New (to me) '05 400ex **questions**

[Seibert_JW]

Hey y'all, I'm new to this forum, and I have some questions about my quad. First off, I'm not new to atvs, been around and had me all my life. I'm 18 and have owned several 4x4s.. I'm 6'1" and 280. Big guy. Lol. the closest I've come to a sport atv was my '86 Suzuki LT230. The thing was a tank. anyways, on to the good stuff. 05 400ex. Completely stock + rear ITP Holeshots. I trail ride, I do not race, drag, dunes, etc. So PLEASE keep that in mind when recommending answers. I don't need ridiculous power increases or boring or cams and stuff. Btw, I'm a bit OCD, so I like stuff sectioned and separated, hopefully that makes y'all's life as easy as it makes mine. :)

I bought this 05 400ex for $1600

Okay, so thanks to Pappy and multiple others, I've been able to search the threads and perform some maintanence to my quad... STARTING with me completely tearing apart the rear end.

1) I need bearings. I'm not sure if I'll need a carrier as well (will post pics soon). So, what bearings do you recommend? If I need a carrier, I know to look for a double bearing carrier with a grease zerk.

2) I need sprockets (F&R) and a chain. What do y'all recommend? I do a lot of trail riding. I don't race track. Very little jumping. A good bit of farm and trails. Trees. Hill climbing. Etc.

3) I'm fat. Let's be honest. ;) so these stock front shocks suck. I'm looking for an upgrade. I know 450r shocks and yfz shocks etc. But my main question is what can i get that will provide best comfort without seriously sacrificing ride height. Because of the trails. Back shock seems just fine for now.

4) I know it's little, but it didn't come with a tail light... And I want one. Will the OEM be just a tail light or a brake/tail light?

5) She needs pads.... BRAKE PADS GUYS. COME ON! She was low on brake fluid so I checked the pads and sure enough.. Anyways, is it worth my time to redo the pads and stick with stock? Or are the 450 brakes (F&R) worth the upgrade?

6) Since everything is stock, so is the exhaust and header. Quite frankly, I just want it to sound better, I'm not racing. I'm just looking for a good sounding exhaust system. I like deep throaty exhaust, but I prefer it not to be painfully loud when I'm riding. I've been looking at the DMC afterburner and FMF Powercore 4. No, I'm not interested in the Q4. Not my thing.

7) I do know I'll have to rejet. From what I've gathered, it's really a guessing game, an art, and no real science to it. But I think I'll start with a 42 pilot and 155-168 main. I live in Delaware (US), so the weathers all over. Hot summers. Cold winters. From what I've read, a 42 pilot helps with choking and cold starts.

8) I'll also be looking for an HID kit, I just want to know what you run and what wattage seems to work best.

9) I'm not a fan of the red. I wear/drive/like ALL black. Flat black. I want to paint the plastics. What's your opinion on how to paint the plastics?

10) A co-worker of mine runs a Polaris 500. He said, because of the ethanol in (premium) pump gas, he uses BLUE MARINE STA-BIL. I don't want to eat a hole in my carb from running pump gas, so is this the right stuff to use? Or is there something else I should try?

11) I'm changing the oil and oil filter and air filter. Air filter I'm using a UNI with outer wears cover and holes in the top of my air box lid. What oil and oil filter should I use? Since it's a used quad, I know honda recommends the GN4 or whatever it is... But I'm not sure if the last guy used a fully synthetic oil.. :help:

12) what other tips/tricks/ quirks can you tell me about to help me get the most out of and understand my 400ex?

