freebo86

Will check around exhaust tomorrow. So the symptoms I outlined tie back to the carb.. What's the course of action to take here, remove it and clean it out & boil it. Or should it just be done with a rebuild kit? Recommendations?

It's good, its a learning experience! So, I made some headway. After waiting for the replies to start rolling in, I decided to put it back together at .006 and see if I check for vacuum leaks. I checked the hoses around the carb and made sure all clamps are tight. The results? Well its been sitting OFF for 24hours and its COLD here, it started up pretty easy and good. It sounded really good too actually. No noise from engine at all. Like solid. The video below is 3minutes of the cold start, for the first minute of it running where it sounds like its jugging, I forgot my CHOKE is ON after a while so once I pushed that back in it smoothed out even nicer. The second video is after a few minutes where the noise starts, but after riding the bike around the block it seems that the noise get's quieter. Am I crazy to think the way it sounds is okay and normal? Now.. the valve noise came on after a bit, but it didnt seem as noisy as the other night. I kept checking the tach meter for RPM and I can't seem to dial it in. Few things happening on the teachmeter for RPM reading; 1) I shift into gear and move, as I come to stop the RPM drops below the the IDLE setpoint I felt I had and bike wants to die or dies.. 2) If it's idling and I hit the throttle the RPM goes up but seems to stick before it comes down and may drop further below than it even was before. 3) Riding along, ie. going 4th, as I am coming down in speed I shift into 3rd let's say, I hit the throttle to accelerate out of the turn or what it may be and its if there is no speed until all of a sudden it picks up (this issue was there beforel all this started, almost as if the throttle is delayed (lack of fuel?)) 4) After tonight that it warmed up, it was harder to start. I took my carb cleaner spray and was spraying around the carb as it was running to see if any change in noise to test for vacuum but no changes. I think if I can dial the IDLE in, and actually let the bike warm up and take it for a longer ride, I did quick spin around the block for a couple of minutes and when I pulled into the garage it actually sounded and ran pretty good besides the IDLE being a bit wonky. Thoughts? Fuel/Air issue with the Carb? Another way to test for vacuum leaks? Thanks again guys! I think I may be getting somewhere? Cold Start. This is after a few minutes.

So set it at .006, the gap maintained through the strokes except when the adjuster starts pushing the valve back down is when it tightens the gap and stays that way until it starts to open. But then the gap starts to again and maintains to .006”. This is for both intake and exhaust. Removing the recoil certainly helped turning using a socket. what’s next to check?

Yes and no. After the very first valve adjustment, I turned it on and it ran ‘okay’ the rattle concerned me so I messed with the idle screw. Ever since, it hasn’t been the same and I can’t fine tune it.. Spray starter fluid where?

Those are not set in the photos. I had just put them back on after removal to look at the ends for inspecting.

Confirmed it’s right, as I installed a new filter right after purchase. I know in my other thread I took apart the exhaust to fix the baffle. I tested my repair back then by putting my hand over the end and was seeing if exhaust was gonna blow/leak somewhere else due to a poor repair but the engine started stalling out, as it was suffocating so I think the exhaust is tight?

Yah, the recoil looks like its 4-8mm nuts, should be straight forward. Once it's off turn the crank clockwise with facing it, right? Good questions. Its a 2004, with 7,800 miles. Rough miles? That's a loaded question. I didn't buy it new so I can't comment on the validity what I was told but can only go on good faith on people telling the truth. But the story goes, original owner who bought it new had it for the first 9 years of its life, used it for trail riding and had a fairly large land he was using it on. The gentlemen I bought it from, had it for the other 7 years and he used it for Hunting and Riding, being Indigenous (Canadian) they are allowed to hunt year round (almost) so it was his main use (so he told me) he was older. Hence some early photos in my build/fix thread of the rear winch - it was used to pull/haul the dead game in or onto the ATV. Looking at the ATV, the seat was ripped, cosmetics have seen better days looks neglected for sure, suspension etc.. needed some bushings as expected, rear brakes seized (typical) etc. Have you looked at the Build Thread on some of the improvements I've made and how purdy she looks now? 🙂 However from running the bike during my ownership (2months), it ran fine, felt strong, quirks with shifting (replaced greased worked amazing and runs nice, shifts strong. I've put over 500 miles on it in the 2 months of Ownership lol, I do enjoy it and have been 🙂 I've had other guys listen to it when purchased that know their way around engines etc. and no flags were raised besides the usual slight valve tick and that I should adjust the valves which is common. Well here we are. Good question on checking the cam chain, is there a way without pulling the cover? I'd love to know and I could check and provide results. But the tick/rattle whatever we want to call it is coming from the top of the valve cover. I had my ear almost against the front crank cover to see if I can hear stuff in there and nothing. Additionally, keep in mind, the videos I provided were taken in my garage so the noise will be somewhat amplified.. so it may sound like a total ticking time bomb lol, but it might not be quite there yet 🥴

