makenzie71

Well normally this bike runs great at it's current jetting...the exact numbers escape me. In this part of Texas, though, it's usually 70*f and higher or 20*f and lower. The latter no one rides in, and our temps the other day were pretty mild so jetting just shouldn't have been an issue.

Disconnecting the switch didn't accomplish anything. There's only two wires...red and black. Jumping the two wires gets me spark. I actually rode it around a little today...and then one cylinder fouled and stopped running. If I cranked the throttle open it would fire back up and run, but only wanted to run at full tilt. After I shut it down she wouldn't fire back up at all. I get a little sputter now and then but no running. Thought maybe the carburetors were acting up so I cleaned them. No change. Acts like she's not getting any fuel at all at times...if I spray some cleaner in the air box she sputters a little more but still doesn't fire up. I don't have a working compression gauge anymore but she feels like she has strong compression and I just popped new plugs in. Has everything she needs...fuel, spark, and compression....should run. Doesn't. Starting to stress me out...

hmmm that's backwards from what I was reading on the switch..."on" closed the circuit, "off" was open. I'll disconnect it and try it out.

2002 Banshee...ran great, lost key, replaced ignition switch, now no spark. I checked for continuity across the poles for the new switch and turning the key closes the circuit. I don't know what year model the ignition switch came from. Can the new key switch be the culprit?

It is a 2002 model.

Okay I got proper voltage and signal coming from the stator, but nothing coming out of the CDI. All the switched circuits appear to be working properly. So that leaves the CDI as the most likely culprit (please correct me if that is wrong). However, CDI's can be expensive and I don't want to commit to something just to try and it and not work. Would anyone be willing to sell me a CDI and take it back should that not be the problem?

Sold.

From a 2004. Engine, carburetors, air box, all wiring and control. Low hours. Aftermarket exhaust but there's some controversy about the make...it has yoshimura mufflers and aftermarket pipes but I'm told Yosh never made a full banshee exhaust. Piston is seized, busted ring. Engine will need new jug and piston or to be honed, maybe a light bore, and new pistons. Asking $500 plus shipping from 79416. Will gladly deliver to the Lubbock (tx), Amarillo, or Odessa areas. Price somewhat negotiable...if I don't get close I can't do my own project lol.

Mufflers are Yoshimura and the pipes are aftermarket. I'll take a closer look at the pipes later and see if it's a homebrew setup. I haven't seen the tires yet. I was told Bridgestone, but it can be a simple enough mistake. Whether or not you think they're loud, or even if "they" think they're loud, I got the ticket. Not that any of those are really helpful.

Shameful as it may be I'm a fan of Chinese quads. I can get them for free needing only minor work and the motors I like are stout. I go through them, though...not even really beating them up they still break. And by "break" I don't mean "break down" as in "the CDI is bad" or "it needs a new plug". I mean they break. I break swingarms. I break a-arms. I break shocks. I break frames. I just break the damn things. I wouldn't put up with it except, like I said, I tend to get them for free...so I just keep swapping my Honda-clone 250 from one frame to another until I break that one. Most of them I get, though, I fix whatever little issue they have and then sell them cheap to little kids who can't have name brand atv's. I've built up a little budget now and have found a fair 2004 Banshee with a locked up engine. What I'm going to do is swap in my Honda-clone motor. Before anyone has a fit about it I have more of a reason than just wanting to do it. The biggest being that where I ride most has strict noise rules and even a stock banshee is too loud (I have the ticket to prove it lol ). I even had the same issues with a blaster I was working on. The 2-stroke noise and smoke also makes my son uncomfortable, and I have my quads so I can ride around with him...I do plenty of riding alone, but if I can't ride with my son I won't have the quads. Sacrilege, I know, but my honda-clone motor, even with a straight exhaust, is quiet and mellow and doesn't smoke a puff. I ride around my neighborhood at 2am without disturbing a soul. On top of all that, there's the money...I have to recoup some of it. Which brings me to the point of this thread. If I ditch the motor and the associated running gear, what are fair prices? The motor is seized...a ring has dug in. Assuming it will need a new jug, how much is it worth? If I rebuild the top end (new jug, pistons, rings, yada yada yada) and sell it as a good, running motor, how much would it be worth? How much are carburetors worth? They will be fully rebuilt. Wiring harness, including all hand control components (kill switch, key ignition, and whatever else there may be)? It has a clean full Yoshimura exhaust...I'm not sure what model exactly but it was purchased new in 2005 so probably whatever was popular then. How much would that go for? Lastly, what can I expect for a set of used Bridgestone paddles? I don't think they've ever been ran, but still.

