Frame and A-arm "Hole" PLUGS

[08400EX]

OK, this will sound silly and frivolous to some of you, so go ahead and laugh and get it over with :-)

While I have no problem getting my Quads covered in mud/dirt, I am kind of anal about keep my bikes/quads clean and rust free.

The holes in the side of the frames and the upper and lower a-arms have always bugged me and I made sure to always clean them out good to prevent rust from the inside out.

Any way, I happened to be using some ribbed plugs that I use on some projects at work to fill holes and make them weatherproof. They look something like this...

http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/114/gfx/large/9283kp1l.gif

So I walked over with one of the plugs and it fit perfectly in the large frame holes on the sides. I started going thru my other sizes and found the matching sizes for the upper and lower control arm holes(they are different). They fit very snug and it takes some good pressure to push them all the way in, which is perfect.

Before I installed them I sprayed some WD-40 inside all the hole in hopes if anything does get thru it will help prevent rust.

Anyway, silly little subject but wanted to share with others that may be as crazy as I am.

One of the problems is my supplier only sells them in bags of 100 and 50 (for the largest one). Wish there was some way I could get them to anyone that wanted them for free. Any ideas let me know and I will gladly "donate" them.

Here are some pics...

Upper Control arm first....

[08400EX]

Lower A-arm, kind of hard to see..

[08400EX]

Side frame Holes..

[08400EX]

Bag of 100.... :-(

[REDRIDDER]

how much would you charge me to plug the whole quad? Thats a great idea that someone should of thought of a long time ago lol....

[cbrooks118]

i agree. I would be willing to paypal you some dough to cover shipping

[Valhalla]

you could easily make money selling that as a kit on ebay. package up enough to do a whole bike and then sell it for like $20 for the whole kit. thats a damn good idea you have there.

[08400EX]

Wow, I really thought I was gonna "catch it" for this one.

Thanks for the feedback!

Concerning cost let me check with my shipping dept. and see how much some small padded envolopes will cost and get an average of postal shipping costs.

BTW, I could never charge $20 for this, I wouldn't be able to look you in the eye if I ever met you :-)

I feel like it can be done for $5-10 and not lose any money. I am not in the Quad parts business and this is just for the "400EX gang".

[REDRIDDER]

Originally posted by 08400EX
Wow, I really thought I was gonna "catch it" for this one.

Thanks for the feedback!

Concerning cost let me check with my shipping dept. and see how much some small padded envolopes will cost and get an average of postal shipping costs.

BTW, I could never charge $20 for this, I wouldn't be able to look you in the eye if I ever met you :-)

I feel like it can be done for $5-10 and not lose any money. I am not in the Quad parts business and this is just for the "400EX gang". Id pay $5-$10 in a heartbeat just as soon as i get my PayPal account balance down lol..But yeah put a total package together for an ex and sell away, although i was the first one to say that's a great idea i would assume that i would get the first set FREE..........lol.....

[Pappy]

Lowes and Home Depot sell similiar items for under $.40 each.

yeah that is a great idea. I have rust in the frame hole near the seat the big 1. its light but I have to keep getting it off. Why didnt Honda just not make a hole there i mean seriously whats the point?

[REDRIDDER]

08400EX
you have great ingenuity... i think that's how you spell it.Oh and did you ever get your ex to top speed yet? whats the vapor saying for top speed....come on just tell me i just wondering if the vapor seems to be accurate?

[08400EX]

Originally posted by Pappy
Lowes and Home Depot sell similiar items for under $.40 each.

Hey, that's even easier!

Someone needs to go buy a bunch of sizes, see what fits perfectly and then post the Lowes and HD SKU numbers!

Next time you go and get a new toilet you also can get a "400EX Hole Plug Kit" :-)

[REDRIDDER]

Originally posted by Pappy
Lowes and Home Depot sell similiar items for under $.40 each. so his price is about right and i wouldn't have to run to Lowes or home depot and he sends the ones i need ready to go...no guess working.

[08400EX]

Actually my cost for ALL 6 plugs is 77 cents buying in sets of 50 "kits".

Then paying someone to package them, type in all the shipping addresses, pay the postage, print out the labels and the cost of the padded envolopes.

As you can see the parts are the cheap part. :-)

Maybe I will take them to the Steele Creek, NC GNCC race next month and hand them out for free instead.

Here are the specs for the Lowes/Home Depot crowd..

Upper Control arm - 3/4" OD, Fits 0.584"-0.700" Tube ID

Lower Control Arm - 7/8" OD, Fits 0.709"-0.825" Tube ID

Frame version depends on how it is welded by Honda. May need one of each or 2 of the following.

Frame side Holes(A) - 1" OD, Fits 0.834"-0.950" Tube ID

Frame side Holes(B) - 1-1/4" OD, Fits 1.084"-1.200" Tube ID

[08400EX]

Originally posted by REDRIDDER
08400EX
you have great ingenuity... i think that's how you spell it.Oh and did you ever get your ex to top speed yet? whats the vapor saying for top speed....come on just tell me i just wondering if the vapor seems to be accurate?

Sorry REDRIDDER, I missed this one.

