Need some advice for my new 400ex

[ridehonda400ex]

Alright so i havent owned a 400ex in about 3 years. I found one locally for $450. Now heres the catch...the tranny is shot. So im on the hunt for either a decent priced complete motor, or a bottom end thats good. Or if i cant find either im just gonna split the case and rebuild it completely. Right now im working on getting the motor out of the frame. Of course the swingarm bolt is seized in. So im gonna have to probably cut the swing arm off the even cut the bolt. Im planning to make this quad for a reliable all around quad, maybe some track riding but nothing major, for sure lots of river bottoms and trail riding will be what i do. So let me hear everyones input on what you would do. I havent messed with fourwheelers or dirtbikes in a couple years. Tell me the new awesome parts that are a must have. Thanks:D

[OZ-T]

For what it will cost to get that one up, running, and reliable again, you should just go buy a complete and running 400ex for a thousand bucks instead and keep the one you have now for parts. Must haves are a good slip-on pipe, open air box mod, re-jet the carb, and it wakes the little things right up.

You can find complete engines on ebay night and day, but they cost around $700...

[OZ-T]

And if you hack into the swingarm and need to buy a new one, that's easily another $500 down the drain. Would also be a good idea to tear the rear end apart, go through and check the bearings, grease them up good (replace if needed), and put a new chain and sprockets on while you're at it. Just things to keep in mind here of what might lie ahead.

It will all be worth it in the end though, there just aren't many things as dynamite as the Honda 400 as far as sport quads go, my 02 was a tank and went out with honors when I traded it in on the 13 I have now. Whoever has my 02 now is probably STILL running it all over the place I bet.

[Transmatic]

I have a good bottom end and swingarm from a clean 1999 400ex that I bought for parts a few weeks back. The top end is no good but bottom end is great. If you end up buying one shoot me a PM before you go searching ebay. I have plans to put both items on ebay but haven't been in a rush so just haven't gotten to it yet.

With that being said I would take OZ-T's advice and buy a complete running quad UNLESS you just really want to be a gear head and do all the work yourself to get the bike back to great condition......which I understand because that's how I am.

[LxMxL97]

And if you hack into the swingarm and need to buy a new one, that's easily another $500 down the drain. Would also be a good idea to tear the rear end apart, go through and check the bearings, grease them up good (replace if needed), and put a new chain and sprockets on while you're at it. Just things to keep in mind here of what might lie ahead.

It will all be worth it in the end though, there just aren't many things as dynamite as the Honda 400 as far as sport quads go, my 02 was a tank and went out with honors when I traded it in on the 13 I have now. Whoever has my 02 now is probably STILL running it all over the place I bet.
Swing arms are WAY cheaper than $500 you can get a used stock one for about $80 easily

[samm3020]

Completely agree I would have bought that quad for 450 all day....here in ohio they are hard to find for 13-1500 let alone under 500. If you know someone who is buying a stock swing arm with a rear end for $500...well I'll head out to the barn and send them mine.

Good luck with the rebuild

[ds268]

Swing arm bolt - $20
06+ trx450r stock swingarm and linkage - $50-75
Used transmission from ebay - $100
Complete gaskets - $40

Anything else will be extra but I'd bore that cylinder to whatever it needs, throw a wiseco piston in and run it.