05 king quad 700 maintenance ???

[Krazo]

new to atv's.  just got this 05 KQ 700.  seems in good shape, has 3500 miles and about 350 hours.  but its dusty/dirty as heck, looks like it sat in loafing shed for years.  found mouse nest when i changed the oil.  anyway,  like i said, just got it, seems to run fine but I want to do some general maintenance as I'm not sure what that was like with previous owner.  so far, I've only changed the air filter, put in a new K&N, it was the ONLY option I found at local O'Reilly's.  Changed oil and filter and also put in a new battery.  

 

Next up is spark plug, front differential and drain/refill radiator.  Is there a good way to flush the radiator and block to get the existing coolant out?  draining will only get so much out. 

 

But the main question I have is what fluids are best to use in the front differential and the radiator?  for the front diff, I was just going to use some 75-90 synthetic gear oil, prob Luca.  any issues with something like that? 

 

As for the coolant, I'm pretty sure its green in there now.  If I cant flush the system, I'll prob just go with green since I dont want to mix colors.  But id rather use yellow or orange.  However is there really a manufacturer preferred coolant?  

[quadmaniac]

Sounds like a nice find! You should be able to find the maintenance recommendations in the manual:

 

[Mech]

That oil will be ok for the diff.

The different colour antifreeze is different chemicals and you are meant to use the right type for your engine. Fill it with plain water, run it, and drain it a couple of times and you will get all the old out. I\d also change the thermostat.. those have a limited life and can cook your motor.

[Krazo]

I have looked in that manual for the fluid specs.  However it wasnt as specific as I hoped.  it said a 90wt hypoid gear oil for the front diff.  well all gear oils at Oreilly are multi weight 75-90, 80-90 etc.  and I dont recall any saying hypoid on them.  However I would assume hypoid is pretty standard for all gear oils sold, whatever hypoid is, and a multi-weight gear oil should be fine.  as for the coolant, the manual just says use any coolant that is compatible with aluminum radiator.  well, thats any (99%) coolant out on the market today.  green, yellow, orange should all work by those standards.  has green in now,  id rather use yellow.  But Mech you have a good idea,  just flush it a few times with water and that should remove 99% of coolant in there.  I should be able to switch it just fine.  I did call the local Suzuki dealer and asked a few of these questions.  the guy said there is a screw on the water pump which I can remove and it will help drain the coolant from there as well.  any of you familiar with that?  

 

Mech,  have you changed the T-stat in these?  easy to access?  i hadnt thought of that but makes sense and if its easy to get to, why not while im in there.  yesterday was first time i really had this thing out.  it was cold, snow on the ground, pulling my son on a sled.   and the I could hear the fan kick on, a little more regularly than I thought it should have given it was 35 degrees outside.  but im assuming that means it was operating as it should have.  

[Mech]

I think the thermostats behind a side cover, but it's definitely worth doing. Anti freeze has a sort of sticky property to it, and when it gets old it gets worse, then if it dries out, like twenty-four hours of the cooling being drained, it can make the thermostat seize.. Thermostats have a limited life anyway.. They are sort of a wearing/deteriorating part.

Hypoid is the shape of the gears, cut on a spiral, and they subject the oil to a lot of shearing stress..All gear oils are hypoid. And yeah, multigrades are all really the second figure, so 90. In the manuals it says that in low temperatures you can use 80 grade too.

Yeah I'd be surprised to hear the fan come on. A good test for the cooling system is to leave it idling till the fan comes on, then time how long it's on for, then how long it's off for before it comes back on again. It might come on once a minute for twenty seconds, or once every four minutes for a minute.. for instance. The thing to look for is that it's not on for more than half the time, preferably one third of the time. Good cooling systems come on about a third of the time. Crook cooling systems come on for near full time..

[Krazo]

Thanks for tip on the cooling system.  I'll def give that a try.  Changed spark plug and also got the front diff. oil changed today.  held off on the coolant flush until i can get a t-stat.  a little warmer weather would be nice too if I'm going to get the hose out and flush the system.

 

I also looked into the rear diff.  and it calls for Mobil Fluid 424.  I'm not familiar with this fluid.  a quick search looks like its just basic tractor fluid. Most are conventional and come in 5gal buckets.  I need 30 ounces.  I was wanting to use synthetic fluids in this machine.  Any thoughts on a Mobil Fluid 424 synthetic alternative?   I found an Amsoil Syn Tractor Hydraulic/Transmission oil sold in quarts.  Also saw Lucas UNIVERSAL HYDRAULIC & TRANSMISSION FLUID but its not synthetic.   

