It Was Cheap for a Reason - Resurrecting a Very Broken Arctic Cat 300 4x4 ATV - Part 1
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- Опубліковано 22 кві 2022
- I bought this 1998 Arctic Cat 300 4x4 cheap on Marketplace. Turns out I got what I paid for. We try to get it running and then dial back the nearly infinite sketchiness.
Part 2: • Load the Parts Cannon ...
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Watching Wes is like Saturday morning cartoons for adults! Complete while watching with some coffee
Gavin T. agrees... just delete the coffee, and substitute an energy drink.
Yep, should be doing chores -- but they can wait till Wes is done:))
Lol same here !! but this weekend the cartoon left us half way lol
Better with beer !
Yep him and diesel creek, high entertainment
Every time I get overconfident, thinking "yeah, I'll buy one of those older pieces of equipment for cheap and fix it", you shock me back into reality with a project like this. Keep up the good work, Wes👍
Always assume the worst. If it doesn't run, or drive/operate, pay fair scrap price, because that is what you are buying. If a pleasant surprise comes your way, take the win, and hopefully your wins are greater than your losses.
@@junkmangeorge6363 yup
i used to be a AC mechanic. i still have a 2000 300 4x4. the front diff is a suzuki king quad diff and if you take the cable off the front diff, you can rotate the arm and instead of having a 2x4 and 4x4 selector, you can have a 4x4 and a 4wheel locking diff. don't repair the mechanical foot brake. they didn't work when new. the shock bushing are just plastic. you can make your own cheaper from delrin or aluminum. those 4wheelers are amazing. also, on the 300 model, it has the sub transmission that can go high, low and super low range.
Yes I was gonna say the same thing.. great info!!
Wish my family bought the 300 AC years back. I heard the ignition module is prone to failure but issues aside, they don't make them like they used to
interesting, i've never heard of super low. mines is a 98 4x4. i'll be trying that out. thanks for the info.
Growing up my dad bought the 500 AC 4x4. I believe a 98 model. The thing was a tank, looks similar to this one, but was green.
My 450 kingquad is a beast!
"...just like always on this channel, I have NO idea what I'm doing..." - made me laugh out loud. Your humility and humor are 90% of the fun in your videos. THANK YOU for explaining the wire that fell off and was causing the advance issue. Great diagnostics, just took a while.
Zz
Ol' Mustie 1 tried different solvents (even Simple Green) for his ultrasonic cleaner & settled on Gunk carb cleaner solution.
Pine Sol cuts grease well, but might leave a bit of gummy residue when used full strength. It's usually diluted with water for household chores, like floor washing and bathrooms, etc.
That moment when: After opening a can of worms, and dumping the bait out into a larger bucket, you see that inside the can... yes... there it is... yet another can. Of worms. :)
Russian nesting worm cans.
Well if it was all good, where would the challenge be? I hope you do continue with this rebuild series. I enjoy watching you as you repair things the right way. I get the feeling that when you are finished, this will resemble a factory new ATV. I do love your line that "It has been apart long enough for me to forget were all the parts go". How true that statements for real! Been there so many times myself. Thumbs Up!
That is why I would be rubbish at doing what Wes does, as I would forget how it goes back together as I take it apart, and I wouldn’t take pictures because I’m an idiot
The Beauty of having it recorded👍... love a pro that can freely admit when they make mistakes... i have learned tons being wrong and owning it...
Keep up the great work!
Ps...
Like to help with your kitchen remodel.... been in plumbing trade for 34 years now..
@@philash5073, I feel ya.
I was just thinking last night that I need to start making videos for reassembling purposes when I am doing something new or complicated.
Wes, for 20 years I have been amazed at what clapped out quads and side by sides go for at auction. I mean even ones missing a lot of parts still bring stupid money.
Everything is like that now. The demand for used stuff is also very high. I sold a well used utility trailer for about double what it would have sold for a few years ago. Sold my car for about double the value I thought it was worth in a few hours
@@mph5896 why such stupidly high demand? why are people hell bent on buying old stuff for more value than they're worth? in some cases people can easily buy new products for the price they are paying for the used ones lol
Some stuff is hard to come by new. Go try to find a side by side or new 4 wheeler right now. They are non existent. I know people who have ordered new ones and have had to wait 6 months.