Dont think it matters lol...I just ran the bike and got her warm and did a compression check (always first thing on the agenda). #1 runs around 89psi, #2 running 15psi. I think it's got other problems.

THanks! I haven't ridden it yet...fixing breakfast for the wife before I start tearing into the bikes. He said he took the bike to the yamaha joint here and they said it needed new reeds. He took it in because it seem to run right to him...but he's ridden CRF450's for the last few years and doesn't have much experience with much else. The thing may be fine, but I've never encountered fouled reeds before...I've always had the mind that the reeds are cheap, thus I've replaced them anytime I've had to do a top end or something.

Could you guys give me some symptoms of a failing reed valve? Thanks!

Yup...just residual oil. Now she smokes right from both pipes...and she does purr. Thanks for all the help!

Thanks guys. I'll check the plugs and see what they look like...they're about in need of replacing anyway.

It takes a lot more to offend me than "pretty words" :happy: I charge $35/hr to do work and will break it down by the minute if I have to. I can do that, where large shops can't, because I keep my overhead low. I keep my overhead low by not going out and buying every tool I "may" need. Rebuilding Banshee engines isn't what I advertise I that I do...I happily do top ends because I am fully set up to do that, but I don't typically get a lot of full rebuilds. In fact, the only ATV work I advertise is standard maintenance. I actually said yes to this because I made the foolish assumption that the YFZ and RD 350's had more in common. With the RD you replace the seals without splitting the case. You learn something new everyday. No, when it comes to engine overhauls, I much prefer the old school 4-stroke street engines that typically show themselves. As far as the sealer thing...if it doesn't hold it won't be much to go in and change it. The Yamaha joint was real nice charging me only 1/4 hour to pull the flywheel, but when I called back asking about "yamabond" they had no idea what I was talking about. Maybe I got an idiot. Don't know. I was in somewhat of a rush so I said to hell with it and reassembled anyway. I've used the RTV products to seal cases before and have never had one come back...of course they weren't smoker cases, but I don't expect any issues. The surfaces were nice and clean, no scoring, and no left over sealer...and the sealer that was there, by the way, was nothing different than cured black RTV. For everyone's information, the motor seems to be running just fine. Passed leak down and good compression. Seems the smoke was burning off all the WD40/Naptha from the intake tract and burning residual oil from the cylinder and exhaust. The no-start thing was because my throttle body slides were in the wrong carbs and because the carbs were so filthy, along with the cable being buggered, that the slides weren't zero'ing out. I covered all this in another thread. Started a new one to keep from dragging this one out. Thanks!

meh...tried again a moment ago...made sure the intake tracts were tight, and went ahead and snugged the exhaust and all up, and nowhere near as much smoke. I'll just flog her a bit tomorrow and see how she runs.

Nope...and the cooling system was dry upon start up. Smoked right away so BHG is unlikely. I really appreciate all the suggestions. Just to recap: Brought in with heavy smoke from right cylinder, failed leak down, replaced seals. Still smokes heavily from right cylinder. Biggest leads thus far: Improper seal between crank and tranny, or right crank seal is not set properly. Residual oil. Improper fuel mix.

I don't know what was in the tank. IIRC this guy runs 40:1 on everything.

I have not but my wires were labeled. I'll try it. Would it really cause a smoking issue?

Excellent, thanks. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't a crank feed like I've seen on some smokers. I don't remember disconnecting one, but still.

Okay guys, just to make sure I got this down right...there's a vac line from the clutch side: where does it go? Also, there's a t-fitting that was above the carbs...one line went to the port at the rear of the case, one went to that clutch side line, and the last vents to open air in front of the engine. Really doesn't seem right that one vents. ...my manual isn't in the shop right now...

I have a bad float valve situation but on the other side...that's a different, easier to diagnose issue. I only ran it for a moment because there was no coolant in the engine. I'll get it out and run it a little warmer tomorrow and see if there's any change. Residual oil completely escaped me...that should have been my first assumption. Peak...it's smoking an abnormally high amount on one side. The other side has the right amount of smoke.

Slides are in correctly...already went through that once. Not always fully closing due to a buggered throttle cable, but they're in there. I also don't have any "yamabond" or a place to get it locally.

I haven't redone the leak down test...will be doing that in the next few days...still sick and the exhaust has aggravated my sinuses. I didn't replace top-end gaskets, but likely will at this point. I obviously expected a bit of smoke just because she's been apart and back, but the left cylinder already cleared up. What else could be the culprit? I sealed the case with high temp rtv silicone sealant...was that advisable? Anyway, all help appreciated.