 

Also, Any idea what this open screw hole is for?  its on driver side handle bar.  mirror maybe?  im skeptical on that but not sure what else.

 

[Mech]

Yup that's a mirror mount.

I don't know the oil or an alternative but look into it well. There are a lot of specialist tractor oils now, for wet brakes for instance, and they have anti-squawk and anti-grab, and anti-slip, and combinations of those. The rear diff might very likely be a limited slip diff and need a light but limited-slip oil or something.

If you look up Mobil they should have the specs and a description.

[Krazo]

OK, so I called Lucas Oil and verified with them that the Universal Hydraulic & Transmission Fluid is their equivalent to the mobil424.  I used that and changed the final gear oil.  

 

In doing all this maintenance,  I found the left front CV axle boot at the wheel was off the joint, grease going everywhere, big mess.  apparently been like this a while and I just noticed.  SO, I ordered a set of CV axles for the front.  The ones on their are original.  I thought about buying the kit to rebuild/repair the boot and replace the joint but for all the work involved, I decided to just bite the bullet and buy new axles for left and right front.  should also mention I work for oreilly auto and get a good discount on parts.  just under $200 for the set.  also getting brake pads ($6 per side @ my cost) for the front too.  might as well while ive got the wheels off considering I just got this machine and it'll be nice to know these things are taken care of.  so all these parts had to be special ordered and should be in sometime early next week.

 

Also found a connector in the cooling duct, aka a soft rubber piece in the filtered air line to the motor,  has a 2" diameter hole in it and the rubber is cracking its so old.  so I ordered that part and should be able to pick it up when I get the new T-stat.

 

In the meantime, since I am already suspect of the cooling system, i was checking out the radiator and saw its all clogged up where the fan sucks air through.  So i went ahead and drained it since i'll be changing the T-Stat.  Then pulled the radiator off to clean it up.  Tried compressed air and only got so far with that.  Light brushing got some more dirt out but still clogged pretty good.  decided it was time to pressure wash it.  Didnt take long with that and this thing is now free and clear of all dirt and debris.  fins still in great shape, can easily see through the fins and this looks almost new.  flushed out the inside with hose.  tomorrow or sometime next week i'll hook it all back up with the new T-stat and flush water thru the system a few times before I refill with antifreeze.  

 

 

[Mech]

Good work man..  Spotting the radiator was a good job.

That oil.. The mobil 424 I looked up is no common oil, it's anti-everything.. 

https://tinyurl.com/yk6n63w4

The Lucas oil doesn't claim some of the features the mobil has. I'd use the mobil. The new agricultural oils are bloody tricky. I've seen problems from using very similar oils, designed for the similar applications, but not good for the particular make and model of tractor.

And I'd fill it up with water while I waited if I could. The aluminum under hose clamps might start to corrode and it will keep on going once it starts.. Best not to let them sit empty..

[Krazo]

9 hours ago, Mech said:

 

And I'd fill it up with water while I waited if I could. The aluminum under hose clamps might start to corrode and it will keep on going once it starts.. Best not to let them sit empty..

Do you mean to put the Rad back on and fill the whole system up with water?  or just fill up the Rad and plug the holes?

[Mech]

Well, I'd want the headgasket wet, and the waterpump, and all the hose connections staying wet if I could.. Drying out antifreeze is corrosive. Gaskets dry out and then the new antifreeze has a low surface tension and it creeps into the gasket and  causes corrosion of the head and cyl surface..  It's best to keep things wet once they have been in contact with antifreeze. That's why I suggested the hose joints, they trap a bit of antifreeze even though you flushed the system. Even the aluminium castings will try to corrode.

The manual I see also stipulates ethylene-glycol,  which doesn't penetrate gaskets as readily as some of the later chemicals. If your head gasket is "paper", rather than a steel gasket, then I'd definitely use ethylene-glycol. I'd us it anyway.

 

[Krazo]

coolant was the standard green color.  I assume that is ethylene glycol based.   I put the rad back together and got it in.  ready to pour fluid in but I dont have any distilled water.  i'll pick some up tomorrow.  I should also be able to pick up the t-stat and other air tube piece I need.  I really dont want to run the motor without replacing, repairing the hole in teh air hose.  I suppose duct tape would be a short term solution.  I also dont want to fill the rad with coolant until have the air hose repaired and t-stat replaced.  so, maybe I shouldve waited to do all this at once.  but hard to find the time to complete all jobs at the same time.  anyway you make great points about gaskets drying out and the need to get water back in the system.  hopefully it'll happen sooner rather than later.  

