How to take a part the KEBC Actuator and Clean

How to clean and fix KEBC actuator motor unit on the Kawasaki Brute Force and Prairie 360, 650, 700 and 750 models. The Kawasaki Engine Brake Control motor actuator sits on top of the CVT belt transmission cover and provides mechanical engine braking by engaging the actuator and then providing force to a fork that in turn forces the primary clutch basket to tighten the belt. The KEBC unit is prone to water and mud and needs serviced more often if you ride in these conditions. Recently I had the opportunity to tear into the KEBC system and give everything a good lube and cleaning. The KEBC actuator motor sits on top of the CVT clutch cover and is taken off by removing three 8mm bolts. The actuator assembly then can be pulled straight up and off. If you plan on cleaning the unit disconnect the electrical connection plug. Once off you can begin disassembling the unit by first removing the three phillips screws on the motor housing.  The motor housing will now pull straight upward and you will notice a slight resistance from the magnets inside the housing. To separate the actuator housing remove the phillips screw on the front and simply pull the case apart while wiggling it just a bit.  Once inside you'll find a series of three removable metal gears. As routine I've documented this entire how to fix KEBC motor and it's provided here. Watch this video that explains where to apply a light coating of grease for reassembly after everything has been cleaned. The video will also show you how to remove the larger gear that extends through the case. Once reassembled simply reinstall it on the CVT transmission belt cover and you're ready to go!

How to adjust valves on Kawasaki Brute Force or Prairie 650 with Video

The Kawasaki Brute Force 650 or Prairie 650 is a twin cylinder power house. To properly maintain these torque monsters the valves must be adjusted at regular intervals according to the service manual. When the valves get out of adjustment specs you may see symptoms: Hard to start, Backfiring, Runs poorly, Clinging tinging chattering pinging noise from top of the engine. Recently I had the opportunity to perform the valve adjustment on a 2013 Brute Force 650, but this also works on the older Prairie 650. If you're new to this adjustment check out this info and decide for yourself if you want to tackle it with the help of the How To Adjust Valves Information and Video I'm providing.  The valve adjustment is similar to a single cylinder ATV as you must always find top dead center on the compression stroke.  I'll take you through the valve adjustment process on my video, but first lets discuss valve clearance settings or specs.  There is much talk out there on what folks are setting their intake and exhaust valve lash at on these 650 engines.  From my research it ranged from .004 mm Intake to .007 mm Exhaust to what the Owners Manual suggests for the 650 Brute Force at .10 - .15 mm Intake to .20 - .25 mm Exhaust.  Valve chatter when these 650 engines are cold is pretty normal, but annoying and I choose to go with the setting: .005mm Intake and .008mm Exhaust which nearly eliminates the valve chatter and sharpens the engines power up, but in exchange will likely have to be adjusted more often.  As you can see in my video I had to perform the valve adjustment processes twice on the front cylinder to get it right.  I found the front cylinder to be the most difficult just due to lack of room to wrench and low visibility. I located the actual information for the process over at nyrocatv.com, just click on this text and it will redirect you to the Tech Tips.

Winter Storm Jonas left quite a mess here in Kentucky. Once blizzard Jonas blew through and we were left with more than a foot of snow. Last snow storm we experienced like Jonas 2016 was back in the 1990's! In fact the snow was so deep we had to plow snow paths for the kids to sled ride. Trips back up the hill were just as much fun for the kids thanks to a John Deere Gator 825i.  The Gator 825i has massive ground clearance for a UTV, but even it wasn't enough to clear the aftermath of Winter Storm Jonas. Luckily we never lost electricity though out the blizzard and had plenty of food in the fridge. WATCH THE JONAS VIDEO HERE

How to change front axle on Kawasaki Brute Force Prairie 650 with McPherson Strut towers

Changing the front axle on a Kawasaki Brute Force 650 SRA is a fix you can do yourself.  Whether you're replacing a torn CV boot or the complete axle assembly this article will cover both.  Once you've got the Brute Force 650 (solid rear axle) in the air remove the tire on the side that needs fixed. Remove the brake caliber by the two 12mm bolts on the back side.  Next remove the carter pin on that retains the axle nut. Remove the 27mm axle nut with a impact gun, you may have to use heat, they are put on with high torque. Next pull the hub, a puller may be required. Almost there... Next remove the carter pin on the lower ball joint and take the 17mm but off.  Once off lightly tap the lower control arm with a hammer to brake the ball joint loose from the strut. Now pull the strut assembly out and over and the end of the axle will slide through. To remove the axle push in and pull out quickly and the axle will pop out. Research to find the correct axle nut torque specs, I found 225 lbs, but this does seem a bit much to me.  To see the Brute Force 650 axle removal video click here.

