03 Yamaha Wolverine needs more torque in First.

[wirespider]

Hey All,

I picked up a 03 Wolverine about a month ago. Rode it for about a week and sent it off to my local Yamaha dealer for repairs, it took about 2 weeks for me to get it back. They flushed the oil, plug, put a new rubber boot on between the carb and the intake and some other issues I had with it. Thy said it was one of the best cold starting Wolverine/Warriors they've worked on.

I was hoping there was another problem but they claim it runs fine.

My problem is (at least I think it a problem), it doesn't have enough power in first gear. Most of the time it will bog down with it throttled to the max instead of spinning the tires.

I think a 350 should be able to do some light farm work and climb a hill in the woods without getting stuck IN FRONT of a small log (Not on it), which seems to be my biggest problem and its put me in some hairy situations already.

Now being its shaft driven I know my options are somewhat limited here (This is one time I wish I did have a sprocket to swap out). I dont want to jet it and a T4 pipe is not a good option neither since I live in an are where noise could be a factor. Not to thrilled about re-camming it either.

It has 12" rims with Carlisle Badlands XTRon the back (AT 270/60 R12). The fronts are Carlisle Badlands AT 205/80 R12.. Basically the Front and back tires are the same size. Backs around 25" and fronts are around 24 1/2".

I don't care too much If I loose some of the top end speed. I'm looking for lower end power. It looks like the rev limiter is backed out all the way so I've come here for some Ideas.

Should I put smaller tires on? Should I tinker with the air box? I really need some feed back on this cuz I'm used to 2 wheel drv 4 wheelers and YZ's. I wanted this wolverine for some 4 wheel off roading.

Today I got suck on 2 logs (Not huge ones) about 16" in diameter going uphill very, very slightly. It wouldn't spin until I got off of it and rocked it back and forth. I'm not a little guy, I'm over 6' and around 190 lbs (But c'mon Ive had an RM 125 kick my a$$).

Is it normal for it to have that little amount of torque being it's an all wheel (Slip differential) Drive ATV?

Any Ideas would be great as I really want to keep this machine. I even got a sweet snow plow and winch with the sale.

Thanks ahead of time guys..

Wade in PA...

[outlander560]

I know exactly what u need... its an outlaw superduty clutch kit.. if u want that low end torque... i did it to my cat and it works great... go to highlifter.com and go to shop by vehicle enter in your vehicles information and they will have a ton of stuff to get u over those logs like they werent even their..They even have big bore kits for ur atv to give it a lot more power

[wirespider]

That outlaw superduty clutch kit is listed as a 2x4 Wolverine?

[outlander560]

i didnt even know they made 2x4 wolverines im pretty sure it doesnt matter... but give them a call they help u out

[Stoopidbot1]

The throttle issue sounds like jetting. As much as you don't want to do it, you should. If you make any adjustments to your air box or exhaust you will really have to do it.

[atvredefined]

yeah my budy had a wolvy and it had plenty of power. he ways like 300lb and could spin the tire on the street. r urs stock tires? sizewise

[wirespider]

yeah my budy had a wolvy and it had plenty of power. he ways like 300lb and could spin the tire on the street. r urs stock tires? sizewise

No they are oversized carlisle badlands...about 25 inch... i think stock is 23 inch

[Stoopidbot1]

That could be your power loss. Although I can't see 2" doing that much.

[atvredefined]

yeah, thats a big loss from only 2in, u should still spin em in the dirt/grass

[wirespider]

Well i dont run a warn 2x4 select so its always in 4 wheel drive (not sure how easy that is to spin the wheels while in 4 wheel Dr from the start point). I can spin em in da grass after i get my rpms up in first of or second and i'm traveling, just not going uphill over a log (when I get stuck it bogs down unless I get off and rock it).

I think I'm gonna go back to stock sized tires (Carlisle Brand) and see if thats what i'm missing???

