I desparately need some help from some experts! I know nothing about ATV's whatsoever so I probably won't be able to answer any questions if someone is able to help me...I just need advice on how to handle this...I think I am being tricked into thinking problems with a friends ATV are my fault and they are saying the cost to fix it is much more than it really might be....here's the story...please note, this takes place over the course of about 6 months. Last summer friends of ours lent us one of their bikes (Honda 450 ES). They were ahead of us and they went through a huge water hole and stopped on the other side to watch my husband and I go through. We almost got across and the bike stalled and my husband started it again while it was under water (I would say the water was to the top of the tires). Not much was said at this point and we were able to drive the bike home (not sure of distance). I'm not sure of all the work that was done but the owner of the bike is a mechanic so I assume he would know what he was doing. The oil was change 4 times and all seemed ok (was milky). Later, his wife and I went on a bike ride and all was fine...later for some reason the bike started smoking and to remedy, the owner figured there was too much oil put back in and when this was remedied, it stopped smoking. The bike was later used for hunting season and went on a few trips and the bike was fine. After hunting season was over, my husband was visiting and the owner just randomly started up the bike to point out that it was smoking and needed major work. A couple months had passed since it was put in the water. Here is the suspicious part...over the course of months since this happened...in several conversations, the owner had mentioned that he wanted to modify the Honda to make it into a faster bike, also mentioned at one point that the bike needed some work (don't remember all the things he said but this was mentioned before it was in the water). Also mentioned at one point to my husband when he was trying to sell him the bike that all he would have to do is put some oil in the gas to make it smoke to make me think the bike was ruined and that would convince me into having to buy it and that it would be easy to fix after that cuz all you would have to do is change the gas. They haven't run the bike since he showed my husband that it was smoking again and the owners wife told me at one point that they can't drive the bike anymore because it needs a new engine because of the water incident. We've also been told it will cost 2200.00 to fix it! Can someone please help us. It all sounds rather suspicious to us. Is there an easy way to check to see if there was oil put in the gas to make it smoke.

 

Ha, you are getting hosed. First off if you only went in water just to the top of the tires and did not submerge the air box or exhaust there should be no problems from the water. If there was problems from the water they would have showed up a lot sooner then a year later and the problem would not come and go.

 

Thanks for your help...I did wonder about the problem coming and going! I don't know anything about wheelers but I'm not a complete idiot either! Any more responses would be greatly appreciated. Anyone know how to check if oil was put in the gas to make it smoke? My husband says he's going to offer to take all the gas out and replace it with new gas and then take the old gas and offer to put it in the owners other bike to see what his response is. Any ideas on how we can catch him on this one?

 

if it infact got water in it and thinned the iol down enough to burn the piston and ring all it would need is a top end rebuild. which shouldnt be more than 400 at the most that is if he does it hinself take to shop it will be around 650 for top end rebuild but that is the worst case. drain the gas put it lawn mower see if it makes it smoke but water in oil tells me it was way over the tiers more like to top of seat other wise water shouldnt be able to get in there

 

You have a few options. You can get online and maybe find just a bunch of realy cheap engine parts that have been stripped from other quads or your best bet would be(if it's worth about $3000) than you could just dress it up and hav it run a little bt so you can sell in on craigslist or the news paper and have another person take care of the issue and use that money to buy your friends a néw ATV(possibly cutting the price in half)

 

Tell him to "GET LOST"!!!!

He invited you
He loaned you his ATV
He led you to the mud hole
And he encouraged you to go through it

His fault. His problem.

Don't think the water is the problem, and don't think he is your friend.

I invited a friend to go snowmobling a couple years ago and offered to let him ride one of my sleds. During the ride the sled broke down.....his fault, who knows! It is my sled, I asked him to ride it......I fixed it and went on......He is still a friend.

 

I have ridden my sport quads in water up to there seats and have had no problem.
Water injested into an engine comes in through the airbox and carb and can get forced past the rings into the ol.
Normally all that is needed is to pull the plug, drain the water from the cylinder buy turning over the starter and then putting the plug bck in and starting it up.
If the owner was concerned about water in the oil he should have drained it immediately after the ride and and repeated this after a short ride.
Like Tramp said, this guy is no friend! He has already told your husband how to fool you, so why trust him with anything he says??
Don't even have your husband try to disprove him by checking the gas, I would write off the friendship.

 

Fellas, if the bike stalled in the water it could have come in through the exhaust as well. Had that happen to me on my old AC. Changed the oil a bunch times and never had a problem. Air box was completely dry.

That said, I am with Tramp. What kind of "friends" are these. You were riding behind him and doing what he was doing (if your speaking the truth). If they invited you than "s__t happens". Must not be good friends. This all seems petty to me. Middle school girl type stuff.

 

You don't need a new engine, you need a new friend.

 

I agree with Tramp and rapple, but you don't need a new friend you just need to lose this one.