Long rambling post with questions about my 2003...

[BrokeVW]

I've got some work I need to do to my Warrior, and wondered if anyone had any pointers on the jobs, and I also have a few questions.

First, any pointers for replacing the rear axle bearings?
I have ordered new rear axle bearings from Yamaha, along with new seals. I have the 50mm (or is it 55mm?) wrenches for it, but I noticed while looking it over last night that the hub for the sprocket is loose on the axle.

Is it likely going to be damaged splines inside the hub, on the axle, or both?
There is a good bit of slop there, both rotational and side-to-side (tilting the sprocket) but I haven't had it apart yet so I'm not sure if both the axle and hub are bad or hopefully just the hub.
Thoughts on using loctite retaining compound (620 or 623) on the splined portion of the axle where the hub fits on re-assembly?

The chain I think I will replace with new... are OEM chains made by DID? (*edit* - nevermind, I figured out it is, Daido Kogyo is DID, OEM supplier for my chain)

I noticed the master link on my chain is sharpened like a razor blade. The outside edge of the chain has been rubbing on something and it has worn the top edge of the master link clip down to a razors edge.
It looks like it is rubbing on the white nylon or teflon chain guide just in front of the rear sprocket. I'm not sure if that is from the hub movement on the axle, the axle movement in the bad bearings, or what, but it is worn from rubbing.

Both tensioner wheels on the frame for the chain are loose... the top one isn't as bad, the bottom one is well shot. The tensioner itself is OK, the inner bushing it spins on is shot.

The "seal guard" that the chain passes over on the left side of the swingarm pivot.... does the swingarm have to come all the way out to replace that? My chain guide or seal guard is loose and wobbles left and right.

A question on the front drive sprocket... I know the teeth hook and roll over when worn, but mine are hooked and curved towards the front of the ATV... as if the trans was holding the ATV back while going downhill, like during engine braking.
Shouldn't the wear show the teeth curving towards the back of the ATV, as if rounded back from acceleration and trying to drive the rear axle?

Is it possible the teeth are supposed to be hooked that way? The rear sprocket teeth look fine, but the fronts are clearly curved.

Any tips on replacing the clutch? I wanted to order an OEM clutch for it, but since Yamaha doesn't compile a kit, I went with an EBC kit and a Cometic gasket for the case cover... are there any other parts I need to do that clutch job, or is there anything I should look for while I have it apart?

I've ordered new Yamaha grips for it... I had some Oury but one was too long it seemed. Now I think the bars have been bent and the controls moved around on the bars, making one grip not slide on as far... what is the most popular replacement set of handlebars for replacing the stock bars with? I see pro-taper is what Yamaha is using on the 450 now... which bend would be most like the stock Warrior bars, I see they offer it in high, low, etc. bends?

How about grip glue, what is best? Seems most of it sold online is just super glue... cyanoacrylate. I can get that cheaper than $7.99... even the cyanoacrylate RC tire glue at the hobby shop isn't $8 a bottle!

I've also got 4 new Ambush tires and a couple tire spoons for it, hopefully they turn out to be a good tire choice.

Once this stuff is done, I think I will tinker with the carb a bit and see if I can make it a little more snappy from idle... it tends to hesitate when stabbing it from an idle. Mid- and top-end are fine, but the bottom is a little weak.

Thanks in advance for any answers or suggestions!:tup:

 

[elwood]

the looseness on the axle is most likely from the shot bearings, as for the splines they should be alright. Chain issues are probably due to the slop in the rearend. Front sprocket,hmmm maybe someone flipped it over when it got wore down. For the clutch replacement there is a good utube vid on replacing a clutch on a warrior. For grip glue, I just use some spray paint, I spray it in the grip and then push it on, in a few hrs they are locked in place

 

[ffbad247]

hair spray works for hand grips too

 

[Hdale85]

I just poured some water inside my grips and spent a good amount of time getting them on. The water should eventually evaporate. Mine don't slide or move or anything.

