Just replace any parts that are badly worn, and blow all jets and orifices out with compressed air. This thing about fitting rebuild kits is weird, quads don't do a big mileage, cars used to run well over 100,000 miles without a carb rebuild, why should a bike need new parts after 3,000 miles or so?

 

I'll play the devils' advocate on this one.. Cars aren't simply play things that are used at owners leisure. They are driven constantly. Comparing them to atvs or even motorcycles is like comparing apples to oranges. Plenty of fair weather riders,hunters that use them a couple months out of the year,etc. Rare that any atv is used on a full time basis unless used on a farm or ranch. Sitting up just allows the crappy ethanol fuel we get today to eat up fuel lines,o-rings and float needles. Float needles are the most affected especially those that are rubber tipped. Over the years I keep reading over and over about people that have gone through carbs 4 or 5 times and that are still leaking, which is ridiculous. Once should be enough. Oem needle and seats or just the float needles are costly compared to what you can get in some of the better quality Japanese kits such as Shindy. The kit with all new gaskets and parts cost less than just the needle and seat in most cases. When I see carbs like this,it gets a new kit.

 

Rebuild kit is already bought and waiting to go in, thing is my air/fuel set screw was damaged by previous owner(s) and after a delicate attempt to extract it the housing itself cracked so I'm in need of a carburetor for this oddball which is difficult to find, if there is another carburetor that will fit I think I could use the jets etc from the rebuild kit I have.

 

You don't say what model,but keep an eye out on ebay. Plus there might be a cheap Chinese knock off that you could try.https://www.ebay.com/sch/?_nkw=99%20...%20Bear%20carb

 

1999 kodiak yfm400fwbl the carb doesnt bolt to the enging but instead to a rubber boot which bolts to the engine, does this give me options to use a different carb? the boot is just round rubber with a hose clamp

 

Rubber intake manifold like most atvs. Don't know how much difference between the 99 and 2000 but several cheap knock offs are around. Don't know if the cables will mount,etc,plus you'd have to check jetting versus the old carb.Carburetor Carb for Yamaha Kodiak 400 Yfm400 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 | eBay

 

any tips on how I'd find the jetting? I can't even find what specific model my carb is for that year, Mikuni is all I know.

 

You can find your year and model here along with parts break down.Yamaha ATV Parts After market carb appears similar to the oem,but could be wrong.http://www.partzilla.com/parts/searc...TOR/parts.html

 

Thank you for your help. I think since my carb just clamps to the boots I can just use a different carb altogether, I would hope that either the 98's or 2000 models cables wouldnt be that different? I was hoping to find someone who has swapped out to a different carb and get some insight.

 

That was quite the post digging

I have long since sold that machine, but I did find a kit for it that worked. Where from I cannot recall.