need some help identifying Metal type and more LTZ questions...

[CEREBRAL]

Hey fellas, first post.

I have searched and searched some more and nobody can seem to come up with a way to identify the type of metal used in the '05/'06 clutch covers.:confused: :confused:

I know what to look for if the cover has been removed.... shiny machine marks(aluminum) VS dull machine marks with swirling(magnesium).

STORY>>>> I am buying a used quad within the next 2 weeks (hopefully sooner) It is between the 400ex and the ltz400 year models 2005, 2006 and 2007 for each brand considering price. I am seeing the better deals for LTZs, mainly 2006 models for between $2200.00 and $3000.00 depending on accessories and condition.

I hate just "taking somebody's word" when you're spending that kind of scratch.

So is there anyway to tell if the cover is actually an aluminum one by just inspecting the cover from the outside only???? Not many people are going to let you rip apart their quad!:D

If it is a magnesium cover, will it still be covered under the recall? Was this issue fixed in 2007?

Should I worry about the "timing chain issue" I have read about?

Will a manual cam chain tensioner take care of the issue?

I know it's alot of questions, but I like to hear from the owners themselves, ya'll are the best source of information in my opinion.:muscle:

Thanks!! I hope to join the club soon!

[juice420]

i had my cover switched out shortly after the recall, I got an 06 KFX (same as LTZ) and havent had any probs with the timing chain.

[twincat800]

I have an 04 dvx and i never hear of that cover recall!? oops. In my opinion, valves, cams chains etc.. in Any quad will eventually go bad. Mine is an 04 and i do have lots of mods and have had no problem (i did get a new cam chain to support my cams though). (knock on wood) my valves are still stock, also my drive chain and both sprokets. Guess it depends on how it was treated?

[twincat800]

Also if your choosing between a 400EX or one of the 3 other 400s. I would to with one of the other 2 400s and not the EX. Ive read before that people have both quads and they dont like there EX as much. But you can get one cheaper usually.

[CEREBRAL]

juice420, do you know if if suzuki will still do the swap for free? If so, then it won't matter when I go to buy one. Thanks.

twincat800, the recall didn't affect 2004 models, so you're good. I know that these parts wear out on any quad, but it seems that the LTZ has a real issue with premature cam chain failure. It's just another thing that I would NOT like to worry about when buying a used quad, ya know? As far as the other 400s, I'm kind of lost there.:confused: There's the 400ex, LTZ400, (the KFX and DVX are LTZs, no?) Basically? Is there a brand I'm missing? I'm finding LTZs cheaper than the 400ex. Thanks for the info!!

[sd1]

well i believe in 07 the cover came fixed from the factory....but their is a simple solution on the 06 models...just run waterless coolant in it like evans waterless coolant....great stuff...and as far as the timing chain just pop off the auto tensioner and make sure its working well..if its got a lot of hours on the machine..say 150+ it wouldnt be a bad idea to replace it...its not hard and you can do it yourself in a day........I had 2 06 models and didnt get the cover replaced and never had an issue with corrosion on the impeller or case..... as far as a manual tensioner they are great but you need to really stay on top of them as compared to the auto tensioner which requires less maint..... I have owned 5 LTZ's so feel free to ask me any thing you like....and I still own one now....great machines...

[CEREBRAL]

Originally posted by sd1
well i believe in 07 the cover came fixed from the factory....but their is a simple solution on the 06 models...just run waterless coolant in it like evans waterless coolant....great stuff...and as far as the timing chain just pop off the auto tensioner and make sure its working well..if its got a lot of hours on the machine..say 150+ it wouldnt be a bad idea to replace it...its not hard and you can do it yourself in a day........I had 2 06 models and didnt get the cover replaced and never had an issue with corrosion on the impeller or case..... as far as a manual tensioner they are great but you need to really stay on top of them as compared to the auto tensioner which requires less maint..... I have owned 5 LTZ's so feel free to ask me any thing you like....and I still own one now....great machines...

