On my 04 sportsman I noticed a fill plug and a drain plug on the recoil starter/ flywheel cover. I went through deep water and water got into that area. I removed the cover to drain and noticed rust starting to form. Can I put oil in there to lube things up. What are the plugs for?

 

TOP plug for checking timing,bottom for draining water out of recoil that accumulates.DONT put oil in the top hole! Best to take recoil housing off and physically clean up stator/flywheel and pulser coil.

 

what consists of a physicall cleaning for these components? what tools or things are needed?

 

Contact/brake cleaner ,rags to clean up the mud and rust. best if you can pull flywheel and clean inside of flywheel and stator,BUT if cant,clean everything around area including the small pulser on left side of stator. Its a good time to grease up the starter bendix while you are at it. Just grease around plunging part of bendix and a little grease where it ride in bushing in recoil housing