DIALED IN: By Winston “Boss” McKannick

 

 

I AM PULLING FOR YOU!

Dear Boss,

I recently purchased a 2011 Grizzly 350 4×4. I am currently going through the quad and updating, changing fluids and so forth. I would like to know if it is possible to install a pull-start? I had a 2007 Grizzly 350 4×4 with a pull-start. It sure was nice when the battery went dead.

Dave Dunn

Creston, OH

What you need is the Yamaha starter kit (part number 1CT-E57A0-V0-00). However, this complete kit is no longer available from Yamaha. So, you would have to order either the starter assembly (part number 5UH-15710-00-00) or a cheaper aftermarket equivalent and the pulley assembly (part number 5KM-15723-00-00) and O-ring (part number 93210-16290-00). Or, acquire the parts from an ATV salvage yard. It appears that Big Bears, Warriors and Grizzlies can use the same parts. Although when getting above 450cc, it can take a real man to pull the motor over!

WHERE ARE THE SEAT BELTS?

Dear Boss,

I recently purchased my old father-in-law’s Bad Boy Buggy, an XTO, 2012 model. Other than a cleanup of the pigeon poo from the barn it has been stored in for the past seven years, some new tires, and a reasonably fresh set of batteries, it is runnable. The question I have is I can’t find any seat belts. My father-in-law swears there never was any seat belts when he bought it. I don’t believe it, Boss. I think he did remove them, although I can’t find any mounting points where there were any. So, my question is, where do I purchase replacement seat belts and how do I mount them?

Arty Chambers

Flora, Illinois

Well, son, for starters, your father-in-law is correct. The XTOs never came with seat belts in 2012. Second, you do not install seat belts, nor do you worry where or how to install them. Per CPSC recall #17-067, you should contact Bad Boy Buggies at www.badboyoffroad.com and click on “Recall Information” for information on having them install new seat belts for free. If your serial number is between 8000020 and 8004934, you are entitled to a free seat belt installation per the recall.

MY SEGWAY BROKE AWAY!

Dear Boss,

I unfortunately own a 2021 Segway AT6 Snarler. I know I should have taken your advice and not jumped on a new model, but it looked nice, and the advertising on their website sold me. Now I am 20 miles in, and the exhaust pipe has split in two places at the welds. While I am waiting for a replacement exhaust pipe, I was wondering how a company could produce such poor welds. And, should I be worried about the frame welds, which could be more serious than just a broken exhaust pipe?

Kerry Townsend

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

These stress cracks are called HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) cracks. Although the HAZ cracks are related to the welding process, the crack occurs in the base material, not in the weld material. The most common causes for this type of crack are excess hydrogen gathers around imperfections in the weld, causing increased pressure on the structure of the weld, or high residual stress levels on the weld or high carbon content on the base material. The cure is to correctly store your filler material away from moisture or adjusting your weld travel speed and voltage settings to reduce stress during cooling or reduce the piece’s contaminates by cleaning the piece better before welding, or replacing a worn-out welding tip. Since the exhaust and frame are composed of different metals and welded on different machines, I think there is little cause for alarm about the integrity of your frame’s welds. How can they produce such poor welds? A quantity of exhaust pipes are produced on a given day. The cracks show up weeks later during use, so it is easy to have them slip by quality control because they look good to the naked eye. Radiographic testing would have shown the welds were bad, but this is only usually done for critical welding, such as pipelines, turbines, etc. 

THERE IS A REASON THEY DON’T PUT SUICIDE DOORS ON AUTOMOBILES ANYMORE!

Dear Boss,

I gave up waiting for a 2022 Can-Am X3 and ended up purchasing a used 2017 X3 for about half the price. Plus, I get to enjoy it this year! The one thing I don’t understand is why suicide doors won’t stay latched at speed. It does have an aftermarket filler piece on the bottom of the factory doors. I have tried to adjust the doors, but nothing seems to keep them shut. Eventually, I will end up damaging them if I don’t catch them in time when they try to swing open. Seems like poor engineering to install rearward-opening doors that don’t stay latched! Boss, do you have any ideas that might work to keep these suicide doors closed?

Paul Chamberlain

Park City, UT

The door style was probably done for styling more so than practicality. Witness the silly open-bottom doors! The 2017 door latches were noted for poor performance (and engineering). So, for starters I would replace the latch assemblies with the 2018 models. Next, I would check and correct the vertical alignment of the latch to the loop on the frame. Adjustment is performed by loosening the two hinge bolts on the top of the door, then raise or lower the door to align, and tighten the bolts. You may find the door has sagged, and you will need to raise up the door at the latch side and maintain pressure when re-tightening the hinge bolts. Then I would suggest a door strut set to keep the doors from rattling at speed and to replace the (probably) worn-out door straps. And finally, an aftermarket door-release handle will provide a more secure door latch over the factory straps. 

Got a problem with your ATV?

Send your questions to Dirt Wheels “Dialed In,” P.O. Box 957, Valencia, CA 91380-9057. E-mail us at 

[email protected], and include your name, city and state address.