change anything.

Any suggestions?

Ray
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
My experience. These units had a weak tip on the shift drum that could fail if not replaced under warranty. Typically, this causes the neutral switch to malfunction. Mine was hardwired when I got it. Eventually, my shift drum broke into three pieces, totally locking up the drivetrain..

My situation required splitting the case and replacing the shift drum. I spent about $400 at an engine shop, not including removal and install.

See:
http://www.hondaatvforums.net/forums/repair-maintenance/30144-florida-2001-rancher-locked-up.html
 
#5 ·
RMSCS: Thanks for the followup and great information. A friend of mine who owns a large Honda dealership in Colorado, in fact confirmed what you said above.
Good Information! I'll make this a STICKY for you!
 
#6 ·
ok good to know - when on the ground they are just locked up total - I had to drag it off the trailer and could only see one wheel that was turning. The display indicates that it is in neutral and it does turn over when I press the start button.
 
#7 ·
use a wrench to shift the hex shaft on lower left hand side behind the foot rest..see if you can get it to go into neutral ?. regardless of what the display reads ?..it's not in neutral ?..or the brakes are locked up ?..or the tranny is damaged ?.
 
#8 ·
Shadetree, I can use the foot shifter to get it into neutral at least that is what the display reads.
Now if it was in gear would it not move but just be hard to move?
The second question is on the handlebar when I push the shift switch should I be hearing something that seems to be totally not working.
 
#9 ·
Now if it was in gear would it not move but just be hard to move?
If it was in gear then you would be fighting piston compression when trying to move it. Rolling the tires would be turning the engine over. It's unlikely to "roll" while in gear, so you'd pretty much just be dragging it.

I believe what rmscs is saying is that the neutral switch can malfunction to show that it is in neutral when it is in fact not. The display light on the dashboard could be lying to you. Shadetree is suggesting that you manually shift it into neutral (all the way down) with the shift shaft, ignoring what the display is telling you.

Hopefully that clears things up.
 
#10 ·
Now if it was in gear would it not move but just be hard to move?
If it was in gear then you would be fighting piston compression when trying to move it. Rolling the tires would be turning the engine over. It's unlikely to "roll" while in gear, so you'd pretty much just be dragging it.

I believe what rmscs is saying is that the neutral switch can malfunction to show that it is in neutral when it is in fact not. The display light on the dashboard could be lying to you. Shadetree is suggesting that you manually shift it into neutral (all the way down) with the shift shaft, ignoring what the display is telling you.

Hopefully that clears things up.
thank you :). you are correct !.
 
#16 · (Edited)
This right here tells me that your gear position switch AND the display are CORRECT. The starter would not turn over unless the gear position switch says the machine is in Neutral. Also, (theoretically) if you are locked up in gear, the starter would not be able to spin the motor over with the added resistance.
 
#17 ·
I'd start with the brakes. Get her rolling again so you can move her around easily. If it is indeed not the brakes, having them free will make diagnosing what it actually is much easier. If you know the brakes are good, and we now are pretty sure the machine is in Neutral, then there are only a couple more things to point to after those are accounted for.

Do you have a service manual? There is a free download on this site, and its VERY useful.
 
#18 ·
I have a 06 Honda rancher rebuilt carb cleaned hoses. The tab will crank and run about 5 min then shuts off and want crank unless I turn air adjustment screw 1/2 turn then it will run about 5 mins shut off again then want crank use I turn screw 1/2 turn and this just continues.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top