OK. So i have a 2000 Yamaha Kodiak 400 that is in the ATV Shop as we speak. I have been the only owner of this ATV, and I have taken great care of it. Change Oil every year, garage kept, Wash, etc... use it mainly for hunting, but I drive it all year long in my neighborhood. Plus I have 5 year old twin girls that i take for a ride constantly. Anyways, went to the woods last Sunday the 4th of November. Live in Harris County, Georgia so i hunt in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Followed my father to the back side of the property and climbed this hill, steep hill, where the climb is about 150 feet with about a 60 degree banking. Got to the top with No problem. ATV has done it 100 times with ease. Got to the top and park, my father all of sudden whispers to me that he can smell gas. I get my flashlight and look all around the ATV. When I look at the carburetor overflow tube under the ATV, i can see it dripping consistantly. He then proceeds to explain to me how why the carburetor is leaking, (debris in the needle causing it to stick, and the float to not shut off the gas, and bowl filling up with gas, drain working like it is supposed to, but that something is wroing). etc, etc, etc....blah, blah , blah. 1.21 jiggawats, i don't know what he is saying. So he tels me to take it to a shop that is in town that has done work on all of our carburetors in the past, and just rebuilt this one in August of 2011. Told me to add Startron fuel additive, cut off the gas vavle on the side of the ATV everytime i get done riding it. Done all those things. Take it to them Tuesday the 6th, with the same thoughts that the same thing would be done. They tell me they will charge me the same 198.00 to fix it which is pull off, take apart, soak in cleaner, replace float and needle, put together, and place back on the atv. Whalah. 200 dollars later and two hours worth of work at 80.00 an hour, its done. They call me Wednesday the 7th and tell me that they have done all of this and have put about 6 hours of work into it, and still can not get it to stop leaking and that I will need a new OEM Yamaha carbuertor at about 500-700 dollars. That they can't rebuild it and it is just one of those things. By dad states to me that carburators are not somthing that wear out and that they can be rebuilt with a kit, but that something must be broke and to not let them replace it. To pick it up and pay what I need to pay for something that is not fixed and probably worse than when i dropped it off. I asked the guy what the damage was and 30 mintues before i got on here, he told me it would be minimal. Going to pick up a atv that is not fixed, and I am going to pay someone for there time for doing something that is the same than when i dropped it off. I need some suggestions. I need help and what is the best thing to do. My father is an aerospace engineer and is very smart when it comes to stuff like this. That boat missed me by a long shot, i am a sports nut that shares the passion to hunt and fish much like him. Any suggestions would help..PLEASE. Thanks for taking the time to read my LONG drawn out story. I like detail.

 

I think you need some paragraphs,half way through I was getting dizzy.

Its a "33mm BSR Mikuni" carb just take it off and get it serviced. At worst get a used one off ebay, $700 is insane.

 

Agreed, $700 would be a down payment on a decent replacement ride. Take it off and clean it yourself possibly? I watched my dad clean the one on my big bear that I think also has a 33 mm mikuni and it didn't seem all that difficult. It didn't fix the problem but anyway. I would also check the fuel line, ethanol gas has started to cause mine to deteriorate and I was getting all kinds of ugly stuff running through my carb. But there's no better way to learn how to do something than to tackle it yourself.