[Mech]

You could fill the motor with water now the radiator's in. The water will drain out when you go to do the thermostat, which is still in there ? Else slip the thermostat cover back on with it's old gasket/o ring, perhaps with a bit of grease on, and it will hold water. The drying out is bad..  Motors do blow headgaskets after drying out. Not straight away, but they do blow !

[Krazo]

Cold front coming in with temps expected to be 15-20*F for next few days. Well below freezing. Don’t want to use water in those conditions. Vehicle is in my garage which shouldn’t freeze but ….
Maybe I’ll just go get some green antifreeze and fill it. Rather not fix a blown head gasket

[Mech]

oh true. I hadn't thought of that.

Yeah if you can drain the coolant without getting crap into it you could put it back in. Coolant is cheap anyway compared to having to do a head gasket. I go to some trouble to keep the water jackets full if I can. You could probably get most of it out clean by draining it at some hose, then risk getting contaminant in the last bit when you drain it from the thermostat housing or water pump drain.

[Krazo]

I ended up getting some green 50/50 and putting it in. Used duck tape over the hole In the air filter line. Started it up and let it run for 15min. Fan never kicked on so not sure the thermostat opened up either. It was cold out. But it’s filled up.

Hope the new CV axles are here Monday along with the thermostat and air cleaner piece. I’m ready to get all these new parts in a this thing put back together.

You know if there’s a gasket for the t-stat housing? Don’t see one in the service manual. Seems odd. If no gasket, ad it looks like metal on metal, what about RTV for a gasket?

[Mech]

The thermostat likely has a rubber gasket fitted onto it. A new one should come with the thermostat.  I'd never use silicon anywhere on a bike, the excess squeezes out inside the engine and can block or jamb things up.

I'd highly recommend a syringe of loctite master gasket. You shouldn't need it for the thermostat but it's the best to use if you need a gasket sealer. A thin smear is also good on the inside of water hoses.

It squeezes out of the syringe in a thin line/smear, which is all you need, it doesn't harden till it's clamped up between surfaces which is really handy if it's a complex assembly or you get held up, it never ever hardens in the tube, any excess dissolves into oil, petrol, (and even water eventually), without blocking filters or doing any harm, the fresh unhardened or old hardened seal cleans off easily, it seals water, oil, petrol, air joints. I dispense with most gaskets and just use loctite. It's far superior, and more convenient, than paper gaskets. I've been using it without gasket for near fifty years and never had any problems with it.. 

Silicon is terrible stuff !!  I'd suggest you never put that anywhere near your bike.

[Mech]

And..  Do you know that when you get the new thermostat it will have a small hole with or without a jiggle valve in it, and that the hole has to be fitted to the top... That's important.

 

[Krazo]

Thanks for the heads up on the orientation of the thermostat.  

It does have a rubber gasket fitted around it.  I also see the hole on one side of the thermostat.  i'll make sure it goes in correctly.

 

havent seen the loctite gasketmaker.  i'll have to take a look.  always used RTV on vehicles, but yes have to be careful how you use it, can easiily cause problems if your not careful. 

 

[Mech]

Yeah that's the gasket on there. That should be all it has, it should poke up a little above the surface when you fit it.

Try the loctite and you will love it. It can be wiped off the outsize with a rag with or without petrol on it, it doesn't smear everywhere and get on your hands, it never dries in the tube. Just the fact you can use a tiny bit from the tube, and then have the tube sitting on the shelf for years till you need it next is a huge benefit. You save money, and you always have some there any time you need a little smear.

Silicon needs the surfaces really clean and dry or the silicon doesn't stick, and if you use silicon on some things, like rubber gaskets, or hoses, it can cause them ti slip/squeeze out of place. The loctite can be used on slightly oily surfaces and it sticks, and it holds hoses and rubber gaskets in place if you need to use it on them. And silicon, as we all know, goes hard in the tube no matter how well we seal it up. Grrr

[Cookie]

Did the new thermostat make any difference how often the fan was kicking on? For what it’s worth, my machine’s fan was running more than often and became hard to start. Long cranking periods and random stalling. I found the fuel injector nearly clogged. This made the mixture lean and the bike ran hot- fan came on more often. A new injector fixed all those problems. Just something to keep in mind as you get to know your machine.

[Krazo]

4 hours ago, Cookie said:

Did the new thermostat make any difference how often the fan was kicking on? For what it’s worth, my machine’s fan was running more than often and became hard to start. Long cranking periods and random stalling. I found the fuel injector nearly clogged. This made the mixture lean and the bike ran hot- fan came on more often. A new injector fixed all those problems. Just something to keep in mind as you get to know your machine.