Will do this will help give an idea on the 10degree turn approximation. Thanks!

Yup, spark plug is out. But there is still parts where the flywheel just turns easier and it’s a bit hard to control, lol. I’ll give it a shot. Will report tmr evening. All input and feedback is appreciated!

thanks for the info but i checked lol. I spent a good 30minutes going back and forth ensuring I’m at TDC on comp. okay, but how do I approx 10 degrees with the recoil cord? At certain points if I pull a little the flywheel spins a lot.. going to be hard to ensure the 10 degree only... so basically measure the gap consistently every ~10deg. to see if it stays at .006 or if it opens at one point?

took them off, both are flat. Exhaust and intake, also on the lifter? The end that the screw pushes against is flat no concave or mushrooms like caps.. may be hard to see but they appear to be nice and even..

Noted. I guess part of this comes from being a 1st time ATV owner, lots of things to learn. Let me know what you want me to clarify and where and I'll be happy to do so. I created this post as I figured not everyone follows the Build threads so I'd get more responses here.

Pardon my ignorance, I'm familiar and can DIY. But engine work isn't my forte. So to better understand. Whatever is going on now, my valve adjustment is too tight (even tho its set to spec) which is causing my idle to not be working. Is this the correct understanding of it?

So watch the piston in the spark plug hole? I dont know how you guys do some of these, do you have more than 2 hands or 1 head lol?

To clarify. They were looser. So I tightened them up. The valves had a lot more play before this all started. Well reading some of these posts up is not reassuring. So where do I begin.. set the valves back to what they were and see what’s going on?

Thanks. I’ll post an update tomorrow how I make out. Curious if this timing chain is the culprit in some other symptoms I’ve noticed in the last bit with the machine since I’ve owned it.. Starting hard when warm. On Cold it starts up flawlessly. During riding sometimes and I come to a half, I really need to push the throttle hard for it to pick up and go again.. but this could also be the valve adjustment?

Interesting. Tomorrow I’ll set it to what it was and see. So, if I don’t want to replace the chain my options are basically leaving the valves at that adjustment or trying to bring them a bit but not to .006?

Yah I wasn’t driving it just starting and stopping in garage for 1hr before I got frustrated i what was going on. I still don’t understand how the idle can be affected by this? Why does it sound like when I’m giving it throttle that it’s choking itself out and dying? Is this due to the idle adjustment being all off now on tandem with the cam chain and valve adjustment?

I’ll set it back to .013 again tmr and see. Cam chain involved job and expensive parts wise?

Hmm. Would that explain why the idle is all over the place and the thing sounds like a total turd? For testing purposes if I set it back to .013 it would eliminate this and sound somewhat normal again?

Well that’s why I’m at a loss. I figured it couldn’t be worse than it was but it is.. on top the idle is all wonky as you saw in the videos...

Not exhaust valve, on the exhaust stroke. On the exhaust stroke both valves are tight.

So on TDC which is the T mark I lined up with the viewing port notch. On compression both my rockers had play and wiggle room - thats the the stroke I adjust on. On the exhaust stroke both intake and exhaust were tight. No wiggle room at all. I couldn’t move the rockers and they had no slack. Isn’t this correct?

It wasn’t this loud, no. I’m confident it was at TDC on compression. I had my finger on the spark plug hole and felt the compression push finger and then shortly after sat the T mark on through the viewing hole. If it’s timing chain, why would it have been evident before?

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