well its not a bear tracker, its a big bear, but its the same engine. ive had two 99s an a 01 and never had any probs with them, but ive got one in the shop, the guy dropped it off Friday said its hard to start, but once it starts it runs fine and will crank right back up. it was running on the trailer when he brought it, and played with it for a few mins and it seemed fine engine wise so I figured maybe a carb prob cuz its been sitting. I cleaned the carb put it back on, but hasnt started since, new plug, new valve cover gasket. its popping and back firing, it will not start. I don't like working on 4 strokes!! I had a Clymer book for mine but looked all weekend and couldn't find it, so any so thoughts or ideas throw em out.
bear tracker problem
- Thread starter Reaper26
- Start date
Are the valves adjusted within spec. I know this will cause hard starting. Also I worked on my buddys grizzly a while ago. His was backfiring and hard to start. We tore it all down, cleaned the carbs, checked the belt, and it turned out to be a bad battery. If they are not at full voltage they will not allow the ignition to work right. We put a new battery in it and it has been running great for about a year. Does it have a dash that would show fault codes?
Valve lash -should- be .004"-.005" on the intake, and .005"-.006" on the exhaust, if I remember correctly. These settings will allow the engine to run without burning a valve and having difficulty starting IF the valve clearance, especially on the intake, was originally too tight. Check and adjust as necessary.
I'd about bet money that your starter jet in the carburetor is clogged up or blocked. It is located inside the tubular casting in the float bowl of the carb. Pull the bowl and stick a long, skinny flathead screwdriver into the tube to unscrew the jet. It will probably be gummed-up or completely clogged.
This jet is easily overlooked while cleaning a carburetor, and even an ultrasonic cleaner won't clean it properly without first removing it from the bowl. Ask me how I know.
If the starter jet isn't the problem, check your spark plug boot for cracks/damage, or a loose connection. A bad connection at the plug boot will cause hard/no starting and/or popping and backfiring. Also, replace your spark plug and try again. I've seen even new plugs straight from the box refuse to fire correctly. The spark will jump straight from the center electrode to the plug shell, bypassing the ground strap altogether. This happens more than you think, and sometimes a new plug is all it takes to correct the problem.
I'd about bet money that your starter jet in the carburetor is clogged up or blocked. It is located inside the tubular casting in the float bowl of the carb. Pull the bowl and stick a long, skinny flathead screwdriver into the tube to unscrew the jet. It will probably be gummed-up or completely clogged.
This jet is easily overlooked while cleaning a carburetor, and even an ultrasonic cleaner won't clean it properly without first removing it from the bowl. Ask me how I know.
If the starter jet isn't the problem, check your spark plug boot for cracks/damage, or a loose connection. A bad connection at the plug boot will cause hard/no starting and/or popping and backfiring. Also, replace your spark plug and try again. I've seen even new plugs straight from the box refuse to fire correctly. The spark will jump straight from the center electrode to the plug shell, bypassing the ground strap altogether. This happens more than you think, and sometimes a new plug is all it takes to correct the problem.
