mga

also, after replacing the boots and lower ball joint, i backed the clutch off a little....that seemed to help. My theory (probably wrong) was that my clutch was still engaging making it hard to get out of that damn reverse...so, i loosened the nut and turned it CC. I might do a little more after i ride it.

maybe your cable isn't run correctly and putting stress on it? i believe it should be a relaxed cable without any sharp bends or curves (?)

by the way, i must have set the valves correctly....i just touch the start button and it fires up instantly.

i have a couple of different torque wrenches....one digital...but, i was too lazy to get it out....lol....my bad. i should get into the practice of using them again. But, all done!!

well.....not exactly smoothly....lol....i found out i stripped the threads on the lower ball joint on the left side....damn thing would not tighten until i realized why. so, ordered a new one and it'll be on this saturday. these 4 wheelers sure keep you busy.

piece of cake....well, kinda....maybe a messy cake with that black grease....but, they're in! thanks for the help!!

good information guys. then i'm going to say mine is a YFM400FM...since it's 4x4 and manual shift.

VIN: 5Y4AH06WXYA008015 So, checking VIN look up sites, one says mine is a YFM400 and another says it's a YFM400FWN

is there a sticker or something that tells me which one i have? I believe its a YFM400F

what's the difference between YFM400FMC or,YFM400FM, or YFM400FHRC?

thanx!!!!!

I just want to clarify that i was doing the timing correct. I wanted to adjust the valves, so, I removed the spark plug, I removed that little black plastic cap on the side, then, i turned the engine counterclockwise until the "T" lined up with the small groove on the threads where that black cap screws in. Then i checked the valve clearances. So, what is the "F" mark for? I hope the "T" was the right mark to use. lol

i'm game....like i said in about two weeks i'll get into it. I'll let you guys know how it went. thanks again!!!!

i'm going to hate this job......but, what's the worse that can happen? LOL

2000 Big Bear 400 4x4 so, what you guys are saying the axles should pull out of the front yoke with maybe a little tugging? The axle is just held in there with that ring clip? My next question is will it go back in ok and how will i know if it went all the way in and locked? I'll be doing that in about 2 weeks. I have to finish yet another remodeling job for the old lady I appreciate all the feed back!!!! I see a pair of them, right and left, on ebay for $98. should i take the risk and buy them? It's the axles with the boots, clips, washer and nuts.

you mean they can just pull out of the front differential? Nothing holds them in there except the wheel hub?

I have to replace all 4, how much is involved? Will they slide out of the front yoke? Or, do the boots just slide over the wheel end?

this is the one i bought. since it works so good. i'll probable buy the more sturdy one: https://www.amazon.com/Control-Shifter-Lever-Universal-Motorcycle/dp/B09R979Z8L/ref=sr_1_3?crid=31NQJ5OCRPWSL&keywords=yamaha+hand+shifter&qid=1700919147&sprefix=yamaha+hand+%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-3

no...i have to turn the switch for reverse. just sometimes if i push it into that position, it's still in reverse (light on) i replaced the foot pedal with an arm, so i just go back and forth and it comes out of reverse. doesn't happen all the time...just once in a while. maybe it needs more spring pressure to release the reverse cable.? I'm going to play around with it this weekend. ( the foot linkage had a lot of wear/play in it, making it hard to find gears, so i went with the side shifter instead of replacing the foot linkage...my cheap way out lol ) right now, i've been using it to drag logs out of the woods that i cut a couple of years ago. gotta say, that thing has the power to pull them out and some were big logs.

mine does that sometimes. i just kinda rock it a little and get it back in neutral. but....it also will go into reverse by itself if i accidentally push past neutral into reverse mode, so maybe it's not going out of reverse? I'm thinking i need to adjust the cable tension looser. (?)

just out of curiosity, how is the shift linkage on the foot shifter? is it tight or is there any play in it? Mine was always hard to find or shift gears because the linkage from the foot shifter to the shaft was real sloppy. Once i put a hand shifter on it, it shifts perfectly. just my 2 cents worth.

no follow up on this?

it's definitely not slipping. could i have adjusted it too tight? then again, i don't want it slipping either....maybe i should just leave well enough alone. lol i gotta say, that side hand shifter is great...man, i love that thing, it shifts so much better now. I think the problem was the foot shifter linkage was just worn too much and had too much play in it.

anyways, back to the clutch adjustment....i noticed when going up a hill, it bogs down unless i keep downshifting...not sure how normal this is. I felt for a 400 it would have a little more balls. It doesn't sound like the clutch is slipping, it just really bogs down. would that be normal for an atv?

amazon....$13. i bought a cheap one to try it out. ugh..hard tail. we did a fund raising ride..500 miles round trip....i rode a sportster on the way down, then a custom bike that was hard tail on the way back....never again!