@@lordjaashin Less electronics than modern makes, fewer computer systems, and probably more carefully built than modern ones.
@@lordjaashin Not complicated. The Fed printed $5 trillion in two years, and the Treasury handed out 2/3 of it in various "stimulus" packages over the same period. We now have 10 million people who don't really want to work any more, and know that if they wait long enough more money will be coming. Combine that with idiot lockdowns (now happening in China btw) and there's your answer.
You and diesel creek are about the only ones i don't fast-forward on, of the 150+ channel I follow. That's how awesome you are.
Don't sweat the over-analysis, especially when working late. It's an occupational hazard when one is analytical and trying to do it right (with the alcohol saved for after it's all buttoned up). Nice job, as always.
"I'm not sure if there was more alcohol involved in the cause, or the solution..." Laughed out loud. In fairness to the person who did the work, I would say that people learn mechanics on these machines, and we need to give them a break. Can anyone claim they have never fixed anything this way?
Nope!!!!!!
So true. Sometimes u gotta do what u can do to get mobile.
Hell yes ! I remember helping a pair of loons install an EType engine into a mk 2 jag on a blisteringly hot weekend in the 70’s, this was in upstate, uphill Connecticut and it was LOUD with cicadas (driving me mad,the English are not used to this !). So these clowns are passing a bottle of Johnnie W red back and forth (left in the sun to make it even more nasty) I preferred JD, ice, a glass and the shade ( how effete !). To my surprise we got it together and it sort of worked ! I had very little to do with it really, I think I was too sober ! So we drove it to the pub (it was called that) to fix that as well !
So I started learning how to fix things in a body shop I started right on the frame machine in 1981 right after high school now had been in the body shop for the time I was 14 but I was never allowed to fix anything that didn't look the way it was made to begin with so I'd have to say no I have never toppled a frame back together on anything and I will not if it doesn't look good it doesn't look good on me the way I was raised in the way I am I ended up in the machining business and at the end of my career at the age of 59 when I retired I was taking care of testing equipment like thread gauges you know pin gauges blocks if it's not right it gets destroyed I hate to say it after throwing away a lot of testing equipment because you don't want somebody else using it because it's not correct but I do believe a lot of people do learn how to fix things if you call it that I'm throw away equipment like lawn mowers I've seen a lot of lawn mower blades welded on kind of makes you wonder how they still have their feet as always have a great day.
That was one of the two best comments in the whole video! The other one was "It's almost as if it was cheap for a reason!". I laughed for nearly half a minute!
regularly scheduled Saturday morning you tube viewing interrupted by WATCH WES WORK!!
Yup, he's a good one!
The Market for DAMN NEAR EVERYTHING has completely went " BONKERS ".
Reality reasserts itself.
Capitalists need a new Yacht.
It has. I guess there's lots of pent up demand chasing stuff that is still in post pandemic ramp-up. Sucks.
The market has gone just plain stupid. However markets do crash and reset as well. I see May of 2023 as a big reset. So just hang on a bit.
John Clamshell SP everybody claims they are sitting on a bunch of cash, waiting for a crash. Either they are full of crap, or they actually do. Market on everything feels completely backwards
Your reaction to the piped frame repair was gold. I'm looking forward to the next part of this series.
Every time you say what's wrong with said vehicle, and inlcuding this one, I direct the following epithet to the f.p.o. : "Cause you're stupid.".... "Cause you're stupid"... and so on. Thanks to you for bringing these vehicles back to life.
Wes, just a thought, back in the day when I did mechanical demolition, one of the bosses took his drawings home, and with the help of his kids, they colored all the pipe runs as for what each run did. Maybe you could get some help with colored pencils. The boss said his kids thought they were a part of the project. Of course this required a good bit of adult supervision.