Thank yall so much for any and all help you can give me. I truly appreciate it and I'll be around on these forums for awhile!! :)

[DragonGunner]

Hey y'all, I'm new to this forum, and I have some questions about my quad. First off, I'm not new to atvs, been around and had me all my life. I'm 18 and have owned several 4x4s.. I'm 6'1" and 280. Big guy. Lol. the closest I've come to a sport atv was my '86 Suzuki LT230. The thing was a tank. anyways, on to the good stuff. 05 400ex. Completely stock + rear ITP Holeshots. I trail ride, I do not race, drag, dunes, etc. So PLEASE keep that in mind when recommending answers. I don't need ridiculous power increases or boring or cams and stuff. Btw, I'm a bit OCD, so I like stuff sectioned and separated, hopefully that makes y'all's life as easy as it makes mine. :)

I bought this 05 400ex for $1600

Okay, so thanks to Pappy and multiple others, I've been able to search the threads and perform some maintanence to my quad... STARTING with me completely tearing apart the rear end.

1) I need bearings. I'm not sure if I'll need a carrier as well (will post pics soon). So, what bearings do you recommend? If I need a carrier, I know to look for a double bearing carrier with a grease zerk.

2) I need sprockets (F&R) and a chain. What do y'all recommend? I do a lot of trail riding. I don't race track. Very little jumping. A good bit of farm and trails. Trees. Hill climbing. Etc.

3) I'm fat. Let's be honest. ;) so these stock front shocks suck. I'm looking for an upgrade. I know 450r shocks and yfz shocks etc. But my main question is what can i get that will provide best comfort without seriously sacrificing ride height. Because of the trails. Back shock seems just fine for now.

4) I know it's little, but it didn't come with a tail light... And I want one. Will the OEM be just a tail light or a brake/tail light?

5) She needs pads.... BRAKE PADS GUYS. COME ON! She was low on brake fluid so I checked the pads and sure enough.. Anyways, is it worth my time to redo the pads and stick with stock? Or are the 450 brakes (F&R) worth the upgrade?

6) Since everything is stock, so is the exhaust and header. Quite frankly, I just want it to sound better, I'm not racing. I'm just looking for a good sounding exhaust system. I like deep throaty exhaust, but I prefer it not to be painfully loud when I'm riding. I've been looking at the DMC afterburner and FMF Powercore 4. No, I'm not interested in the Q4. Not my thing.

7) I do know I'll have to rejet. From what I've gathered, it's really a guessing game, an art, and no real science to it. But I think I'll start with a 42 pilot and 155-168 main. I live in Delaware (US), so the weathers all over. Hot summers. Cold winters. From what I've read, a 42 pilot helps with choking and cold starts.

8) I'll also be looking for an HID kit, I just want to know what you run and what wattage seems to work best.

9) I'm not a fan of the red. I wear/drive/like ALL black. Flat black. I want to paint the plastics. What's your opinion on how to paint the plastics?

10) A co-worker of mine runs a Polaris 500. He said, because of the ethanol in (premium) pump gas, he uses BLUE MARINE STA-BIL. I don't want to eat a hole in my carb from running pump gas, so is this the right stuff to use? Or is there something else I should try?

11) I'm changing the oil and oil filter and air filter. Air filter I'm using a UNI with outer wears cover and holes in the top of my air box lid. What oil and oil filter should I use? Since it's a used quad, I know honda recommends the GN4 or whatever it is... But I'm not sure if the last guy used a fully synthetic oil.. :help:

12) what other tips/tricks/ quirks can you tell me about to help me get the most out of and understand my 400ex?

Thank yall so much for any and all help you can give me. I truly appreciate it and I'll be around on these forums for awhile!! :)


1. All Ball Bearings...ebay

2. Renthal last forever, expensive. I also run Sun Star, cheaper do pretty good IMHO.

3. 450R shocks should work good for you.

5. I buy the cheapest brake pads on ebay...metal cintered holds up to mud and sand pretty good.

6. Pick one you like....I have ran White Brothers and CT Racing....you might like HMF.

7. Good start on jetting, if you run lid on you won't need to go up much on the main.


9. I wouldn't paint. Get use to it or buy Black...Black shows EVERY sratch, and dirt...worse color IMHO.

10. Never heard of pump gas eating a carb. I run 93 Sunoco but I have high compression...it burns clean.

11. I run Spectra oil in both my quads, its the best IMHO. Others will say use cheaper Rotex, I would not argue with that, they seem to have good things to say about it. I don't run synthetic in the EX.

