[bbradley]

Merry Christmas!
I was able to get my 2000 Fourtrax in neutral but it does not roll very easy. My boss gave it to me and said that his granddaughter hit a tree with the right front tire. I don't see any visible damage and was hoping someone here might offer some suggestions as to what to check.
Thanks, Brian

 

[Goober]

Try adjusting the brakes; ensure rear brake lever (left lever) is unlocked; adjust the wing nuts
Check brake adjustment procedures in service manual. Let us know what you find

 

[alloutdoors]

Merry Christmas!
I was able to get my 2000 Fourtrax in neutral but it does not roll very easy. My boss gave it to me and said that his granddaughter hit a tree with the right front tire. I don't see any visible damage and was hoping someone here might offer some suggestions as to what to check.
Thanks, Brian

I would jack the ATV off the ground and do a tire spin by hand to verify where is the problem and go from there.

 

[Goober]

If the front is damaged to the point a shaft or bearing is pinched it could make it hard to push. Post a pic of the front end–we want to look for misalignment or asymmetry

If it was a hard hit might be binding the entire front drivetrain

Easiest thing to check are the two rear brake winged bolts. Make sure there’s appropriate amount of slack in the brake cables.

 

[bbradley]

I got it into neutral and it will roll with effort. The left front looks like it’s tied in compared the left. Here is a pic of the front end. What do you guys think?

 

[Goober]

Why is the frame where the VIN located painted red? Did you get a title? If so, bonus.

The tire treads are directional so these tires are switched (backward).

Nothing else looks terribly out of sorts

 

[bbradley]

Thanks for the replies ! Now I have a few things to do. I will ask about the title. The red paint I think is overspray . I'm going to try some goofoff to remove it. I thought I'd put the bike up on a crate and see how the wheels turn without weight on them. This bike came without a key and a deceased battery. I've installed a new switch and have
a new battery coming from Amazon. Hopefully for a few hundred bucks I can get this free bike running.

 

[CWG]

No key and not title? Before I spent any money on this I would make sure you can get a clear clean title.

 

[_Wilson_]

Thanks for the replies ! Now I have a few things to do. I will ask about the title. The red paint I think is overspray . I'm going to try some goofoff to remove it. I thought I'd put the bike up on a crate and see how the wheels turn without weight on them. This bike came without a key and a deceased battery. I've installed a new switch and have
a new battery coming from Amazon. Hopefully for a few hundred bucks I can get this free bike running.

Just a note, if goof off wont take that red paint off, easy off oven cleaner should strip it , lol be sure to use gloves with easy off, not only will it take paint off, but also a couple layers of skin......lol

 

[Goober]

I bought mine without a CA title–PO lost it.
He signed a request for duplicate title at time of purchase so I sent request for change of title and CA sent it. Then I titled in my state. Every state is different fortunately you seem to be on good terms with the PO and should be able to get transfer.
Here’s my front end. Sometimes those Brake lines get loose from the clamps and push against the inside wheel—check that I bet you’ll find em rubbin

 

[bbradley]

I'm not too concerned about the title because of who gave the machine to me. If it was lost, I'm sure he can order another from DMV.

 

[bbradley]

Should the wheels spin freely and independently in neutral? I know that sounds like a dumb question but I wasn't sure of 4x4 vs 2x4. This one is a 4x4

 

[Goober]

No they will all turn at the same time
That’s why it’s hard to push it cuz the drivetrain from the wheels to the clutch? is all connected
? Cuz it think even in neutral you’re spinning the tranny too

 

[bbradley]

Thanks Goober good to know. That along with low tire pressure would make sense. I'm sure this thing hasn't been ran for some time so I will change the oil and filters and buy some good non-ox gas for it. Is there anything else you would recommend I do?

 

[Goober]

Yup that’s good to hear; those look like the original Goodyear tires?
make sure to use atv oil–reg engine oil may ruin clutch plates. I use Honda GN4 oil in my engine and gear case and BelRay in the diffs.

Try seafoam in the fuel tank. If fuel is old, disco the carb feed line at the petcock and drain the tank. If you remove the tank, disconnect both side cover and rear fender mounting plugs from the tank–you’ll break the corner of the fender if you don’t

When in doubt follow all maintenance steps specs in service manual and ask questions

You my friend sound like you’re on the right track!

 

[Goober]

Brake fluid may be dark so get some DOT 4 and let us know when you’re ready.
Get a good quality set of six point sockets. You’re going to find some locked up bolts so you want to get a good fit on them before you try breaking them loose. A toothbrush-sized wire brush to clean and some anti-seize thread compound to lube the bolt threads after

 

[bbradley]

Brake fluid may be dark so get some DOT 4 and let us know when you’re ready.
Get a good quality set of six point sockets. You’re going to find some locked up bolts so you want to get a good fit on them before you try breaking them loose. A toothbrush-sized wire brush to clean and some anti-seize thread compound to lube the bolt threads after

. It rolls now that it’s in neutral and has the proper air pressure! Duh. I drained the oil and was bummed to see copious amount of thin oil come out. It smells a lot like gas. My guess is that it was put away with the gas turned on. I’ve seen that before in other Honda engines. I’m hoping that nothing is too f’ed. I replaced the oil and filter and will wait for the battery to get here. I’ll treat the gas tank with sea foam and get it back in place. I now have $35 into this bike. Oil, filter, key and a car wash.

 

[Goober]

Good job. Yeah you might have problems with the float valve sticking open. It’s possible that some fresh etoh-free premium and a quarter cup of seafoam will help clean it out but I doubt you’ll get out of this without rebuilding the carb.
Now is a good time to inspect and clean out the tank. How does the inside of the tank look—rust free or maybe a bit?
There’s a bolt head on the bottom of the petcock—the bowl has a screen in there along with a gasket. You can brush it clean with a small brush and solvent

 

[bbradley]

Thanks, Tomorrow i"ll deal with the tank. I'm sure to have carb issues but if that's it I'm way ahead of the game.

 

[bbradley]

Fuel in oil

Happy New Year!
I drained the oil yesterday and it had a lot of gas in it. I'm thinking that it was put away with the petcock on and a stuck float. Is there a way to free up the float without removing the carb? I'm not sure if I'm up to rebuilding the carb myself. A new Honda carb is in the neighborhood of $250 which is a pretty rich neighborhood. An Ebay carb is $35 which sounds very suspect. Any thoughts or advice?