Here is a dilema I get trapped in often. The gear position switch is under the rear engine cover which requires removal of the cover to change. So if one goes and removes the rear swing arm to remove the rear cover and replace the switch, finds the drum broke, the time spent removing all components mentioned takes as much time as removing the engine. If the engine has to be split to repair the shift drum, time has just been wasted removing AND reinstalling the rear swing arm.
If the drum end is broken, the gear position switch can not be checked at the connector accurately as the drum is not turning the gear position switch to the proper position for gear position readout per gear needed when checking by wire color code at the connector.
If your Rancher has not had the drum replaced, being it is a 2000 model, I would roll the dice, remove the engine and then pull off the rear engine cover and check the drum end. Most likely it is broken.
What scares me about the drum breaking point is that it does not just shear the end off flush from the large section of the drum. They normally break in an eye shape around the base and not a round shape. When they do this, flakes, or chunks of the drum may fall into the transmission. There was a thread on here once that someone had showed where their transmission had a 3" by 1 1/2" hole in the top of the transmission from debris being lodged between gears, breaking the case. It would only take one small piece from the shift drum to raise total heck with the cases and become a major expence.

If it were mine, I would pull the engine and fix it right, install the updated drum if it were not relplaced before. My luck if I would hard wire the neutral switch would result in a busted case...

----- Gimpster -----

 

Thanks for your opinion. I will bring it in and have it replaced. thanks again!

 

I have a 94 300 ftrx with the same problem. I can't get the nuetral light to come on. I can roll it all over the yard so i know it is in nuetral. I just replaced the battery, checked fuses, and rocked the hell out of it. I have been able to kick start it in the past when this happened and it would run and the N light would come on for a few weeks, but it is cold now and kick starting is just not working. Please let me know if it can be fixed the same way as the Rancher, or if there is something else I need to do. I am pretty mechanically inclined, but this one is stumping me!!!

I think that since I've been able to kick start it in the past and it run for several weeks that it's probably not the drum end, but I am not the expert.


Stephen

 

Will you please post the results of having it serviced and what the diagnosis is? It helps the rest of us with similar machines if we have problems down the road.

 

my rancher will start in any gear if the front brake is pulled in

 

When I get it serviced I will gladly post the results!

 

Thanks!