2001 rancher refresh

[shadetree 5,868]

11 hours ago, bigcountry78 said:

Picked up some emery cloth and new cotter pins tonight, going to polish the cam, the backing plate pass through and the brake shoe pivot points. I’ll put some grease on everything and then put it all back together finally. Throw some grease on the axle splines for good measure.

yep, i always grease the axle splines where the ring gear rides, as well as the brake drum splines, brake cam area in the backing plate, and where the brake shoes ride. be careful not to get too much grease where the brake shoes ride ?, or you will get grease on the brake shoes.

[bigcountry78 93]

1 hour ago, shadetree said:

yep, i always grease the axle splines where the ring gear rides, as well as the brake drum splines, brake cam area in the backing plate, and where the brake shoes ride. be careful not to get too much grease where the brake shoes ride ?, or you will get grease on the brake shoes.

Yes I put just a very light coat of grease where it would slick everything up but not drop everywhere. I’m confused about this bearing race holder doodab. It doesn’t seem to fit back into where it should go. It’s supposed to go over the end of the axle, Into the end of the tube, correct? Because the hub isn’t sliding all the way in.

[shadetree 5,868]

2 minutes ago, bigcountry78 said:

Yes I put just a very light coat of grease where it would slick everything up but not drop everywhere. I’m confused about this bearing race holder doodab. It doesn’t seem to fit back into where it should go. It’s supposed to go over the end of the axle, Into the end of the tube, correct? Because the hub isn’t sliding all the way in.

lol..you have to slide this piece onto the axle BEFORE you install the tube, it goes on the inside of the bearing, flat part faces bearing.. sooo..do this, remove the left rear tube, slide the bearing stopper onto the axle with tapered side facing rear diff, flat side out, then install the tube back onto the rear diff. once this is done, you can now install the left rear wheel hub.

[shadetree 5,868]

i just have to ask ?!, lol..do you...or do you not have a service manual at your side ?..lol. if you were reading the service manual, you would be able to see how the left rear side goes back together. when you have been doing these kinda repairs for over 30 yrs like me, you won't need a service manual..lol. its all in my old memory ..lol.

[bigcountry78 93]

1 minute ago, shadetree said:

i just have to ask ?!, lol..do you...or do you not have a service manual at your side ?..lol. if you were reading the service manual, you would be able to see how the left rear side goes back together. when you have been doing these kinda repairs for over 30 yrs like me, you won't need a service manual..lol. its all in my old memory ..lol.

lol yea after I posted that I sat there and studied it and it dawned on me that it went on the axle first, then the tube, then the hub. So now I look like a goober. No, I don’t have a service manual, I’m just winging it. 

[shadetree 5,868]

3 minutes ago, bigcountry78 said:

lol yea after I posted that I sat there and studied it and it dawned on me that it went on the axle first, then the tube, then the hub. So now I look like a goober. No, I don’t have a service manual, I’m just winging it. 

rofl. you can download the service manual from our site here for free !. i must give credit where credit is due ?..you winging it is a sure fire way of learning !..lol. 30 plus yrs ago..i was like you..i just dug in..started doing this on atvs..but !!..i also was smart enough to get my hands on service manuals for the project at hand ?!. this gave me a heads up what i was facing. no..you are not a goober !..worse case..you learned real quickly from your mistake..and this means one thing..YOU LEARNED SOMETHING !.

[_Wilson_™ 6,567]

My small add lol! .... stay way clear of Haynes and clymers manuals... lol! Go for the real McCoy...as Shade recommended. 

[shadetree 5,868]

Just now, _Wilson_™ said:

My small add lol! .... stay way clear of Haynes and clymers manuals... lol! Go for the real McCoy...as Shade recommended. 

well..i use alot of clymers manuals, and to this day..i have no issues understanding them ?, then again..i also know '' most '' honda atvs by heart..soo..take it for what its worth.

[bigcountry78 93]

Alright, finally got everything sorted out, cleaned up and put back together. The rear brake mechanism now functions as it should. I’ve got good foot pedal, the hand lever is iffy. I may end up needing new pads, but I’m going to try adjusting it some more first. At least I can move the hand lever without anything locking up. Rear mechanism is good now and I have a new cable installed, so shoes and adjustment is all there is left I think. Again, many thanks to everyone who offered advice.

