Well stupid me forgot to look under the quad when i bought it (wet grass). So today i stood it up on the grab bar, and took a look, the frame is straight, but i made a discovery on the bottom of the motor. SILICONE. Orange silicone sealing up two spots where the cases split. DoH. Should i be woried about this? They are large globs of silcone one bigger than the other. I am guessing covering up two holes in the bottom of the cases.

Next thing, the viewing glass on the side of the engine, whats it for and where should it show up to?

I am figuring it is for gear oil, but there is none showing in the window (doh)

Oh well time to change the gear oil (drain plug on the bottom of the engine right?)
Any recomendations on what type of gear oil to use?

Third the owner said the oil was mixed 20:1. Isn't this a little rich?

Oh last and biggest; engine noise.

When the bike is idling, it makes like rattling noises (vibration rattle, bottom end noise)
how bad is this, it seems to go away once in gear. I am hoping it is just due to the low gear oil level.

Any input?

 

That window is for the power valve. Has nothing to do with gear oil. Where does it show up? Well, right where it is I guess.
If the silicone isn't leaking, then it's probably not too bad.
Noise....Since we can't hear it, we can't comment. Use your best judgement.
Run 32:1 gas/oil

 

I would double check to make sure that the sound you hear is from the motor and not just a loose bolt rattling somewhere. I heard a strang noise from my trx250r one day that I thought was the motor. I packed up my bike and headed home to check it out. Then I realized my nerf-bars shook the bolts out of it and they were rattling on the frame up by where they connect near the motor!! Your noise could be something stupid like mine was.

 

Took a better look at it, turns out the pipe (fmf) is not sealed right at the cylinder (crack), i am goin to get that welded up, and see if that solves my problems of rattle, but it still sounds "in" the engine

 

A pic would help with this one. If the silicone was used when the cases were reassembled (just in case), then it's not an issue. If the silicone is there because the cases didn't seal (air leak) or have a hole, then you got a pretty big problem (losing the silicone while you're riding will cause air to enter the engine causing a lean condition = Kaboom).


The viewing glass is is to see the powervalve setting and to confirm that it's working.


Regular motor oil will work, 2 stroke tranny oil (like Motul Transoil) is better. Lots of people recommend changing it every ride.


Mix at the ratio recommended on the bottle, probably 32:1.


Could be anything, nobody can tell you what that is without hearing it. LT's are noisy tho.

 

I'll bet $.32 that the rattling is the clutch basket. Did the last owner say anything about replacing the clutch. The clutch basket wears to the ears of the clutch plates and alot of people file these wear marks smooth when they replace the clutches(did it myself). After filing the basket and putting it back together it rattles when in neutral but quits as soon as its shifted into gear (seen it 3 times). I have had loose bolts make very similiar sounds though.

I bought a hinson basket and it fixed my problem but this might not be your problem. As everyone else said its hard to say without hearing it.
Hope this helps, Hope its only a loose bolt because a clutch basket is$189 from rocky mountain atv. I did ride mine for a whole season(6 months) with the bad basket with no other problems than the rattle.

 

Well guys, decided to see what lies under the silicone. Tipped her up onto the grab bar and scraped it off. No cracks in the case. Looks like the gasket that seals the two cases leaked, and it was just fixed using silicone. Well i scraped it all off, set her down on all 4 again, and i am going to look and see how bad it leaks oil. Also under the largest glob of silicone there is a very small cunk missing out of the side of the case where the two pieces meet about || big. My dad seem to think it has not gone all the way thru the case and with a new gasket will seal fine.
What do you guys think?, and can this little hole be welded (when i split the cases latter this year)

 

Also question about the fmf pipe on it. Is it supposed to flex where it goes into the engine? (it leakes there). First thoughts whre that it was cracked, but then i realized it has a spring so it must need to flex. Is there a way to fix this leak?

 

there isnt a gasket between the cases, when you split the cases and put it back together you should put a small bead of silicone around it like that because liek was said earlier if it doesnt seal perect and you suck in air it will lean out the bike and you'll blow it up. If there is a small chuck missing it should be easy to have welded, or the case halves go for about $40ish and up on ebay.

Mark

 

A little of that orange silicone (hi temp rtv) will stop your pipe from leaking. It will not cure a leaky case safely. Remove all of the silicone you can then start the engine and make sure it doesn't rev by itself or leak tranny oil. Spray starting fluid around the case seam, if it revs, you got a leak and have to tear it down.