I downloaded the manual for my ATV a few weeks ago and it has been very helpful. However there are certain areas that are not very helpful in the pictures they show to help explain things. But I will check the buttons issue out.

My plan is to soak the muffler, and then check the reeds, and check the clutch, then I will report back here with my findings.

Thanks again

 

Plenty of primary clutch videos on guide buttons,etc.This video is on an ebs clutch(you don't have the one way bearing) but everything else is pretty much the same. Rear clutch just pop the helix,remove the spring and the three ramp buttons are right there. Just takes a 25 torque driver to remove them and install the new ones.Spring goes in 2-2 position.Push in the helix,hold the bottom sheath and turn the upper sheath 1/3 turn counter clockwise,push the helix down and replace the circlip.

 

That is great information, thank you for that video. The manual states that the spring is 2-2 position factory. From what I read, that at my elevation (4800), I could keep it in 2-2, or I could make it stiffer by putting it in the max position 1-2 (I think) Is that correct?

Also i was looking at my Exhaust last night trying to figure out exactly how it comes off, and I noticed that before of the cylindrical muffler, there is an oval looking device. So the muffler springs, attach to this oval device, and I was not sure what it was. To be honest it looked like a catalytic converter, but I did not think this ATV had one. If it is not a Catalytic converter, what is it?

 

Keep it in 2-2 position. This option is mainly at higher altitudes. On later models the muffler came off (held by two springs) but yours is complete with the exhaust. Just loosen the muffler bolt(1-10) enough to slide the muffler out. Slip the head pipe(22) off and you just have the muffler and exhaust pipe.Just plug the exhaust end,pour in a gal of kerosene and let it soak.

 

I have paint thinners, carb cleaners, seafoam, muriatic acid all in my garage, but no kerosene. ha ha ha..

what does kerosene do that other fluids on that same shelf can't? I will remove the muffler tonight.

 

Paint thinner is close enough for soaking. No muriatic acid or you won't have much of a muffler left.

 

OK so here is an update.

I took the exhaust off and soaked it in kerosene for a day and a half. I drained it and it came out black. Put some more through and swished it around and emptied it and it came out black. Kept doing this until I ran out of kerosene. I installed the exhaust back onto the atv.

Kids were begging to go out on it so I took them out and here is how it drives.

Fires up and idles good. starting from a stop it still had that slight hesitation. We took it on the pavement to get to the hills. the ATV drives good after about 3 MPH. speedometer got up to about 40 pretty easy and the engine sounded strong. Coming to a stop the engine idles great. going 30+ and letting off the throttle and letting the engine slow the ATV, there was no backfires, stuttering, coughing, it sounded great.

Took it on the hills, and it was MUDDY. so we climbed some hills, some of the hills were pretty steep so it was in low range and I give it some good throttle, RPM's were running high, and it powered right up the hills without any issues, splashed through some ice holes, did some donuts, and the engine sounded strong.

However on the way home, I wanted to test it in all ranges of the RPM. So it has that slight hesitation starting out. Runs good after that. Going about 35 MPH, the throttle is about 1/2 way in. I then smoothly increase the throttle. Once I get about 3/4 -+, the engine is accelerating, and then it feels like it looses power (kind of like I am running out of gas). I let off the throttle back down to 1/2 and it comes right back. I increase the throttle slowly and it accelerates good, until that 3/4 mark and it then it loses power again. best i can describe it is power...running out of gas feeling.... power comes back a little....running out of gas... I let of the throttle.. runs fine again.

So when it is doing that, I can't tell is it is getting starved for fuel, or if it is getting too much fuel and dying out. The reason I did not think it was a starvation issue is because before it starts to bog, the engine has only been at 3/4 throttle for a few seconds. There is enough fuel in the carb bowl to power it for longer than that. NOt only that, but if it was a starvation issue, then I don't think it would recover so fast after I bring the throttle back to 1/2, but I could be wrong. I think the hesitation and the high end stutter are related. Fix the bogging issue, and I think the low end hesitation would be resolved.

Thoughts?

 

Hard to find the sweet spot an all rpm ranges on 2 strokes. You might play with the needle position,up or down,plus check the plug as it tells the state of jetting. If it's dark you may have to go down on the main jet. Too light,you may have to bump it back up.Needs to be a tan to medium brown. Recheck that you have a good fuel supply to the carb,plus the slowing down and picking back up many not always be fuel related. Like I mentioned way earlier,leaking crank seals, lower compression when the cylinder heats up may also be part of it. I'd definitely check compression when cold and when hot to see if this is still ok.If you can't get it dialed in the way you'd like,you can always do a leak down test as that can tell you if the seals,head,base gasket and even the engine case is holding enough pressure.

 

is there a quick way to check if the crank seals are leaking?

I would like to test the compression again, but it is such a pain to have to remove the gas tank just to get to the plug. Also, the manual states "Rarely are issues above idle due to compression" when I read that, I went away from the compression and started looking elsewhere.

 

Still wouldn't over look compression reading. Leak down is really the only way to check for seals and even then you have to remove the clutch cover,drive clutch and backing plate to use soapy water. If you're going that far just replace them.The other seal is behind the flywheel and stator plate.If you replace this one,make sure you mark the stator plate and engine case so you can align timing back where it was.