Thank you for including the ignition system rabbit hole prior to finding the starting issues - it makes us (who chase those red herrings at home) feel like the professionals are human too and makes our own challenges more forgivable to ourselves, less discouraging
Well....it does have good tires
The Milwaukee Fuel is a powerful little driver too. Crazy how good the electric drills are getting
The stuff I saw in the power sports after 42 years would make the hair on the back of your neck stand straight. I shook my head and smirked at this video. Keep the faith kid, your going to need it.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today?hope you’re having a good day?God bless you💝
I feel there could be a part 5 before this is mechanically sound.
What did he ever do to you to deserve this abuse?😆😂😂😂
I think he means because it's in such a bad state!
@@Me-zo8yc My reply was sarcasm. Bots don't get sarcasm.
They built the entire machine around the engine ?
Hold my beer.
Mitsubishi built my entire '05 380 (Aussie) around the driver's side head light.
To replace the globe you need to remove the grill, remove the driver's side wheel, remove the fender liner which gives you access to a bolt that holds the bumper on, remove the bumper, which gives you access to the third bolt that holds the headlight assembly on.
Then remove the headlight assembly and change the globe.
In fairness, I don't drop the bumper, I'm too stubborn and pissed off at the engineers who did this, so I bend the bumper carefully to give me access to that third headlight assembly bolt but GEEZ !
You should be a flat-rate technician. The new service writer that was selling shoes last week would schedule your car in for that bulb with 15 minutes before closing. Then be completely confused at you having smoke coming out of your ears.
@@gailtaylor1636 If this service writer can replace this bulb in 15 minutes I'll buy him beer every day for a year. This is the only way to change the bulb. There is no access behind the headlight as there is a panel right behind it. The only way to change the bulb is to remove the headlight assembly and to do that you need to follow the steps outlined. I wasn't trying to be a smart arse, that's just the way it is. If you own a Mitsy 380 and you know another way to do it, I'd love to hear it.
@@ellesmerewildwood4858 I completely believe you. The idiots they hire to put on the front counter make my ass bleed.😆
Well, thats a bolt witch wont be back after replacing the bulb. Smart engineer makes you go to the dealaer garage for little stupid things like this...
Wes it seems like you stumble into nothing but junk. I give you a lot of credit because of your tenacity and determination to not be defeated. Thanks for all the information and entertainment.
Its an inspiration to me really. I'm starting to see things I'd normally scrap in a different light.
Stumbling into junk projects is a favorite pastime of us less indowed with the green stuff they hide in banks,so I've been told.
Loving the "cheese eating friend" that moves around the scene
that starter noise is like sitting in the dentist chair. gives me a toothache!
One of the advantages of video-taping your work is: If you forgot how it came apart, watch your own video. The other advantage is - of course: Letting us all take part in the process. Good job so far! I'm certain you can paut it all back together. Looking forward to Part 2!!
"Nice and graceful...just like always", love your dry sense of humor, keep em coming
AWRS..." Another Wes Resurrection Special ", ten minute job to fix, add fuel and light.
Great work Wes thanks for sharing.
When you were struggling trying to get that side off I was reminded of watching Ed China changing oil on a VW van . I order to get access to the oil filter , you have to remove the front grill, the front bumper, and loosen and slide the inter cooler out of the way . Then you have barely enough room to remover and replace the filter . Who ever designs this stuff should be made to work on it .
Ed's van made me glad I have the simpler low powerd 4cy version where (almost) everything is easy to get to.
My saying is, bad engineering isn't a new concept
You'd have loved doing 10 hour engine inspections on Coast Guard Sikorski HH52a Seaguard helos.
I almost caused an T58 engine disconnect abd lift doing the full filter check simply following "The Book"
Turned out you DID NOT follow it by taking the fuel supply line off the engine itself.
You take to off at the engine deck fitting and blow thru it.
If you can blow thru it it's good.
If not your lifting the engine because the engineers decided to make that filter and out flow tubing one piece and a tone cold bi#@h to reinstall at the engine fuel regulator that required lifting the engine covered in the engine change manual.
Lucky for me a fellow well experienced AD2 caught this AD3 alone doing the job that had been assigned to me fresh out of 52 C school.
