I use second gear wide open into mud puddles and sometimes it seems to bog down a little when I get in really deep water and mud, I was just wondering if that's normal (since it's only a 350) or if there might be something wrong with the carb

 

I had the same thing happen to me but in "AUTO" mode. I thought putting it in ESP mode and in 2nd gear would keep the revs up. It bogged down even when in ESP. I guess my question is whether or not other 350/400 class machines do the same thing. That is where the real comparison should be....instead of comparing apples to apples.

 

I think it's just a product of the engine size. I've only been in deep water a couple times. Both times were on the KQ, second gear in low range. I remember the first time thinking I was stalling out and losing power because I didn't have much throttle response. This was a hard clay bottom pond so the wheels were not spinning. i figured out that the water resistance was causing the problem. The water was at the top of the tires so trying to move this 600# atv through it was a chore. I was still moving fine just not speeding up. Since I had good traction the engine bogged instead of the wheels spinning. Think of how hard it is for you to walk in 2' of water (and not stepping out of the water). You reach a point where the harder you try your still not moving your legs any faster than with less energy.

With a 500 or 650 or 700 I would imagine you could go through the water faster but at some point the quad would reach the point where it couldn't move anymore water.

Same with the mud. Except with mud it would vary with the type and thickness of the mud, soupy, thick, mostly water, sandy, clay,etc. With the KQ and Rancher I've never been in mud that bogged the engine down, the wheels freely spinned. But this isn't some of the nasty thick mud I see some of yall going through.

Rob

 

oh yea thats normal, u know your pushing your luck when your forced into 1st and have it wide open and your not hitting your rev limiter, today i was in a pond , in 2wd i started out in 3rd, with the water at the floor boards, i hit second when it came half way up the engine , then i was down to first when it came over the seat, some how my front tires were half way out of the water, it takes a ton of force to move in mud water, heck my tires are bald i wonder how much worse it will be when i get my dirt devils on, not to mention i was moving at like 1 mph and rocking the machine so hard i looked like i was having sex, sure i could put it in 4x4, but whats the fun in that?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]