Artic cat 500 in a box…well several boxes

[Streetmedik]

My brother in law’s artic cat 500 is in my garage…. In boxes.  He said it just quit running so, he took it apart. Now he wants me to fix it.   I’ll be looking through posts to learn what I can as I put it back together.   I don’t have any specific questions yet.  But, I am sure I will as I start turning wrenches.   I don’t know what year model it is.  That might be on a label on a piece somewhere here.

[Streetmedik]

Ok, first question. Where would I find the model year? 

[Mech]

Look for an id plate or stamped numbers around the steering head.

[Streetmedik]

Thanks, I’ll look tomorrow.

[Streetmedik]

It says 10/03. Now I know what year. 

Is there a trick to getting the carb into the boots without throwing tools across the garage in frustration?

[Mech]

If you go to an online parts place and check details, such as carby or headlights or bodywork, you can figure out exactly what market and version you have. Carbies vary from market to market.

[Streetmedik]

This is the carb that was in the boxes.

I also can’t seen to figure what goes in this threaded hole on the bottom. Just behind the pilot screw.

[Mech]

My trick to getting carbies into the manifold and air ducting is to use a very long nosed pair of pliers with bent nose.  I keep them closed but use them to shoehorn the rubbers on from below to top. You get the carby in as far as possible, then insert the pliers at the side and push them down and under to slip the rubber on there, and get the carby inside it, then work the pliers up and around the side pulling the rubber out slightly.

[davefrombc]

I suspect it is for a threaded fitting to  connect a breather line to  the float bowl

[Streetmedik]

Any idea what this breather line looks like so I know what I am looking for?

2 hours ago, Mech said:

My trick to getting carbies into the manifold and air ducting is to use a very long nosed pair of pliers with bent nose.  I keep them closed but use them to shoehorn the rubbers on from below to top. You get the carby in as far as possible, then insert the pliers at the side and push them down and under to slip the rubber on there, and get the carby inside it, then work the pliers up and around the side pulling the rubber out slightly.

Thank you, I’ll give something like that a try tomorrow.  I reached my frustration limit today and came back in to warm up.

[Mech]

The breather line Dave was mentioning will just be a rubber hose pushed onto the brass pipe that would be in that hole normally. That breather vents the float chamber and serves as an overflow for fuel if the float needle sticks or gets leaned over too far or some such thing. On most bikes the hose just dangles down a few inches to drain the petrol under the bike, rather than it sitting on the crankcases.

[Streetmedik]

21 minutes ago, Mech said:

The breather line Dave was mentioning will just be a rubber hose pushed onto the brass pipe that would be in that hole normally. That breather vents the float chamber and serves as an overflow for fuel if the float needle sticks or gets leaned over too far or some such thing. On most bikes the hose just dangles down a few inches to drain the petrol under the bike, rather than it sitting on the crankcases.

There is a rubber hose attached to the bowl drain that goes to the overflow pipe inside the bowl.  This hole is threaded, like something should screw into it.

[Mech]

Well.. If you pull it to bits you will be able to see for sure where it goes.. 

Try blowing up it..

[Streetmedik]

12 hours ago, Mech said:

Well.. If you pull it to bits you will be able to see for sure where it goes.. 

Try blowing up it..

🤣 I read that last line wrong the first time.   I read it as try blowing it up.    I was going to say it looked like my brother in law already did that.

 

I’ll take a closer look at it when it warms up a bit outside today.

[davefrombc]

13 hours ago, Streetmedik said:

There is a rubber hose attached to the bowl drain that goes to the overflow pipe inside the bowl.  This hole is threaded, like something should screw into it.

The "brass pipe" on that carb might be a "hose barb" that screws into the  carb (1/8"  pipe tap or metric equivalent) to attach the  hose to and the hose barb may be somewhere else in the box.

[Streetmedik]

9 minutes ago, davefrombc said:

The "brass pipe" on that carb might be a "hose barb" that screws into the  carb (1/8"  pipe tap or metric equivalent) to attach the  hose to and the hose barb may be somewhere else in the box.

The brass pipe is inside the bowl and feeds to the rubber hose near the bowl drain. 

[Streetmedik]

This is the threaded hole I am trying to figure out.

[Streetmedik]

Ok, next question on the carb.  Which way does this go? A or B?

[davefrombc]

Neither picture is right.

Here is an exploded view of the carb on  Partszilla https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/arctic-cat/atv/2005/500-manual-transmission-4x4-fis-red-a2005ibm4ausr/carburetor  Any  pictures I see of that carb on searches show 2 connected exterior hoses that's why I  suggested it might be for the  float bowl  vent/ overflow drain. I cannot find a picture of the bottom of the carb in any search to see just what goes to the threaded hole.

That carb is not exactly the same but it uses the same needle valve setup. Look for parts 5 & 6

Edited February 19, 2022 by davefrombc

[Streetmedik]

So, the needle doesn’t go through the plastic piece. Just sits under it

[Streetmedik]

I also found this photo with a google search.

Does anyone have a service manual that could look for me?

[davefrombc]

There isn't one for  your 500 in the downloads section here but there are for many  arctic cats and most likely one for  one of the older  carburetted ones would serve for  it too. Do you know the year of it?

 

[Streetmedik]

2003

1 minute ago, davefrombc said:

There isn't one for  your 500 in the downloads section here but there are for many  arctic cats and most likely one for  one of the older  carburetted ones would serve for  it too. Do you know the year of it?

 

 

[davefrombc]

Found a download  of the service manual  for  2003 Cat  ATVs .  you can get it from here : https://support.countrycat.com/search?query=2003+ATV+service+Manual

[Mech]

Yes the needle sits under that plastic bit, but there are other bits missing.. a small metal washer and one or two plastic spacers, and a small spring.

[Streetmedik]

ok got it together and mounted.   Found a good video on YT.

 

 

now, next question.   What attaches to the lever for the accelerator pump?

1 hour ago, Mech said:

Yes the needle sits under that plastic bit, but there are other bits missing.. a small metal washer and one or two plastic spacers, and a small spring.

I had a big spring. No little spring and no washers.

[Mech]

Yeah I saw a picture.. Most of them have a plastic washer between the needle and slide at least, and often a metal one and another plastic spacer between the needle and the spring they normally have above the needle and under that bigger plastic bit you were asking about.

Check that when the spring is holding the plastic bit down, that the needle can't move up and down under it...

[Cj Winds]

The threaded hole on the bottom of the carb is a place to screw a bracket down that holds the idle adjustement knob

[Streetmedik]

1 hour ago, Cj Winds said:

The threaded hole on the bottom of the carb is a place to screw a bracket down that holds the idle adjustement knob

Ok thank you. I’ll have to see if it is in one of the boxes.

[Streetmedik]

I have looked through the service manual that was provided in the link above.  Cant find what attaches to the lever for the accelerator pump.   What am I missing?