[WesFourtrax300]

So as we all know, I love my 300... but 2×4 has always been the downfall of her. So Friday I picked up a tan 99 300... (exact same) buuut 4×4. It needs a lot of TLC but I plan to take all the plastics, as tank, racks, bars, winch, rejet carb, k&n filter, lift kit etc off the old and put on the new. Then ima sell my 2 wheel to my buddy for dirt cheap so I don't have to see her leave forever and I'll have someone to ride with: ) just gotta drop the new valves in her for him... the new bike smoked like crazy, the guy said valve seals... but you can't trust someone trying to sell ya anything. So I prepped for the worst. (While telling the wife it's an easy cheap fix) just happened to have new valve seals from a prior gasket kit. So i pulled the valve cover Saturday morning and pulled the springs... what do ya know, the exhaust seal was shot... AND SHE DOESNT SMOKE ANYMORE!! it actually worked. However noticed the timing chain is very worn so ima take care of that. Have a wiseco piston and rings for it too. Then gonna look into webcam and springs. I'm soooo stoked. Put it through a little mud and GOD THE DIFFERENCE! Quick question tho... the head lights don't work... hooked up my old set to see if it was the bulb... but no good,checked all the connections they seem good... maybe the switch has gone bad?

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Got it for 1k... needs tlc and get rid of all the cheap fixes but she's gonna be a great bike. Once I sell my old I will come out even like it never happened

 

[alloutdoors]

Got it for 1k... needs tlc and get rid of all the cheap fixes but she's gonna be a great bike. Once I sell my old I will come out even like it never happened

Good for you and the ATV looks great in that combination of black fender flares/tan plastic....

 

[fishfiles]

Nice score Wes , did you check the fuse for those lights

 

[WesFourtrax300]

I mentioned a lot of cheap fixes... there are no longer fuses or the plastic cases. Just the rubber housing and inside the wires have been just tied together, a big disappointment! I'll have that fixed in no time but it is a strong indicator that I'll be finding more "handy work" throughout the bike. They made it where you can just shift into reverse which in my opinion is an AWFUL idea, my buddy come in hot and wasn't counting gears or thinking and shifted straight into reverse at a good 5 mph. The bike cried and he shot me a look of ohhh nooo this is gonna cost me... it shifted hard just one time on me right after. I've got to get that fixed I can only imagine the damage that could and probably should have caused.

 

[SamUK]

I mentioned a lot of cheap fixes... there are no longer fuses or the plastic cases. Just the rubber housing and inside the wires have been just tied together, a big disappointment! I'll have that fixed in no time but it is a strong indicator that I'll be finding more "handy work" throughout the bike. They made it where you can just shift into reverse which in my opinion is an AWFUL idea, my buddy come in hot and wasn't counting gears or thinking and shifted straight into reverse at a good 5 mph. The bike cried and he shot me a look of ohhh nooo this is gonna cost me... it shifted hard just one time on me right after. I've got to get that fixed I can only imagine the damage that could and probably should have caused.

Almost makes you wonder if your new bike had a GR fitted prior to your ownership. Losing the neutral light and also being able to change straight into reverse is a mod commonly done (neutral unavoidable) when a 54% is fitted.
I did read through your thread when you started but haven’t recently, does it have big tyres fitted? Could well be a GR fitted if it has, would explain the the removal of reverse gear stop.


Something I’ve always done is known what gear I’m in though, coming from a motorbike trials background knowing what gear is selected is all important.

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Almost makes you wonder if your new bike had a GR fitted prior to your ownership. Losing the neutral light and also being able to change straight into reverse is a mod commonly done (neutral unavoidable) when a 54% is fitted.
I did read through your thread when you started but haven’t recently, does it have big tyres fitted? Could well be a GR fitted if it has, would explain the the removal of reverse gear stop.


Something I’ve always done is known what gear I’m in though, coming from a motorbike trials background knowing what gear is selected is all important.[/QUOTE]

SamUK,
another strange thing is the reverse stopper shaft is installed backwards (the mechanism is on the outside of the cover) I assumed someone got tired of doing it wrong and just stick it there.another one is the kick start seems to be tack welded in place. I dont have any idea why someone would do this other than an awful cheap fix for rattle. But maybe y'all know of some logic for these...?

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Also what will an 18% Gr cost me and where could I find one? I read a thread today that made me think my best set up will be 18%, clutch kit (I'm not sure which is best), 27" skinnies but I really want 28, and i am already saving for a webcam. Think ima go with the one that helps all ranges a small amount so I can regain some of the high end I lose with Gr... Thoughts?

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Ok a couple more things for now... 10 row oil cooler, 7" fan otw. Plan to custom make brace on front rack... do I want to put fan in front of the cooler and push air through, or behind and pull air? Has anyone found a way to prevent the heat from blasting you in the face? Was thinking maybe a thin piece of sheet metal with a 45 bend so it pushes the hot air left and right (around you). Also any new ideas for the lines? I really don't like the look of cutting the banjo and just clamping on the hose.

