[Dozer789]

Hey guys! Been here a little while, but first post for me!
So a few months ago I bought a 01 recon for $500 off Craigslist. It was my first Quad, so I didn't really know what to look for, but it ran, so I bought it. Then the next morning, when I started it in the daylight, I noticed it smoked like a chimney.
I tried to flip it, but it was over the winter months, and people were looking for sleds, so there wasn't much interest. Then last night I got a brilliant (maybe horrible) idea to rebuild it.
I'm wondering if you guys think it's worth a rebuild? The guy I bought it from said it had the crap beat out of it. However, the Plastics have been replaced, so they don't have any cracks in it. It seems to shift good, except sometimes it's hard to shift from reverse to neutral, but my 85 250sx does the same thing, so I'm not too concerned.
It appears to have been rebuilt or something at some point in time, because the gasket from the head to the crankcase is different than the oem gasket.
And the other big thing is that the two bolts on the right side of the head, that go into the crankcase are stripped out. So I would need a right crankcase.
With all that being said, do you think it is worth rebuilding? I have never rebuilt a small engine before, but I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and I have a buddy who rebuilt the top end of his Quad, so I think I should be able to figure it out.
What do you all recommend?
Also, what do you think the cost would be to get the rebuild kit, and getting the cylinder rebored?

Thanks.

 

[Colbyntx]

That bike in my area sells for about $1000. Could be different in yours?!? I wouldn't put too much into it but it's what you want to do. It's a very simple bike to work on. The hard shifting could be a lot of things. Have you noticed when it's hard to shift, is the idle high? When is the last time you changed the oil? Dirty or a little water in the oil can make it shift rough.

 

[shadetree]

it's prob been sunk ?, and if this is the case ?, your looking at a full motor rebuild, if the crank needs replacing ?, your looking at a high dollar part !. motor needs to be split, and gone through, I hope you tackle this with a service manual ?, even in my 20 years of doing this as a hobby ?, I make sure I got my hands on service manuals !!, I learn new stuff all the time, like working on my '05 trx500fm ?, it's a first time for me ?, so I get the service manual for it, so I will know what to look for ?, what goes where ?, and how ?. my biggest question to you ?, is how much time and cash have you got to invest into rebuilding this recon ????, BECAUSE IT WON'T BE CHEAP IN THE LONG RUN !. this is what you should be asking yourself if you want to rebuild it ? .

 

[Dozer789]

I'm in Michigan, and I've kept an eye on the going price, and good running seem to be around 1500-1800. They seem to be selling at that, because the ads go down after a short while. As far as idle high, it doesn't seem to be.

@shadetree Why do you say the crank would probably need replaced?

 

[shadetree]

I'm in Michigan, and I've kept an eye on the going price, and good running seem to be around 1500-1800. They seem to be selling at that, because the ads go down after a short while. As far as idle high, it doesn't seem to be.

@shadetree Why do you say the crank would probably need replaced?

simple, if the top end was just redone ?, then chances are , the connecting rod has play in the wrist pin ?, or at the bottom where it connects to the crank ?. if this is the case ?, then re-doing the top end again ?!?, will only put you right back to where you are right now, a smoking engine in no time !. getting sunk, and not splitting the engine to flush/clean it out ?, will destroy the bearings in an engine, which leads to any and all parts in the lower area of your recon, this is why I say.. what I am saying .