It was an item not covered at the school.
Most likely because they couldn't tell you not to use the book thinking a rookie flight mechanic would be teamed with someone with experience on that procedure theur first time.
Standard military opps what were they thinking design flaw.
Cool to watch you get into this one.
Way into it!
Oil deep!
@@WatchWesWork I haven't said anything but... I use 1 tsp of dawn mixed in hot water with my Ultrasonic cleaner. It cleans much better than what your "pine" cleaner did. Honestly most manufacturers recommend using a normal liquid house hold soap and warm water.
@@WatchWesWork Not yet !
@@davidmiller9485 Better yet, like Mustie1, proper carb carb solution.
Soon as I saw it I thought 'pull it apart and do it properly'. Looks like a decent fixer upper.
First thing I do, pressure washer. Can't stand working on grubby stuff. Then I would have pulled the engine and all suspension. Makes it easier/lighter to carry to the scrap pile.
@@gailtaylor1636 lolol.
As a guy with a side hustle in kid's ATVs I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that the frame is a case of the kid's jumping it and dad or uncle Bob giving it the "that'll do's"
The rat on the seat is great foreshadowing Wes. Hahaha. And your forgot to giggle like Mustie 1 when that thing finally turned over and popped off. And HOLY SMOKES! The odds of a Pico scope appearance paid out HUGE if you placed that bet at the start.
Re the scope...he just wanted to show off...
Truly powered by Green Energy when saw the water flowing out(fuel) hopefully one day you'll discover how to harness this.
Can't wait for Part 2.
Love the hardware store black pipe fix to the frame. Threads included! 🤣
If Wes would only tighten that nipple up it will pull the spread frame below it together! 😂
Wes deliver interesting content week after week, with a huge sense of humor, Keep the good work up sir!!!
All best from Sweden!
Thanks for the video sir!
Had to love that 1st gen cat ATV… Total stop gap measure with the 20yr old Suzuki rebadge.
That rocker shifter was the icing on the cake. All the mfg were desperate for something to match against the Polaris automatic.
This must be the beauty of filming you can’t not miss how something came apart ,, it’s all on film Wes 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I just turned 73 in July, I'm retired and living in my truck and camper, presently north of Clinton, BC in a 1000 acre logging cut watching Wes work. Terrific Saturday. Good, interesting, worthwhile project. Thank you for the teaching/entertainment.
That was a brilliant solution for removing the starter clutch :)
I enjoyed that immensely!
Holy crap you have one of those carbs that turn water into fuel from the first gas shortage. You may be able to to retire.
I have a Honda pioneer 700 4 seater I bought new in ‘17. I love it and for $14,500 I couldn’t go wrong.
An escalation with this thing is an understatement.
"Things have escalated" should be inscribed on our (mechanics) gravestones.
😆
when I saw the frame work my heart just dropped into my stomach
You definitely got your hands full on this one but I know you are mechanically inclined to overcome this and make it right 💪🏻💪🏻👍👍.
Looking forward to seeing part 2 of this Artic Cat.
Buying used is always buying someone elses problem. We win in the end because fixing problems is what we do.
At first glance I think this is a case where someone was not as good at fixing as you are.
No matter. Stick with it. My first motorcycle came in a bunch of boxes. The guy took everything apart thinking he was going to make a chopper.
It took a month, but I got it running. If I can, you can. 😁😎
My first motorcycle was two motorcycles that I pieced together into one that sort of worked.
It's that 100MPG water carburetor we've been promised! That is one sick sounding starter motor!
Great job Wes. Unreal how these people wreck quads. riding lawn mowers. tractor's etc unreal! A D9 Cat 40 yrs old are not in this bad of shape. Once your done it will be a reliable machine again.
Couple years ago I was looking for a good used quad. They were selling for such stupid money I just decided to buy a brand new one. I had to wait six months for it to come in but I'm much happier now. Especially when I see all the work your having to put into that clapped out machine. Thanks for the great video!
You killing me Holmes. Can't do that crawling on the floor anymore. Can't imagine how your back feels considering you NBA tall.
