2000 Yamaha BIG BEAR 400 Differential Control

[Gwbarm]

I have this control on my Big Bear I have not seen one before, it appears to have a cable that goes to the front differential. Im assuming it's either a differential lock or to disconnect four wheel drive, does anyone know what this is or how it works. 

[Gwbarm]

Sorry for the double post I forgot the photo.

[Mech]

It will be a diff lock I'd think..  Does it have a four wheel lever ?

 

[Gwbarm]

No lever, I just assumed it was an aftermarket diff lock or 4 wheel drive disengage , because Big Bear is all time 4 wheel drive, maybe the newer ones weren't.

[Mech]

I've been looking through 2000 year big-bear 400 manuals and it seems they don't have front differentials.. There are no differential/spider gears. So there would be no diff lock.

All the manuals I have around 2000 show the 4wd engagement as being by electric motor at the front diff. I can't find any with a cable to the front diff 4wd engagement.

 

 

 

You'll have to jack it up and see if the 4wd engages, and/or whether there is a differential action in there.

[Gwbarm]

I did the same thing when I first started working on it trying to figure it out, because I had no 2w/4w switch, but I had this cable going to it,  I think I remember finding out from a previous post that it was an aftermarket add on but I can't remember what it did , I was more concerned at that time getting it rewired and running. I remember asking the previous owner what that was he said it was the choke, I knew then he had never had it running and knew nothing about it. It is one I should have walked away from, but I really only wanted the tires, they aren't that great but they all hold air, plus its coming along nicely, iv learned a lot and am still enjoying working on it, it is so powerful very low first gear, but like wrestling a bear to turn it.

[Mech]

Doh..  The parts books say it's a limited slip diff..  Still no manual shift though..  no shift at all for the 2000 year..

Yeah it's an oddball. I looked for any model around that year or engine size looking for a manual shift diff and couldn't find anything..

Later ones had an electric select..

 

[Gwbarm]

Thanks for all your help, I was just looking at an owners manual for a YFM400FW and it shows a button for selecting 2w/4w. According to vin search mine is a YFM400F or YFM400FH Buckmaster. I did get out and get a photo of where the cable goes:

 

 

[Gwbarm]

If I was to guess what this does, I would say it would lock and unlock drive to the front wheels. Wonder if it has oil in there, I don't see a drain plug and im looking at the bottom of it.

[Mech]

That is a strange looking diff Gw..  There's no room for a crown wheel.. I must be looking at it wrong.

That's looking up from below, and those are the two axle shafts poking up and down.. right ?

[Gwbarm]

Right the axel from rear end goes in one end and axel to the front the other like it’s in between axels

[Gwbarm]

I just noticed the red tag on the side of the unit, if I can get that off maybe it will tell me something about it.

[Mech]

Ah that's what yamaha call a "middle gear" I think then. And those shafts are drive shafts. Axles are attached to wheels.

Still can't see any reference to it anywhere.. Ya got a good one..

[Gwbarm]

Glad the red tag was still there, this was made by Warn, 424 select, a very expensive add on accessory, hope it still works.

 

[Mech]

Nice. It's good to be able to go 2wd..  better donuts for one thing.

[Gwbarm]

Like you mentioned earlier most of the 2000s showed a 2w/4w drive button, maybe the Big Bear never had that, both the Big Bear and Kodiak both had YFM400 model numbers with different letters at the end, all of the Kodiaks I have looked at had this button and Automatic Transmission. If you wanted a manual trans get Big Bear if you wanted an automatic get Kodiak.