12. Keep reading this forum. In mud let air pressure out of tires...down to 2-4 lbs, other wise around 6-8 in rear, I run 10 up front.

[#484]

If you can use just bearings-All Balls are good, just remove a seal and pack them with grease before installing , for chain and sprockets you can't go wrong with Primary Drive brand from Rockymountainatv.com-they are cheap and good , Trx 450r front shocks are a great upgrade and can be had reasonably priced , brake pads-oem Honda or EBC brand will work fine , not sure if 05 had a brake light or not? , you will get a million answers for exhaust-FMF will be a great performing pipe and not overly loud , that jetting that you listed will get you real close , UNI filter will be good , Rotella 15w40 oil is he most popular for the 400 , use a good quality brand pump gas and a good ethanol treatment like Lucas brand and you will be fine , change oil aften , clean the air filter after every few rides , keep everything clean and greased and enjoy beating the heck out of your 400ex they are very reliable trail machines that are hard to beat!

[CJM]

-All balls bearings, I would agree with 484 and grease them. If you need a carrier buy a lonestar cast or billet or a similar knock off off ebay.

-Primary drive sprockets and chain, replace everything at the same time.

-450r shocks should work well, they are stiffer than 400ex shocks so with your weight they should work well. yfz shocks will be too soft. to run the 450r shocks simply buy a carriage bolt and then knock off the nut on the underside the shock mount and replace with the carriage bolt facing up. You will also have to cut away and grind about 1/8" off the shock mount for it to clear. Takes all of 5 mins. If you search a bit its been covered before here.

-Buy an OEM light off ebay, used, etc here. You want one off a 05+ 400 or 450r

-I like ebc pads, cant go wrong with severe duty pads.

-42 pilot, remove airbox lid and run a 150 main if you dont modify much else. Put an exhaust on up the main 1-2 sizes

-Dont bother with an HID kit, buy an LED lightbar setup and be amazed how much better it is or dont bother. I honestly never rode that much at night myself. Friend did the HID kit from ddm tuning tho and it was ok.

-All exhausts are going to be loud, if you keep the quiet core in it wont have any power. Whole point of putting in an exhaust. I like HMF personally.

-Dont paint the plastics, it will come right off after a ride and look horrible. Live with red or buy new plastics.

-Run 93 pump gas, if the quad sits for more than a 4 weeks dump the gas in your car or lawnmower. I never have issues myself and never use any treatment. If the quad is gonna sit a LONG time drain the carb and run the quad out of gas and shut off the fuel petcock

-Dump the airbox lid, dont bother with a uni and an outwears cover on the uni itself. GOnna choke the heck out of the engine. More flow=better. Spend the coin and get either an outerwears lid cover or an actual EHS outerwears lid with the cover built in. Keep the uni filter, far superior to a KN.

-Rotella 15w-40 white bottle or if you prefer synthetic mobil 1 15w-50. I ran both and mobil stayed cleaner longer but 1 quart is 7 bucks vs a gallon of rotella for 13. I ran honda oem filters as well as tusk, its all the same really.

-Overall the 400 benefits well from an exhaust and removing the airbox lid. Unless your gonna crack the engine open dont expect power comparable to a 450. But these 400s are no slouch overall.

[KKiowaTJ]

There is no ethanol in premium gas, Thus the reason its a dollar more. I live in the ethanol capital of the world and have never had any problems with 90+ pump gas. If you 'think' its in it, You're wrong! The only true way around it is race fuel or a can of VP if you are anal, 'Treatments' are just like a Band-Aid.

Primary drive is the best bang for the buck. Same if not better tensile strength on chain and get steel sprockets.

Oil, I have countless hours of hard riding and 10w-40 GN4 and a Honda filter has never done me wrong. Yeah, Diesel oil is cheaper, You get what ya pay for. The rotella or whatever is made by Pennzoil, Enough said!

450r shocks are great, Cheap and effective.

Painting it black will look like chit, Ride Red!