Yeah, I have been reading about using the Evans coolant after a complete flush. But here's the thing.......... Say I buy an LTZ, remove the cover and there is some damage?? Will suzuki still honor the recall, or is it too late??

I'm fairly good with DIY..... it's not too hard to replace the cam chain?? The tensioner looks very easy to remove and install, but I am slightly hesitant to do a cam chain.

I will be riding trails, some technical stuff, nothing major in the jumping department. My main concern is reliability, I don't want to get miles into the woods and the quad take a dump. I know any quad can do this from time to time, but I like to hedge my bets, ya know?? I am familiar with the XR400 motor and that's what is in the 400Ex. Would you hesitate to ride your LTZ far into the trails alone?? I used to do this all the time on my dirt bike(KDX 220R), I trusted it to the bone. I want to trust my quad, too. This is all mainly for my "head" I just want to make sure the LTZ isn't a "breaker downer" :D

Thanks for the ear!

[sd1]

Originally posted by CEREBRAL
Yeah, I have been reading about using the Evans coolant after a complete flush. But here's the thing.......... Say I buy an LTZ, remove the cover and there is some damage?? Will suzuki still honor the recall, or is it too late??

I'm fairly good with DIY..... it's not too hard to replace the cam chain?? The tensioner looks very easy to remove and install, but I am slightly hesitant to do a cam chain.

I will be riding trails, some technical stuff, nothing major in the jumping department. My main concern is reliability, I don't want to get miles into the woods and the quad take a dump. I know any quad can do this from time to time, but I like to hedge my bets, ya know?? I am familiar with the XR400 motor and that's what is in the 400Ex. Would you hesitate to ride your LTZ far into the trails alone?? I used to do this all the time on my dirt bike(KDX 220R), I trusted it to the bone. I want to trust my quad, too. This is all mainly for my "head" I just want to make sure the LTZ isn't a "breaker downer" :D

Thanks for the ear!

I doubt any dealer is going to honor the recall unless you were the original owner of the quad....but you might want to check with your local dealer and see if they might honor it even tho you are a second owner...the ltz400 motor has stood up to many edurance events like the baja1000 for years..... these things are really trivial tho...this last quad I bought I was looking at the 400ex also....but you have to mod the thing so much to really get it to perform well....as with the ltz400 it performs well right out of the crate......a cam chain on the ltz is not difficult...you will need to buy a clutch gasket cover and the chain...get the did type.....but the bottom line is what you feel most comfortable with and it really sounds to me like you would like the 400ex better....the newer model has some nice looks to it..say 08 or newer but that engine has been around forever and you could put a bullet into it and it would probably run...but I have just never been impressed by that engines out of the crate performance..and the suspension out of the crate blows big time....if your looking for something to pour a lot of dollars into to get some performance..get the 400ex...but if your looking for something that performs very well in almost stock trim imo you cant beat the ltz/kfx/dvx 400

[twincat800]

Yeah thats what i meant as in 400s (kfx dvx ltz) I guess the pricing is different where your at...

[CEREBRAL]

Originally posted by sd1
I doubt any dealer is going to honor the recall unless you were the original owner of the quad....but you might want to check with your local dealer and see if they might honor it even tho you are a second owner...the ltz400 motor has stood up to many edurance events like the baja1000 for years..... these things are really trivial tho...this last quad I bought I was looking at the 400ex also....but you have to mod the thing so much to really get it to perform well....as with the ltz400 it performs well right out of the crate......a cam chain on the ltz is not difficult...you will need to buy a clutch gasket cover and the chain...get the did type.....but the bottom line is what you feel most comfortable with and it really sounds to me like you would like the 400ex better....the newer model has some nice looks to it..say 08 or newer but that engine has been around forever and you could put a bullet into it and it would probably run...but I have just never been impressed by that engines out of the crate performance..and the suspension out of the crate blows big time....if your looking for something to pour a lot of dollars into to get some performance..get the 400ex...but if your looking for something that performs very well in almost stock trim imo you cant beat the ltz/kfx/dvx 400


Yeah, I know it's mostly trivial, but I'm 39 almost 40 years old and I now tend to over-evaluate all of these type of situations. When I was a little bit younger I would have jumped on the LTZs with no hesitation, but now I would probably sacrifce some out of the box performance for legendary reliability. It's a tough decision!!!!!!! :( Thanks for all of the info!



