400ex maintenance info.

[wolfe 21]

I just got my 400ex this spring. It's a third owner '04 that seems to be in good shape and runs pretty good. My concern is that I have really no previous knowledge about maintenance on an atv. I'm totally lost. Got and read the owner's manual, but it's not exactly detailed or precise in it's time frames and suggestions. So, I'm here for help. My big questions are:

1. what problems should I be on the lookout for. Bearings, valves, engine, etc. Heard these are pretty much "bulletproof" but I can break about anything with enough time and ignorance.

2. What are my major service timetables. When do I change oil, adjust valves, change filters, etc.

3. I looked over the joints and pivots and all seem to be sealed bushings/bearings. Are there any points on the frame that have grease fittings or require lubrication.

4. Finally, it starts fine(when I remember to turn the fuel on) but it seems to need about 5-10 min to warm up before the motor will rev. If I try to rev it or put it in gear to start away too soon, it just up and dies. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Any help is greatly appreciated, as I really don't know much about this thing. thanks, James.

[buster024]

Welcome to the site!
Congrats on your new 400. You're going to love it. Bulletproof is an excellent description of this bike, but as with anything, regular maintenance is the key.

As far as weak points or trouble spots, there really isn't a historically bad part about the bike. There are definite upgrades available for just about every part on there, but there's nothing to be exactly worried about right off the bat. Keep the oil changed every 2 rides or so, as well as the oil filter. Do yourself a favor, and get yourself a case of oil, and about a dozen oil filters right away. It will encourage you to change it more often than not.
Use only supreme gas. Don't run regular through it.
Buy an aftermarket airfilter. We have K&N fans and haters, as well as foam filter fans and haters, so do your own research and get one.
There are no lube points that are factory (that I can think of), and your shocks are sealed, so there's nothing you can really do to them. It's a good idea to grease your bearing carrier (it holds your axle in the swingarm), although you have to remove the axle to do it.
If you plan on doing any mods with the swingarm, I'd get your swingarm pivot bolt out now if you can, and grease it up.

Get a Clymer manual. It will help you tremendously.

Use the search feature up in the corner, and narrow the search parameters to just this forum. Anything you've asked, has been asked 100 times, but if you can't find it, ask again. This forum would have ended long ago if we couldn't talk about the same stuff over and over and over.....:D

Most of all have fun!

[bean2080]

1. like said above bulletproof fits the 400 great, just take care of it and you will be fine.

2. it all depends on how much you drive it, i usually change the oil and filter in the spring on all my bikes, but some people do it more often. you cant maintain your bike too much, so the more you do it, the best i will be.

3. there are no grease fittings on the bike that i know of either, but i recomend putting one on your bearing carrier, thats what i did and it works great. i also oil my chain on a regular basis.

4. my 400 does the same thing, i have never been to concerned with it doing that. i just let it warm up then ride, i never start a cold bike and just take off on it, i always warm it up.

since there has been other owners, i would check your frame for cracks, check out the upper shock mounts also. besides that you should be good to go. you will love your 400.

[rideracelivemx7]

and when buster024 said you should remove the swing arm bolt. i cant stress enough about how much it is a pain to remove. becuase they freeze up from the crappy material that honda uses and you cant ge tyour engine out, and you have to cut the bolt in 3ds to get it out. you may say you might not do modes, but what if your tranny gear blows or its time to replace that crummy connecting rod bearing. you never know, just save your self the time and do the swing arm bolt now, takes about 30 mins and youll be safe for the future. thoughs of us including myself have endured the pain and annoyance of removing that cursed bolt. and doing the oil every 2 rides. thats a little much. i did mine probly ever 6-7 good rides. as long as your on top of it and not ridding the baja500 all the time then you dont need to do a change every 2 rides. if you are engine savy your going to want to check the valve tappet clearance. it should steer your clear of any unwanted tapping or clicking noice int he head. and if your ever inside your clutch cover, there is a metal screen under the clutch basket to catch the large particals. i cought that right in time while i was painting my engine up. i recomend checking that, but you do have to pull the whole right case cover, 13 or so bolts and your golden.alot easier than it sounds. other than that everything is straight forward with that bike, and everyone here is very knowlegeable and helpful. good luck with the bike, and good riding:D

[wolfe 21]

