By
SouthARriverRat
I was given a quad 4 years ago. Before that it was sitting at the edge of the woods for 17 years. I think it’s a 86 230 quad but that’s just a guess I have. Never had much dealings with a Suzuki mostly Honda atc’s and Kawasaki. Anyways. The bike was sitting at the edge of the woods with weeds growing through it. I couldn’t see the wheels, nor the rear diff. A family member who had bought it in the early 90’s had it and ask he if I wanted it. I said I’m not interested in buying in but if it’s free sure. Might have some use for some of the parts on day. Well I drug it out the woods with a tractor. None of the wheels turned. I loaded it up bright it home and dropped it beside my shed where it sat for the four years I had it. Until…. 2 weeks ago my wife said I needed to declutter. I thought to my self. Well I haven’t even glanced at it since I had it. So I might as well see if it’s worth fixing, sale it, or scrap it. I knew the wheels wouldn’t turn. I soaked the intire 4-wheeler in penetrate oil, resparying it every few hrs for the next few days, aired up the tyres, and keep rocking it back n forth until it started to roll. The key switch was all to pieces and their was no battery. So I tried to pull the recoil. Nothing. I removed the recoil. Soaked it in a tub of diesel got it working. I put a wrench on the crankshaft. It did not budge. Hmmmm no good. Well I guess better check the oil. Even tho I know it’s locked up. I could see water in through the sight glass. I pulled the clutch cover off. Rust and water everywhere. Mmm mmm mmm my favorite cocktail. I sprayed it all down let it soak. Took all the clutches n things apart, cleaned all the rust off. Lubed it up and put back together. I thought to myself. It’s going to leak without a gasket and I’m not buying gaskets until I know it’s worth the money. So I put a small bead of rtv around the cover and let it cure before I reinstalled it. Tired my luck again a spinning the crank. No luck. I had a hunch before I began that the piston or crank was froze because the seat has always been laying on the front rack as long as I’ve known and the air box cover has been missing exposing the air filter not connected to the intake tube. I pulled the plug finally. lol. I sprayed 3 cans of brake clean in the jug and screwed the plug back on. I let it sit over night. The next morning I filled the cylinder up with deep creep. And let it sit and sit and sit. For a few hrs. I slowly pulled the recoil. It moved!!! I moved it maybe 3/8” and I stopped pulled oil drain bolt drained the oil and fill the cylinder up with a mix of penetrating oil and gun oil. And let is sit for again over night. Pulled the plug out. Pulled the recoil a few times. It moved nicely no sounds of anything scratching rings and no hard spot while pulling. Next, I hooked up my spark tester. It was firing great. Nice fat white/blue spark. Now time for the carb. I unscrewed the throttle valve cap and the throttle valve was stuck. I unscrewed the choke nut and the choke plunger was stuck… I I sprayed it down with brake cleaner and penetrate oil. Screwed the cap back down and the choke nut and I let it sit again over night. Next day they came out like they should. So then I removed the carb. I could see the ethanol cancer before I even tried to remove the carb bowel. I put it in a coffee can of diesel fuel. After sitting I removed the fuel bowel. Here’s a tip I’ve learn on bowel screws a while back. Clamp the carb in a vice with a thin block of wood covering the jaws of the vice. Take a punch same size as the screws. Maybe slightly larger. And rap the punch with a hammer a few times. Not to hard lol. Works great on brake reservoir bolts. Never stripped nor broke one doing it like this. I got the bowel off. Their was so much dry crude I could not see the starter jet. I cleaned it without removing the jets. I took my Tourch tip cleaners and brake cleaner finally got the wire to push through the main jet and starter jet. I put the bowel back on. Put a fuel line on the carb and a small lawn tractor fuel tank full of fresh fuel. I turned the carb every way I could. Couldn’t get fuel… took the carb back apart except for the main jet, starter jet, or the mixture screw, and low idle screw. I let it soak. Could it blow threw the fuel inlet tube. I tried inserting the tip cleaner. No luck.. I took a old cloth hanger, cut it 2 1/2” long and ground it down to about have it’s dia. Then I drove it trough the carb with a hammer. It cleared the way. I put the carb back on the engine and hooked it all up except for the vent hose. Drained the crank and filled it with rotella 15w-40. Put in a new plug dipped in fuel. I pulled on the recoil and it started and idled on the second pull. I let it run for a minute or two. Drained the oil and refilled it. It started back up. I started driving it around and after around 5 mins I had to stop. I was out of oil. Major oil leak. Time to strip it down clean it up and start bringing her to life. I knew I could make it run again but never dreamed it would sound as good as it did. Let alone as cheap as I did. Brake clean and oil free from work. lol. Rtv $3.58. Fuel…$3.19 a gallon. The oil leak is a busted oil drain bolt cap cover. I’m also missing the box box lid. It would sure be a lot easier if I knew what kind of machine I have. I knew but not not know. I know years ago when the family member bought the bike a few months later it was stolen and returned with all the stickers peeled off and the wheels painted black. Who ever stole it also wrecked and bent the front rack and left Handel bar. I did not know until now that they removed all the serial numbers… stamped on the lower part of the cylinder jug is 229. That’s why I believe it’s a 230. And it resembles a quadrunner. It’s 2wd with reverse and hi/low. Shaft driven. I will upload pictures and a video. If anyone what’s to share any wisdom on this ol girl feel free. I like to know what it is and I appreciate any knowledge your willing to share.
IMG_2395.mov
By Hagbard
By BuckBilly
By DaveswMN
By SouthARriverRat
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