[bigcountry78 93]

I posted about a clutch adjustment in the drivetrain area, but figured I’d address it here too. I have a very slight slip when starting in first gear, but as soon as I’m rolling it goes away. It shifts silky smooth so I’m not sure it really needs to be adjusted. The guy I bought it from mentioned it had a fresh oil change, but since I’ve been reading about people putting the wrong oil in, I’m concerned that he may not have used wet clutch oil. So, is there a distinct difference that I can tell by looking at or smelling the oil that’s in there, and would the wrong oil cause this minor slip I’m having? I probably should go ahead and change the oil so I know it has the correct stuff in there, but just curious.

[shadetree 5,868]

40 minutes ago, bigcountry78 said:

I posted about a clutch adjustment in the drivetrain area, but figured I’d address it here too. I have a very slight slip when starting in first gear, but as soon as I’m rolling it goes away. It shifts silky smooth so I’m not sure it really needs to be adjusted. The guy I bought it from mentioned it had a fresh oil change, but since I’ve been reading about people putting the wrong oil in, I’m concerned that he may not have used wet clutch oil. So, is there a distinct difference that I can tell by looking at or smelling the oil that’s in there, and would the wrong oil cause this minor slip I’m having? I probably should go ahead and change the oil so I know it has the correct stuff in there, but just curious.

just looking at, or smelling ?..no..there is no way that i know of if the oil is the correct oil ?. just change it, better to be safe than sorry !. it needs to have wet-clutch approved oil in it. after you change the oil, and its still feels like its slipping ?..which very well may be ?, we'll get ya fixed up on that.

[bigcountry78 93]

2 hours ago, shadetree said:

just looking at, or smelling ?..no..there is no way that i know of if the oil is the correct oil ?. just change it, better to be safe than sorry !. it needs to have wet-clutch approved oil in it. after you change the oil, and its still feels like its slipping ?..which very well may be ?, we'll get ya fixed up on that.

Would the wrong oil cause the slip? And, has anyone had any luck with the amazon tune up kits? They have a kit that has 3 quarts of oil, an air filter, spark plug and oil filter. All supposedly OE Honda stuff, for $50-$55. 

[shadetree 5,868]

2 hours ago, bigcountry78 said:

Would the wrong oil cause the slip? And, has anyone had any luck with the amazon tune up kits? They have a kit that has 3 quarts of oil, an air filter, spark plug and oil filter. All supposedly OE Honda stuff, for $50-$55. 

yes, wrong oil can cause it to slip, just as well as a worn clutch. i never buy anything from amazon !..unless ?!..its been discontinued from honda ?, and thats a stretch even if this is the case, as most stuff from amazon is all made in china.

[jcz 26]

I used an amazon oil change kit for the 2002 foreman ES I recently put a top end in. It was the same oil I would have got from the dealership. I can not say if the oil filter is the same since I have not bought a filter from the dealer in a long time. 

[jcz 26]

BTW I appreciate you documenting your struggles getting the rear drum off. I need to do the rear brakes on the foreman and the drum is stuck. I'll get to it someday. 

[bigcountry78 93]

2 hours ago, jcz said:

BTW I appreciate you documenting your struggles getting the rear drum off. I need to do the rear brakes on the foreman and the drum is stuck. I'll get to it someday. 

Everything in the Amazon picture is in Honda packaging, I think I’m going to order it and see what shows up. If I’m not satisfied I’ll send it back. I’m happy to document everything here, maybe my struggles can save someone else the headache. I spent way too much time and energy trying to remove the drum when I should have just pulled the axle and inspected it anyway. I lost half a days time trying to avoid pulling it.

[jcz 26]

I hear ya, I rebuilt a friends rear axle with bearings and seals a few months ago and am not looking forward to doing this one. Not really that difficult just messy. And that gear oil stinks. 

[jeepwm69 7,609]

27 minutes ago, bigcountry78 said:

Everything in the Amazon picture is in Honda packaging, I think I’m going to order it and see what shows up. If I’m not satisfied I’ll send it back. I’m happy to document everything here, maybe my struggles can save someone else the headache. I spent way too much time and energy trying to remove the drum when I should have just pulled the axle and inspected it anyway. I lost half a days time trying to avoid pulling it.

Rotella T4 15W40 is JASO MA (what is required by Honda) rated, cheap, and readily available everywhere.

Get a filter at NAPA and cut your oil change cost by 2/3’s

 

[bigcountry78 93]

1 hour ago, jeepwm69 said:

Rotella T4 15W40 is JASO MA (what is required by Honda) rated, cheap, and readily available everywhere.