I'll bet that crude cutout in the body plastic is bring the pull start out to the side so you don't have to lift the seat to use it.
Wes I use harbor freight parts washing fluid in my ultrasonic. Works great and cheap
I had to replace the starter clutch in my motorcycle. It used ramps and rollers to prevent damage to the starter. $10 in parts and $700 in labor to replace the assembly
lol its a farmer's kid special. i know plenty of guys from all the way back to high school when i was a kid who used to beat the everloving crap out of trikes and quads, rig em up out int the barns, and swap them for someone else's trashpile. gotta love it
Love the mouse sitting on the seat with no explanation given ...
Part 1 was excellent and it turned out very interesting . I'm certain that whatever subsequent work you do to the ATV the next part is going to be just as good . Personally i find your style of video production to be excellent .. I think it says a lot about your character .. I enjoy your fault finding and diagnosis ... and i think i'm not alone in that respect . I'm looking forward to how the Arctic Cat turns out .. but i know it'll be a good job .. Thanks for the excellent video .
In "rectal" respect, a more favorable solution might have been to set it out at the end of your driveway with a for sale sign and hope someone steals it. :-) A free sign might scare someone away.
My uncle tried to get rid of a table for over a week with a FREE sign on it and no takers. He replaced it with a $25 OBRO sign and it was gone the next day and a $20 bill under a rock was in it's place.
@@Noah_E I am glad to know that somewhere in this country there is people left with integrity that know there are no free rides in life. Where I live there are a lot of freeloaders with no shame whatsoever.
@@calasr that was in Locust Grove, GA
How nice, this ATV came with a free refreshing drink of water
Back in the 80's - 90's most of the Honda specialized pullers could be replaced by the oil filter housing bolt.
It would thread in the flywheel and slip over the end threaded end of the crank. Tighten it down and and pop went the flywheel.
I love that the float just started raining down then suddenly stopped. I try and kick down on the footpeg when that happens to hopefully disrupt the float and get it to seat. Or I'll let it sit for a bit and let the gas saturate the rubber tip on the float needle to maybe make a better seal.
At least you have the knowledge and the tools to make everything right and you'll have a good machine in the end.
Bought and fixed plenty of project quads and bikes. It’s rarely as cheap or easy as the initial quote you give yourself lol! Always turns into “well while I’m already in here” or you just find hidden gremlins you missed at first glance. But the end result is always satisfying when it operates like new once your finished.
When he says "messed up", he's not kidding.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today?hope you’re having a good day?God bless you!💝
I always love the Craigslist guys...."it was running when I parked it"... I know your deal was different but today's market is a haven for those clowns.
Don't lowball me. I know what I've got!
@Mr Innovator Wayne Looking at most people, the "fork to the plate" issue is not the problem...
Second hand buys, the gifts that keep on giving - - - aggravation!
Super pumped to see the next parts, cheers
Well That was going nicely. And then escalated quickly down multiple rabbit holes. I always try to go by what my Grandpa says "Start with the simplest reason first"
I wish I had a quarter for every time a mechanic says "why would they make it like that". The quarters should come from the designers!
Please dont call them designers. They think it is like building a house,never needing to be taken apart.They know nothing about design.
@@ed631941 I honestly felt that the word "engineer" did not fit either since these things are not properly engineered.
The tight intake valve is a known issue on the suzuki engines, I've had 3 of the kingquads that engine was originally built for and had to put valves in all of them. Idk why suzuki used such soft material for the valves. Also the cut in the plastic is most deffinitely from the pull rope. I worked in an atv shop for 5 years and every suzuki or artic cat with the set beckengine that I have worked on has that same cut from the rope.
All Suzukis ever made...motorcycles to cars. Loose loud valves generally make more power to a point.
Is it me or do Japanese engines in general not have the best exhaust valves? Must be something to do with Japanese materials science or the grades of steel that are available to the Japanese auto industry. Japanese car bodies also do love to rust.
@@zoidberg444 iv never had a issue with the valves on my honda atvs just suzuki and it's always the intake valve on them.
