Hey guys. Finally have my 2000 400 4x4 Big Bear all ready to go. Its running great, I just had a question about the engine braking.

The engine brakes good and slows down good. My question is that once it gets all the way back to idle, you can feel the clutch let go and the ATV starts to freewheel. I can tap the gas, get the clutch to lock back up and it will hold back until it drops to idle again. It is consistant and it doesent bother me, its just that my dads honda, and my suzuki keep engine braking all the way down to idle and never "let go" like this big bear does.

Is this normal on the big bear? I was thinking most ATV's had a one way bearing setup on the crank gear that drives the transmission so that it always had engine braking, so I wasnt sure if mine is worn out or if this is the normal operation? Thanks guys

Eric

 

My 2000 Big Bear 400 4x4 engine brakes all the way down to idle with no free wheeling.

NYH1.

 

That Is odd. I never heard of a manual shift ATV having engine braking problems. I rode my Big bear with only working back brakes for years because down shifting pretty well was enough to do the job in all situations.

All I can think of is adjust the clutch.
On right side of engine on clutch cover there is a nut with screw through it, loosen the nut and turn clockwise for more grip or counter for less.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

The engine braking does work just fine, except when it gets all the way down to idle. Its hard to explain, but imagine if you were at the top of a long hill in 1st gear with the atv idling holding the brakes. If you let go of the brakes and didnt touch the gas, the ATV would freewheel all the way down the hill with no engine braking. Now, If you did the same thing again except this time, as soon as it started rolling, you tapped the gas, it would engage the clutch and the engine braking will work the rest of the way down the hill unless the engine falls all the way back to idle.

I havent looked at any diagrams yet but I think there is a one way setup on the crank that allows the engine braking to still work when the centrifugal clutch disengages. Adjusting the clutch wont help because the adjusting nut adjusts the clutch pack, not the centrifugal clutch. The centifugal clutch is working good because it doesent drag at idle, and just above idle it catches. There has to be something else like that one way that isnt working correctly. It really isnt a big deal and its still safe on hills since I know how to use it, but I didnt think it was quite normal for it to act this way.

 

Number 4 in this diagram is what I am talking about. Im thinking that might have gone bad and not catching when it should, allowing the engine to not hold back at idle. That is the only purpose that one way bearing has, so apparently its shot. Not sure that i want to fool with replacing it since its really not an issue.

2000 BIG BEAR 4WD - YFM400FMC Yamaha ATV CLUTCH Diagram and Parts