[Mr.Grandtastic]

New to this. New member as well. I have a 2003 Honda rancher 350 4x4 FM. I've dug deep into this rig. I've taken the motor out, replaced the jug, piston head and rings, top end overhauled, new one way cam bearing, new can chain, and whatnot. Put the motor back in, the neutral and reverse light won't work. Prior to taking the motor out, everything worked and it started. Got everything back in, now it's not happy and I need help! I would hate to take the motor out again but if I have to I will. Any suggestions/advise?

 

[Rocketman5144]

there is a gear position switch in the rear case with two wires coming out of it. It has a shaft with a small roll pin in it that goes into a grove in the back of the shift drum in the motor. You didn't get it alligned right when you put the rear cover back on. You are going to have to take the rear cover back off, which is hard to do with the motor still in the frame. Can be done if you pull the swing arm, but that's no easy task either.
If you want to test it, find the two wires coming out of the switch, should be a blue one and a red one, you can find them at the connector grouped on the right side of the frame by the rear tire. If you ground the blue one to the frame the neautral light should come on and you should be able to start it. But be careful if it is in gear.

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

Thank you sir for the advise/guidance! I'll see what I can do and results hopefully this weekend.

 

[shadetree]

too add to what rocketman said ^^, while you have the rear cover off , MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE END OF THE SHIFT DRUM TO SEE IF ITS NOT BROKEN OFF AT THAT END WHERE THE SWITCH FITS ?!!!.

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

You able to tell me what the shift drum is? I can't think of it

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

I'll also add that it does shift. Shifts like it did before through all gears. Just no indicator lights

 

[shadetree]

I'll also add that it does shift. Shifts like it did before through all gears. Just no indicator lights

shifting through the gears has NOTHING to do with the gear position switch !. the end of the shift drum, at back of motor is what controls the gear position switch, which tells the neutral and reverse lights on the dash to come on. if for some reason you took the back off the rear of the motor ( or in this case..you did ), and you did not align the gear position switch correctly back into the very end of the shift drum ?, then this is why the lights are not working right. soooo..pull the rear engine cover back off, look at the gear position switch, it has a roll pin sticking through the switch center post, if you look closely, you will notice that one end of this roll pin is sticking out further than the other side ?, this longer end should face the letter N that is stamped on the switch plastic cover. when and if you pull the rear engine cover to check this/fix it, this is the time to use a flat blade screw driver, stuck into the slot on the end of the shift drum, and see if you can spin it around ?, it should not spin much at all, if it does ?, then this tells me the end of the shift drum has snapped off ( very common on the early trx350 ranchers ). if this is the case ?, now you need a new shift drum, which means, now you have to pull the motor, and split the cases to get back into the shift drum area :-(.

 

[wmgeorge]

I Put the motor back in, the neutral and reverse light won't work. Prior to taking the motor out, everything worked and it started.

But it all worked before he took it apart. Seems to indicate something got put back together wrong. Does He have a Service Manual? Actually I see at least 2 posts advising him on what to do.

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

So I tested the wires, light comes on, starts like a new beast. Now my question is that does it do any harm just to run it like that (obviously to be careful not to start in gear) or if the shift drum piece is broke do I have to replace it? I'll probably still take the back case cover off to check everything, just want to make sure I don't break anything else if I want to drive it or whatever.

 

[shadetree]

So I tested the wires, light comes on, starts like a new beast. Now my question is that does it do any harm just to run it like that (obviously to be careful not to start in gear) or if the shift drum piece is broke do I have to replace it? I'll probably still take the back case cover off to check everything, just want to make sure I don't break anything else if I want to drive it or whatever.

sooooooooooo..you just wanted to '' jerry '' rig it, so you could just ride huh ?, yeah..ok. have fun on future repairs, cuz I know I wont step in to guide you. nothing makes me more upset is for some one to join here, ask what the problem is, how to fix it, THEN DO A DAMN HALF ASS JOB OF FIXING IT !. good luck ! .

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

Hold on dude, I can fix it. I'm just saying to move it and stuff. But if it comes to cracking open the case, that might be pushing my limit on fixing stuff or the shift drum. I still gotta do some stuff to it before riding it anyway. Obviously if I didn't wanna do it right for the most part anyway, would've never opened up the ends in the first place. So get happy in the pants ya got mad in home slice and let's get this rig running like it should! If the drum is broke and it's gonna damage the inside, I might take it to a more experienced mechanic.

