When I buy a ATV with no speedo option and try to judge the mileage besides by looks and condition guessing, I go by the tires condition.

If your ATV has 23" Maxxis that are in fair shape then the mileage is likely low . ATV tires wear rather quick especially Yamahas stock 2ply Maxxis ATs.
Chances of the previous owner replacing those tire with the same kind is almost nil. Most move on to a larger 24"or 25" or different brand once the stock tires wear out.

 

Good tip, thank you. I suppose there may be some higher mileage on the machine given it does have upgraded 25" tires on it. However, the tread on these tires is fair. I plan to get a few more years out of them.

I'm excited to scrub this baby clean tonight! I'm going to make a mess of my garage floor...correction: more of a mess...

 

On the other hand, many people just ditch stock tires and upgrade well before the stock tires were out. I sure have.

 

Let's hope that's the case

EDIT:

Here's a better pic of the bike.

 

I always like them, they were the lightest 4x4 ever made. Even the 250 4x4 Yamaha Timberwolf was heavier .

 

I had a 450 Wolverine before. The 350 is a little lighter though but the 450 has a bit more power. I hated how most of the older atvs had full-time 4wd. The Warn front axle disconnect I'm sure makes it feel a bit sportier. Honda was still building machines with full-time 4wd as late as 2006. Every 350 Rancher was full-time 4wd for the whole run from 2000-2006. In 2007 when the 420 Rancher replaced it, they finally offered selectible 4wd.

 

I owned a 2002 Honda 450 Foreman a few years back and ya the all time 4wd wasn't always nice. I mean that thing was a beast for work, and would go anywhere I pointed it, but was very heavy steering and tiring when you wanted to ride it for a long trip.

I haven't got to ride this 350 Wolverine much yet to be honest, I wanted to clean it up and change all fluids before really testing it out (couldn't confirm that the proper maintenance had been done to it and didn't want to cause any further damage).

I did test out the 2wd/4wd disconnect which is going to be fun to put it in 2wd for casual trail riding.

I think tonight I'm grabbing all my necessary O-rings I need for the top end, then giving the engine a good scrub tonight. I think the O-ring replacement and valve adjustment will be a job for tomorrow evening. Saturday I want to give this thing a good test drive!!

 

I think they did it in the past because it was just easier. It took extra money and engineering to create a selectible 4x4 system. Hopefully replacing those oil rings will fix the oil leak and you can actually get some real riding time in to see how you like it. Most of the time on a hard packed trail, 4x4 isn't necessary. I've owned several 2x4 quads and really the only time you get in trouble is trying to go through too much mud. I'm sure deep snow would be tough too but we don't get as much snow here as you do up in Canada.

 

Can't blame them for saving some money, while people are still buying them.

Nobody I know has a 2wd four wheeler around here for snow more than mud. Where I live we can insure and plate our four wheelers and drive them on the roads around here. With so many frozen lakes around me you can cut through fields and lakes and get around pretty good on ATV's, although a 2wd would barely make it down the driveway!

Supposed to get 6" of snow here over the course of tonight and tomorrow, but we all know the weather man has been wrong before.

Now to equip a plow on this ol girl

EDIT:

I'm assuming that the valve clearance are the same as the 98?
https://atvconnection.com/forums/yam...ine-350-a.html

The owner's manual I have just says I should take it to a Yamaha dealer to adjust my valves

EDIT #2:

Should I get parts #21 and #22 on this schematic?
http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemp.../cylinder-head

I'm going to get 2x #27.

Then when I replace the oil filter (part 14?) I think I'm going to get the o-ring #22 just to be sure I have everything I need.
http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemp...0b97a/oil-pump

Let me know so I know I'm on the right page. Thanks!

 

So I went to the dealer last night and picked up the four o-rings and an oil filter ($55 total).

I cleaned the engine up the best I could with just dish soap and water, then blew it off with the air compressor. I had to stop as I was getting very frustrated when my shop light melted some of the front fenders by the gas tank when I wasn't paying attention then when I noticed and quickly moved it the cord hit a mason jar full of nuts/bolts off my bench and onto the floor (smash!). So needless to say, before anymore frustration ensued I called it a night.

Here are some pictures to compare to the last ones. I wouldn't eat off of it, but I feel a lot safer about opening up the engine now.
Still dirty, but pic with the tank off.


After I cleaned it.






ANOTHER QUESTION:

Does the air filter just sit in the air box? Mine isn't sealed very well to the carb intake. I could see dirt just bypassing the filter since it is not sealed very well. Usually the ones I have seen are fastened onto another tube with a clamp of some sort. I filter was surprisingly clean to be honest, which could be because it wasn't functioning properly...however the amount of dirt I scraped out of the air box was disgusting!

EDIT:

Sorry guys was quick with the question...did my own research and see a thin layer of grease can be used to seal the air filter to the wall of the airbox, so that is what I'll do when I put it back together tonight. Temps are supposed to be dropping to about -20 degrees Celsius so I might be a little slower in the garage than I hoped.
The little propane heater can only make it so warm in there!
I REALLY want to get it ready to go for this weekend and take it for a good test drive. Fingers crossed, it could still happen!