Great point.  Never thought about possibility it could be injector, I've primarily worked on carbureted motors. Was that a difficult install, putting a new one in?  Where did you get it and what brand did you go with?  the suzuki oe part is significantly more than the aftermarket ones i'm seeing.  

Just put the thermostat in today but haven't had a chance to ride it.  I've also got new front cv axles coming in, suppose to be here tomorrow and will put those in soon as I can.  

With cleaning the radiator and replacing thermostat, if that doesn't keep it running cool, I'll look into the possibility of new injector but hoping that's not the issue.

[Cookie]

Injector swap was easy. Unbolt the rail, pull the old one out and pop the new one in, reinstall the rail. 10minutes. I put a Kawasaki injector in it, but I’d just go with stock if done over. The Kawasaki p/n is 49033-0011, 60$ or so online. The flow rates are similar but the Kawasaki has 12 atomizing holes, stock is 4. The way I ride, I didn’t notice a big difference in performance but some folks claim it’s very noticeable. No experience with any other injector. You can also remove the injector you have and clean it. There are YouTube videos on that if you want but it gets involved and didn’t work well for me. If you’re machine becomes hard to start or stalls out when you come off idle, the injector is likely nearly clogged.

[Krazo]

$60 seems reasonable.  The stock Suzuki part was like $200 on partzilla.  maybe cheaper other places online or at local dealer.  

Today I did start it up and let it idle for a while as I worked in the garage.  no issues what so ever.  it took a while, but the fan eventually kicked on so I would assume it got warm enough for the thermostat to open up and let the antifreeze to flow.  no leaks anywhere. Id like to think the cleaning up the radiator kept it cooler for longer, preventing the fan from kicking on every other min.  I think the fan only came on 2 or 3 times in a matter of 15 min.

my uncle was here this weekend and he suggested I test the thermostat before install.  Not a bad idea, but id never done it before.  I didn't.  But I did put the old one in some near boiling water and didn't notice anything happen, like it opening up.    Anyone ever test a thermostat?  

[davefrombc]

To test a thermostat  you put it in a pot of water  and  heat it up. Use a cooking  thermometer to  measure the water temperature  that the thermostat opens up at. It should open at the temperature it is marked for ..  In a pressure  system, that would most likely  be near or at  sea level boiling point of 212 Degrees F or 100 C

[Mech]

Most start opening at about 74 degrees, give or take five either way. They should be full open about.. er.. I think about twelve degrees higher..

[Krazo]

Front cv axles are in. I plan to start replace these ASAP. However it just hit me, I didn’t get any seals for the differential or the hub. Are there seals I should replace? Anyone got a part number? Also now thinking maybe I should check ball joints while I’m in there.

[Krazo]

seals on differential, hub has a sealed bearing.  seals are ordered, nothing ever in stock should be here in 3-5 days.  

 

Anyone have experience with Caltric atv parts? ordered a set of ball joints from them.  cheap price, just hope their not cheap parts.  looking at front brake parts from them as well.

https://caltric.com/

[Krazo]

ok, finally starting to get some parts in and about ready to finish the front cv axle replacements.  but ive got a question.   - the front diff fluid is 75-90 gear oil.  I also replaced the wheel bearing which is pre-packed with who knows what kind of grease ( id assume some hi-temp wheel bearing grease but ...)  Should I grease both ends of the CV Axle when I install?  ive got some stalube moly-graph EP that I would think should be fine for this in both places.  While I wouldnt just lather up the end of the cv axle, i am somewhat nervous about the grease mixing in with the gear oil and even the other grease in teh wheel bearing.  I'm not gonna buy the suzuki special type of grease.  I'm sure its a basic MP.  but the manual doesnt say anything about greasing the ends of the axle when replacing.  I cant imagine NOT greasing these ends, that just seems like asking for a failure of some kind.  any thoughts?  (really just looking for a "yeah thats what i did and it worked fine")

[Mech]

Yeah I grease the ends of the shafts where the splines are and where the seals run. I'd also put a bit of grease under the nut or washer on the outer end, it'll keep water from getting in and seizing the spllnes into the hub The grease won't worry the oil in the diff, and any MP grease will be fine. .

Good idea to grease the shaft(if it's like the older models and a parallel shaft, not a taper) on the ball joint so it comes out next time too.

All the bolts holding the body work are good to grease when you have them out, and the bolts in the suspension bushes.