 

[duneracerweston]

Iv always used wire but grip glue is nice too

 

[BrokeVW]

the looseness on the axle is most likely from the shot bearings, as for the splines they should be alright.

Unfortunately I definitely have slop between the $96 hub and the $400+ axle... I have plenty between the axle and the bearings, but there is movement between the hub and axle for sure, I'm just not sure which part is damaged.
I'm going to tear it apart tonight possibly and have a look.

Front sprocket,hmmm maybe someone flipped it over when it got wore down.

So it is supposed to wear with the front sprocket teeth curved towards the back of the machine then?
I thought it would, that is how it should pull on those teeth under acceleration, and I'm doing more of that than I am engine braking, so I bet you are right and someone flipped it.
I wasn't even sure if that was possible or not, but if it is then that is probably what has happened, thanks!

I've got more parts to order from Yamaha now... the chain rollers and guide piece as well as the seal guard thing as well as front brake pads and possibly that $96 rear sprocket hub.
I just ordered Renthal bars and sprockets and a DID chain from RM.... next will be the carb kit and jets I think... or just a cleaning and rebuild maybe.

Thanks for the replies!:tup:

 

[MotoArts]

X2 on the clear spray paint or hair spray for grip glue. I used yellow paint once... just once. Made a mess.

When you install them, hose a nice shot inside of a grip and SLAM it on FAST; hurry and set it where you want it, 'cause once it sticks (read: really fast), it's on for good.

 

[jgray44]

little trick on hand grips, use a hand pump for a basketball with a needle, stick it in the side of the grip and have someone put their hand over the hole on the other side of the bars, then pump and slide on, easy as pie!!

 

[elwood]

you would same yourself alot of money buying off ebay instead of the dealer.

 

[dirtrider73068]

Here is a better tip for your grips, if you have a air compressor, get a air nozzle with a pointed tip cram it into the grip the end closest to the levers, and squeeze the handle and let her fly. You may have to plug the outside end to keep the air in, what you want to do is ballon the grip a little to slide it off, I did this a few times on mine, and its how my new ones are put on without any glue and they will not move at all. And never have I am hard on grips, I put a death grip when I ride.

 

[3504life]

i use a air compresser and a air blower. push the grip on as far as you can than use the air blower to infalte the grip and they slide on no problem no waiting time for anything to dry

 

[dirtrider73068]

air compresser the best way to do it.

 

[BrokeVW]

the looseness on the axle is most likely from the shot bearings, as for the splines they should be alright.

Well, it turns out you are correct.

I'm a bit puzzled honestly as I am 100% positive I saw a good bit of play between the hub and axle. :???:

If you used enough force to lift the weight of the axle, then the entire axle would rock in the bad bearings... but using just a little force and it wasn't enough to move the heavy axle, but the sprocket would move... this is how I was able to watch the slop... moving the sprocket with just enough force to move the hub on the splines, without moving the axle.

It tilted left and right and had some twist slop as well.... I'm sure of it.

I left it for the night, went back last night, it was tight. The only movement I could get was in the bearings. WTF?:loco:

I about killed myself getting the rear end apart... holy ****. The axle nuts are stupid tight.... installed to 170 ft-lbs then aged in place... they were TOUGH to break free, but I finally managed to do so right as one back muscle decided to get pissed off and quit on me.... but by then the nut was loose, I won.

The wheel hubs had anti-seize on them and slid right off, the cadmium coating of the axle under the hub looked brand new, just a beautiful gold color. Silly me, I thought it was all going to come apart like that.

Wrong.

The sprocket hub slid off without much fight, but it was pretty rusted on the splines, not like the wheel hub on the end of the axle... water made it into this union.

That's where it all stopped. The axle was free to slide out of the arm, and it wasn't going ANYWHERE.
I beat the hell out of it trying to slide it out and moved it maybe 1/4" after 30 minutes of working on it.

I finally took the 2 long bolts out of the tube that you loosen to adjust the chain tension, removed the axle and tube and bearings and all from the swingarm, put it all into the truck and brought it home to the VW transaxle shop here, where I introduced it to Big Red, my 50-ton shop press.

