WillG.

Sounds like a plan. Also, given the information about on its running, starting, etc condition. When I perform the compression tests, at what psi would it be considered acceptable and what point in the psi range would it be recommended to freshen up the top end?

Is there a way to port it to gain any low and mid end, and/or make a better power curve without losing any low & mid end? Otherwise, I would rather just keep things simple and reliable.

I just checked out their web site briefly. They look like they know their stuff. Thank you for the response and info! :-)

I Just bought this stock 03 Banshee a few months ago and have only had it out a couple of times. When i bought it, the guy told me it may be ready to have the top end gone through soon. I'm not sure if it has ever been done on it before. I'm assuming it hasn't, since it doesn't appear to have ever been apart. The bike starts pretty easy and runs good. For example today I wanted to test ride it after putting some pipes on it and rejetting it on Saturday. It was probably almost 100 degrees out and it started in 3 kicks after sitting 4 days with dry carbs & half choke. And starts very easily in one easy kick afterwards. Does that sound good for possibly worn top end? I will be checking the compression for myself this weekend. If its low, I may consider taking the top end off to be freshened up. Is there any site sponsors or shops any body recommends to do any honing or boring work?

Will these work with fmf power core 2's? Are they chrome or bare metal?

No he didnt weld to the edge. The crack didnt go that far and the area of the crack that was actually leaking wasnt that close to the edge. But he chose to weld much past the spot where it was allowing the leak (a little over kill it seems like). The area that was leaking was in the corner/nook of the bottom rear of the case, running parallel with the edge of the case. That area of the gasket appeard to have receated some. I went to get another gasket but they didnt have any more in stock. I ordered one, but since i wanted to go riding yesterday. I put a little bit of oil resistant silicone on that area and it seemed to do the trick until i get the new gasket.

Well I went out at dawn to get a few hours of riding in at Stoddard Wells before it got too hot. She ran pretty good. I noticed a bit of fuel coming from the left carb overflow tube earlier. Maybe the float got stuck since its pretty rough riding out there. I'll check it out later. I'll keep an eye out for a good deal on some yfz calipers. In the mean time I'll see about bleeding them again more thoroughly and go from there. Thank you everyone for all you input! :-)

Yes, i bled them from the caliper. I figured it would work like a car. Ill look at it again and see where else to bleed it from. Im going to head out and start riding around sun up to get a few hours of riding before the heat gets too bad. Hopefully it'll perform ok for time being. But the lever seems a lil spongy and i definately want to get it improved. Ill keep an eye out for a good priced 450 upgrade.

Today i bled the brakes, scubed the dirt off of the pads, cleaned the calipers and the pins, and scuffed the rotors with a non dirrectional finish. They still perform the same as before. Guess ill check into the yfz calipers.

Yes. They just told me over the phon to drain the oil (i originally was going to leave the motor in it). When i dropped off the motor, they said they may need to remover the clutch side case cover, but they would check it out. When i picked it up, they said they didnt need to remove it.

No I cant pull the lever to the bars. The fluid in it seems pretty new. The feel of the brake lever seems right. and the pads are in good shape as well and has a bit of meat on them. I was thinking of scuffing up the brake rotor some to see if it helps the pads grab.

Awesome! Looking into some now. Are the Raptor ones compatible as well, or just the YFZ's?

Yeah, they do seem heavy. My main concern is that what I'm experiencing is normal for these bikes. So I 'm not worrying that I need to look into it. After all it is like comparing apples to oranges when compared to a dirt bike. Maybe some better pads also perhaps? That swap sounds cool. Is it a direct swap? Just the brakes, or the whole hub needed? Thanks a lot for the response, and info Matt!

Ok, i removed the carbs and gave them a good cleaning today. It looked like the pilot jet in the left carb got clogged. Everything seem good now. :-)

Hey everyone, The few times I've been on my newly bought 03 shee, I've notice that the brakes seem less then adequate at times. In fact, I don't think I've ever been able to lock up the front wheels even if i really grab a hand full of brake. Not that I'd necessarily want to lock them up, but is that normal? The rear will lock up if i want them to. But overall it just feels like she doesn't slow down as well as I'd like.

