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In this or another thread @fishfiles asked about winch controller mounting and i failed to reply!!
I don’t really like the controller over the top of the grip so I swapped the controller to the bottom and left of the grip by taking the switch apart and flipping the button then reassembled the stays to put it behind the choke cable.

If I don’t like it that way it seems the components were made to easily reconfigure. Hope this helps.
 

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yes the 400 head bolts up to the 450 engine , the combustion chamber is smaller on the 400 head and gives the 450 more compression , that is the only difference ---so a 450 head will go on a 400 but you would lose some compression I would think as the chamber is bigger , Retro is the engine guru , he might enlighten us on what would occur , I have also wonder if the 450 was milled down , what would be the effects


I am not sure of this one , cause I don't really have a running 400 , just some 400 engine parts , but think I have read where you can put a 450 jug/piston on a 400 and turn it into a 450
 
yes the 400 head bolts up to the 450 engine , the combustion chamber is smaller on the 400 head and gives the 450 more compression , that is the only difference ---so a 450 head will go on a 400 but you would lose some compression I would think as the chamber is bigger , Retro is the engine guru , he might enlighten us on what would occur , I have also wonder if the 450 was milled down , what would be the effects




I am not sure of this one , cause I don't really have a running 400 , just some 400 engine parts , but think I have read where you can put a 450 jug/piston on a 400 and turn it into a 450

Have you measured the combustion chamber differences between the two fish? Are there any differences between the two pistons (on top)? How about con rod length, crank throw?

If you can post some measurements I can throw some figures back to you :)
 
Discussion starter · #204 ·
A Rancher 400FA head won't fit on a 450, but the TRX400 Foreman head fits on the 450.

The 400FA head is unique with its canted valves so there are no other OEM heads that match them that I know of.

So you are in trouble with a bad intake guide @wheelsquad? Probably will have to buy the guide reamer and put an oversize guide in it... Honda only offers that one choice it appears.

I'll talk to a Snap-on tools dealer tomorrow and see if I can get one.
 
A Rancher 400FA head won't fit on a 450, but the TRX400 Foreman head fits on the 450.

The 400FA head is unique with its canted valves so there are no other OEM heads that match them that I know of.
Learn something new every day , I never knew there are two different 400s
The 400FA rancher is the 04-07 Hondamatic rancher. Looks just like a 350 Rancher but has a lever on the left side of the tank, and is Automatic/ES like the Rubicons.
 
There are no 400 Ranchers in my area either, wheelsquads bike is the only one I have ever worked on.
Yes I'm about the only one here crazy enough to keep one this long. All the rest of the 400AT's are either parted out or on a merry-go-round of being bought up by people that don't know their quirks and then once they learn them, sold to another uneducated buyer :crying
 
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There are no 400 Ranchers in my area either, wheelsquads bike is the only one I have ever worked on.
Yes I'm about the only one here crazy enough to keep one this long. All the rest of the 400AT's are either parted out or on a merry-go-round of being bought up by people that don't know their quirks and then once they learn them, sold to another uneducated buyer :crying
My uncle had an 06 that only had about 100 miles on it. He sold/ gave it to the guy who mows his yard 2-3 years ago. Guy wanted it for his wife.

My next door neighbor has a black one that only had 167 miles on it in 2016 when I had to clean the carb for him.

I bet it still doesn't have 200 miles on it. He brings it out about once a year, drives it up and down the street, and pulls it back in his garage.

https://www.hondaatvforums.net/forums/repair-maintenance/83698-400at-airbox-question.html
 
I think the key to owning a 400 is to know it's limitations? I would not try to keep up with submarines in the bayou, or tear up mountain trails with big honkin tires. However with proper maintenance and a little common sense mine has served me well for 2-1/2 years. I did rebuild the clutch and replace the neutral switch. I expected to make some repairs to a used bike or any other piece of used equipment. It has plenty of power to pull deer out of the timber the last two seasons, push snow most of this last winter, haul brush and logs. It will run down my rock roads fast enough for this guy. If I had known what I have learned from this great group of folks I may have passed on this unit.
I may be as crazy as wheelsquad for keeping this bike but It has always performed the tasks I have asked it to do. until it gives me problems that I cannot fix and have to spend a ton of money it will be in my shop.
 
My 400AT is almost back together and running. Had a little drama getting the new valve guide in. Did I mention before that when I bent the intake valve, once we got the head apart we found that it even cracked the guide. All good to go now with new valves lapped in. This work also gave me the chance to remove carbon buildup from my piston.

Condition as I disassembled it, 9000+ actual miles on the original top end:


And my piston now after some WD-40, scotch brite pad, and some elbow grease:


Rebuilt head is back on too. These 400AT's give zero room for a traditional feeler gauge to get into the inspection covers and set the tappet clearance. I set them by feel but was not happy with it. We had to stop for the night anyway, so I'll have new narrow and bent profile feeler gauges to put in there by the night we can put the rest of it together next week.