First of all , Thanks! I have been coming up with crazy ideas for decades, its what makes me "tick". Trust me, you would not believe some of them :-)

Anyway, haven't gotten a chance to find the top speed yet, and with the new Yoshi and a few other changes it would be different now anyway. Hopefully I will find the right place soon... Hmm there is a small municipal airport about 2 miles thru the woods that is very rarely used. I asked once about using it for some top speed runs on some "other" projects, but was met with mumbling of Federal fines and the FAA getting real "ticked off" :-)

Concerning Vapor accuracy, it is only as accurate as the tire circumference measurement you input. I did mine the most accurate way, making a line on the bottom center of the tire and ground at the exact area, then rolling straight forward until the mark touched the ground again. BUT, I do plan to double check it with my GPS and adjust if needed.

[Hondamaster5505]

The vapor is VERY accurate.

I wasn't quite tapped out yet, but almost.

I got up to 60.5 without actually tapping it out yet, so thats about right.

Ill try to get a pic

[REDRIDDER]

thanks for the info guys..

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
The vapor is VERY accurate.

I wasn't quite tapped out yet, but almost.

I got up to 60.5 without actually tapping it out yet, so thats about right.

Ill try to get a pic

60 seems a little slow, i know you werent topped out yet but idk. What size tires do you have?

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
60 seems a little slow, i know you werent topped out yet but idk. What size tires do you have?

20in with stock sprokets

I think I couldve pushed 65-67 with the rpm i had left in the engine

ooo I know why, you have a 2005 and they have a smaller sproket in the front so your top speed will be a few MPH lower than the 2004 and under. Calculations say that a 400ex with a 15 tooth at 8250RPM in 5th gear on 20" tires will go 68.62MPH and a 400ex with the same except the front sprocket is a 14 tooth it will go 64.04MPH. I think the rev limiter on the 400ex stock is about 9,000RPM correct? so revved all the way out you would go faster if the rev limiter is indeed around 9000RPM

[Hondamaster5505]

rev is set at 9100

The highest rpm i was ever at (not on the speed run) was 9010 so far

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
rev is set at 9100

The highest rpm i was ever at (not on the speed run) was 9010 so far

I thought it was at that. Man I want 1 of those trail techs now seeing how accurate thy really are. Do they stutter with the speed or RPM? like they cant stay steady and the numbers jump around?

[08400EX]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
Do they stutter with the speed or RPM? like they cant stay steady and the numbers jump around?

Steady as a rock as long as they are installed properly.

It is also cool because they store highest RPM and highest speed etc on one of the screen modes. You then clear those if you want to and go again.

The main reason I started using the Trail Tech stuff years ago was to keep up with mileage and hours for maint purposes.

They have come a long way since then.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
I thought it was at that. Man I want 1 of those trail techs now seeing how accurate thy really are. Do they stutter with the speed or RPM? like they cant stay steady and the numbers jump around?

When your not actually driving, and pin the throttle, it'll jump right to the rpm and go back down in harmony with the engine.

But other than that, when your accelerating, the rpm's are very accurate and the speed is really accurate.

It tells you how many miles you put on the bike, time, hours, top speed, top rpm, outside temperature, engine temp(not very good for 400ex), etc.

Its really neat.
I can get a video to show you all the features, and the rpm moving.

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
When your not actually driving, and pin the throttle, it'll jump right to the rpm and go back down in harmony with the engine.

But other than that, when your accelerating, the rpm's are very accurate and the speed is really accurate.

It tells you how many miles you put on the bike, time, hours, top speed, top rpm, outside temperature, engine temp(not very good for 400ex), etc.

Its really neat.
I can get a video to show you all the features, and the rpm moving.

that would be cool. can you reset the hours and miles you put on it?

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
that would be cool. can you reset the hours and miles you put on it?

Ill try to take the vid tomorow.

You cant reset the miles/hours yourself. You have to send it to trailtech to reset them

[08400EX]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
that would be cool. can you reset the hours and miles you put on it?

YOu can reset the trip mileage easily from the front buttons, you can also do a full system reset from a recessed switch on the back.

Here is the Owners Manual it should answer all the questions.

http://www.trailtech.net/media/instructions/vapor_instructions.pdf

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by 08400EX
YOu can reset the trip mileage easily from the front buttons, you can also do a full system reset from a recessed switch on the back.

Here is the Owners Manual it should answer all the questions.

http://www.trailtech.net/media/instructions/vapor_instructions.pdf

REALLY?

I was told you have to send it to trailtech??:huh

[08400EX]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
REALLY?

I was told you have to send it to trailtech??:huh

I think you might be correct, the Owners Manual makes it confusing.

Page 8 seems to say you can, but page 34 says you can't.

Odd!

I called Liz and see said it did, BUT Chris says it doesn't... and he was pretty confident. :-) He also said something about that part of the chip couldn't be changed.

Maybe I am mistaken with the older Endurance, I could have sworn I did a full reset on one before. Not gonna try it now and lose my true mileage/hours.

[CarGuy7a]

hey 08400ex. gotta question for ya. what's the clamp deal for on your bottom a-arm between the ball joint and shock mount?

[08400EX]

Pro Armor A-Arm Skid/Guard

[CarGuy7a]

oh ok cool. i'd never seen that before.