Hard starting 500
 

Ok, got a question. i bought a 2004 Arctic cat 4x4 auto with independant suspension. This quad was wrecked and had been sitting outside for almost a year. It was sitiing out in the hot sun of NV and the grips were melted and all the black rubber lines were rotted and the cv boots were all cracked. The quad only has 800 miles on it and other than the front end damage and faded plastic thought it would be fairly easy to get going. I cleaned the gas tank, and cleaned the carb. When I put gas in it fuel started running out the over flow. Long story short, the fuel valve rubber stopper was rotted out and flowing small rubber pieces into the carb holding the float needle open. I put a small inline fuel filter in after the pet cock and got the carb to stop leaking gas. It took a little starting fluid to get it running at first but then would start very easily and run real good. I then parked it awaiting the arrival of the cv boot's. The cv boots came in and I replaced them all. I then went to try the four wheeler out and the thing wouldn't start again. It took starting fluid to get it running again. Once it was warm it would fire right up. Once it cools off, it is a pain in the but to get it going again.

What should I do? Is it the carb again? Plug? electric choke not working? What should I check?

i would change the plug as it is a cheap place to start, i would deffinately clean the carb again as you may have sucked stuff in there from the gastank. also did you drain the old gas that was in there or just run it through? bad gas can cause hard starting. also with all the rubber rot you had, is the fuel line good? i am thinking beings it is hard starting is air getting in somewhere and allowing the gas to drop down the fuel line away from the carb? then it would have to suck the gas up from the fuel tank which will cause you to have to spin it over for a long time to get it started or have to use starting fluid to once get it started then it will suck it up.

I agree with weez440
 

Seems if it sat long time all hoses will deteriorate and will cause just this issue. Now old gas sitting does a lot of gumming so be sure that fuel is getting to the combustion chamber clean.
However since the engine starts well after it is warm lends me to thinking that it is more of a fire problem now. Check the fire, I'd almost thnk this is the cause.
These issues are almost always something obvious that we overlook.