It's refreshing to know that your generation still knows who Carnegie and Rockefeller are!
"Sometimes i wonder if more alcohol was involved in the cause or solution."😂😂😂 thats gold😅
That thing has definitely seen better days, but it's in good hands now. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
I think @mustie1 did a bunch of trials of different concoctions in his ultrasonic cleaner and concluded that the carb parts cleaner pale works best. Which is unfortunately the most expensive.
No Spark, No Fuel, No Air (trapped air> intake valve) No problem for Wes!
If you get stumped on anything or want advice for removing the engine the easy way, 2vintage is the ATV guru on youtube. Great video! Thanks!
I use some aluminum safe cleaning solutions for my ultrasonic cleaner. I think I settled on some stuff meant for aircraft parts. Not as agressive so it needs more cycles than other solutions.
I work in general Aviation, and I use simple green or mean green to clean parts in an ultrasonic. It takes so time, but I haven't had many issues with it
I think you're getting a galvanic reaction in the ultrasonic cleaner.
Corrosive action took of the zinc chromate plating
Agreed, too many different metals in the cleaner at the same time- aluminum, nickel plated, brass.
This is like watching James Condon every generator he buys has water in the tank and carb.
An excellent cautionary tail on buying well used ATVs. Thanx for taking the time to share it all with us!
That frame tube upgrade is why I want to learn welding. How much fun can one guy have with fire and steel?
Oh lots, and dont forget a grinder, just dont set yourself on fire with it. dont ask me how I know. gotta get me a TIG rig so I can build a ultralight airplane one day.
@@orbitalair2103 If you set yourself on fire with a grinder. Please reconsider trying to fly anything you've built.
Bless Wes, saving my Saturday mornings from Dr. Ho, cleft lip African babies and the Seventh Day Adventists.
Interesting stuff you find to play with Wes. At least you did get it running. Can't wait for the next video o this. Thanks for sharing 👍
I have the 500 version of this ATV and she’s rough. It was stolen from the dealer I worked at in 2000 and showed back up for service years later in bad shape (had multiple owners by then.) They repo’d it and it sat in the warehouse for years. I bought it for $100. Replaced the LH side case gasket, cleaned the carburetor, and put in a battery. It smokes pretty good but runs well and has plenty of power.
Have you tried turning up the radio volume on it? That’s how I usually fix my truck.
I wonder of the "something catastrophic" that fubard the starter clutch was the same thing that required the water pipe graft on the frame?
Somebody beat the tar out of this machine and left it for dead. You get what you pay for. Often the most expensive machine you can buy is the cheapest.
"to be continued" may be the understatement of the year.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today?hope you’re having a good day?God bless you💝
I am enjoying this video and learning a lot. I look forward to the next part(s).
Thank you for your videos.
Idk how people do it, but EVERYONE has a side by side around here... And they most certainly do not have the money to buy one.
That “notch” in the side plate is for the pull start, right?
Wait all week for these! Cant wait to watch tonight
Thank you for sharing and the appreciation
Most expensive ATV on Marketplace after the hours you’ve spent on this one!
“Alcohol involved”…lol.
Of course you bought it that way so there’s that for one to laugh about as well.
Lololololo True!!
Nothing better then a new wes video.. kudos..
Great content as usual. Watching you work on this makes me appreciate my Hondas *very* much.
I would have been at the "part it out!" stage by the end of this video, probably sooner. Another example of a cheap initial price costing more in the end. What a nightmare pile of junk. At least it makes for interesting video content and I look forward to the next part.
You have an engineering degree, a workshop full of tools and steel, and (probably) a copy of the A-Team theme music - why don't you make one of those side-by-side things.
BTW, bike engined race cars knacker their starters when spinning-out, rolling backwards and turning their engines over backwards. Any chance that the previous owner was trying to tow something too big up a hill and ended getting dragged backwards?
Or the ignition backfiring while the previous owner was wrangling the no-spark issue... Could have popped those over-center.
Thanks Wes, Paul
Great job Wes I was on the edge of my seat for the whole ride. Great cliff hanger ending. Can’t wait for Part two