 

[SamUK]

18% GR, you need a 300ex clutch basket and primary gear, the basket gear you bolt into you 300fw basket, the primary gear you need welded onto your 300fw primary, there is a little machining to donon the primary too. The basket gear I would say you could do yourself.
Otherwise Jeremy Lee would be the man, you’ll find him on Facebook.

Clutch, EBC all the way, or of course OEM. It’s your call really. But the kit though, comes complete with springs from EBC.
Changing the cam, unless you have any real need to I wouldn’t bother until you do a top end build, you may as well do HC piston, rockers and valve springs along with a greater profile cam all at the same time.
A short term solution to a small power gain would be a Rick’s hot shot CDI.

27” skinnies would be fine with an 18% GR as would 28’s. Running 28’s you’d be limited to tread pattern really as your at the top end of tyre size for that Gear reduction, I think you’d struggle spinning Outlaws etc. Mudlites or similar would be ideal though.

Edit; Mounting an oil cooler on the front carrier is a job on my to do list, I’d never considered the heat blowing back at the rider, that said I’ve never heard of anybody mention it either.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with on this.
I’ll be having a fan push air through the cooler rather than suck, purely because having the fan in front of the cooler will protect it from debris and branches etc

 

[fishfiles]

I really don't feel the air blowing and being hot air is not even a factor ----it is a shame the fan was so big and the cooler so small , so I doubled up 2 coolers , I would like to have it underneath the fender , I moved it to keep the fan motor out the water , but I think the air blowing on to the engine would have been a good thing ---- you want to put the inlet and outlet on top so when you kill the engine the oil doesn't flow back to the engine and when you start back up it won't have to fill the cooler first before making it back to the head

 

[fishfiles]

Oh , If I was to do it again I think I would go with an angle back set up -----lets see what you do , I have a cooler under the fender on my blue 300 with no fan and I have a cooler and a fan for the red 300 and no room on the front rack for it , so it is going under neath

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Some great information here guys thank you! I've got a new cam chain coming and I actually have a wiseco "high performance" piston it looks like it is going to have more compression because the top of the piston isn't flat... but it wasn't a "high compression" piston... I was gonna put it on my old bike... until I got a new one haha so she will be getting a new piston, rings, hone, cam chain, tensioner and wheel bearings. While im in there i plan to try and fix the reverse issue and any other "fixins" I come across. I will be breaking the motor in and riding for awhile before paint this time tho haha we do need to have a tire talk tho. I've read some but it's always easier to ask direct questions rather than finding "close enough" questions yknow

 

[fishfiles]

I am re-ringing a WISECO 10.25/1 in my blue 300 right now , the stock 300 piston is 9/1 if I remember right , so I wonder which one you got , if you take the number off the top the piston and go to WISECO's site you can find out

something I don't see on you list which can be important if it is worn , the cam sprocket , and since you are right there , if it is not a 1st gen engine ( I didn't read what year you have ) , and it is in the budget , I would look for a cam from a 250A , 250ES or a early 1st gen 300

if you go by G+Hs' break in procedure , you will be doing a lot of riding , they say 100 hours

 

[WesFourtrax300]

The wiseco I got is totally 10.25:1. Will I need a spring kit now? The sprocket and the cam looked excellent on this bike. But I will definitely look into a 250A set up. But I believe I'm safe for now.

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Oh and are my valves going to hit?

 

[SamUK]

Valves will be fine and stock springs will too until you change the cam, but if you look on ‘webcams’ website you’ll see the options of cams available to you. You have the piston, so you could go for a higher lift cam providing you changed valves springs and rocker arms. Web cams supply everything you need, just depends on the budget of course.

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Valves will be fine and stock springs will too until you change the cam, but if you look on ?webcams? website you?ll see the options of cams available to you. You have the piston, so you could go for a higher lift cam providing you changed valves springs and rocker arms. Web cams supply everything you need, just depends on the budget of course.

Yeah ive been checking out there site. To do the whole set up I believe was like 450 before core returns. So that will have to wait if ima do the entire webcam set up. It's official, I'm so addicted to fourtrax 300's I need a higher paying job and a side gig too haha. You warned me in the very beginning. I want some Kendra tires but they will have to wait too. Just gonna stick to Craig's list for now and hope for a good deal on something aggressive.

 

[SamUK]

With regards to tyres you don’t want to limit your maximum size to 27”with an 18% GR and 25 without the GR. you should pull any tyre sticking to those sizes.
Obviously the less aggressive the tread pattern then you could squeeze an extra inch in height/diameter.

Sound like you’ve officially caught the ‘300 bug’ haha

 

[WesFourtrax300]

Does using an oil cooler stress the oil pump? Is the pump capable of pushing it through a small cooler, then a big one, then another small? Is that over kill?