Ok, guys,

This is for all Arctic Cat 300 owners, or any one interested, have any of you had
any problems with your 300's? If so, what kind? I have an 03 300 4x4, and have had
quite a few problems, the worst being an idle problem. Two dealers have told me that
they all idle & run this way, very cold natured, hard to start even in warm weather. Everything,
and I mean Everything has been done to try and fix it, nothing has helped.
Any info and help would be great.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

No starting problems here- infact it starts extremely easy! The only time it can be a bear to get going is if it has set for like a month or more w/o being started and then I usually stick my hand over the snorkel and it fires right up. Have the dealers really gone through the carb to make sure its clean? Did they actually take the pilot jet out and look through it to make sure its open? Take carb cleaner and spray through it and then blow compressed air through the idle circut. Also check to make sure that the air screw (the screw on the bottom of the carb) is set properly. Off the top of my head 2.5 turns seems to ring a bell. Another thing to check is to make sure that the choke (really an inricher) is properly adjusted. And don't forget float level- a too lean of a setting will make it start hard also. Those are some things to take a look at and there are many more things you can get into also like air leaks ect.....

 

Hey mudpuppy,

I have done all of that, this has been going on for a year now, third carb, I can take the carb off of this thing,
clean it re-build it and-or inspect it in 30 min. They have let me switch carbs three times, new cdi, coil plug wire,
plugs, I can also get to top dead center and set the valves in about 10 min. They just did a leak down test on it,
tested great, I do have it running better that it has since I got it, but I have a digital tach on it, and it wil idle
anywhere from 1200-1590, no matter how many times you set it to around 1400,Oh yeah, they let me get all of
these parts off a new 2004, also all new intake parts from filter box to engine, new intake manifold, all new clamps,
had a few air leaks, but now you can spray wd-40 around all connections and get no rpm increase, I'm telling you,
I have a service manual, 2 mechs have looked at it, two dealers, this has gone on for a long time. It's like chasing a
ghost. Magneto? the mechanics I have are at small engine shops, they are telling me that all 300's run about like
this. He said yesterday that just sitting there idling, that they won't hold a steady rpm, because of heat build-up.
Thanks for the ideas.

 

Mine does idle erraticly every once in a while. I have gone one size leaner on the pilot jet and that made it start a little cleaner- no more having to hit the throttle to get it to start when its warm. I also adjusted the idle a little higher than normal on mine because I do a lot of winter plowing with it and it tends to die when you drop the throttle under load due to the carb not having a decellerator circut on it. What color does your plug burn? I noticed you run a K&N and a dyno jet kit- I am guessing it does this with the stock air filter and jets in it?

 

I was under the impression that the idle should be about 1500 rpms, where did you get the spec of 4000 rpm?

 

Sorry guys, I just got my numbers mixed up, I did mean 1200-1500, just added
a little extra zero there, sorry.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img] I don't know why I was thinking 2000-5000 instead of 1200-1500, I knew what I meant, but I was just writing it wrong. any way, yes, it's doing this with the jet kit on it.
My plugs run clean, tan, no more fouling.

 

Never had a starting problem had a few other things go wrong but thats it.

 

Thanks Catsrule,

Yeah, the big deal is really the idle, but like I said, it's 90+ out there now, and even if
I have ran it in the morning, I could go out in that hot garage right now, and I would still
have to choke it to start, and even if I run it, get it good and warm, let it sit 10-15 min. I
still have to either choke it or give it a little gas to start. And it's not a quad that you can just
jump on and take off, no matter what, you have to sit there a min. or two and let it warm up.

PS to Hondabuster, how's it going, you remember helping me learn how to set these valves?
Thanks again for that, between you and Tork, like I said earlier, I can find top dead center,
set these valves, and have it ready in about 10-15 min. I have learned alot, thanks to you guys,
the service manual, and just plain internet research.

 

replace the valves. I'v said this before to someone on here. The valve's seat get dished and causes to much turbulace to draw in adequate fuel at idle. Do not lap in the new valves but do ajust them after a couple hours initial use. Also while you have the head off pull off the cylinder and check the lower part of the bore for rust. The way the cylinders angled and being air cooled lets alot of condensation hang their.