spock58

The latest and greatest battery from Yuasa is the GYZ series that is labeled made in USA. The older YTX series don't label the same anymore - can't trust that they come from here. Of course the GYZ ones are over $200 up north here and are sold out from some suppliers. Looks like buyer beware again...

The battery that the companies like Honda, Yamaha & Can Am put in their quads from the factory are usually Yuasa AGM & they hold up really well. The good ones were made in the US but I've heard that now they're not & aren't as reliable. Haven't verified this myself but would like to know before spending almost $200 for a new one.

I've used the usual gear oil that's GL5 rated in all quads, old and new without problems. Something like 75W90 is fine on everything except the Polaris front diffs or quads with a wet brake system.

I'm going to recommend a Uni foam filter #NU-8706ST instead of the K&N. It's likely that the fabric style filter (K&N) will allow fine dust to get past it - seen it before on ATV's.

I'm pretty certain that back in the day those fenders were used on another model, possibly a big bear. That spot would be where a shift lever was located. On yours, it's down by the engine. Do I win a prize if I'm right, haha!

Back when I worked for a BRP dealership, all the quads including yours came with green coolant - just the regular stuff that has been in use forever. Mix it 50/50 if it is the concentrated type sold at auto shops.

You could have a fan control module on this Honda that is failing. I'm not sure if the older ones actually had one but all the newer ones did. Something to check into... Lots of owners add a manual switch for turning on/off the fan to bypass the auto system that can give trouble.

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered one of their secondary clutches. It is an updated style that looks perfect for this old Sportsman that is in ok shape for a 23 year old quad. Of course, the puller I ordered from Amazon turned out to be the wrong size. Grrrr! It even shows it fitting all the years/models including this one but no bueno.... Have ordered one made by EPI so that should be correct. The clutch will cost approx. $500 cdn. but they're not that easy to come by.

Looking at recent customer reviews, it's pretty hit or miss - they either love em or hate em. Personally, I'd prefer anything Japanese made. Reliable, old school Honda's are my fave followed by Yamaha. I've worked at dealerships that sell both and you can still get parts easily and the info about them is readily available.

I'm also in the market for a replacement driven clutch (Sportsman 500/1999 EBS). There's not many aftermarket options available, but have found this retailer on ebay. Looks like a decent deal since the original clutch doesn't have many parts that aren't obsolete. Curious if anyone has any feedback on this brand. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115193389920?hash=item1ad20fa360%3Ag%3ADvEAAOSwOa1h4jxT&LH_ItemCondition=3

Just to add to the story, it is normal on 4 stroke quad engines to have the ignition running in oil. Of course when you're used to working on 2 stroke dirt bikes usually, like I was - this may come as a surprise alright!

You should never block off the overflow hose since it will flood the engine with fuel and cause more problems. Fix it properly by cleaning/repairing the float valve system.

I believe that the top ends for those Honda 400/450's were interchangeable & people were doing the swap for more power. Not sure how to tell the difference in cyl. heads but using the 400 head would provide more compression. You can go to an online Honda parts place to determine what jetting came stock and compare to what is in yours. Another thing to check is the VIN (serial)# to see what model the frame is - maybe the fenders were switched? There are lots of aftermarket parts out there these days so finding out what you have gets tricky.

Not too sure what you mean, it sounded like you've already confirmed that spark was tested ok?

Better do a compression test, it's possible that the camshaft is damaged - seen it recently on a Polaris 500 engine.

I don't believe a puller is needed, just use an impact wrench to get the nut off. You will need a gasket if that cover is removed.

It's likely that the one way bearing that's part of the centrifugal clutch has failed. To check it out the cvt clutches have to be removed first. There is a cover in behind them that gets removed to access the cf clutch system (that runs in engine oil btw).

It is possible that the fuel pump is at fault but not that likely. They only make a couple PSI which assists in bringing gas uphill to the carb when the fuel is low in the tank. When they fail it usually results in a lack of fuel, not too much. What I suggest you try is a simple test: remove the original fuel line at the carb & get a clear hose of the same size. Connect the hose to the carb and fill it with gas. You need to support it vertically and watch the level in that clear hose. If it drops and cannot hold that level, the problem is with the carb - float valve or float itself is bad. Sometimes it takes quite a while for the level to drop but be patient, I've seen many carbs fail this test! Worth a try and it's cheap!!

First thing with flooding that is suspected is the needle & seat - it could be the problem still. Since it was replaced, did you install a new gasket (or o-ring) on the seat? It's important to get the proper size n&s since there are different styles/sizes available; gravity vs. fuel pump fed.

Usually it's a bad pickup coil on Yamaha's that I've worked on, seen it more than once. I'm interested if that's your issue as well.

I agree with this possibility if the carb isn't the problem. Very common with older 2 strokes.

I'd be curious to know what the compression is - did you test it yet? If it's only three years old, does it have lots of hours on it? Your issue may be electrical which also affects fuel system with efi.

I agree that you don't know much until the motor comes apart. That estimate of 33 hours seems excessive - maybe the guy just doesn't want to do the job. The most it would be, I'm guessing is 20 hrs. depending on the condition. Removal of the engine isn't that bad, just some grunt work involved (engines are heavy, even in mid-sized quads). Possibly removing the engine yourself and taking it to someone who's experienced could be considered.

That was a common complaint with those V-twin CanAm's, especially with the 800. The fix was to cover the exhaust with a roll of high temp header wrap. Not ideal, but it helped. Even the factory tech advisors recommended it to dealerships. Of course they wouldn't cover the cost, haha!

I recommend testing the stator first before looking at the ignition module (CDI & coil).