I have a noise coming from the lower end of my Sport 400 which I assume is the counterbalancer bearings. I removed the skid plate to pull out some sticks and found a puddle of oil on the skid plate. I checked the counterbalancer oil, and sure enough, that was nearly empty. I haven't found where the oil leaked out. Any ideas? I plan to pull the engine this winter to replace the bearings and seals. Are there any other gaskets, bolts, other parts I should plan on buying since I'll have to split the cases to replace the bearings?

 

yes.... lots of them... when i did mine i simply took the recoil housing off and went in the side... you'll need the gasket for the case, the water housing gasket... as long as your in there you'll probably wanna take a look at the impeller and see if that needs replaced along with both the seals behind it and the bearing... my bearing around the water housing was completely shot... if your gonna take the counter balance out or work directly under the engine much then your past anything i've done to my 400 so good luck.... and be careful when putting it all back together... some of the case bolts don't take very much torque... i accidentally twisted a head off of one and had to drill it out and replace it... not fun... oh yeah and behind the stator there is a left handed nut... your supposed to use a special tool to get it out cause its oddly shaped but with a screw driver and a hammer you should be able to get it out. just be careful... well thats all that comes to mind for me... but i'm a bit new at all this so all you guys who know more then i ever will, please make all the necessary corrections and add ons... thanks

 

the counter balancer bearing rarely tend to go bad as quick becuase they are oil bathed. how long has it been low on oil? finding the leak is the first thing you need to do. its either the paper gasket of the oil seal on the pull cord.

 

I first noticed the "worn bearing" noise about a month ago, but the counterbalancer oil was still full. I've only ridden the machine about 2 hours since first hearing the noise, and the oil leak just happened more recently. I took it out for 1/2 hour ride, came back to clean out sticks/brush, and found oil leak. I have not ridden it since the oil leak or had time to closely look at the machine. I did pull off the recoil housing and found no oil in the housing.

 

it has to be the papaer gasket then.

if the noise was a wrooooooooooaaar type noise then its most likly the masin bearings thats the noises mine were making prior to the rebuild.

 

I had the same thing, all the oil drained into the starter. I rebuilt the starter and the same thing happened even with all new seals. I assume that this is not how it is supposed to be, so correct me if I am wrong. Or if I am way off of what you are talking about. I constantly have to check the oil and am putting more in constantly even without the starter, so this may not have been the problem. Please let me know what you find out in the end I will check mine too.

 

oghma if your getting oil into the staarter recoil area the only place it could come would be from the oil seal behind the fly wheel. or a crack in the case/ hole.

I have had the same problem replaced the seal and it still happens.

 

Update:
I changed the counterbalancer oil and rode it for 15 minutes. I dropped the oil and it was extremely milky...meaning the water pump seal is shot. I'm already in the process of pulling the engine out of the frame to make the repair easier.