have to do some work on my rancher and i'm afraid to bring it to a dealer because last time it took 3 times to get it fixed the right way. the front bearings are shot and i'm sure they're easy to fix. the electric start is not working all the time and some times i have to tap it to get it to work. it is best to just buy another starter or have the one i have rebuilt ( like a car starter)? the rear seal in the drive shaft is shot and leaks oil up to the boot that connects the drive shaft to the motor( this was supposed to have been fixed by the dealer and only lasted 600 miles!). i'm thinking of replacing this oil seal in the drive shaft myself and the boot that covers the area from the drive shaft to the motor( the rubber boot has holes in it). any info reguarding these fixes would surely be helpful. thanks for your time - dana

 

well, the bearings might be hard to do since it's a 4x4, you gotta take the axles out, but i dont know if bearings are separate from the hub on those. might be pressed fit. I've never done those.

also, it sounds like you need a starter if you need to tap it, but i would not try re-building one, parts are hard to find since they are a japanese starter. better just to buy a new one, you'll get some kind of warranty too.

if the oil seal at the rear of the trans is bad after only 600 miles, the bearing in the trans might be bad, causing the shaft to move around excessively, too much for the seal to handle and wears the seal out. Putting a new seal in might fix it, but if it starts leaking too soon again you'll need an engine/trans overhaul to fix the bearing.