[atvredefined]

oh, thats differant, is it smoking or anything

[wirespider]

oh, thats differant, is it smoking or anything

Na no smoke at all. Its kinda strange because as soon as i start it up it runs like a bat of hell then after it warms up after 5-10 minutes it starts to lose the lower end (dogier in the throttle) but it doesnt get worse as I ride it more . Carbs been cleaned by dealer (so they said) and I know the boot and to intake and plug is new. Strange eh? Not loosing any oil. I sprayed all around carb with cleaner to see if it was sucking air and it wasnt.

[Stoopidbot1]

That is really weird! You're a mechanics nightmare. No symptoms.

[Lostcause]

Sounds like some kind of fuel problem. The dealer said it's one of the best cold starters ever and then when it warms up it acts up. Sounds like it's staying partially choked or as "bot" said maybe jetting. I seen a guy a few weeks back with a Polaris Scrambler and it was doing EXACTLY the same thing and it came out of no where. He took the carb of and ended up finding a friggin hay seed of all things stuck at the fuel inlet of the carb. Got it out of there,put it back together and it ran great!

[atvredefined]

hmmm, wen my clutch went bad i lost power to the wheeles wen it got hot, but u said the engine itself bogs. il let u no if i think of anything.

[outlander560]

i actually might know wat it is..... have u gone through any water with it???? or let water anywere near the carburator.... this was happening to an engine we were working on.... turns out there was water in the jets so wen we give it more power the more fuel it sucked in and because water is thicker then gas it would clog the jet which would lead to it bogging down.... i have never done this on an atv engine but their is a chemical that u put in ur gas tank.... i pretty sure its called "dry gas"..... but i wouldnt put it in without consulting the dealer.... and if that wont work, u might need a new carb would be my next guess?

[atvredefined]

that doesnent really make much sence though, since the vacume would hav pulled the water out on initial start up. and we soak carbs in a bucket of carb cleaner?

[wirespider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoopidbot1

That is really weird! You're a mechanics nightmare. No symptoms.

Ya i know the feeling as a weekend wrencher. Prob why the dealer gave it back to me and said "runs great".

Its been down to 48 at night here in PA already and it starts right up with NO choke after its been sitting 24 hrs cuz past few days ive been working from 6am till around 10pm, it does however take about a minute to warm up which is normal...

What pisses me off that my local "BIG" "GREAT" Yahmaha dealer kicked it back to me with a $400 bill and said it was good to go, even after I explained everything Ive told all you to them. After all, thats why I took it there. They changed oil, new plug, new boot and back brakes. They said the boot was my power loss problem (it wasnt). Sh** Id hate to take it back to them.

Wonder how much I could get the whole carb replacement for on the net. Not like I'm building a racing bike here, I just want that low end power loss back. I have a dirt bike and other things to kick my as* with. I bought this because I wanted a 4wheel drive. I do have the warn select on it but I dont use it, thats why I dont count it as being on it.

Only thing Ive actually physically changed has been the addition of a gorilla winch. It had some thing called a tug2k on it and it was crap. I took the air box apart in the garage and cleaned it completely. Someone put a cork in the bottom of it where the Check hose was? Ran it some with the lid off (In the garage) Dam it runs good but I don’t want to run it lean or whatever it might do.

Machines in Excellent Condition. If it was a wreck Id trade it in or part it.

What about the valves do they need adjusted? I asked the dealer to do it but...

To be continued…

[outlander560]

that doesnent really make much sence though, since the vacume would hav pulled the water out on initial start up. and we soak carbs in a bucket of carb cleaner?

im a little cunfused to bout the vacuum wat u mean by that... do u mean when he starts it up and the gas is sucked through the jets in the carb.... he never said he soaked his carb in carb cleaner.....

[Stoopidbot1]

Quote:

They said the boot was my power loss problem (it wasnt). Sh** Id hate to take it back to them.