John Deere Gator 825 Review and Specs

Very excited to get our hands on the John Deere Gator 825i for a off-road test review.  Once you turn the key and this Gator comes to life you quickly realize this is not the typical farm tough work horse.  The exhaust tone is throaty and sounds like a pack of mad bumble bees. Once in gear the throttle response is immediate due to a reliable fuel injection system.  The CVT transmission seems to always keep the 825i in the power band of the engine and is very smooth.  Push button 4X4 and a rear differential lock allow this Gator XUV to climb or overcome most any obstacle. The 825i Gator tested did not have power steering and placing it in 4wd or differential lock mode does make the steering a bit stiff.  The independent front and rear suspension really soak up whatever you throw at it and it is a surprisingly comfortable ride.  You'll find CV joints on all the axles, a rear sway bar and disc brakes all around that really stop this Gator 825i.  Comfortable ride, but not what I would consider sporty. The instrument cluster has more than enough information to keep the driver informed, including speed, mile and hour. The finish quality on this Gator 825i is top notch and better than some of the others. It's not quite as sporty as the Polaris Rangers styling, but a definite contender of the 800 in off road trail situations.
WATCH TEST HERE: JOHN DEERE GATOR 825i 
WATCH JUST THE ACTION HERE

SPECS:

50HP - Highest power output in its class with superior low end torque 812cc liquid-cooled inline 3-cylinder with dual overhead cams, electronic fuel injection, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum heads and cast block with painted interior walls. Largest displacement engine in this class Only 3 cylinder model in this class Only DOHC in this class Lowest noise/vibration Best-in-Class Ride, Safety & Stability Advanced Double A-Arm Suspension Fully independent and adjustable suspension 8in front and 9in rear suspension travel Load ready ride: Light- to no-load smooth with max load ride balance Greatest stability in its class Wide stance, long wheelbase and predictable handling Operator Protection System (OPS) SAE, ANSI, OSHA ROPS certified overhead structure 3 pt. automotive seat belts Multiple handholds Best-in-Class Utility Deluxe Cargo Box with 16.4 cu. ft. cargo, (Best-in-class) with 1,000 lbs capacity, 1,500 lbs towing and 1,400 payload Auto style tailgate Integrated attachment system 20+ tie down points Convertible to flat bed mode Integrated brake and tail lights Quik clamp attachment system Factory installed spray-on liner Advanced Suspension to provide a level & stable ride through the entire load range John Deere Gator™ XUV 825i Specifications: Engine 4-cycle gas, Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Cylinders/Valving: 3, DOHC, 4 valves per cyl. Horsepower: 50 (37.28 kW)* Displacement: 812cc Maximum torque 47 ft-lbs. (64 Nm) Dimensions Length 119 in. (3035 mm) Width 62 in. (1571 mm) Front/Rear-tread Centers 44.8 in. (1137mm)/47.9 in. (1216mm) Height (with OPS) 75 in. (1903 mm) Wheelbase 79 in. (2007 mm) Weight (dry weight) 1630 lb. (739 kg) Towing Capacity 1,500 lb. (680 kg) Payload Capacity 1400 lb. (635 kg) Sound rating (driver's ear) 89.4 dB(A) Cargo Box Material Hybrid steel/glass-fi led poly Dimensions, in. (mm) 45 x12 x52 (1143 x304.8x1320) Volume 16.4 ft3 (0.46 m3) Weight 1000 lb. (454 kg) Dump Manual with lift assist shock (factory installed power lift option) Tailgate Center truck-style latch Tires Front Maxxis Big Horn 2.0, Radial 27x9xR14 Ancla MT (Mud Terrain) 26x9xR12 Terrahawk AT (All Terrain) 25x9xR12 Tires Rear Maxxis Big Horn 2.0, Radial 27x11xR14 Ancla MT (Mud Terrain) 26x11xR12 Terra Hawk AT (All Terrain) 25x11xR12

