I bought a used 00 scrambler 400 4x4 after riding my neighbors 4x2. Thats the good news.

Everything I take apart is worse than what I was taking it apart for.

Let me just say I did ride it and the Fwd/Rev and AWD worked. However I noticed a couple of problems when I bought it. I missed a few more.

The front CV joint boot was torn so I bought a whole new front axle and went to put it in. The fluid in the hub was really low and it looked like really thin reddish mud.

I also decided to put in some new A arm to frame bushings and copper washers on both sides while was at it. The existing ones were really bad. It turns out that the reason the front right boot was torn was that the previous owner must have hit something hard. The A arm is bent. I straightened it out as best I could with my shop vice etc. Turned out better than expected and I cleaned out the sand/grease mixture in the tube and assembled and re-greased both sides.

The front left ball joint was completely worn out. I replaced that also. However on the front left side while replacing the ball joint I find the previous idiot did a wonderful job of packing the hub/bearing with wheel grease. So I disassembled that cleaned and rebuilt it.

I can't believe the AWD worked that way. Honest it did. I checked that first thing before I bought it.

I put new brake pads on front and rear. In the process I find the front left brake caliper bracket bent just enough to drag the pad on the rotor. It turns, but it drags.

The rear caliper is missing the outer bleeder and has a bolt in its place. And it wasn't even the same thread. pretty much ruined the rear caliper. Oh yeah and its missing one of the bolts that clamp ot ot the rear axle. I guess most don't work anyway.

So then I start in on a general tune up. I drain the radiator. Its OK. I drain the front gear case. OK. I drain the rear transmission. OK. But wait, Whats that on the rear transmission chain sprocket? It is welded to the shaft. No bolt, just welded. WTF!!!! This last idiot really put some serious effort into screwing up this ATV. There's no undoing that now.

Drain the crankcase. Nothing. Dry as a bone. Drain the Counter balance case. Radiator fluid. Green water. Great. Pull the cover on the recoil side looking for any visible problems associated with that and......the entire recoil is gone. Looks like an aluminum cup bolted to the flywheel. That's it.

The oil tank has been disabled by cutting the line and crimping it near the tank. 1/4 full of oil. The cable was cut inside the pump case and the remainder removed entirely. The inside of the oil pump box was a solid brick of old dried mud. I bought a used pump,but I can't find the cable listed on the parts schematic. I have no idea where it goes either. Does it connect to the thumb throttle or the carb or somewhere else?

I am battling the forces of stupidity and owner abuse everywhere I turn. However I feel that there isn't too much left that can be messed up. Then again I haven't replaced the spark plug yet.

 

WOW...what a story! Hope you at least got the machine for a good price...

Good luck!


biz
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

the cable comes from a splitter in the throttle cable. its one cable from the thumb throttle to the splitter then one cable goes to the oil pump the other to the carb.

 

GOOD LUCK

 

the front caliper should have a allen screw on the top inner to back off and loosen the rubbin..............

 

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




I am battling the forces of stupidity and owner abuse everywhere I turn. However I feel that there isn't too much left that can be messed up. </end quote></div>

I bet the guy was proud of everything he did, and bragged to his friends about how his mods made his ride faster than anyone elses. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

The price was good,so I knew swome things were wrong. I have about $1100 in the project now including a lot of new parts. I would have been better off finding a nice one for $1500 or more, but even then you run the risk of problems you can't see. Once I get this fixed I will at least know it is done right. Except for the welded sproket. I don't know how to fix that one. Its working so I guess I'll use it till I can't.

Not to offend anybody here, but the last guy was probably a really good Chevy Camaro mechanic or something. The wheel grease job was excellent (if there was supposed to be grease there,) and the weld looks like OK craftsmanship. etc. I just dont understand why someone would do all that work, but not buy a service manual to show them the right way. It was the first thing I bought for it.

The antifreeze in the counterbalance case worries me. If the engine needs major repair I might see what engine/tranny swaps are available. Maybe go snowmobile or something. That might be a bigger project than I want to do though. We'll see.

 

The antifreeze in counter balance is trouble!The water pump seal is out and it could have ruined the counterbalance.The easiest way to chage this is to roll the bike on the left side and work on the right.

 

HAY, this is my old wheeeler

na just kidding.....