I have a confession to make. Last weekend I gave my Raptor a bath, one of the good ones like before a big ride, just no big ride. I scrubbed away for three hours. I even got down to the toothbrush and the mothers on little things like the levers. After I was done I started tinkering with the air box and my two K&Ns I never got to fit right. I ended up cutting the whole box off except the front where my pro design flange is. I took it off the carb intakes and proceded to put my .5" too small K&Ns on the flange and they fit, tightly. I was over joyed at this point. I rode down the rode to show my bud and came back and started to pull the plug to clean it so I might do a little jet work. As I reached under to remove the plug cap I realized it was not sealed off correctly, oh well it couldn't hurt. I stuck the socket in and unscrewed the plug to pull out all the sand I washed in it just one hour before. Now I have tried numerous ways to get it out without pulling the top end off. I have used a vaccum with a peice of 3/8 tubbing taped in the end of it. I also used some ten inch long cotton swabs with air filter oil on the end to get down in the cylinder. Any other ideas?

Ok now that I have rambled on anyone else got anything they will admit to worse? Don't worry I know everyone has done stupid stuff like this,RIGHT?

 

Ward- i have not destoyed the raptor yet. But i do have a tendency to overthighten things.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I had just finished rejetting my Raptor after installing my new pipe and decided to change the intake boots since one was ripped. I kept saying to myself: "Don't drop the screw... don't drop the screw.." Guess what--> I dropped it inside the engine or valve!(whatever it's called) Took about 3 hours with the vacuum cleaner and some wire but it finally came out. Next time I will be very, very, very, very careful.

 

Not to a quad, but I had a go-cart awhile back, and after getting a motor for it, I neglected to check the oil and when a buddy took it down the street and came back, I heard a tink and the rod shot through the backside of the motor.

 

First ride.....had about .0000000000002 miles on the quad....backed up to a smal hill...backed out my bike...put it in first....turned to drive down the hill and slammed into the corner of my tailgate....duhhhh....scratched the crap out of the front bumper and the fender....no serious damage but soooooooo stupid.....brand spanking new and that was the very first thing i did on it...i had very little room but thought i had enough...guess not!!!

 

One more stupid thing....i never believe a torque wrench!!

 

Let's have a countdown......shall we

3rd place....Came over a starting line hill for a sand drag race. Went a bit too far out. Tried backing up to get even with everyone else. Bogged it to the frame in the sand. Paddles dont work well in reverse.

2nd place....Brand new, still at the dealership. Go to load it in the back of my truck. Not being used to the clutch, I stalled it with the front tires in and the rear still on the ramps. The back tires locked at this point(still had forward momentum)pushing the ramps up underneath the frame. Had to have the salesman and my wife help me lift the bike up, pull the ramps out from under/in front of the rear tires and push it the rest of the way in. My wife burnt her hand on the exhust pipe.

1st place....Got drunk. Preached the good word about how drinking and 660cc's dont mix, and still turned around and tried to do a donut on a gravel road. The nose came up and the back right tire bit. Landed on my face.

 

The dumbest this I have done TO my quad is....

I was checking out the top end and I was intalling the coolhead and was being very careful to make sure I got all of the O-rings cleaned off and greased up for installion and I got all done to look over at the workbench to see two o-rings I forgot to put in there. Luckily I didn't have the coolent back in yet...Not very stupid I guess....but give me some time I have only been at this for a couple of months.

First day in the sand.....This is the dumbest this I done ON a quad...so far!

I just got my bike started at the drag strip and I was chatting with some folks and I decided to go to the line. I put her in first hit the gas and sand blasted the two guys I was just talking to. I looked back and they were brushing sand off....I was sorry but it was funny at the same time. I told them I was sorry without trying to laugh. They were ready to kick my butt at the drag strip now...I laughed and hit the gas again and sprayed them a second time without even seeing it. I'm going up to the line and I was having some problems with the throttle sticking so I am messing with the carbs and the here comes one of the fellas I just sprayed twice....well he sees my predictament and figured "Ah....I will spary him will he is stuck working on his quad.....So I get sprayed and look up and see him laughing.....then he turns around all I see is sand coming at the guy that hit me just a second ago....well what happened was we were right at the starting line and three bikes took off about 10 feet from his face....he got blasted SO BAD that I fell off my quad I was laughing so hard. Everyone from our group saw this whole deal go down....it was the funniest thing I have ever seen!

 

For me its having a Raptor stored in the garage since last November and not getting it out yet.

I remember in the 70's we were changing the oil in our 74 Monte Carlo and we forgot to put the drain plug back in and proceeded to pour the oil in the engine and then realized the Monte was taking a golden shower on the new concrete drive. Thank goodness we just wasted about 3 qts. of oil and not the engine.

Chet

 

Dumbest thing I did to my quad was putting a DG aluminum skidplate on it - lasted almost a month.

/NotuRaptor