Then I'll FINALLY be able to put this gizmo through its paces.
 

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My 400AT is almost back together and running. Had a little drama getting the new valve guide in. Did I mention before that when I bent the intake valve, once we got the head apart we found that it even cracked the guide. All good to go now with new valves lapped in. This work also gave me the chance to remove carbon buildup from my piston.

Condition as I disassembled it, 9000+ actual miles on the original top end:


And my piston now after some WD-40, scotch brite pad, and some elbow grease:


Rebuilt head is back on too. These 400AT's give zero room for a traditional feeler gauge to get into the inspection covers and set the tappet clearance. I set them by feel but was not happy with it. We had to stop for the night anyway, so I'll have new narrow and bent profile feeler gauges to put in there by the night we can put the rest of it together next week.

Then I'll FINALLY be able to put this gizmo through its paces.
ya don't need no stinking feeler gauges !..lol. wait..scratch that !....you might !..lol. nice work bro !.
 
ya don't need no stinking feeler gauges !..lol. wait..scratch that !....you might !..lol. nice work bro !.
I believe you when you say don't, shade, cause you've done so freaking many, and I didn't think I did either.... until I got the feeler gauges that fit. And I found out what I thought was clearance that felt right was actually way too much. So once I got them set properly, I couldn't tell the difference between 0.006" or 0.002" just going by feel. Anything under 0.010" all just felt the same (tight) and I couldn't get them to tap, budge, at all. So I feel better about my clearance now.

And I'm all back up and running again. And man this gizmo is awesome. I'm currently playing with some lower fan kick-on temperatures. Now that I actually have a temperature display, I can see what temp the machine naturally likes to run at during average use. So I can make it stay around those temps when the duties get harder.

And my oil leak from the valve cover is gone too (as you'd expect). But unfortunately, now that it is no longer leaking up top, I still have a pretty good drip coming from lower once the machine heats up. Couldn't distinguish between the two before because the top leak was just running down onto the lower leak. I can't pinpoint it either. So I've got it all cleaned up, and tomorrow when I get some time I'm going to put baby powder all over the back of the motor, and run it until I can nail down the source. Hoping it's the outer crankcase cover gasket, cause dang it's a good drip once it gets hot!
 
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Discussion starter · #216 ·
Oh my, yet another oil leak?!! Thats just not fair. Glad ya find the gizmo to be useful though... what little you've seen of it in action between oil leak repairs that is. :)
 
Oh my, yet another oil leak?!! Thats just not fair. Glad ya find the gizmo to be useful though... what little you've seen of it in action between oil leak repairs that is. :)
Yep, another one, when it rains it pours!

Found the source of the down low leak....

It's coming out this weep hole at the interface of recoil starter on the outside face of the outer crankcase cover, just below the alternator:



So that leads me to believe my rear seal under the alternator is the source of my leak.

Number 19 here:



Anyone here done one of those? Just remove the swingarm to get at it? Or can I get the recoil starter and alternator off without removing the swingarm? Service manual is of no help other than saying to remove the recoil starter and alternator to go to the section of removing the whole rear crankcase cover, which then just says to remove the whole engine from the frame. I'm hoping just to remove enough to be able to get at that seal and drive a new one in...
 

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Discussion starter · #218 · (Edited)
I think you're right about the leaky seal around the crank/recoil hub in the alternator cover. The manual says that the recoil and alternator cover can be serviced in the frame at the beginning of section 11, I've never popped the cover on a 400AT but I'm sure it would be a challenge for my old bones. Young hands and back might find it easy work though.

Those seals can be pulled out of the cover after removing the recoil and the long hub bolt if ya got the right tool... but it might be easier to pull the alternator cover and drive that seal out from behind it. They're oftentimes stuck in the bore of the cover pretty good and takes some pounding around the outer diameter of the seal to get them moving.

EDIT: The 400AT recoil hub is marked for TDC like the 350 Rancher & 450 and 400 Foreman motors. But those hubs can be reinstalled 180 degrees out, so during reassembly turn the crank until you see the "T" mark on the flywheel in the sight window... then put the hub on with the mark on the hub lined up with the mark on the alternator cover and tighten the long bolt.

There is probably a rubber o-ring under the head of that long bolt too.... replace it or make sure the original is in good shape and apply some lube to that o-ring so it doesn't ball up and get ripped in half under the bolt head when its torqued down.
 
you may be able to get that seal out with a slide hammer , drill two holes into the seal , screw in screws that will fit tight , weld a "L " shaped piece of metal to a nut that will screw onto the slide hammer threaded end , take a grinder with a thin blade and cut a notch in the end of the " L" , kind of like a claw hammer slot for removing nails , work from one side to the other on the screw heads
 
Discussion starter · #220 ·
I have a feeling the hub will need to be replaced too... its bound to be grooved pretty deep from the seal lips wearing it. I don't think Honda greases any motor seals at the factory.
 
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