hey everyone, new here and i was hoping to get some advice, i dont have a atv yet but i am looking at a few right now, going to purchase in a week or two but i want some advice first. i am looking at a scrambler 400 or 500 4x4, are there any common problems with them? what should i look for? i am mechanically inclined although i am not familiar with atv's i am sure i can do the work as long as i get a manual, i know the 400 is a 2 stroke and the 500 is a 4 stroke, i read somewhere that the scrambler 400 oil injection for the 2 stroke would fail, is this true?

any advice on these two machines would be great and i appreciate it

 

Oil pumps on the 400 could fail,but mainly the problem was where they were located,on the front of the machine and caught water,dirt through the cover plate. This corroded the pump and caused problems. Just my on this but stay with a 500 4 stroke whether it's a Scrambler or Sportsman as you'll have less mechanical problems for the most part.Preferably something at least a 2001 model or later with the HO engine if you go the Sportsman route. No earlier than a 2000 model on the Scrambler 500 as it was the first year HO.These models had the updated cams and larger 40 mm carbs. Others will give you their opinions.

 

The Scrambler is a good place to start, but if you have riding buddies, look at what they are all riding. It sucks to be on a sport when everyone is looking for the deep mud, and the ute guys can't keep up on most trails where we ride. The Scrambler does a decent job of splitting the middle but does lack a bit towards either end. Still, if you like a bit of speed and still want 4x4 it is hard to beat unless you are looking at the newer Renegades and 850 Scramblers.

 

thanks, i was interested in the scramblers because i do like to go fast and the 4wd, we have allot of snow and i do like to go in mud, all the sport quads around dont do so swell in either of them, everyone i know that has a sport quad also bought a snowmobile for the winter lol, would love to get a 500 sportsman but not in my price range around my area, the other one i was looking at was a yamaha big bear 350, not fast but i read good things about them,

 

Sounds like the Scrambler is your best bet then. Yamaha had the Wolverine which is the closest competition for a sporty 4x4 on the cheaper side, but the Scrammy is a better machine. The newest generation renegades and 850 Scrambler are impressive, but probably more than you are looking to spend.

 

would love to get a 850 scrambler or the renagade but those things would cost me more that my harley and im going for no payments, now is there any thing i should look for on a scrambler 500? im sure it was used and abused why else would someone get one so are there noises i should listen for in the engine?

 

You're right about abuse as this is what we encountered on a lot of used ones.Some worse than others,but sometimes you'd find a rare,clean machine in very good condition.If you find one give the rear end a good shake to check for worn swing arm bushings and rear axle carrier bearing wear.Expect to have to go through the front hubs for armature plates,possible bearings(if mistreated) plus any rattling noise from the clutch area usually means ramp button wear plus possible clutch spider wear(new clutch needed if spider is grooved) Plus consider at least a 2000 or later model as previous mentioned as it's the HO. Before the 2000 model year cam wear was a problem on a lot of the 500 Scrambler/Sportsman engines. After that the engines were great for the most part.Here's one members cam experience on his 99 model..http://forums.atvconnection.com/pola...d-cam-pic.html

 

glad i came on here, i have found many 400 scramblers for sale for pretty cheap but all of them said brand new rebuild in the post, thats what got me questioning it, or they say will pull wheelies no problem, i try to stay away from those ones lol and i have seen that pic before when i was searching on here before i joined because i was looking at sportsmans from the 90s and was checking on problems they might have and that came right up

 

Plus here's diagram of what's involved in the crank case of a 400 2 stroke versus the 500. I'd rather rebuild a 500 any day..Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse
http://www.cyclepartswarehouse.com/f...2000&fveh=5498
Doesn't include the water pump and counter balancer on the 400,plus doesn't show the crank,etc on the 500,but I think you get my point! Plus just the nature of a two stroke to need constant maintenance,fresh top ends,etc. A lot of power for the weight,but you'll be wrenching more on it..

 

wow huge difference, i have read that the 2 strokes need the top ends rebuilt more often and that was kind of pushing me away from them, but out of curiosity what about the 250 2 strokes that were in the trail boss? sorry for all the questions im just trying to find a quad to ride, i would like speed but i will sacrifice that for reliability, only thing i want the most is the 4wd