[Molish]

I'm about to do my first matinance cycle and I wanted a few tips form the guys who know their stuff here.

I downloaded the service manual for my 2001 honda 400ex. Now alot of my parts are aftermarket, but the process and ideas should be the same. I just had a few questions and mabey have you guys look at my short list.

First, my quad.

Now, the short list. I'm gonna go through all the chapter 3. Matinance stuff, but a few items I wanted to hit today are

Fuel line check
Air Cleaner filter check/replacement
-(think I'll just buy a new element and core depending on price. mine is pretty bad/dirty)
Spark plug
-(WHAT TYPE/KIND do i buy? It's not stated in my service manual)
Oil change (new filter and seals)
-The guy before me ran synthetic 10w-40 though it. I picked up some, but the service manual says use Honda GN4 or HP4 4-stroke oil API service class SF or SG SAE 10w-40. Stay with the basic off the shelf Castrol synthetic or go back to Honda brand?
Drive Chain maintenance
-cleaning is easy, but the service manual states to get "Gear Oil #80-90." What brand/type is this?
Skid plate maintenance
-I got the skid plate separate with with no hardware. I found 2 bolt holes directly benith the motor, but no other ones. I got some bolts with lock washers on those two, and just put BIG bolt with 2 BIG round washers on the very nose of the frame and locked it in place with that. No pics, but I'll put some up later. It's not all the bolts needed, but it will hold and I'm just gonna put some rubber pieces under the parts that rattle against the frame a bit. I trail ride, nothing too crazy.
Spark Arrester
Chassis nuts and bolts check
Front wheel bearings, swing arm bearings, wheel hubs check.
-Any tips there? Or just follow the service manual?

EDIT: removed crank oil question.

 

[Molish]

ah HA!
Just found this image in the VERY next chapter. Answered one of my questions. The crank case uses the normal oil it seems. No special oil required. Deleting the old question from my original post.

original question:

-Is there crank case oil I should check? Or does the motor use the engine old in the crank case. A Buddy has a dirt bike 2-stroke and has to mix his gas/oil and get specific crank case oil, so thats what I'm used to seeing/doing. I see nothing in my manual about it, but I haven't read it all yet

 

[Redracer]

I would follow the manual. If you want to run a synthetic oil, make sure you buy an ATV specific oil. Some can cause clutch slippage. I would also just replace the airfilter, they are about 40 bucks or so.

I'm about to do my first matinance cycle and I wanted a few tips form the guys who know their stuff here.

I downloaded the service manual for my 2001 honda 400ex. Now alot of my parts are aftermarket, but the process and ideas should be the same. I just had a few questions and mabey have you guys look at my short list.

First, my quad.

Now, the short list. I'm gonna go through all the chapter 3. Matinance stuff, but a few items I wanted to hit today are

Fuel line check


Air Cleaner filter check/replacement
-(think I'll just buy a new element and core depending on price. mine is pretty bad/dirty)
Spark plug
-(WHAT TYPE/KIND do i buy? It's not stated in my service manual)
Oil change (new filter and seals)
-The guy before me ran synthetic 10w-40 though it. I picked up some, but the service manual says use Honda GN4 or HP4 4-stroke oil API service class SF or SG SAE 10w-40. Stay with the basic off the shelf Castrol synthetic or go back to Honda brand?
Drive Chain maintenance
-cleaning is easy, but the service manual states to get "Gear Oil #80-90." What brand/type is this?
Skid plate maintenance
-I got the skid plate separate with with no hardware. I found 2 bolt holes directly benith the motor, but no other ones. I got some bolts with lock washers on those two, and just put BIG bolt with 2 BIG round washers on the very nose of the frame and locked it in place with that. No pics, but I'll put some up later. It's not all the bolts needed, but it will hold and I'm just gonna put some rubber pieces under the parts that rattle against the frame a bit. I trail ride, nothing too crazy.
Spark Arrester
Chassis nuts and bolts check
Front wheel bearings, swing arm bearings, wheel hubs check.
-Any tips there? Or just follow the service manual?

EDIT: removed crank oil question.