I win again.:evilface:

I had to remove the 4 bolts holding the brake rotor to the hub, so the axle and tube would fit into the press bed. I used a VW tool to hold the tube and then pressed the axle out of the bearings.

Another VW tool and soon the bearings were out of the tube, thanks to Big Red.

The rust was everywhere. The bearings are solid rust. I pulled the seals on the bearings and they were just totally shot. The spacer tube between the bearings was nothing but rust and what I can only assume was grease at one point, but it had long ago been washed away so it was just a chunk of rust.

I'll pack that entire tube full of moly grease when I put it back together... if water CAN get in again, it won't have anywhere to go with all the grease inside this time.

As for buying from ebay, I checked there first but didn't find the OEM bearings... I wasn't interested in all balls or pivot works or any of the other sources of aftermarket bearings, mainly because I couldn't be sure they weren't chinese bearings. I wanted OEM quality which I assumed would be a Japanese bearing, and it was, a Koyo bearing out of Japan.

Of course now I find THREE of those bearings in a lot in one auction, $40 shipped for all 3 of them, I just paid about 3x that buying a pair for about $90.
I'll make myself feel better by telling myself that the new old stock on ebay might not have been kept in a dry place, exposed to dirt, etc... it won't work, I still feel robbed, but that's how it goes sometimes. The stealership got me on this one:argh::iagree:

Now to remove the front sprocket, a replacement Renthal is on the way with matching rear sprocket and new DID chain, along with OEM guides and rollers for the chain. New (super expensive) OEM bearings and seals on the way.... new Renthal Banshee bend blue bars coming with new grips; EBC clutch kit, Cometic gasket.... the only issue left to sort would be the front control arm bushing.
I have one showing slop... $8+ each from Yamaha; I've found aftermarket for $1+ each, and then actual needle bearings from pivot works for $180 for the full kit. I'm not sure which route to go... it won't be bearings, I don't have another $180 to drop on it... and I would hate to do the work to find the $1 bushing fails in a few months.... so I'm still mulling it over between OEM and aftermarket bushings.

I may start taking pics and make a page showing the process, I'm not sure if I will yet... I think it is going to be a PITA to put the axle nuts back on to the correct torque spec and I prefer to fool with pics on jobs I am comfortable with as taking pics eats up a lot of work time:tup:

 

[beastlywarrior228]

lucky my axle took 3 days of pounding and a destroyed axle to get it out

 

[BrokeVW]

lucky my axle took 3 days of pounding and a destroyed axle to get it out

You need a "Big Red" of your own then!

I gave $700 for it from Harbor Freight. It is just a cheap chinese press but I need 5 tons max usually, it is rated for 50, so I figured it would work for my needs, which it has.:tup:

I just came in from the garage, I've cleaned the inside of the tube up and the small bolt that holds the tube to the swingarm, it was badly rusted. I should probably put a new one in there in fact.... hmmm.

Cleaned the splines on the axle and both the brake and sprocket hubs, I'll use anti-seize on them instead of loctite considering the splines aren't bad as I originally suspected.

Tonight I'll see about getting that "bearing guard" or chain roller removed that is around the main swingarm pivot bolt. It'll probably mean the swing arm is coming out, and with my luck it'll have bad bearings as well.

UPS just left, I think my clutch kit is outside:iagree:

 

[DeadLastRacing]

Welcome to the site. I have been on vacay for a while and haven't been on. These guys will point you in the right direction.

 

[BrokeVW]

Welcome to the site. I have been on vacay for a while and haven't been on. These guys will point you in the right direction.

Thanks for the welcome, I appreciate it:tup:

It's coming along, I'm just waiting on parts from Yamaha now.
Put new tires on it; I learned the starting fluid trick for setting the beads, worked like a charm.
Next will be to install the clutch kit, change the oil filter and add oil, swap the handle bars out and finally install the new axle bearings, chain and sprockets to get the thing back together again.