Removing Rear engine crank case cover

[Moose 0]

Hello, I have removed all the bolts on the rear crank case cover to access the gear position switch. I have lifted the cover from the back of the motor. But no matter what I do I can not remove the cover to replace the switch or even inspect the old one. Do I need to either remove the motor or remove the rear swing arm to get this cover out from behing the motor?  My machine is a 2000 Honda Foreman 450 ES.

Edited April 15 by Moose
To add my ATV specs.

[jeepwm69 7,619]

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?

[Moose 0]

No airbox and carb are still in place.  Do I need to remove them?

 

[jeepwm69 7,619]

9 hours ago, Moose said:

No airbox and carb are still in place.  Do I need to remove them?

 

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.

[shadetree 5,884]

yeah..remove the air box and carb, will make it tons easier to get the stator cover off. hopefully you removed the pull starter cage ?..lol. MAKE SURE YOU GOT EVERY BOLT OUT BEFORE YOU GO TAPPING ON THAT COVER TO REMOVE IT !..check it a millon times if ya have too ??!!. there is always a hidden bolt hiding..lol.

[Moose 0]

Thank You all for the help.  I was able to remove it and replaced the gear position switch.  But I still can not get my atv to start without jumpering the neutral switch wire to ground.  So far I have replaced the small sensor on the front of the engine and now the gear position switch at the rear.  I am not sure what is wrong.  Now I am wondering if I have a bad ground somewhere on the engine?

 

[jeepwm69 7,619]

58 minutes ago, Moose said:

Thank You all for the help.  I was able to remove it and replaced the gear position switch.  But I still can not get my atv to start without jumpering the neutral switch wire to ground.  So far I have replaced the small sensor on the front of the engine and now the gear position switch at the rear.  I am not sure what is wrong.  Now I am wondering if I have a bad ground somewhere on the engine?

 

 

Hard to tell without seeing things.  You should have a ground wire from frame to back of engine, and another from starter bolt to battery negative.  # 8 and 9 here

 

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/atv/2000/trx450es-a-fourtrax-forman-es/battery

 

You have an N showing on the meter and a strong green light on the N indicator on the meter?

[Moose 0]

I found those grounding points.  I tested them with an Ohm meter and they all seem good.  I went back to my gear position switch connector to see if I could find a ground in any gear and nothing.  I guess I will have to go back into the rear crank case to see what has happened?  The switch I installed was new in the bag from Japan.

[jeepwm69 7,619]

3 hours ago, Moose said:

I found those grounding points.  I tested them with an Ohm meter and they all seem good.  I went back to my gear position switch connector to see if I could find a ground in any gear and nothing.  I guess I will have to go back into the rear crank case to see what has happened?  The switch I installed was new in the bag from Japan.

When you have the machine in a specific gear, the wire associated with that gear should be grounded if you check the wire.  Troubleshooting info on the GPS in the factory service manual 

[shadetree 5,884]

21 hours ago, Moose said:

I found those grounding points.  I tested them with an Ohm meter and they all seem good.  I went back to my gear position switch connector to see if I could find a ground in any gear and nothing.  I guess I will have to go back into the rear crank case to see what has happened?  The switch I installed was new in the bag from Japan.

if and when you get the rear case back off to get to the neutral switch. MAKE SURE YOU INSTALLED THE SWITCH CORRECTLY !. by this, i mean the switch must be installed back into the shift drum the right way ?, or..you will have it out of alignment. get the cover back off, take a look at the switch, the shaft has a roll pin stuck through it, this roll pin has to have the longer end directly over the rasied letter N that is stamped on the top of the switch. brown plastic part where the wires are at. look for the letter N stamped into the topside of it, now rotate the longer end of the roll pin where its right over/facing the letter N. now install it back on the engine, MAKING SURE THE ROLL PIN GUIDES INTO THE SLOT IN THE END OF THE SHIFT DRUM.