Guys, I changed my first 400 belt yesterday, and a funny thing happened. I wanted to do everything just right, just like I do on my 650, but I don't have a manual (my brother is too cheap to get one). So I asked the service dept manager "what is the correct belt deflection spec?" He searched and hunted and asked some of the other mechanics what it should be. I think he was embarrased that he did not really know what I was talking about. Anyway the manual does not list a deflection. Isn't that funny? The service guy evidently has not ever worked on a 650 and did not know what I was talking about. I don't want to call them stupid, but I belt they know a lot less about repeairing a 650 that most of us on this forum. Anyway, you don't adjust anything on the 400. My brother's belt and pulley (700 miles) were worn much worse than my 650's was at 700 miles. But that is because he lets the kids ride it, and they ride it in the worst possible way.

Food for thought.

Question, who knows about using the stock 650 spring on other quads? I am wondering if my stock 650 spring will stiffen up my brother's weak secondary pulley. I thought I read somewhere that people with 300's or 360's were using 650 driven springs.

Also, the 400 has a much larger driven pulley than the 650. I stared at it for a while and realized that the reason the 650 has same size pulleys is that you get the maximum ratio range from same size pulleys, and that the older 400 system required more engine revs to get up to speed (or wouldn't have as low of a starting ratio). I think the 400 is a great quad, but kawi has shown us that their engineers are smarter now on the 650.

 

Don't know about the belts but check inside the front pulley where the belt runs. mine ate throught the side of the alum. or what ever it's made of and was messing the belts up.

 

NYROC my 97 has defelction adjustment on it however I think the deflection on it was only a two time deal and you never ever got the thing right as it was the old clutch system on the 400 then, however the 400 did not have as much power in 97 to stretch the thing much so I never had to set the thing but twice and I am on the fourth belt and I have 19,000 miles on the thing.

The 650 Spring that came out of mine I put it in my son in laws 360 and I can tell you it made a remarkable difference in the machine..

On the 400 I changed my ramps and it made the thing engage with authority and the only probs I ever had since was changing wear shoes twice since it was new..

 

The drive pulley looks ok, other than grooving.

I haven't taken the secondary apart yet. Maybe I should take it apart to see if the 650 spring fits it. It sure was easy to get the belt off. My brother did it by hand. I told him no way, since the 650 one the spring is too tight to remove it without tools. but he just grabbed it and off it came.