gears

Had the same thing happen with my 400, turns out the starter motor brushes were almost gone. I ordered up a rebuild kit off ebay and put a new brush assembly in the back. Starts right up now. Low brushes and gunk were making it spin too slow to fire up.

Sounds like you're limited on tools/experience. Does it turn over by itself with the electrical system - when you push the start button does the engine go "rnnn rnnn rnnn rnnn" or do you just hear a "vrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmm" of the starter motor spinning? Does it do anything different with the pull start? Are you certain you have good spark at the plug? (remove the plug, reconnect the sparkplug wire and leave the threaded base of the plug touching the cylinder head, pull/crank it over - you should see a bluish spark). If you have a spark I'm betting that your carb clean is incomplete (pilot jets are virtually impossible to clean without proper tools) I've found that a wire bristle from a wire brush is just about the right size to poke through the orifice of the pilot. Try opening the airbox, removing the filter and spraying carb cleaner or starting fluid directly into the carb while the engine is cranking. If it starts it's definitely the carb. Has the unit been welded on (broken frame repair) or jumped off a booster box? That can kill the stator/pickup assembly.

take a reading with a DVOM on your pickup coils (stator). Most fragile part of the electrical system to cause loss of spark. You'll need the manual for what the wires should read as I've forgotten the exact resistance.

check your rear axle tube - transfer case seal goes bad, dumps the oil from the lower unit into the boot of the swingarm and fills it.

Exhaust can be clogged too. Did you mess with the needle's clip setting on the carb slide? Does turning the choke on while riding change anything? See if running it with the aircleaner lid removed changes anything - could be restriction in the intake tract ducts (mouse nest) going to the airbox.

2 bolts should pull the caliper and you can get the pads out - this is assuming it's an older one with the rear disc and manual caliper (cable activated rather than a modern hydraulic setup).

Pick up a rebuild kit (Shindy, Moose, K&L are three brands readily available online), get some wrenches (10mm, 12mm 14mm, 7mm) a GOOD #2 phillips screwdriver, a good straight blade 3/16" screwdriver, a can or two of carb cleaner (Berrymans is good stuff) and some safety glasses. Remove the carb from the machine (2 10mm nuts at the intake and a #2 phillips on the clamp going to the airbox tube). Twist it out the LH side of the machine, use the 12 or 14 to remove the choke cable. Take it to a workbench to tear it down with the screwdrivers. Be sure to wear the safety glasses when you're spraying the carb cleaner 'cause it will always shoot back into your eye.......

Glad to hear you're up and running Bobby, we've been doing well - the kids are tearing it up on our little track in the back yard 2-3 times a week. I'm almost caught up enough to delve back into my Kodiak's oil leak!

you did put the carb slides back in the right way and not backwards right? Also I thought there was a balance tube connecting the 2 carbs for the choke - if it's sucking air there you won't be able to get it to idle down.

Yeah you just need something to keep the water/dirt/mud from entering the drums and causing your brakes to stop working. The thicker the better - wheel bearing grease is fine.

these were common to have a bad pickup coil on the stator. Rick's Electrics offers an aftermarket replacement. You'll have to take a resistance reading across the white, green and red wires - something like that. Compare your readings with the manual specs.

What color are your wires? red should be batt hot, brown is connected to the brown for power with the key on, the black and black with white tracer typically connected to kill it. IIRC. They had a mid-year change, and I had a heck of a time figuring the problem - even had a new OEM ignition switch.

I converted mine to front and rear disc brakes and eliminated the 1st/rev lockout so I have 5 speeds in reverse if I want.

Sounds like the main jet passage is blocked - can you see light through it when it's installed (with the cap and slide pulled out)?

It's under the pullstart - there should be 4 wires coming out of the motor there - one pair is the pickup coil wires and the other is the stator charge coils (could be 5 wires). You take a resistance reading across the pickup coil - the second test for it requires special equipment that can read a pulse being generated as you turn the motor over. If the machine has been welded on or jumped off a jumper box or running car the stator is likely bad.... in my experience.

bobby sorry to leave you hanging for a month. I always pulled the tension spring/rod, bolted the housing onto the cyl (2 bolts) and then put the spring/rod and plug back on.

I bet it would, I've interchanged all sorts of years in mine - 98 400 kodiak with 2002 grizzly 600 differential so I can disengage for 2wd

leakdown/compression test might be ok to start run but once it warms up too little compression to run.

I've interchanged many year Yamaha hubs between models and years. I've never measured any increase in width. The spline size/count works so I use them. Currently I'm running 4X4 Big bear front hubs on the rear of my wife's 2WD Timberwolf to replace the rear drum brake. I wouldn't worry about your track width so much as spline fit.

I'd spend the money on a "new" top end. Rebuild yours. First - tear it apart and CHECK THE CRANK/ROD CLEARANCE BEFORE ORDERING ANYTHING!!! If it was ridden hard and ill treated you'll need to split the case - if you're able to do that yourself it's worth it. If you're paying a shop it's more money than a newer machine. You can check the rod play after removing the head & cylinder. If the rod doesn't have excessive play, then I'd disassemble the head (you'll likely need an intake valve, they get pretty worn) Vesrah makes a cheap replacement, Get a top end gasket kit (again I use Vesrah - it comes with valve seals too) Have the valve seats cut (valve job) and replace the seals - don't forget to check the valve guides, too much play in the valve stem and you'll need more machining. Wiseco pistons are nice but a bit pricey, there are lots of options including yamaha Have the cyl measured (or mic it yourself) and go to the minimum overbore. I have seen where these have a wasted cylinder so you might have to get a new jug (ebay).

did you try and jump it (the battery)? Are you trying to pull start it or the electric start? My money's on the stator - there's a resistance test on the wires if you can get a manual - If I recall it's the white/green wire and white/red wires coming out of the motor. That should be your pickup coil, it's more delicate than the coil.

Make sure the jam nut is off or at least loose first, it's a 6mm allen hex, If that's rounded off you're going to have a tough time getting that sucker out. You can sometimes pound a 1/4" hex bit into the rounded out 6mm. Failing that get someone to weld a large nut onto that pivot bolt and it should come out.

it will be flat between the brake shoes when they're installed. The minute it begins twisting that's when you're forcing the brake shoes out and applying stopping force- if it won't hit the drum or provide enough friction - might be time for a new drum.

Looks spot on, get that tensioner installed, rotate the motor by hand 5-6 times and make sure it stays lined up. You need to compress the tensioner before installing it - 10mm head plug comes out, use a slotted screwdriver to pull the plunger back and hold it there while you bolt the assembly to the cylinder with the 2 6mm bolts, remove the screwdriver, re-install plug.