That right there is the reason to take it back. THEY told you that the boot was causing this. In turn you paid them to change the boot. The problem is still there, they need to eat the cost on the boot and go to the next option.

[wirespider]

That right there is the reason to take it back. THEY told you that the boot was causing this. In turn you paid them to change the boot. The problem is still there, they need to eat the cost on the boot and go to the next option.

Ya im definitely gonna rattle some cages when I get the chance. But, you know how that will go

[atvredefined]

i agree w/bot

[atvredefined]

im a little cunfused to bout the vacuum wat u mean by that... do u mean when he starts it up and the gas is sucked through the jets in the carb.... he never said he soaked his carb in carb cleaner.....

no he didnt im just saing that carb cleaner is water base, and the water would hav been pulled through the carb

[wirespider]

hmmm, that little miss is coming back it had when I bought it after it warms up. I never mentioned it because the dealer said it was the plug and it was running good for about 3 hours total riding (Well without a miss, but still poochy in low) after I got it back from the dealer.

So I put 2 females on the back last night both about 115lbs each to see how it took the weight (after I ripped it around some and warmed it up). I know it acts up climbing in low after it warms up but I wanted to see how it acted after it was warmed up with a heavy load on it. The thing ran like total crap. I believe it was loading up bad OR STARVING FOR GAS because I hardly had any power in first, it was missing and bogging down until I shifted into neutral and revved it a few times then my throttle would come back smooth. But as soon as I shifted into first with the load on it, the wolvy almost died on me trying to get up out of the woods. So when I got out of the woods I went down the main road with the 2 passengers still on and used all 5 gears and the dam thing ran like a well oiled machine (Even through 1-2 starting out on a leval blacktop road). It hauled some as* even with the extra weight.

Took the plug out today and it was somewhat black (I did have to use emery cloth on it). But it wasn’t in horrible shape (remember it’s a pretty new plug).

Card rebuild time, or am I over looking anything else?

[wirespider]

well i got the chance to rattle some cages this afternoon and i got nowhere. The dealer said they still had the old boot and theyd put it on and refund my new one but my old boot was crap (it was weak). He said Theyd be happy to look at it again and suck some more money out of me (well not in those exact words) but the same meaning.

Anyone in here think it’s the carb, or could it be a number of things? I'll just rebuild the carb if you all think thats the way to go (A new complete Mikuni is almost $400 for my machine) so the rebuild sounds a little better if i can find the kit, if not i'll just have to buy the individual parts.

Thanks again guys..

[outlander560]

on ur carb their should be a little drain plug at the bottom of it.... i pretty sure this is on all carbs.... try draining the carb for a good 5 second maybe a little more of the gas into a bucket... then trying running it.

[dirtdevil96]

I would try changing the coil first.It sounds to me like the coil saturation is breaking up when it gets heated.I got a replacement coil for my honda 250X because it was running worse/dying intermittently after warming up.I got a generic universal replacement coil from Parts Unlimited for about $10.The stock replacement was $65.I accidently broke the resistor cap trying to get it off the coil/plug wire;so I used an end off an old automotive plug wire.I haven't had anymore issues of dying but now I'm trying to get a fuel problem fixed.Hope this helps

[wirespider]

Thanks Outlander, I'll try that tom night. Are you thinking the float might be sticking?

DD, I went ahead and ordered the coil (cant hurt as the one on now looks original) thanks for the idea.

Also, am i right in thinking that if it was the CDI acting up the wolvy wouldnt even run?

[outlander560]

No problem... tell me if it fixes the problem...

[wirespider]

Hey all,

Just had some time to stop in at the house to grab some lunch so I figure Id hop on here so you dont think I'm ignoring you all.

I did order the coild but it seems like it will take a bit to get here as I ordered it from one of Outdoornetworks sites.

I havent had the chance yet outlander to heat up the wollvy and get it sputtering and drain the carb to see if that helps.

Thanks again guys.