Pipe wise, HMF is just bolt on loud chit sounding exhaust, The DMC or Curtis sparks is the way to go.

Brake pads, I buy cheap ebay ones. They are the same size all around and seem to last just as long or longer than EBC's and I only pay $12 dollars.

If its all stock, Look into the XR400R parts swap list and go that route.

Other than that, Just go ride it and find what you think it needs and or what you will benefit from. Good luck

[CJM]

KKiowaTJ, shell makes rotella.

[Seibert_JW]

Y'all are awesome. Thank y'all so much for all y'all's insight!! Will have pics tomorrow!!!!

[KKiowaTJ]

KKiowaTJ, shell makes rotella.


I was thinking of something totally different when I left that part. Shell actually owns Pennzoil, Has for 12 years, But not relevant to this. If the OP wants to run it, Its just as good as the next and many people run it flawlessly.

[kt1148]

If you're interested I have some 450r front shocks I need to sell.
I sold my 07 400 back in April & still have them and a nice front bumper.
17181087831718108808

[CJM]

I was thinking of something totally different when I left that part. Shell actually owns Pennzoil, Has for 12 years, But not relevant to this. If the OP wants to run it, Its just as good as the next and many people run it flawlessly.
good point :p

[kt1148]

Y'all are awesome. Thank y'all so much for all y'all's insight!! Will have pics tomorrow!!!!

PM returned & added pics of the bumper.

[DragonGunner]

PM returned & added pics of the bumper.

kt1148 is a good guy to deal with. I got his CCP stabilzer a few months ago, Thanks! Its much better than my denton stick, which was pretty good. Ran the first race of the year, was sore for 3 days after which is normal, except my arms weren't as sore or tired, and it was a really rough course, had it set at 6 and needed to be even more, next time out testing it at 8.

[slightlybent47]

Stock pipes are quit heavy but do a good job on a stock bike.
An after market pipe will only help if you do any motor mods. If its stock, other then the weight it is fine for a stock motor.
Sun star sprockets are cheap and last just as long as high dollar ones.
Use an o-ring chain for trails and just regular riding. Use a non O-ring chain for racing.
Rinthal bars are good but remember, when you flip a 400 lb bike, the bars are usually toast.
Do not tighten your levers all the way tight. Leave them just loos enough so they will swivel instead of breaking off.
Stick with the stock air filter. Your not racing and you didn't do any engine mods so the stock filter is your best bet.
Easy pull clutch levers are nice to have, even on a stock bike.
Stay with stock clutch plates.
Break pads and sprockets wear out the most so buy cheap. For these parts cheap is just as good as expensive.
Stay away from wheel spacers.

[Seibert_JW]

Thank you so much Slightlybent!! I plan on getting cheap steel sprockets and an O Ring chain. I made the choice to use a foam UNI filter, heard it was better, whatever. Well see. Haha. Can you please tell me more about this easy pull clutch lever? I've also seen a few pics of levers with grips on them.. Any idea who or how they work? I was looking at Renthal and Pro Taper bars, read good things about them. Thanks again man!!

[Seibert_JW]

As for the rest of y'all.. Here's some updates.
I ordered the All Balls Bearing kit and UNI filter today.

Changed oil and filter.

Looking at getting regular cheap steel sprockets and an ORing chain.

Looking at a 15t Front and 38t Rear.. Any opinions on this setup? Good for trails? I've heard a 13t Front and 38t Rear might be a better setup. I'm not sure.

I'll be holding off on pipes/header/rejetting for a bit. Just not in the budget right now. I was looking at an FMF Powerbomb header and a DMC Afterburner pipe. Judging off of sound clips, it has that deep throaty sound I am looking for. Less BRAPP. More grunt. I don't need it loud, but don't mind it loud. I wast that really deep throaty sounding exhaust. Like my pickup. Hehehehe.

THE PRICE OF THE TAIL LIGHT IS RIDICULOUS. Besides, I like the look of the Yamaha tail light. Clear with red LEDs. I'll be holding off on tail light for a bit. I don't plan on doing an HID kit. I'll be doing an LED light bar. Just not right now.