Yeah that bead the guy put down seems to be doing the trick. It seems i have (or still have) a leak coming through the clutch cover gasket near the area that was welded (the weld isnt far from it). So ill try a new gasket. Also, after i got her back together, she doesnt idle any more and every so ofter (5 seconds or so) while lightly reving it to keep it from dying. The left pipes lets out a high pitched sound. Im not sure why it would do this now. could this be the carb(s)? I didnt touch them while removing or installing the engine. I just disconnected them at the boots and lifted them up out of the way while removing/installing the engine. Any ideas on the cause and a fix?

Well, I put a new kick starter seal in her, but i don't think that's where it was all coming from. After tipping it back and cleaning the oily residue from the bottom of the motor off. I put some flour (it's all I had lol) on a spot that I had a weird feeling about. Turns out there is a little hair line crack in one of the back corners of the lower block. I decided to pull the motor out yesterday and I just dropped it off at a local welding shop to see what they can do. Not exactly what I had in mind shortly after buying it, but hopefully it turns out well & I can get to riding it this weekend maybe.

Any one out there set up like that? I have some custom silencer tips on my stock pipes that my buddy made for me (a pic can be seen on my other topic). Not sure how much that actually helps flow though. I was planning on finishing some used head pipes in flat or semi-gloss black (they arent chromed) to match the stock silencers. I have someone local that has some fmf power core 2 silencers that he will sell me for $40 for both. Is it really worth switching to the power cores if my stockers are opened up at the end? Will the difference in sound and flow be much better with the PC2's? Retaining the stock spark arrestors would be nice, but im not sure if its really necessary? Should i save me $40 or go for it?

Wow, thats pretty cool! That sounds like a nice addition to any bike!

Thats a good idea. Ive only ridden it once but ive cleaned it a few times lol. the radiater and everything is all clean and clear. You are correct about having to keep moving. Ill have to ride it more obviously to see any real patterns. I bet it just got topped off since new fluid was put in. Time will tell. But i gauge seems pretty cool to have now. Id like to hook one up before switching to Water Wetter, so i can tell any difference.

Cool, i saw the coolant hose cooler with the tap in it. Do you just use a regular autometer type gauge?

I dont really have to worry about freezing where im at. It seems to boil over if im stopped for any length of time. But i bought it from a shop the had gone through everything before i bought it. So maybe it was topped off a bit. How do you install a temp gauge (wher/how to tap into the water, and power for it?) Ive checked the cover screws. The ones towards the rear werent very tight. They have been snugged down since then. Since the kick starter seal seems easy to swap as you described, it would be worth just doing that real quick and seeing what that does. Thanks!

Thanks for that info guys. It doesnt seem to be coming from that area. If the tube came off, i think it would leak a lot more than it does. But ill have to check it out again when i get home. Last time i checked on it i did see where some had seeped out of the kick starter seal for sure. I almost though about putting some type of oil in it that has color to it, so can see where its seeping out better.

I just picked up my 03 banshee less then two months ago. Ive noticed a minor oil leak (more like a seep usually) somewhere around the bottom rear of the motor. It dosnt leak enough to drip while on all four wheels. But if stood up, leaks/seeps noticably more. Its still not much really. But im a bit anal about stuff like that so i want to fix it soon. Its been difficult to diagnose wheres is originating from since the oil is new and clear. From what ive seen it may appeare to be coming through at the side cover gasket (clutch side) and/ or the kick starter seal. Any pointers or anything i should check for or do while im replacing those two things? Also, i have some water wetter lying around and thought about running it with distilled water. Would that be noticably better then the 50/50 mix in there now? Should i run a little bit of aniti freeze in with it for lubrication properties? I figure now is as good a time as any to switch it out while i have to drain it anyways. Any experience and opinions are welcomed. Thanks!

That sounds like a good time for sure. But its way too far for me to travel at this time. I do have family out there though. I couldnt afford a trip like that right now and i just used a bumch of my vacation days last month on a 10 day Alaskan cruise my wife and I took for our honeymoon. I think the nearest sand or dunes around me may be dumont, but im not sure.