new update i pulled the recoil and the recoil is fine...i took a wrench to turn the crank over and it seemed like it was kind of stuck at first but now it turns over like normal with the wrench...so ill be putting in a battery in about an hour and seeing if it'll turn over now i dont know what was causing the crank to be stuck...maybe the starter? it sounds like i can hear the starter spin when i turn it over by hand? more updates soon

 

so i kinda looked at the recoil a little more and i think that it was the culprit, i cleaned up the little springs and the part that catches the crank and it pulls it over fine now. Got a new battery and what do you know the electric start works fine. Changed the oil and filter, probably will change out the gas if it starts but for now gotta wait til tomorrow to get the new spark plug...i just cant seem to get the one that they gave me at carquest to thread the hole as i think it is the wrong one and it is too big so we'll wait and see. They couldnt have put the damn thing in a worse spot tho to try and put it in the damn whole

 

well sounds like you may have a darn good buy,so far anyways. i wouldnt try starting it with 1 yr old gas. Gas these days will grow an algae. Youll know by the color of the gas., it will be redish in color and it will stick to the sides of the tank even after you drain it. It may have water in the tank from condensation all this time also. Do your self and the atv a favor and drain the gas before you try to start it. Dont forget the seafoam,it will eat the algae and moisture that may be in the tank. if you leave the old gas in,it may ruin your carb or clog the jets which will create a bigger issue. Then youll have to take it all apart to clean it.

 

well what would be the best way to get rid of the old gas? do i need to take the gas tank out of the quad to do this? i mean the level of the gas is pretty low (the gas gauge is flashing) could i just not fill it up all the way and put some seafoam in it a give it a go or would you still recommend getting rid of the old stuff

 

You can just disconnect the hose from the carb and let it drain that way. drain the carb too though. Or,if it is REALLY low then you could just add some fresh gas with the seafoam. The ratio between fresh gas with seafoam, to old gas may not be too bad on it. If you can drain the gas easily i recommend that. it will only take a couple minutes and you wont have to worry about the carb getting crap in it. its your call though. I just dont wanna see you have to do more work and spend money than you need to.

 

If you decide to add the fresh gas with the old,then make sure to FILL it up all the way. So it will be more like 90% fresh gas and seafoam, and 10% old gas.

 

When I have worked on a machine that has sat for a long time (year or more) without running and I don't want to remove the fuel tank. I do as Mudslinginfool suggested and remove the fuel line from the carb and drain as much fuel as I can into an old jug. Then I open the drain plug on the carb and drain whatever is in it. Hook the fuel ine back up but leave the carb drain open.

After that I put about 1/2 a can of SeaFoam into the fuel tank. That is usually enough to get Seafoam to run out the carb drain which I then close. Let the thing sit over night. and close the fuel shutoff valve. Then open the carb drain and drain the stuff from the carb bowl and close it again. I then fill the fuel tank with as much fresh fuel as will fit and open the fuel shutoff and fire it up if it will start.

It may be a little hard to start and run a little crappy at first, but once it clears its throat a little all is usually fine. This has, at times, kept me from spending the time to remove the carb and open it up and clean it out, remove and flush the fuel tank. However good the Seafoam is at eating varnish and stuff it will not get rid of dirt.

Also, if you have a good marine store nearby they usually have the NGK plugs as well as the Seafoam. I try to by it by the gallon I use it so much. I get the pints if the price is right though. I usually pay $8-10 for a gallon when I order it.

Sounds like you got a heck of a deal (or steal) on that ATV though. I am currently trying to talk my better half into something a little more amphibious than an ATV or UTV. My negotiations are ongoing!

Swampy

 

Agreed.

 

So this is what i did...since the wheeler was so low on gas i just went to the gas station and filled it up. It took 6 gallons (max is 6.5) so i think that the good gas/ old gas ratio is good enough for it to be okay. The thing will turn over and over and over but still no start. It does have spark as i tested it before installing the new NGK plug. When i do turn it over it sounds like there is like a "clacking" type noise inside of the engine. I dont know anything about these CATS maybe its something just when its starting but i havent heard it run to be able to tell or not. It seems like it isnt getting gas, but that is just me. Also i had a question about the starting of the engine, if when i turn the engine over with the electric start should i be feeling some kind of air pushing out of the exhaust pipe, it doesnt seem like anything is coming out of the exhaust i didnt know if air should be coming out of it while starting (compression) or only if when it is running? Well ill prolly end up just taking it to the dealer and let them have their way with it, I mean they are "specialists" and have a trained ear for these things.

 

i know its a pain in the butt but if you can spray starter fluid in the plug hole and put the plug back in then try it,just to see if it will fire up then you know it at least has good spark. Also look at the plug. Is it wet? if so then its getting gas,if not then its not getting gas. I wouldnt spray a whole lot,but about of 4 or 5 different times,max. Sometimes this will help create vacuum and pull the gas through the carb in case there is dirt in it still. Ive had to do this with other engines sometimes. once it gets going it will run on its own. not all the time though. Dont know what the clunk noise could be. i know this is a dumb question,but is the plug seated all the way down,if not it wont have compression.