Get a filter at NAPA and cut your oil change cost by 2/3’s

 

I like the sound of that. Does Napa have the Honda part number in their system for the oil filter? Or is it a Napa specific number?

[jeepwm69 7,609]

PS 4944 I believe.  Same filter that the 300, 450 Foreman, and 05-11 500 Foreman takes

[bigcountry78 93]

Well, got out today and went shopping. I picked up the filter from Napa, and you were right, 4944. They only had one quart of oil on the shelf for $9 something, and they didn’t show an air filter in their system. So I got the oil filter there for less than $10 and went over to the dealer for oil, I got the Honda oil for $10 per quart. So $30 total for cheap insurance that it has the right stuff in it. Honda wants $27 for the air filter, but amazon has them for $12 so I’m gonna cheap out and just order one. That’s the last thing it needs maintenance wise I think.
 

I came home and changed the oil and then rode it for a couple minutes around the neighborhood. The off idle slip seems to be gone, and I now have rear brakes and a functioning parking brake. But, it does seem to shift a little harder now with the correct oil in there, so maybe it does need a clutch adjustment after all. What’s the general opinion? It shifted easier before the oil change, now it’s stiffer and harsher. 
 

I know it seems like I’m obsessive over maintenance, but I’ve always been of the mindset that you take care of what you have. And if you take care of the little things, they don’t become big things later. I also don’t know the complete history of this machine. It seems to have lead an easy life for the most part, and I want to do my part to make sure it lasts a long time.

Edited December 4, 2023 by bigcountry78

[shadetree 5,868]

3 hours ago, bigcountry78 said:

Well, got out today and went shopping. I picked up the filter from Napa, and you were right, 4944. They only had one quart of oil on the shelf for $9 something, and they didn’t show an air filter in their system. So I got the oil filter there for less than $10 and went over to the dealer for oil, I got the Honda oil for $10 per quart. So $30 total for cheap insurance that it has the right stuff in it. Honda wants $27 for the air filter, but amazon has them for $12 so I’m gonna cheap out and just order one. That’s the last thing it needs maintenance wise I think.
 

I came home and changed the oil and then rode it for a couple minutes around the neighborhood. The off idle slip seems to be gone, and I now have rear brakes and a functioning parking brake. But, it does seem to shift a little harder now with the correct oil in there, so maybe it does need a clutch adjustment after all. What’s the general opinion? It shifted easier before the oil change, now it’s stiffer and harsher. 
 

I know it seems like I’m obsessive over maintenance, but I’ve always been of the mindset that you take care of what you have. And if you take care of the little things, they don’t become big things later. I also don’t know the complete history of this machine. It seems to have lead an easy life for the most part, and I want to do my part to make sure it lasts a long time.

adjust the clutch now that you have new/correct oil in it.

[bigcountry78 93]

Guys this thing is fighting me every inch of the way. I loosened the nut and the screw would not loosen at all. I ended up using a stubby screwdriver with a 1/4” wrench to be able to turn it. I finally got it loose and now I can’t get the nut started back on that screw. I’ve tried filing the burs off that came from adjusting the screw. I’ve tried everything I know to start the nut back on, and now the threads are starting to gall. I hate this thing right now. The only other thing I can figure is the screw head spread out slightly and it won’t let the nut start. Has anyone dealt with this? I know I didn’t need to take the nut off, but I did while I was try to get the screw to turn.

Edited December 5, 2023 by bigcountry78

[bigcountry78 93]

Y’all ever just completely screw something simple up? Yep, me too. After I walked away and took a break, I was able to get the nut started but I’m sure the threads are messed up. Anyway, I think I got it adjusted properly, as the shifting is easier now. But who knows what the future holds as far as adjustments. How involved is it to replace that adjustment screw? I may do that in the future. One thing about my big bear, the adjustment was right there on the side of the motor where you could get to it easily.

[shadetree 5,868]

2 hours ago, bigcountry78 said:

Y’all ever just completely screw something simple up? Yep, me too. After I walked away and took a break, I was able to get the nut started but I’m sure the threads are messed up. Anyway, I think I got it adjusted properly, as the shifting is easier now. But who knows what the future holds as far as adjustments. How involved is it to replace that adjustment screw? I may do that in the future. One thing about my big bear, the adjustment was right there on the side of the motor where you could get to it easily.

front cover has to come off in order to remove that bolt. when doing this ?, you prob will need a new cover gasket if one is on it now ?, you will ruin the gasket getting the cover off.