Originally posted by twincat800
Yeah thats what i meant as in 400s (kfx dvx ltz) I guess the pricing is different where your at...

Yeah, maybe so. Here's some examples......

2006 LTZ400: Nerfs, bumper and skids. The quad looks incredible. $2500.00

2007 LTZ400: Bone stock. quad looks awesome $2800.00

2007 400EX bone stock. quad looks awesome $3200.00

2007 400EX bone stock plus gear. quad looks awesome $3200.00

All 4 of these quads look to be in almost showroom condition cosmetically. There's these kind of deals all over craigslist.

There's some great deals right now.

[John Noftsinger]

The Z motor is jst as reliable as the 400ex only difference is liguid cooled and more hp ,had both would never pass a ltz for ex =more money to mod with little results LTZ =little mods lots of results. dont waste your money on EX! Unless you like being last! HA HA.

[CEREBRAL]

Originally posted by John Noftsinger
The Z motor is jst as reliable as the 400ex only difference is liguid cooled and more hp ,had both would never pass a ltz for ex =more money to mod with little results LTZ =little mods lots of results. dont waste your money on EX! Unless you like being last! HA HA.

Thanks for the reply, John. Last in what respect? Drag racing? FMX? MX? Trails? Flat track???

See this thread........ http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=437793

It doesn't have to do with what people are saying On here, per-se, just a basic thought process about 400EXs.

[twincat800]

With my experiance with a dvx 400 its been nothing but reliable... Someone on here said before that they had both types of quads. They said the 400ex had a better throttle response but the ltz was better on top end. They likes the ltz better. Plus there liquid cooled which im guessing is better than an oil cooler because thats what i think allll the 400 and up quads have Except the 400ex. I dont know much about them but it seems like it dont matter what year 400ex you get the same engine as they had 10years ago... could be wrong though

[John Noftsinger]

Ive had mine 8yrs now still runs only thing I need now is a new cam chain,thats after 8 yrs of trails of PA,hatfieldmcoy trips,sanddunes CA ,AZ sinders its been though it all and still will kicks butt .There is no better 400 than the Z only thing thats better is a 450 for racing,ex never won anything Z won Championships again,st 250r,yfz450,s and 450r,s before the ltr450 came out no ex did what the Z has done!And never will !One yr was a magnesom cover no big deal they also said frame but it was stronger than the exs ever were only problem with Z is the chain tentioner on the 03.

[CEREBRAL]

Thanks for all the Info, guys!

I think it's going to come down to what is the better deal. After all the research and all your info, I have come to the conclusion that the LTZ would be a fine quad!

I will definitely post when I finally get a machine, hopefully soon. I really don't what I'll end up with, now.:confused: but that's the fun of it!

[destey]

I ride my kfx400 in the woods all the time pretty far from home. Only time it died on me was 500 ft from my house after I washed it. It ended up being water collected in the spark plug hole. A drain plugged up, which i guess is somewhat common.

Just make sure to check your chain tension and listen to your machine for noises. They alert you to failures long before things go. Unless your jetting is off it shouldn't strand you (either machine)

[dmann1]

i think suzuki will stiil honor the recall. i bought two 05 400's and the dealer ran my vin # both quads needed the recall and they did them both for free

[fmftrx300ex]

honda engine is undestructable (to an extent) sukik rides handles and runs stronger just a better quad but may have a little less engine reliibility

[destey]

Originally posted by fmftrx300ex
honda engine is undestructable (to an extent) sukik rides handles and runs stronger just a better quad but may have a little less engine reliibility

What specifically are you referring to with the ltz's motor?

[Doak450r]

Suzuki will still honor the recall. my brothers 05 is in the shop right now getting the cover replaced and he isn't the original owner. They just ran his vin and said they would do it.