DayBreakJim

The Big Bears I've worked on have a really small stock pilot jet. I think it was like a 16 or 18 or something. I switched it out for a 22.5 and it started and ran perfect every time. I would bet your needle position isn't helping things. Usually 2 or 3 spots down from the top will give you a better idea what's going on when you blip the throttle.

As for the stock carb... another way to get the mixture screw out without drilling is to take a dremel with a cutting wheel and just cut off the empty part of tube that Mech is referring to. Measure how deep the screw is set with a small flathead and mark it on the outside of the tube. Then just cut flush with the head of the screw. If there's room you can now turn the dremel sideways and cut a small slot in the head of the screw just deep enough that a flathead will fit in. you can now attempt to screw it out or use a small impact to break it loose. If its really stuck a little heat from a torch can help as well.

15 hours ago, adr94 said:

Hey Spritee,

I am new to and coming from France. I have a BRUIN 350 to revive !

I hope our journey here will help us to become better quad tinkerers.

 

Amazing wheeler! One of my favorites!

Also a good option

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHYW1PBF?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Wow that's so interesting I could have sworn the knocking was mechanical metal on metal but I guess that was the sound of detonation occurring! So interesting thanks for clearing that up guys! Already I'm learning so much here. Do you know is there a quick way to tell the difference between rod knock and detonation? Or is it just by ear?

15 hours ago, davefrombc said:

Knocking  noise was most likely detonation from the  over advanced condition as  Mech mentioned.

15 hours ago, Mech said:

In a big bear those colours go to the cdi, so I'd assume it was firing a hell of an advanced..

Good work spotting it.

Wow I've never come across detonation! So what is actually happening there? Is it improper timing of ignition causing multiple combustions at the wrong time or what? Just trying to understand so I have an ear for it in the future...

So my latest wheeler is a 04 Yamaha Bruin 350. It had all the wires cut from the stator and a few others and no wiring harnesses. The previous owner had them all twisted together and the bike neutral light would come on it would start (hard to start) but then would idle fine. It would die when you gave it gas so I soldered all the wires together and went on inspecting assuming it was a carb issue. Later after the carb was cleaned and adjusted I got this (see video). The bike would want to die anytime you gave it gas and there would be this horrible knocking sound but only when you gave it gas. I was worried it was the rod bearing and electrical still messed up somehow.

Upon further inspection of the wires coming from the stator there was a W/R wired to R and a R wired to W/R. I switched them so they matched per the service manual (W/R to W/R and R to R) and the bike started right up, idled and revved out fine and the knocking noise disappeared. This was the problem the whole time. It was just really hard to tell bc the oem wires coming from the stator were so brown and dirty I could barely make out which was which.

Where the hell did that knocking noise go? and what was causing it?? Just racking my brain trying to figure out what it was so I know for next time but I can't make sense of it... Really thought it was the rod bearing but it didn't make the noise at idle so I was questioning it...Luckily I kept searching!!

10 hours ago, Doublewidekings said:

This is very brave.  I have thought about doing the same but just the risk outlays the reward for me at this point.  How much business did you have before you figured you could quit.

I bought, repaired and sold around 9 wheelers before I was confident that I could do it consistently. Around 2-3 a month pretty easily while working the full time job so hopefully I can keep finding good deals and work on even more now!

22 hours ago, Gwbarm said:

Real gutsy move, i like it, i hope everything works out for you. You can get you a U-Tube channel and film what you fix, those are really popular right now and people are making their living doing only that.

I've definitely been thinking of it. With the new time I think I could start a channel and be pretty consistent. I do enjoy being able to sit back and watch other people work on things! If I make my first video here in the coming weeks I will let you guys know first to get some feedback!

My king quad had this exact same issue and it ended up being tight intake valves and my carb leaking gas into the throat. 

2 hours ago, Cj Winds said:

I run a small atv repair shop and have a large collection of pdf service manuals. Let me know if you want me to send them your way

Thanks Cj I really appreciate that! Have you had more luck repairing atvs or buying them broken and fixing them to sell? I live in a big city so there's not really much need for atv repair around me but a couple people have asked me about repairing. One guy I met recently payed me to repair his. He bought an Arctic Cat for $1200 that ran but he didn't know anything about atvs so he brought it over and wanted me to look over it and fix whatever I found wrong. A couple simple things later (drive shaft boot, brakes, bushings, carb clean) He payed $200 for parts and I charged him $500 for labor and he was happy as hell. Seemed like a good deal but I'm not too sure about taking on repairing other peoples atvs seeing as I don't have a legit business or insurance and I'm not sure I want to form a business for this as everything is done in cash anyways.

2 hours ago, Mech said:

Jim..  Another good sideline if you move to the country, and if they have forestry over there, is buying and fixing chainsaws.

One of my sons buys husky or stihl chainsaws, but only the big ones the forestry guys use. The big ones are more repairable and sell easy. And, forestry guys throw their old chainsaws in a shed and leave them there. My son advertise he'll buy any of the three biggest models of either make, going or not, or any parts. Then he tells them he'll be at some place convenient and give them a fair price for whatever they have. Guys turn up with fish bins full of chainsaws, like three plus spares. He just has a quick look and offers them $100 or so and they are happy. He can get four sellers at a time and drops off saws while he's on the road. He goes home and sits up late(in his kitchen with the fire going), and builds one at least the very first night, then sorts parts needed for another.. These saws sell for $600 or a grand and he has no problem selling them.

That's actually really great advice Mech thanks! I thought alot about repairing small engines like weedeaters, mowers, chainsaws etc. and after repairing and selling a handful I came to the conclusion that the profits just weren't there. But we don't have a forestry industry here in the city. That's a great point if in the country there's forestry and a big market for high cost saws, then just stick to those. Awesome advice, thanks. I didn't even think about that...