Shocks. I can deal with what I've got for now. The 450r shocks seem to be my best bet. I'll be doing those soon, seen some great write ups. Should be simple. They'll be next after the chain and sprockets.

Not worried about handlebars right now. But I'll go Renthal or Pro Taper whenever I do it.

I've been looking at White plastics. (Sort of a storm trooper look) just like my truck. White with black everywhere else. That's in the future.

Anyone know about the gas cap hose? The breather. I've seen them shorter. Like 4" up and capped off. Why? Is that better than the breather tube going down the steering stem?

Also, I'll be taking off the parking brake and putting on the block off kit. Just no reason for it to be there. I'm fat enough, might as well remove as much weight as possible. ;)

[CJM]

Dont bother with the gas vent hose, keep the stock setup. Those little 4" suckers tend to clog up and cause vapor lock issues. Id go with 15/38 sprockets, I didnt change mine till I made alot more power and 1-3 was pretty unusable.

[slightlybent47]

Look for someone that has a new 450 that has replaced the stock shocks with after market shocks.
They will be new and in good shape and will be much cheaper.
Thats what I run on mine but I have +2"s on the front so the longer 450 shock works good for me.
The easy pull clutch lever can be found anywhere atv parts are sold.
I looked at mine and it has a WC on it. I can't remember what brand it is.
Don't go cheap on the lever. They sell a replacement lever that is just a regular lever with the hole in a different place.
They work but they don't work as well as a higher end one will.
The one I have has needle bearings and is like butter.
The stock bars are actually pretty good. They flex a bit and takes some of the shock out of the steering.
Like most of us we had to replace the bars after we flipped it, so get you some bars and just wait till you flip it, then put the new ones on. lol
The gas cap hose is just ATV bling! The stock hose works better. It keeps the gas away from hot parts when you turn it over.
The little short hose will let gas drip out on the hot pipe.
Make sure the pipe you get has a spark arrester in it.
A loud pipe with no spark arester will keep you from enjoying the trails you wish to ride on because you'll be worried about a ticket. And an emission ticket is not cheap.
Sprocket size will depend on tire size and how you like your power band.
I run a 14f- 36-r with 18's.
Put an outer wear filter over your UNI for added insurance.
Your not going to notice any power loss with a filter cover.
If you plan to do a lot of trail and mud riding, keep the breather lid on.


A good clean up trick is to use simple green.
I use a 2 gallon pump up sprayer and mix a 50-50 of simple green and water.
Hose of the bulk with a regular hose and spray it down with the simple green and let sit for 2 min.
Then hit it with the hose again.
She will be squeaky clean.

[kt1148]

kt1148 is a good guy to deal with. I got his CCP stabilzer a few months ago, Thanks! Its much better than my denton stick, which was pretty good. Ran the first race of the year, was sore for 3 days after which is normal, except my arms weren't as sore or tired, and it was a really rough course, had it set at 6 and needed to be even more, next time out testing it at 8.
Thanks for the good feedback!
It's always nice to hear when someone likes what you've sold to them. :)

[kt1148]

WC is Works Connection.
http://worksconnection.com/

[CJM]

Just curious, interested in the shocks. Sent pm.

[slightlybent47]

WC is Works Connection.
http://worksconnection.com/



Yep, That's it.

[Seibert_JW]

So, while waiting for chain/sprockets... (15/38) I've been looking at exhausts.. Still not 100% on the DMC afterburner comp. it just doesn't have the backing support that I like. I might just say screw it and go HMF. They seem tried and true.

Would it be a bad idea to go ahead and rejet BEFORE an exhaust? I was thinking 42 pilot 155 main and just starting with that. Right now I have the UNI on. Might to an air box lid mod and put on an outer wears cover.. But what's your opinion on rejecting before the exhaust?

[CJM]

Jetting is gonna change once you put the exhaust on. Id go with HMF myself, tried and true.

[Blodg]

It will be rich if you rejet before installing pipe or air box mods. No reason to do it ahead of time.