Tusk TriloBite Biase 6 Ply ATV Tire Review

Looks like a BigHorn... less the price and maybe less the performance. Tested these Tusk TriloBite ATV tires (25x8-12 front, 25x10-12 rear) on a late model 420 Rancher with power steering and solid rear axle.  Terrain included dry hard pack, rock, mud and snow. First let me point out they are a biased 6 ply tire and wear and ride like iron, very durable. They were tested with varying the pressure between 3 and 8 pounds and this did not make a noticeable difference in their performance.  Trilo Bites perform great on dry hard packed surfaces, providing all the traction you'll likely need. The Tusk Tires do okay in wet or muddy conditions, but do not excel either in traction or steering ability when the terrain gets slick. In snow the tires do not perform any better than in mud. In fact we found them to be really lacking in snow and mud. Depending on your intended use or purpose for these TriloBites should dictate if they will work for you.  Rocky Mountain ATV stocks this tire and they range in price from $85 to $95.  They do also offer them in a 26" and after the fact I wish that's what I'd ordered. WATCH TUSK TRILO BITE REVIEW

How to change ATV rear drum brakes

WATCH VIDEO: Drum brakes are commonly found on the rear of most all sport/utility atv’s.  In fact some of the late model Kawasaki’s, Honda’s, Suzuki’s and Yamaha’s still use this type brake system.  The Honda Rancher and 220/250 Bayou have even used this setup for the front brakes until recently.  Drum brakes provide a lot of stopping power, but commonly begin to break down over time with mud and water.
This particular install was preformed on a Kawasaki Bayou, but as stated before the procedure can be applied to most all other makes with drum brakes.  This fix doesn’t require a lengthy tool list to get the job done, but be prepared to get your hands dirty.  For the rear brake replacement you will need the following tools:

1. 10mm wrench
2. 17mm socket (lug nuts)
3. 1 1/16 socket (axle nut)
4. snap ring pliers
5. channel lock pliers
6. wire brush
7. sand paper or emery cloth
8. anti-seize

Begin by removing the tire/wheel with 17mm socket.  Remove the brake adjustment wing nuts, there are two of these, one for the foot brake cable and one for the parking brake cable.  Now remove the axle nut and carter pin.  The drum will be the next item to remove, sometimes these can be difficult.  Do not beat on the drum as it is cast aluminum and breaks easily.  If you don’t have a puller try putting the wheel back on for leverage and rotate 1/2 turn while pulling.  Once off remove the snap rings that hold the brake shoes to the pivot point.  Now take the channel locks and position them on the brake spring and remove.  Once both springs are off simply remove the old shoes and clean everything up with a wire brush.  Take sand paper of emery cloth and scuff the inside of the drum up, where the shoes ride.  Before installing the new shoes use anti-seize of the brake shoe pivot points, but DO NOT put anti-seize on the brake shoes where they contact the drum.  Now reassemble in reverse of disassemble. MORE BAYOU TECH HERE

Interco Swamp Lite ATV Tire Review and Video

Interco Swamp Lite TEST:  As I wrap the Bayou restoration project up deciding on the right tire for this classic atv was daunting.  There are so many atv tires on the market today and each claims strength in certain areas.  Many of the reviews on-line are biased, tire brand loyalty is similar to that of Chevy and Ford truck owners.  I decided to go with the Swamp Lite by Interco.  This company has been around for a long time and some of the vehicle off road tires they came out with decades ago are still top pick among professional and amateur off roaders.  Not only do their tires look cool, but they perform like advertised and sometimes every better than advertised.  The Bayou came from the factory with 24″ tires, but I decided to go with 25″ tires.  After having them mounted I took them out for a test run.  Pulling heavy loads, up steep hills, in rough creek bed, on the pavement and on the trail these tires work great.  To my surprise they leave a light footprint on level ground, but when you need them to hook up they do the job!   :WATCH IT IN ACTION:

SURECAN REVIEW
Reading through the Nyrocatv.com forum one day I came across a new product. It was a gas jug called the Sure Can and claimed to be a gas can that was spill proof.  Doing what we do here at Everything ATV UTV Reviews I decided to order one and test it myself. I went to the surecanusa.com site and placed my order, which totaled $45, including shipping.  My 2.2 gallon gas can arrived quickly a couple days latter and I filled it up. I can say it is built well and has a sturdy feel. A nice feature on the Sure Can is the child proof safety cap and my young son has yet to figure out how to remove it.  Once the safety cap is removed you simply swing the filler nozzle down into position and squeeze the fill tab on the top.  There is virtually no mess filling up your side by side or atv, no mater where the position of the tank is. Its particularly handy when filling up small power equipment like chainsaws, pressure washers, lawn mower, etc.  Initially I felt like the can was over priced, but after having it at the garage I always find myself gravitating toward it over my other collection of flimsy and messy gas cans. In conclusion, this may be the best gas can on the market and I do recommend this product, it may be the last one you'll ever have to buy!  CHECK OUT OTHER REVIEWS HERE