After posting the first time I've spen a couple hours searching, scanning, and reading different posts. I've found some answers and a few more questions. I agree 2 rides might be a bit much, but I don't know what quality the oil the PO used is (Maxima 4 Premium performance 4 cyl. oil). I'm thinking the next time out, hopefully this sunday, will make five and then the change as its starting to get a little dark, about the same as my truck at say 2000 miles.
I'm thinking about changing oils next time around, and I've read the 2 page oil post on the front page of the forum, but I'm just curious as to what's best. I'm leaning toward either running what the PO used or switching to shell Rotella or Mobil 1 (Dad swears by it, but only has experience in auto). For filters are Fram anygood. What I run in my cars and means I can one-stop shop at the local wals-mart. If not, What then???
I ride some closed in, tight, brush trails as well. Would switching to a heavier oil (15 or 20 / 40 - 50) help keep it cool. I don't really know much about air cooled anything. Also, is a second oil cooler or the spal fan conversion a reasonable investment for a sometimes rider (5 trips in 3 months). Oh, I just purchased a full aluminum skid plate for my frame. Will this help with cooling or more likely hinder it because of blocked airflow.
Unfortunately, I failed to notice the fuel requirements and have been running the 87 octane swill, which still ain't cheap at nearly 4 bucks a gallon. Grand total of say 4 hours on the cheap gas going to do any irreversible damage (mostly in 4th & 5th on county roads at say half throttle. Just a nice loping pace to stay close to buddy's 350 prairie). Also, PO already added a K&N filter with foam wrap and removed spark arrestor from the exhaust. Would either of these be enough to require a re-jetting. Didn't think to ask if this was done or not.
Is checking the valves once a season enough. I don't think it's something I can tackle (at least not yet), so I'll probably end up having a shop do it. (40 miles one way and $200 in labor makes me want to avoid repeats of this as much as possible).
Finally, this swing arm bolt. Do you mean I should take it out and replace it. If so, with what... IF not, then what am I supposed to do so I don't have to cut it out (read a couple posts about that too).

[blaaze416]

Just a quick thought...do some more searching for adjusting your vavles. Theres a straight forward 'how to' write up somehwere on here with pics. i think I've even seen it on the home page...the page before you get to the forums and such.
It is VERY simple to adjust your valves...plus it gets your more aquainted with your new quad while saving you the trip to the shop, the wait for them to get to it, and stress of hoping that they don't screw something else up (like my buddies). Just getting to the top of the engine is the hardest part, and that only takes 5 minutes, once you've done it a couple times. If I were more computer literate, I'd post the link....sorry. :ermm:
Have fun with your new addiction. I love my 400ex! I just can't find enough time to ride it, and it sucks!!!
btw, if you ride tight trails a lot and don't seem to get enough air flow to keep the engine cool, maybe invest in a SPAL oil cooler fan. It's at SPALusa.com(?). 4 inch atv PULLER fan. Those little suckers really pull some air!! Mine keeps the engine running cooler a lot longer at initial start up. (Just a little test I did with a non-fan trial the night before). there are links on how to wire it up, too.
Good luck, and have fun! (be safe.....)

[RaginRedneck]

Welcome to the site and congratulations on your purchase. Pretty much whatever everyone else said, X2.

The only addition I have is this, when i first bought my quad a purchased a little Tach/Hour Meter that is really simple to mount and install. There is a single wire that you wrap around and secure to the plug wire and then when the bike is off it tells you how many hours you are at, when it is running it displays the RPM. Even on a used bike it would be very helpful to help monitor your maintenance schedule. I think I paid $20-30 for mine.

Good Luck.:devil:

[jrafter]

Originally posted by RaginRedneck
Welcome to the site and congratulations on your purchase. Pretty much whatever everyone else said, X2.

The only addition I have is this, when i first bought my quad a purchased a little Tach/Hour Meter that is really simple to mount and install. There is a single wire that you wrap around and secure to the plug wire and then when the bike is off it tells you how many hours you are at, when it is running it displays the RPM. Even on a used bike it would be very helpful to help monitor your maintenance schedule. I think I paid $20-30 for mine.

Good Luck.:devil:


sears sells and hour meter for $10

[wolfe 21]

Figures... I used to work at sears and didn't buy the quad until just after I quit. Would be nice to have that discount back for tools and such now.:rolleyes:

Ragin'Redneck, do you remember where you got your hour monitor. Sounds like something I could use, I need help with shifting and was trying to figure out how to rig a tach on it. This seems exceedingly simple, plus the added hour meter.

I'll take a look for that valve how-to. Sounds like it might be easier than I thought. And I've definitely thought about the fan too, but my wiring ability leaves a bit to be desired. Even found a dealer on the forum (or atleast he was). I know it helps keep my buddy's 350 prairie cooler.

Thanks For the help, James.

[RaginRedneck]

I bought my mine at the local honda dealer. But I've seen them in Marine shops as well.

The display is fairly small and I mounted it on top of the tank, in between the filler neck and steering stem. Not the best place for viewing the tach while riding, but I bought it mainly for the hour meter and I wanted it out of the way.

I'm sure there are different styles that may fit your needs, I just wanted something small to track the hours for maintenance. I would bet that Rocky Mountain ATV has them on their website, or just go to your local dealer.

Good luck.

[buster024]

Finally, this swing arm bolt. Do you mean I should take it out and replace it. If so, with what... IF not, then what am I supposed to do so I don't have to cut it out (read a couple posts about that too).

Get a Clymer manual first of all, and throw it in your tool box. I'd also invest the $20 in an oem bolt. I'd bet that it is already jammed in there pretty good. Just look at the long bolt that slides through the top of the swingarm. It's got a large nut on one side. The nut should come off easy, but the bolt rarely slides out without some doing. I had to bang mine out with a sledehammer.

Once it's out, just grease your new one up with some marine lube (or any non-water soluble grease), and throw it back in.