 

[TRX2fiveO]

Agree^^^ make sure you get an outerwears cover for your filter too, Uni or K&N are good choices. as far as the chain I use Gear and chain Lube it comes in a spray can if you raise the rear and put it in nuetral and rotate it around spraying the whole length of the chain you should be fine, I generally wipe off any excess lube as well so it dosen't sling all over creation.

 

[Billy250X]

Agree^^^^^!!Maintinence is important.

 

[Molish]

I guess I'm lucky, I like maintenance as much as I like riding her!

Thanks for all the tips guys. This will help out A LOT!

By any chance does anyone have any recommendations fro a spark plug? Are they just like car spark plugs? I didn't see any mention in the book, but I forgot to read the specification on the front of the maintenance section.

 

[Billy250X]

I run champion spark plugs.You'd have to find the cross reference number.

 

[mud99]

NGK DPR8Z gap .28

 

[Molish]

NGK DPR8Z gap .28

Would this still be the same even with a big bore kit installed? (was told it was big bored to 425cc)

 

[mud99]

Give me the name and part number to the plug you have in there now.

 

[Molish]

I'll get that for ya as quick as I can. At work right now and I won't have access to the plug untill tomarrow some time.

Thanks again for all the input everyone!

 

[tomgodd]

NGK DPR8Z gap .28

Would this still be the same even with a big bore kit installed? (was told it was big bored to 425cc)

I would say yes. My buddy has a 400ex punched out to a 426 and he runs this same plug.

 

[Helmut]

Yeah, I agree. I doubt that would make any difference with the spark plug.

 

[Molish]

Figured I'd give you guys a quick update. Got a lot done to her, gonna re-pack the bearings and do grease fittings soon.

But I ran into an issue you might be able to help with. I've been riding after doing some of the basics to her, and it's been beautiful! I hadn't run into any problems, it's even starting better since the matinance I've been doing in the cold! Runs so smooth...

Until tonight. We were running in the melting snow and just MUDDING BEYOND BELIEF! It was epic. been running her for a few hours like that, then let a buddy ride it while I went to dinner. He said for the first half while I was gone, no problems. Then it started to not want to hold an idle at rest (in neutral, he had to feather it to keep her going). If it died, it would start back up just fine and run fine, but the idle at rest was...."off"

I pulled her into the shop and cracked it open. Now, in my air box there is a GIGANTIC hole where I think the air cleaner used to be at. It was mod'd (of course) and the old hole was left there. I had ran it through some pretty BIG puddles, but that was about 2 hours before the problems started. Could be water contamination.

My buddy just tail rode, no puddles, no mud. Just out through some back country. I've got some vids uploaded of the issue I'm seeing. just a general rougher idle then normal, hard to find a good idle with the idle screw. and the really wierd part? just BARELY touch the gas and it dies.

Check the vids (one with commentary and one without)

Vid with commentary

Vid WITHOUT me talking about stupid stuff.
(at 1:25 on this vid it hard to see but the hole is there under the air cleaner in the airbox. As if the air cleaner came in there before, but they decided it needed to be more in the center. Or maybe this airbox is not the original at all.


Any ideas for the rough idle and the weird engine dieing when you BARELY touch the throttle?

 

[shadetree]

how long has it been sinse the carb has been overhauled ?..i would start there..take the carb part..try cleaning the jets <one wire from a wirebrush > no bigger !..otherwise your gonna mess up the jets...try this first..see how she does.

 

[tomgodd]

Agree^^^^^^^^^

 

[Helmut]

Yeah, I agree too. I believe the carb needs to be cleaned.

 

[mud99]

I agree with the rest.

 

[Molish]

The only problem I got is that I have NO idea what kinda carb that is. I'll try and find a part # or something tonight. The guy I bought it off of said he hadn't had the carb cleaned in a while. I guess riding through that water and getting it all up in the carb finally got her.

Question, is the airbox supposed to have that giant hole? I figured that air filter got it's air from around the bottom of the seat. I think the box hole was another race mod making it a "RAM AIR" type thingy. I was wondering if I can plug that giant hole and see if the air intake will still get enough flow.

 

[mud99]

Are you talking about the whole beside the carb boot were the hook together. There is supposed to be a plastic tube that runs up to the top of the engine. If you block that you will need to remove the air box lid. It may be a stock carb and that will be a easy fix with a rebuild kit.