Hello! Hoping you can give me some advice, I’m entirely new to ATV’s.
I recently obtained a 2000 Fourtrax 300 4WD in absolutely perfect condition. It’s just like new and clean – literally! I knew the previous owner well, he purchased it new, rode it just a couple times just around the block and then let it sit eight years. In 2008 I changed the oil and drained the gas, fired right up. Then it sat again for seven years until a few months ago when I got it. At most it may have about 15 hours use (no odo/gauges). So I drained the gas again this year, changed the battery, plug and air filter, fired right up! Then changed the oil after it warmed up a bit and it runs amazing, just like a brand new machine. I’m very fortunate to have come across this machine.
That being said, here’s my stupid part and I’m really p%$&#d off at myself! I put the oil filter in backward. I drove it for an hour or so without knowing this, thankfully I drove it very nicely as it needs to be broken in. The oil light never came on and it was running perfectly. I was in third gear and it just suddenly made a kinda metallic squeal and just stopped dead and skidded to a halt. I was baffled! I tried to start it but could hear the engine was tight so I towed it home and Googled away. Thankfully I found this forum which led me to check the filter. I corrected it, changed the oil again (which still looked clean) and tried to start it. At first it turned over slowly but after it turned over a couple times it fired up and ran perfectly. It now turns over and starts normally. Talk about relief that it isn’t seized but I can’t believe I did that.
It may be paranoia but there is a noise in the engine that I question. I don’t know if it was there before or not. Sitting at idle, under load or cruising along there’s no odd noises. I have not given it full throttle as I don’t want to blow it up just in case. However if it’s revving and I let off the throttle I hear some light rattling in the engine as the RPM’s drop to idle. As I said I’m entirely new to this… Is the rattling normal or did I screw it up? I wonder if I should keep using it and hope somehow I got lucky, or should I have the engine torn down? I can do minor repairs but not an engine rebuild and I can’t see that it would be worth the price of an engine rebuild. Your thoughts are appreciated!!!!
I recently obtained a 2000 Fourtrax 300 4WD in absolutely perfect condition. It’s just like new and clean – literally! I knew the previous owner well, he purchased it new, rode it just a couple times just around the block and then let it sit eight years. In 2008 I changed the oil and drained the gas, fired right up. Then it sat again for seven years until a few months ago when I got it. At most it may have about 15 hours use (no odo/gauges). So I drained the gas again this year, changed the battery, plug and air filter, fired right up! Then changed the oil after it warmed up a bit and it runs amazing, just like a brand new machine. I’m very fortunate to have come across this machine.
That being said, here’s my stupid part and I’m really p%$&#d off at myself! I put the oil filter in backward. I drove it for an hour or so without knowing this, thankfully I drove it very nicely as it needs to be broken in. The oil light never came on and it was running perfectly. I was in third gear and it just suddenly made a kinda metallic squeal and just stopped dead and skidded to a halt. I was baffled! I tried to start it but could hear the engine was tight so I towed it home and Googled away. Thankfully I found this forum which led me to check the filter. I corrected it, changed the oil again (which still looked clean) and tried to start it. At first it turned over slowly but after it turned over a couple times it fired up and ran perfectly. It now turns over and starts normally. Talk about relief that it isn’t seized but I can’t believe I did that.
It may be paranoia but there is a noise in the engine that I question. I don’t know if it was there before or not. Sitting at idle, under load or cruising along there’s no odd noises. I have not given it full throttle as I don’t want to blow it up just in case. However if it’s revving and I let off the throttle I hear some light rattling in the engine as the RPM’s drop to idle. As I said I’m entirely new to this… Is the rattling normal or did I screw it up? I wonder if I should keep using it and hope somehow I got lucky, or should I have the engine torn down? I can do minor repairs but not an engine rebuild and I can’t see that it would be worth the price of an engine rebuild. Your thoughts are appreciated!!!!