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

I don't have a service manual. I've been going off lots of YouTube videos and forums like this. Shadetree has a lot of experience and knowledge I've seen/ noticed on these situations and on Honda's.

 

[shadetree]

I don't have a service manual. I've been going off lots of YouTube videos and forums like this. Shadetree has a lot of experience and knowledge I've seen/ noticed on these situations and on Honda's.

ok, simple fix, you can down load the service manual from our site here for free !!. its in the manual section, first sticky, scroll down, click on red letters, locate your make/model/year...please read it !. for right now, you DO NOT HAVE TO SPLIT THE CASES !!..but you do need to remove the rear engine cover, no biggie..just takes time is all. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee helping folks..i really do !!..but I wont help them if they half ass the work ?..thats just not how I roll.

 

[shadetree]

Hold on dude, I can fix it. I'm just saying to move it and stuff. But if it comes to cracking open the case, that might be pushing my limit on fixing stuff or the shift drum. I still gotta do some stuff to it before riding it anyway. Obviously if I didn't wanna do it right for the most part anyway, would've never opened up the ends in the first place. So get happy in the pants ya got mad in home slice and let's get this rig running like it should! If the drum is broke and it's gonna damage the inside, I might take it to a more experienced mechanic.

as long as you got the service manual, read it, understand it ?, THEN THERE IS NOTHING...AND I MEAN NOTHING THAT YOU CAN NOT DO....UNTIL YOU TRY !!. you've got plenty of help right here on this site that can guide you step by step if need be ?, in other words..there is no excuse to sit there and tell me..you can't do it ?..that's bs !!..lol. bcs man just went through some work on his trx450es with the help of us, and he dont know crap about what was ahead of him ?..but by gawd...he did it !!. with the service manual, and all of us ?, he saved a crap load of money by doing the work himself. CAN'T NEVER COULD...UNTIL YOU TRY !!..LOL.

 

[bcsman]

Yeah what @shadetree said....lol

 

[Rocketman5144]

If it worked before chances are your shift drum is fine. The end of the shift drum is what the shaft of the gear position switch goes into. You want to make sure the transmission is in neautral, and then like was said before align the roll pin of the switch with the N on the body of the switch. You can verify by using a ohm meter to measure between the blue wire and the metal of the case. The switch makes ground, or connects the wire to ground to make the circuit.

Hopefully you didn't mess up the switch, which is more likely to happen if you don't have it alligned right and bolt the cover back on; but if you are handy you can usually fix the switch.

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

Well thank ya shadetree! I do like fixing stuff the right way, like it should. Got a lot of projects going on at the moment so that's where the if I could just drive it and park it out of the way at the moment kind of thing came in. Now taking it to the mud park...I hate breaking down out and about and having to go through so much trouble than just fixing things in the first place and saving me a ton of trouble! Anywho, I'm hoping to get to it tomorrow. Live in East Texas area above I-20 and hopefully gonna have the motor out before the rain hits again! Praying to the good lord that's it's just a simple fix and I just need to align that sensor up to the drum. Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

[Mr.Grandtastic]

Rocketman- I'm so far proven to be pretty handy! Like I just mentioned in the previous post, hopefully I'll get to it. Should have an update sometime Sunday afternoon.

 

[shadetree]

Well thank ya shadetree! I do like fixing stuff the right way, like it should. Got a lot of projects going on at the moment so that's where the if I could just drive it and park it out of the way at the moment kind of thing came in. Now taking it to the mud park...I hate breaking down out and about and having to go through so much trouble than just fixing things in the first place and saving me a ton of trouble! Anywho, I'm hoping to get to it tomorrow. Live in East Texas area above I-20 and hopefully gonna have the motor out before the rain hits again! Praying to the good lord that's it's just a simple fix and I just need to align that sensor up to the drum. Thanks again for everyone's help!

yw . you do not need to pull motor to get to the switch. I have removed the rear cover with the swing arm in place, its tight to get the cover out ?, but can be done !. if you find it easier to drop the swing arm ? ( this is another way to get the rear cover off ), go that way. I guess which ever way is easier on you ?, then ...get-r-done !. .

 

[shadetree]

Rocketman- I'm so far proven to be pretty handy! Like I just mentioned in the previous post, hopefully I'll get to it. Should have an update sometime Sunday afternoon.

if you get stumped ?..just holler at us ! .