On 7/22/2023 at 2:02 AM, Mech said:

It's how lots of us got started huh.

and I suggest a big block because you can buy a 1/4 acre near a town, or the most popular ten acres, or eighty remote for the same price..

That's a great tip. So the farther from the nearest city I go the more you get for your money... Is there a sweet spot you think? We're thinking maybe 20-30 min outside the nearest town...

On 7/22/2023 at 4:42 PM, Mech said:

That's the one Kp.

I did it thirty odd years ago and had a family. The boys grew and roamed the land like hucklberry, then they left, got jobs, set up a beekeeping partnership for a sideline to their jobs, then both one after another decided they wanted families, so the two of them chipped in and bought a huge caravan and dragged it onsite over the ridge. Elder and wife lived in it till they built a small home and then they started a family. They dragged the caravan back down off one hill, down the road a way and back up onto the land for younger who set about building a small home. We've got about a third each of sixty acres, separated by a ridge and a small stream/swamp. Because they are financial secure daughter in law has been able to buy a small dairy down the road five minutes away, and son minds the daughters and takes care of all the light beekeeping duties and I go along to entertain the girls. The other one helps in the weekends with the harvest and stuff and we all have a fantastic life.

You do it Jim..  Find several income streams because I don't think you will make it just fixing or trading quads, but if you are happy to live simple, without much money, and break a few rules building etc.. it can be done.. Oh, and by the way. I'd been living on a small rough old yacht till friends invited mt to build a cabin on their place inland where I'd been mechanicing, and I owned a scrambler, my wife had a car and about four grand.. that was thirty five years ago. We sold the yacht, scrambler and car and borrowed a few grand off family. It was about four years between wife findng me and saying she wanted kids, till we had them once we'd repaid the money  and built our small core of a  home.

I really appreciate the encouragement Mech and nice to meet you guys! The thing is I have so many skills and I'm not shy to hard work but living in the city doesn't suit me. I'm pretty sure once I can get to the country I will be able to generate multiple streams of income with my land/animals/skills over the years. Fixing wheelers is kind of like the bridge I need right now to get me out of my job and get my time back.

Between both me and my gf we only have 2 people in our lives that understand what we're trying to do and 0 people that are trying to do the same. We're really alone out here doing this all for the first time. So it's really inspiring to hear from other people who have done this! 

Started riding my friends 99 honda recon at the age of 12 in WV on his parents land. Lots of trail riding. Then slid into a stump on the side of the road going about 40 on their Foreman. Flew over the handlebars and into the creek 8 ft down. My shoes flew off. I looked back to see the Foreman rolling down the hill into the creek where it landed upside down. Cost 400 to bend the frame back which I payed back in small amounts over the years until I payed it all back. 

The piece was worn down somehow and no matter what I did it would let gas slip by. Once I replaced the piece the carb operated fine. Here's a video of it idling once I replaced the piece. I needed the slide from the other carb as well

Well, hello everyone. I figured I'd introduce myself with a post. I just turned 33 last month and today I officially quit my job to work on wheelers. I've been buying them broken for about 5 months now, fixing them and selling them for profit. I work on them in my garage and have been selling between 2-4 per month but it has been draining me while also working my full time job. I've slowly been accumulating the basic tools I need to get the jobs done. Nothing special, not a boatload of tools, money or skills. I taught myself through the years and finally got sick enough of working for the city as a sewer service worker to make the jump and quit. I was making 49k a year and now I'm fully relying on my income from repairing wheelers.

I live with my gf and we have no kids yet so that helps. We live in a major city and it has gotten so bad now that we refuse to have kids and raise them here. There's no way we're putting them into the education system. We're determined to move to the country, buy land and start a homestead. My gf is building her virtual tutoring business teaching kids to read and doing awesome! I knew that this job was the last thing holding us here and I would have to lose it anyway if we're going to another state in the next 2 years so we decided now was the time. 

So that brings me here!

I hope I can share things that I'm learning and learn more from you guys! Also I know I'm going to be needing those service manuals sooner or later with how many wheelers I'm fixing. Any tips for us to get to our goals are extremely welcome!! We have no land in either of our families and not much money either so the task of doing all this alone is daunting.

Nice to meet you all and wish us luck! The clock is ticking!

No tricks, very straight forward. Last time I changed the oil I figured I'd buy the good stuff at $12 a quart. My gf comes out and starts talking to me while I'm pouring in quart after quart. Checking the oil fill window over and over wondering why nothing was showing up. Then after all 3 quarts were emptied I noticed I hadn't put the drain plug back in. They were all emptying into my oil pan just out of sight and mixing with the old oil I had just drained so I couldn't even salvage it. Knew I would do that at least once in my life but I swear never again!

Make sure the carb isn't letting gas leak into the throat. My King quad did this and I could only figure out what was going on by looking into the carb while the bike idled. I attached the video of what was happening and a picture of the piece that I needed to replace. Also changing those o rings didnt fix the problem bc it was leaking from the center circle where the needle goes.

Mines a 1991 and Ive had it for over 10 years and put 3000 hard miles on her. Besides changing the oil once a year there hasn't been much to go wrong. The valves got tight and I had trouble starting it cold last year so I adjusted them. Also the carb had a weird issue I've never seen before where the inside started leaking gas. The actual piece of the carb that the needle sits in started leaking and I could only tell if I looked in the carb with a flashlight while the bike was running. I bought a cheap chinese carb and the bike wouldnt run with it so I took the center piece out of that carb and cut it with a dremel to fit into my oem carb and it worked like new. Also just this summer the valve seals started leaking. I only use her to plow in the winter now so I'll replace those come fall. That's all the issues I've had and the wheeler has over 4500 miles.