jeepwm69

You'll undo a bolt on the bottom of the front diff (14MM), a bolt and spacer on top of the diff (I think 14mm on nut/bolt) and the mount on the front of the diff. I remove the metal bracket on the front, or at least unbolt it, and loosen the bolt so you can swivel it out of the way. That's it. Pull the front diff forward. The prop shaft will then just slide out. Check and see if you need the prop shaft or the coupler, or both. Also check the splines on the shaft coming out of the engine. They should be square cut, not pointed. If they're pointed (shark toothed) they're worn out. Used Shaft https://www.ebay.com/itm/296213716938?epid=1911839859&itmmeta=01HVRVTQP5BSREC4RFXBMWHXNG&hash=item44f7b69fca%3Ag%3AA7MAAOSw9cRlxUff&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HJls4L8zrcD5BV69nyIFrpoNL4tguslMY9%2FXJBfvkAgiUjPZtgcCS%2ForBApuqsc%2FBFlBlCf0pzHMTAwMcoEBj6n3PkpDrg%2Fca9DB%2FOJ--3eGB%2Bz%2FdoDysjhrTzXWjxX2GfX%2BkoNj5r9WQQewOnV29CxZL%2FG7Z2vL%2FcYHWyb69QzRsULM4aqgwzJwzPzmkYmssvVhrXztzrjyXZv%2B3mXpBLWHUEw7yTLEUQL1CKBVh7ipWluy5w95VCYdFWCFxVV0I2HRA2X%2F2ZAeetS29FF48w0wyPQd0KAvW%2FqwHN0wQXOXukFt7B9UspDeyg%2BwZWpSQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5L76pveYw&LH_ItemCondition=4 Used Coupler https://www.powersportsnation.com/honda-rubicon-500-fa-02-front-drive-shaft-engine-coupler-40402-hn2-000-44196.html If you want new, part number for complete shaft and coupler is 40400-HN0-670 and it's about $200. https://www.motosport.com/oem-parts/part-number/40400-HN0-670?mmy=honda%3Btrx450 foreman 4x4 es%3B2004&group=front-final-gear&qty=1 Those are the cheapest used parts I could find, and the cheapest new shaft I could find. Note that you need 02-04 only. The earlier 450's were full time 4wd so the shaft is different.

While @AKATV is a magician when it comes to meters, that generation of Foreman has a couple of things going against it when it comes to meter repairs. First, the imprint on the meter (lines, mph, fuel gauge markings) are all imprinted on the meter, so IF it was worth fixing, and AKATV fixed it, you would have a blank screen with only the LCD parts showing. It's something I could live with personally just because I know what the readings are from so many years of riding that generation of Foreman, but it won't look like new like the older meters do when he's through with them. But the bigger issue is the cover. Originally that cover had a plastic screen and you could buy a new cover for about $30. That was 05-08. The 09 and 11 models that cover changed to glass, and the cost went up to over $100 even back then. I know this because @basfnb broke my cover one day on my 09, and I ordered the 05-08 replacement to save him some money, and found the earlier part was plastic instead of glass. Not a huge deal, but over time, Honda discontinued the cheaper plastic cover and superseded it with the newer part number, so the only available option now is the glass one. Which is now almost $200. The glass ones don't scratch like the plastic ones did, so that's nice, but they are super pricey. So were it me, I'd either buy a new meter, or get a used working unit off of ebay. The cover is $180, a whole new meter is $270, so for what it would cost you IF AKATV could fix your existing meter, plus the cost of a cover, you'd be around the cost of a whole new meter. https://www.partzilla.com/product/honda/37201-HP0-A71?ref=fde4620aaa662b7618d79129ee284d58ba6ce658 I don't use partzilla, they're expensive, but their schematics and interchange tools are the best. Double check my part number here, but pretty sure here's a new meter for $229 https://www.motosport.com/oem-parts/part-number/37200-HP0-A71?cc=us&cc=us&variant[HOE10IV]=HOE10IV-X001-Y001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5v2wBhBrEiwAXDDoJRNDAb1JmE9Ia2C784b8ys1y0gRWL2DxE51e-upHCv6PzOvWpBdNyhoChEMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds New one on ebay for $219 https://www.ebay.com/itm/184881537107

Yes, that seal is under final shaft in the schematics.

Not what you want to hear, but those K&N airfilters are horrible for off road use. They allow a lot of very fine dust into your intake. I ran a K&N on a Jeep for a while. Noticed fine dust on the carb throat. They don't filter well off road. They are made for the race track, not the backwoods. OEM or UNI only on my off road toys.

Yeah I think you’ll find it 1000% easier to do what you need with them out of the way. Easier to remove the airbox and carb than the swingarm. You should be able to just remove the alternator cover to get to the gear position switch.

Welcome aboard. It will be very tight, but you should be able to remove the rear cover without pulling anything. Do you have the airbox and carb out of the way?

Yeah I'm jelly too. I want to see them in action!

Welcome aboard. @AKATV

Yep, if throwing no blinking codes I'd check the spines on front driveshaft and coupler. I've had to replace a few.

they are. Certainly wouldn’t be easy to get into one without destroying it, but necessity is the mother…..

