2001 Artic Cat 300 4x4-tire question
 

Hello, I am a newbie both here and with artic cat. I have a few questions that I hope someone can answer. 1st off my cat overheats after about 1 hr of use. I just changed the oil and filter from a supposedly very well maintained machine. Hmm I took out 2 and a bit liters of black, thick and feeling dry oil and put in 3.5 liters of new oil and a filter. Maybe that will help the over heat. The rad is pretty clean. Any ideas??? advice?

Next I have 25 x 10 x 12 tires on the back. I have a set of 26x12x12 tires and wonder if they will fit.

Thanks for the help
G.

You have to keep a 4x4 at its original tire ratio while in 4wd or the front drive will be fighting the rear drive line.
So if you move to 26" rears you will have to move to 25" fronts.
Stock it is 24" front and 25" rear.
The 26x12 should fit the rear since the rear has lots of room to spare unlike the front.

I put 26x11 Zillas on the rear of my 350 Grizzly/Bruin and had lots of room to go bigger yet.

Its a air/oil cooled motor how do you know its over heating?

Hi, Thanks very much for the reply.

There is an temperature light. when it comes on, the sucker is hot. Today I made sure the rad was clean and noticed the fins on the engine were pretty packed with dirt as well so I cleaned that off too. My wife says it gets really hot on her thighs and I am not even on the bike (lol)- I ride an 87 Honda Fourtrax 2wd.

G.

Cleaning the fins and now you have the proper oil level should do the trick for the over heating.
That ATV uses the same 280cc Suzuki motor as the Suzuki 300 King Quad. Its been around since the early 90s and are bullet proof.
2001 Suzuki King Quad ATVs

Thanks once again. I will keep an eye on it. It could be that it has the wrong spark plug as well. I never checked that yet. I wont be able to use the tires I have they all all 26 inches. They are mounted on Polaris wheels. I think I will try to sel them and just replace my rear with a new tire. They are leaking around the rim and have some decent cuts on the sidewall.
I figured these atvs were pretty tough. When I look at the 87 Honda I have, it is amazing where that thing goes. I just did the clutch on it. 350.00 is not much compared to the cost of a new atv.

I have an 05 AC 300 4x4 probably close to what yours is I have ITP mud lites on it. front is 25 8 12 and rear is 26 12 12. now, I have to leave it in the middle setting 95% of the time and she goes thru anything, I have used it plenty of times to pull my sportsman 800 out of nasty mud in low gear.

has been a great bike.
you have to keep the radiator fins and engine clean of caked mud. I took off the bottom plastic underneath the frame because mud would stay there and would get very hot.

yes the oil level definitely affects temp, also make sure you have the proper 4 stroke oil for wet clutch.

also mine does not like getting splashed alot and what i had to do is put a little silicone in the plug boot it keeps the water from getting in it and it wont run.

Have you just taken the garden hose and flushed the fins on the rad? Even though they look clean they may have a slight layer of dirt. My 2014 was overheating on a trip and when i got home the rad looked clean but when i rinsed it out it was pretty dirty never had the over heat problem again. Also check your rad cap make sure its holding pressure. Not sure if those have a rad fan or not have you checked that? If all that fails it may be time to flush the rad and put new fluid in it.

The 280cc is not liquid cooled and has no rad with coolant. http://www.atvreviewnetwork.com/enth...hicleCode=2118

it has a oil cooler so their should be a rad for that. same idea gets plugged

Oil cooler are for assist rather then a necessity unlike a coolant rad.
My 250 Moto4 never had a oil cooler and never over heated.

Lots of stock larger motored atv like the 350 Warrior/Raptor and 400ex that are air without a oil cooler.
Just cant see the oil cooler being a over heating problem on a 300.