Keep your bike clean, and enjoy!!!!

[MtnEX]

wolfe 21,

Check your private messages.





Oh and if anyone finds that valve adjustment 'how-to'... please post a link.
I'd like to have a look at it.

[wolfe 21]

bought my oil tonight. Rotella 15-40 dino oil. Figured this would work good for now, may even help with keeping cooler. Thinking I may switch to the Rotella synthetic 5-40 or Mobil 15-50 after my current supply is out. Was looking at synth. tonight, but I was afraid the 5W was too low until I read some articles that were linked in some of the threads about oil and on the dirtriders forum. Still looking for a filter, stupid walmart reference for filters didn't cover atv's (only at this location. The one closer to home had them listed, but I couldn't remember the number:grr: ). I was thinking I'd change every four rides or as the state of oil requires (currently a mid-shade brown and about where I'd change it in other vehicles).

I'll give my not-so local shop a call to see if they have something like you describe ragin'. May also check the recommended site and ebay(I know, I know.... nobody likes FLEA-bay, but it's easier due to my rural location).

I think my next projects will be nerfs, my skid plate, and looking into a cooling fan (only concern is my riding areas have some streams, mud and generally unhealthy conditions for electrics), and the manual of course. Also, maybe an extra set of rims to use for trail riding as my Maxis tires seem to be more for loose dirt or race conditions. On it when I bought it, so... not my first choice.

[RaginRedneck]

http://www.rockymountainatv.com/productDetail.do?navType=type&webTypeId=298&navTitle=Electrical&webCatId=20&prodFamilyId=19093


Here's a link to the hour meter/Tach I bought, but I'm pretty sure I paid less than that at the dealership. But this should give you an idea.

-Good Luck-

a tach won't help with your shifting...you won't want to be watching the tach as you go down the trail...you need to learn to listen to your motor

overheating is really not a big problem on these bike unless you are racing. i change the oil in mine when it needs it, not after an x amount of rides. it always gets fresh oil in the spring whether it needs it or not. then i am usually good for until the next spring(my 450r was a different story)

i use either k&n, emgo, or honda filters...the emgo filters are only used because i can buy them in "bulk" off of ebay for way less than the honda or k&n filters(for the 450r anyway). i always have one or two on hand...

the valves are easy enough to adjust...here is the link:
http://www.atvriders.com/articles/valveadjustment400ex.html

skids should be the first thing that is put on the bike...at least a .250 thick swingarm skid and a frame skid. a-arm skids aren't as important. some will disagree with me, but nerfs aren't really that important. you can ride trails aggressively without them.

as far as a manual...someone posted a link to download the honda manual for free. do a search and you can find it. i prefer to have the pdf manual over the hard copy. that way you can just print out the section that you are using. you don't have to worry about getting too much oil, grease. dirt, and grime on your "expensive" manual pages and ruining them. when you are done, you can throw them out to save space or keep them for the next time around...

[wolfe 21]

I've got a frame skid plate (3/16 6061 alum.) and my stock swingarm skid. Do I need something heavier than the stock plate. (I Know, I know... modified is better, but jeez this stuff ain't cheap). A new bumper and hand guards are my next two bolt-ons.

Also looking into a reduced travel clutch perch/lever. Is this a good investment. I'm not too concerned about losing my parking brake as it don't work anyway:rolleyes:

And I've gotten a link to a downloadable manual. Haven't gotten to look at it yet (dial-up is such a PITA). Gonna have to check it out at work or at library.

the stock skid plate is junk...get an armadillo from rockymountain atv since price is an issue...they are on par with the best at a cheaper price

[MtnEX]

Yeah, take a USB drive to the library... or anything that will hold 123+ MB... download it and save it to your storage media.

Then you can take it home and use it at will.



For protection... I looked at a lot of stuff, and I like PRM stuff for the 400EX.

I've got it all, and it fits together like a total package. Out of all the pieces, it only lacks 2 holes that should be in the parts.

One is that the bumper should have an access hole for the front mount of the frame skid.... but I was able to wiggle it off after loosening the other points.

Why did I take it off?... Well, that brings me to the other missing hole that all of the brands seem to be missing... there are two oil drains on the 400EX... bottom of the oil tank... and the crankcase just under the shifter... no drain hole in the skid for the engine drain. In my case with the PRM skid... mine just happens to be missing the hole... it's supposed to be there... LOL...

http://prm-atv.com/img/products/4x339.jpg

That brings me to a point one should look at for skids... how easy they mount and come off.... no sweat on the PRM... Loosen 4 allen screws, rotate the mounts and it comes right off with a wiggle on the 5th mount.

Their swingarm skid is one of the nicest I've seen. It's full protection... including coverage for the shock linkage. Several just have an opening under the linkage... good if you run a mod linkage that would hit... but bad that it doesn't protect there. The PRM also has full chain protection, and on it I have a full length T.M. Designworks Powerlip Chain Guide. VERY NICE, and nicely replaceable as it wears out.

http://prm-atv.com/img/products/4x340.jpg