[400ex Maintenance] - ATV Riders Forums - Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, CanAm, Arctic Cat, Kymco ATVs

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400ex Maintenance
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Posted by: yoshie

this is prob a stupid question butt i just bought a 400ex and i wanted every ones Maintenance tips/schedule thanks

Posted by: cds

The preventative stuff I do is as follows:

Lube the chain every time after washing the quad
Check the chain tension every couple of months

Check the tire pressure before every ride

Change the oil and oil filter before the oil gets "too dark" in color

Clean the air filter frequently Dump any water out of the tube on the bottom of the airbox

Adjust the valve lash, clean the spark arrestor, and replace the spark plug once per year

Put dielectric grease on the electrical connections when you have them apart

Clean and touch-up paint the rusty spots on the frame

Inspect the brake pads

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Most other things I wait until something doesn't work right to fix.

Things like:

adjusting the clutch

adjusting the throttle cable (so that throttle opens fully)
I don't go by the slack in the throttle method.

adjusting the idle speed

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YOMV

Posted by: nosliw

quote:
Originally posted by cds
The preventative stuff I do is as follows:

Check the chain tension every couple of months

Change the oil and oil filter before the oil gets "too dark" in color

i agree with all but these two.

check chain tension before every ride. and change the oil and oilfilter on a consistent basis. the color of the oil isnt a good indicator of when to change it. change it every 8-10 hours.

Posted by: SnowFlake

You said something about grease that you put on the elctrical connections? I was just asking cause i ahve to do some re wiring because of corrosion. So what kind of grease is it???

Posted by: Chino

take your swingarm pivot bolt out frequently and keep that puppy greased up, along with your bearing carrier!

Posted by: cds

SnowFlake,

It's the same kind of grease that people put on the plug wire end of a sparkplug. It comes in a little tube. It is great, IMO, for avoiding wiring headaches down the road.

Go to any auto parts store and ask for a tube of "dielectric grease." It's probably one of the best ~$3 I've ever spent.

HTH,

Posted by: Zuikan

You can Use White Lithium Grease as a dielectric, It has worked well for me now for years, I just use either the spray or the tubes and dip my connectors right into it and mush them back together. It is a cheap alternative. Just make sure it is white lithium/ white lube.

Zui

Posted by: cds

Zuikan,

Good point.

Posted by: crazyelece

different dielectric greases are used for ac voltage (such as spark plugs, outdoor lighting, etc.) and dc voltage (cars, atvs, etc.). Get a good low voltage dc dielectric grease. It will be the stuff at auto parts stores and any store that sells trailer wiring.

Posted by: Zuikan

Crazyelec is right, Only use white lithium grease for low voltage, that would be anything 24volts and under. The only insulated matrial I know of that will withstand above 600volts is real rubber electrical tape, Not the standard vinyl electrical tape that you can get at any hardware store. Therefore dont use grease on your sparkplug, Just clean your sparkplug and boot with a contact cleaner to remove any residue and corrosion.

Zui

Posted by: CT440EX

I just got a 01 400ex and i dont know how to tighten my chain and right now its loose as hell. So i was wondering if some one could tell me how to tighten the chain.

Posted by: nosliw

quote:
Originally posted by CT440EX
I just got a 01 400ex and i dont know how to tighten my chain and right now its loose as hell. So i was wondering if some one could tell me how to tighten the chain.

loosen the 4 allen bolts on the back of the swingarm. stick something in one of the slots that are located just right of the rear sprocket and turn it. i think turn it towards you to tighten and turn away to loosen. i think.
tighten the 4 allen bolts when you got the right amount of slack.

Posted by: reyes

how often you adjust the valves??

Posted by: daredevilearth

What if my bearing carrier doesnt turn. Got any suggestions or tricks to break it loose? Thanks for any input.

Posted by: nosliw

make sure the allen bolts are loose.

shoot it with some penetrating lube. maybe a cheaterpipe or something on a screwdriver.....

Posted by: blue450yo

it took 3 years b4 i neaded to ajust my 400ex valves

Posted by: guinness77

Wow. You are one lucky guy. Mine are out of adjustment every 200 hours of riding time. But I ride every week. Most people ride only once or twice a month.

Posted by: blue450yo

quote:
Originally posted by guinness77
Wow. You are one lucky guy. Mine are out of adjustment every 200 hours of riding time. But I ride every week. Most people ride only once or twice a month.

i ride 1-5 hours a day. but now we got like a foot of snow and i cant moove andd my drive way is ploud and i still cant get out of it.