NB Floyd

I put the bike on a stand to check 4x4. it seems like the propellor shaft has stripped splines at the motor. when 4x4 switch is activated the out put shaft turns but front wheels do not engage. I could actually hold the shaft still and hear a noise in the coupling at the front of the motor. good news is that the front diff spins the shaft with no slip when I turn the wheels by hand in 4x4. what is the replacement propeller shaft called ? I understand you need to unbolt the front diff to move it forward. Are there any fasteners on the propeller shaft ? Any other tips to make this a smooth replacement? Thank you. Nbf.

Took a quick look at the bike this morning. The 4x4 light did not flash with engine off and key on. Did not try with it running. I saw the speed sensor on top of the diff , and a elec connection at the drive shaft input. The wire at the drive shaft input was pulled out of place and under strain , I routed it back under the shield. Hopefully that helps. is there a 4x4 actuator in / on the front diff , is that what the 4x4 switch controls ? thanks ! NBF

Went riding yesterday. Pretty quickly I found out that four wheel drive was not engaging. 4x4 light came on. ( and off when switched to 2wd) No unusual noises. The electrical connector felt tight at the top of the front diff. Any thing to check for ? Any common issues? thanks NB Floyd 2004 450 ES

Finally got new front tires. Not pictured.

Yes I did. Really tried to clean up shaft and the bore and greased. It was moving freely when I reassembled it. I did have some trouble lining the lever on the cam so the cam would lay flat. The cam inside the brake drum is slightly off level maybe by 1/8”

I cleaned and adjusted my rear brakes about 2 weeks ago. Now the cam / brake lever is frequently binding and not wanting to release back without a little bumping on the brake handle or cam lever itself. Any trick to these drum brakes ? I have lubed the cable and that seems to move freely. the cable adjustment screws are set about midway tight. the foot brake seems to work better and return to un-brake position easier. any tips would be appreciated. thanks. NBF

I serviced the rear brakes to free up movement on the cam that activates the brake shoes. On the rear brakes on a 2004 Honda Foreman there is a washer with an arrow tab that was next to the brake lever / cam assembly. Located on the outside of the aluminum backing plate. I removed the cam and lever assembly to clean and oil it, when I reinstalled I did not make note of where the arrow tab was. It is all back together and operating. But what is the function of this “arrow” washer? Thanks, NBF

Update. Loose negative connection at the battery. Tightened it up and machine starts and shifts great. Will consider doing the ES prep in the future.

I have read thru the ES prep previously. I was a little intimidated by undoing the electrical connections , and since it was working I decided I would leave it alone. will give it a better read and may attempt it. I need to get a multi meter, and will test battery. thank you for the quick responses.

2004 450 ES been riding trails that lately have more water on them now to beaver activity. Return from one week vacation. Starts and Drives great around farm. Next day. No start and will not ES shift. It will pull start and drive , neutral light comes on , gear position indicator flashing 6 times and clock was reset. I washed the machine to remove mud etc , using care to not over do it at electrical connections , then leaf blow it to dry it off. Pull start , runs and shifts great. No flashing on display. Son tried the push button start , and now , will not ES shift and back to flashing. Went from 6 flashes , to 8 , back to 6. I have not removed battery, was hoping to charge it by driving it. Many thanks for any advice. A Great machine.

Oil should have JASO shown on the container and listed as meeting that specification.

Female driver ?

An update. For my Next oil change I went with T6 rotella synthetic. The bike starts much better when cold. And may even shift better. also the oil light flicker seems to have really died down. I did also drop the skid plate , cleaned the mud and trash out of it , then reinstalled.