Help with clutch on 1999 Honda Foutrax 300 4WD ATV

[diesellover]

Bought a 1999 Honda Fourtrax 300 4wd in great shape! It's definitely been taken care of. I knew it was 26 years old and will need a few things. I realized it needed attention with the clutch and clutch adjustment. I was a career truck technician, so I am very comfortable w/ clutches in general. Hard to go from R to N, after warm. Atv creeps forward with shift lever all the way up or all the way down and instead should roll like it's in neutral& clutch should be released. I adjusted to spec and test drove, found clutch disk were still sticking. Drove quite a bit and clutch disk are free now! Clutch releases with the shift lever held up!

I did a few more very slight adjustments. I feel much better about it because before it jumped forward hard going from N to 1 or R. Now my new issue is the clutch engages very HARD when slowly shifting into 1st gear while stopped. This happens when you hold the shift lever up, and slowly let the lever go down the clutch grabs too hard.

*Is it best to adj clutch when cold?
*Do I need to "inc or Decrease "/ tighten or loosen the adjustment screw so clutch doesn't grab so instantly when releasing shift lever?

I'm so confident that I'm in much better shape if I can just adjust it a bit more. Before the lack of adjustment was causing hard shifting, and almost impossible to get out of reverse after it had been driven a long time. Too tight a clutch will not have free play& wear out faster along with Trans damage with hard shifts. Too much play/ too loose and it will slip& damage itself I imagine.

Any ideas what needs to be done so clutch doesn't grab instantly when the shift lever is slowly released? This came with a snow plow so clutch needing adjustment is to be expected!

 

[repairman54]

With a wet clutch I would use a 4 stroke motorcycle oil in it that is formulated for a motorcycle style wet clutch. Not sure on how a diesel oil would affect its operation, grabbyness. Clutch lever should have a slight amount of free play in the lever when released just like a motorcycle. Make sure clutch cable is not binding / sticking.

 

[Chris142]

With a wet clutch I would use a 4 stroke motorcycle oil in it that is formulated for a motorcycle style wet clutch. Not sure on how a diesel oil would affect its operation, grabbyness. Clutch lever should have a slight amount of free play in the lever when released just like a motorcycle. Make sure clutch cable is not binding / sticking.

That oil is wet clutch compatible

 

[diesellover]

Thanks for the reply! This oil is indeed wet clutch compatible fuel to the JASO MA/ MA2 rating. The fourtrax requires MA oil, so MA2 is also acceptable. The reverse however would not be true. It's like using an SP rating gasoline engine oil in something that ask foe SM.

Read into it for a long time. Also I knew before hand, rotella actually pulled the Gas engine ratings from the API oil donut to push for their gas truck engine oils. That is the strong information most people believe.

Rotella T4, T5, and T6 are all good to go! But make sure however it has the Jaso MA label before buying as some of them (t6 I noticed IIRC) do not have that certification.

I checked mobil, and store brand 15w40 and quickly found none of them carry the JASO MA on them so check the exact bottle before you purchase.

 

[diesellover]

And to avoid confusion, this is a semi auto clutch/ centrifugal clutch type. No manual clutch lever.

 

[Colvin]

Hows your idle? Does it seem high ?

 

[diesellover]

Hows your idle? Does it seem high ?

Idle seems appropriate! Not too high and not so low that it's barely staying running. I had that thought as well. Too many rpm doesn't work well with the centrifugal clutch and the geared transmission.

I did readjust again after the clutch plates unstuck, clutch is very close but still have concerns. After warm it will jump into gear sort of harsh when lowering the foot shifter. It's much better than it was because clutch engagement was at the top of lowering the shifter, now it's actually towards the bottom of the shifters movement.

Measured shifter free play and I have 0.15 inches; 1/6th of an inch. Book calls for 1/8th of an inch. I measured using a digital caliper and marking the shift lever using a utility knife.

Going to call the powersports places around here and see how much they want to adjust it as well. Might be worth asking around.

 

[Colvin]

Wonder what oil the previous owner used ? Before taking to a dealer you might want to take it for a ride put some miles on it. Clutch pack might clean up just going through the gears. If it clears up throw in some new oil .
Another idea join a Honda atv forum , or just search threads on there . Oh and nice atv , I'm a Yamaha guy but you gotta love those old Honda's ..

 

[thastinger]

You keep talking about "clutch plates unstuck"
Did it sit for 15 years?

 

[diesellover]

Wonder what oil the previous owner used ? Before taking to a dealer you might want to take it for a ride put some miles on it. Clutch pack might clean up just going through the gears. If it clears up throw in some new oil .
Another idea join a Honda atv forum , or just search threads on there . Oh and nice atv , I'm a Yamaha guy but you gotta love those old Honda's ..

I kind of had that thought too. I've verified it isn't slipping and is indeed disengaging. So I'm safe to drive on it. I verified it isn't slipping by engaging in 4th gear early and applying throttle. Puts a lot of strain on things, you don't want to it more than once or twice, but if it's going to slip it will at that point!

 

[diesellover]

Hows your idle? Does it seem high ?

Re-evaluated after its been a bit. Reinspection found that after driving and driving to get engine warm or hot the idle is racing a little higher. When cold it idles better. So I do indeed need to adjust the idle! With the idle higher it's causing the centrifugal clutch to grab when it shouldn't be. That's why it shifts smoothly and is free when cold, and when hot the clutch is grabbing etc. Because the rpm increases with engine temperatures.

Will preform an idle adjustment!