Good oil read: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm
">http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm
</a>

You have gone 5 tanks, and are just doing the first oil change??? That is way to late! You should have done an oil/oil filter change very early on like at 1-2 hours, to get the shavings out of the engine right away!

Make sure the oil is API SG/JASO MA. I prefer the ester synthetic oils. RedLine MC, Maxima Extra, Klotz, Motul....all have great synthetic oils.

Besides the engine oil, change out the rear drive oil, and do a valve adjustment (kind of late for that too....should have been done at 20 hours). Plus keep the air filter clean and change the spark plug once in a while. Maintenance is pretty simple on this machine. You should be able to do everything yourself, except maybe the valve adjustment.

 

I wonder why they told me at the Honda shop, that I needed to go through 5 tanks of gas?? as for ridding it I won't be ridding it much untill I get it to the shop. I have double checked the oil for color and have kept the air cleaner cleaned and oiled, thanks for the advise I will sure get this taken care of thanks for the advise.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: dbsranchr

Thats not a bad price. Dothan powersports in my hometown charges $160.00. As for the brakes, I would tell them do not touch them. I've had my 350 for almost two years and have never had the drums off and the brakes are as tight as the day I bought them. Every now and then I will take the adjuster plug out and inspect them for any rust. I've always been told that if you take the drums off the first time, they never seal back up. As you can see......I like to get off on a tangent sometimes......I'll shut up now......</end quote></div>


this is a bunch of crap, you run out of grease in those drum seals, they will leak period, taking them off does nothing. if they don't leak then no you don't need to open them, you must not run water often, the grease does wear out after a while

 

5 tanks of fuel, whether it be a 3 gal tank or 5 gallon tank, 250 or 800,... it's an industry standard in which you will find that almost all dealers go by on performing an intitial service. Fuel consumption, mileage, or hours,....way to many variables on an ATV and not scientific,...even by what each model's owner's manual tells you. They arent street bikes and nor are they cars. If yours was to have 20 hours on it and your neighbor's has 100 miles....but were bought 2 years apart,...who is due up first for a service?? Think long on this one. In fact, the 5 gallon theory is one initially created by the folks at MMI almost 15 years ago.

And by the way, Littlebill is correct on the drum brake issue. PROPERLY Removing the drum does NOT cause the seal to leak.
Folks who dont know what they are doing, prying them off with screwdrivers and prybars are what causes damage to the seals. Likley the guy who stirred this rumor. haha

 

I can get a lot of miles out of a tank on my Rancher 350. 5 tanks would be hundreds of miles and a lots of hours, and way way way past any break-in period!

Luckily, these little engines will stand a lot of neglect and abuse. Most folks don't change their oil once every couple of years, much less during break-in......and I hardly know anybody who has ever done a valve adjustment. Precisely why I never ever buy a used vehicle!!!

 

So everything I can do, except the valuve adjustment, so should I just not worry about, it runs great and Ive kept the air filter cleaned and oiled, plus I dont run through mud or anything, unless theres a puddle going to the deer stand. I can do the oil change and fluid change..I think that would help the old wallet some?

 

aight littlebill.......come to my house and take off the drums on mine and see for yourself. And thats what a Honda certified mechanic told me. I'm sure they do leak when they are as deep in the water as you are in your avatar. Got anymore pot shots???

 

dbsranchr how loud is your supertrapp ids2 pipe?

 

It sounds pretty good. Different than the FMF pipe. I like it. I leave the disks out of mine.