New wiring harness installed this morning. Got everything plugged in, no change. Same exact voltage drop at the ignition fuse once I put the fuse in, but reads full battery voltage on the battery side of that fuse’s spot with the fuse removed. The only thing I can think now is the ECU is bad. I hate that this poor woman is going to be out $400+ for a coil, harness, and ECU, but at least now she’ll have a non-rat chewed ECU. @AKATV @Melatv @retro have any of you opened up one of these newer ECU’s? I’m just curious if we get 20 years down the road if these things will all end up as junk due to a lack of availability, especially on oddball models like the 12-13 Foreman

Yeah the part number is the footguard

I'd look at Rocky Mountain and Motosport. They tend to be the cheapest, and both have free shipping over $75. I'd pay $75-80 for a new one before I'd pay $50 for a used one. That plastic gets brittle with age and exposure to sunlight, and you pay $50 for a used one it might fall apart the first time it hits something.

Here in the states, a lot of people move the rear shocks on a 400 to the front, and then put 450 shocks on the rear to lift the 400 to the height of a stock 450. The 450 was just a slightly upgraded 400. I actually used 400 fenders on my buddy's 04 450 because he liked tan, and while tan was never offered as a 450 color, the 400 and 450 fenders are the same, and they DID make the 400 in tan.

Rear swingarm is the same from 400-450. The front part just relocates the bottom of the front shock inward. I have a 450 Foreman Perfex on my 500. The only difference I could see was the 450 front brackets only had one option to move the bottom of the front shock, where my 500 Perfex lift had two options. Notice the extra hole on the 500 kit here https://www.ebay.com/itm/363828315958?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230811123856%26meid%3D14eca4ea84ea45a990b3e147ec347a54%26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D363828315958%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2%26brand%3DHonda&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3Acee3264718e0a8d74e8280dbfffffbbc|pageci%3A9c99db07-f843-11ee-8279-aa855c2f64f3|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage I am fairly certain that the 400 kit would fit a 450 with no modifications. How much is shipping were you to order that to Scotland? My last name is McClain. According to the family history I have been told, the family is originally from the Lochbuie side of the Maclaine clan.

Yes, I have the long travel kit on all of mine. There are still new old stock units floating around, but they are getting harder to find. https://www.ebay.com/itm/374059948868?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230811123856%26meid%3D5ae99d346fdc4ab09851c89841f5abbd%26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D374059948868%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3Acec0aadb18e0a770e99a0175fffeb1e6|pageci%3A59a59aeb-f83e-11ee-b1a3-0af4e8a9f325|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

I'm a big fan of the Perfex. They reposition the bottom of the rear shocks to be more straight up and down and it gives a much better ride. Not IRS smooth by any means, but much less harsh that the factory ride. I have Perfex lifts on all of my Foremans.

Welcome aboard! Those late 450's were awesome bikes. The selectable 4wd is nice, and adding disc brakes is easy.

https://www.motosport.com/oem-parts/part-number/80121-hn0-a00za https://www.ebay.com/p/1311839774

I miss the days of cheap parts from PSN. They still sell good stuff, but they aren't the bargain that they used to be. A few years back I got a 350D rear diff from them for $100. Inside looked new, but the ring gear bearings were seized from lack of use. I took it apart, soaked those bearings in oil and then rotated them back and forth and that diff was as good as new.

I looked and the last two he did for me he charged $135 each for labor and return shipping. So a rod at $120, plus $135 labor, is $255 including return shipping for a rebuilt "new" crank with zero wear on it. Cheapest 450 crank on ebay that isn't listed as "for parts or not working" is $250 plus tax (so $275 for me), and then you have a used crank with wear for the same price. New is no longer available for the 450's, so rebuild is the only option to get a "new" crank Those 05-11 cranks are $700+ now for a new one. You can get a Hot Rods crank (Taiwan) new but they're $500, so it saves a ton of money on that model getting Vince to do it vs buying another crank. But yeah, you figure out how to rebuild cranks and you know you have a customer LOL

Call vince at Mr crankshaft. He can rebuild your crank much cheaper than a new crank, and buying a used one chances are you'll get another worn out crank. Rod will run you $120ish (not sure if his current price list is accurate) and about another $100-125 for labor and return shipping. His turnaround is usually under a week, and he does great work. http://www.mrcrankshaft.com/ The top end of the connecting rod where the wrist pin goes is usually what wears out, so he installs a new connecting rod (Vesrah, made in Japan, excellent quality) and trues the crank. He will also remove that rear crank bearing that always comes out when you remove the crank, and if it's good you can reuse it, and if not, you can order a new bearing. Very difficult to press a crank in with the bearing on the crank. You press the bearing into the rear case, then the crank into the bearing. Here's a thread I did on a 500 engine with some pics. There are minor differences in the 450 and 500, but for the most part they are laid out the same, so won't be bad for reference. I use a 3 jaw puller on the centrifugal clutch. If it slips off the clutch bell I use several long hose clamps linked together to hold the puller arms against the clutch bell. You will need a flywheel puller, and the $10ish motion pro on ebay work fine for that. Like Shade said, DID timing chain. Don't buy a cheap one or you'll be tearing the engine back down. You can remove the top end and inspect the cylinder, piston, and end of the connecting rod without pulling the whole engine. My guess is they slapped a new chinese top end on a worn out connecting rod and that worn rod caused rapid wear on the new cylinder. Since you have flakes in your oil, the safe long term fix is to pull engine, tear it all the way down and clean it up, and then reassemble with whatever new parts are needed. Then you know what you have and know it's ok.

@AKATV

Man you gotta work the system. You should have ordered a seal or a couple of bolts or a wheel center cap to get you the free shipping!

Things around here are "so flat you can watch your dog run away for 2 days" but at least we have trees!