This may sound rediculous, but do I need to take the fuel tank off in order to work on the air intake system? If so, how do I do this? It's not in my owners manual.

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires, Lift Kit, 2500lb WARN winch

 

Matt,
If I'm not mistaken, the airbox intake duct is clamped onto the airbox on the left side of the machine.
Just remove that entire air duct. And you fabricate your new one, that comes out from under the plastic just by your left leg. It runs along side the plastic, then up along the fender until you take it completely vertical above your handlebars. Then put the 90 degree on it and call it a day.
Also, check where your engine crankcase vent is, I think its plumbed into the airbox too... If so, you CAN use a LONG piece of fuel hose and connect to the inside of the airbox and run it up INSIDE the new snorkel pipe you just built. Just make sure to bring it outside the end of the 90 and tape it or clamp it in place... It freaked me out first time I saw it done like this.. but it DOES work.

 

Mud Machine,

I am going to try and replce my front wheel bearings this week, then I'm going to try and begin working on the snorkel system. I think I got the ok from my parents. I told them that it would keep water out of my engine and other vulnerable places. Little do they know that with the breather I'll be more likely to ride in deeper areas than I do now! I'll let you guys know if I run in to problems, I'll try and get my friend to come help me next weekend. I still want to go to marengo this year, it sounds like a blast! I still havent asked my mom and dad if they could take me. Maybe it'll be one of those grandpa grandson kinda things, except I dont know what he would ride...Oh well, lotz of details to work out, I'll worry about it when it gets a little closer to time.

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires, Lift Kit, 2500lb WARN winch

 

GrizzMaster......
I would love to go to the Marengo run but im not sure if i can...Will have to wait and see....but i will know if im goin bout 1 month or so ahead of time

 

I've been shopping around today and I found a decent price(I guess) on my bearings and seals. I found the bearings for 43 and the ineer seal was 6 and the outer 7. Add those numbers up and multiply times 2. Around 115 before tax. Has anyone ever changed their bearings? Is it really difficult? My parents are making me pay for this fix, and I dont want to pay the shop guy for something I could do. I still want the high perf kit, but after the whole bearing thing is over, I'll be about 200 bucks short. I'm going to start working on my snorkel soon. It looks fairly easy to do from the looks of the pictures. Was it easy?

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires, Lift Kit, 2500lb WARN winch

 

Matt,
Call around, If its the same front bearing that im thinking of... Its cheaper to buy the whole assembly with the new bearing already in it, rather than the bearing and seal alone.
On my brothers Yamaha.. There are four front wheel bearings (2 each side) I knocked out what was left of the old ones.. called a bearing supply house and they cross referenced them to a stock item that was fully sealed. Yamaha wanted over $20 each for the stock unshielded ones (which are JUNK in the mud).. the bearing supply house sold me the fully sealed ones for $10 each...
Check with Honda about the whole assembly price, and get the bearing number from them and call a supply house and see what their price is...

 

Matt..i had to change my bearings this past summer.......i bought tha seals from my dealer and the bearings at a bearing shop and in all i spent about 80 bucks...but i did clean up 2 of the seals that were already there and reused them(they r still holdin up good to)....wasnt really that hard...just gotta remember where all the cotter pins go an washers etc...I dont know how diff my bear is froms yours but i bet they r kinda close......bye tha way....it was real hard to get either the inner or outer bearings out i forget which but finally got it out with a hammer and chisel

 

My bearings are different than yamaha's I have one dual cased bearing on each side. I think all I need to do is strip the wheel and stuff off untill I can see it and then knock it out and put the new one in. The local shop wants 45 bucks per side! Thats ridiculous. If I cant do it I'll take it to a place a little further away who charges 40 bucks and hour. That shop also said they could probably have it done in an hours time.

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires, Lift Kit, 2500lb WARN winch

 

hey matt, try what mudmachine said.
take your bearings off and take them to a bearing shop and see if they can match it. i had to change the bearings out in a starter once for my suburban and they wanted $80 at the auto store, went to the bearing shop and got them for $10. if the bearing shop is of any size they should be able to match it.

LATER

 

Ok thanks for the advice guys but I went ahead and just bought them from a local parts shop. I havent got them on yet, because my help didnt show up today. My dad will be off from work this weekend so we will try it then. My friends were coming today but they never came.

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires, Lift Kit, 2500lb WARN winch