Make your LTR run like it was new.

[yoshi_ltr]

so in the last few weeks i have read pretty much this whole site and i found out some important facts.
1. there are 2 types of users extremely experienced riders/racers who know a lot about everything and comment on everyone's posts, and the average Joe weekend warrior's who post the same thread 5 times

USE THE SEARCH FEATURE! it actually works guys
2. i did a complete overhaul on my 06 this past week and i thought i would compile everything i learned into one thread. its basically a little more than just general maintenance and can make your quad run like a brand new machine whether its stock or top of the line everything

So here is what I learned:

1. Oil:
To make your quad run better you should always change your oil often. using high performance oil will make your machine love you forever. some general assumptions are that you cant use a fully synthetic in the ltr because it has a wet clutch THIS IS NOT TRUE. more than half of us on here use a full syth. oil such as Royal Purple, Lucas Oil, Belray Thumper, Amsoil, etc. the only thing with a fully synth. is make sure its for a 4stroke machine dont use car oil. also make sure you replace the oil filter and o ring EVERY oil change

2. Fuel:
The LTR likes to run on rich fuel. i would never put in anything under 91octane in a fuel injected quad they just run better on higher octane regardless of what mods you have. obviously if you have extenceive motor work your running race gas or 93 with octane boost. i have found that the Lucas octane boost works the best.

Now if all of a sudden your quad starts sputtering,not idling correctly, bogging, etc it has to do with fuel. the first thing to do, IMO, is to get some Sea Foam gasoline additive to clean out your lines, pump, injector, etc and break down as much stuff in the gas as it can. if no success there then you should replace your fuel filter. the tea bag filter in the swirl tank below the gas tank is a PITA to change or examine so once again IMO change to an inline fuel filter, its cheaper than replacing the tea bag filter even including extra filters for it. if you do so COMPLETELY REMOVE THE TEA BAG FILTER, YOU DO NOT NEED 2 FILTERS. it makes it so you can see when the filter is getting clogged and replacement take 5 min not 30. i have not heard of anyone having problems nor have had any myself but i have heard that the inline filter isn't as fine as the other one but like i said i havent heard of any problems. it could also be because of fuel pressure but i do not have any knowledge on that.

also with fuel if you do any engine mods such as port/polish, high comp piston, cams, etc you need a better fuel management system and no that's not a cherry bomb. the cherry bomb only unlocks the race fuel map and is no good when you have more than just a pipe and no lid on your intake. everyone on here will recommend the Dynojet Power Commander 3 (pciii) which is great, i have the YoshimuraPIM modual and that works just as good, BUT the new PC5 just came out and i have heard its even better.

3. Coolant
ltrs run particularly hot and just regular coolant is O.K. but IMO Engine Ice is the best on the market, it will make your ltr run at least 10 degrees cooler. all you have to do is drain your current fluid, flush with water, pour and enjoy

4. Handling
even though long travel arms and aftermarket shocks increase handling dramatically, its not in everyone's budget so some here are some simple things you can do to make your LTR handle better. Replace your stock tie rod ends with some after market ones such as LSR or Quad Boss. it will stiffen your steering and make your turns smoother, also you can get a steering stabilizer. there are 2 kinds of ST's, the stick kind such as streamline or pep, and the Presison kind which is more high end and is preferred by racers.

5. Brakes
its always important to keep your brakes and pads in check. IMO its good to bleed the breaks every year or so and add new fluid to keep them fresh and working properly. the stock pads are OK but Kevlar ones are far superior. make sure when you replace pads do both sides not just one. now if you want to increase stopping power you can upgrade your brake lines to a steel braided version such as Streamline or Galifur (spelling?)

well after reading that im sure your eyes hurt but now its all on one thread

HOPE THIS HELPS GUYS, I KNOW DOING ALL THIS TO MY MACHINE MADE IT RUN LIKE A CHAMP! goodluck

[ltrkyle489]

My only complaint. Do NOT run an in line. I ran one, and it was the worst idea I've had on this bike. Swirl is the only way to go....

[LTR-ERICK]

I disagree about the fuel, octane boost is junk and a waste of money IMO. If you have a high comp piston don't cheap out, get AV gas at the least. And I ran race gas in mine when I had a stock piston and it ran the same as it did with 92,93, or 94 octane. The only difference was less cash in my wallet. Other then that everything looks good.

[B0R0C]

with the engine ice you add just water to it correct? you do not have to use any other coolant type and not fill completely with engine ice that would be really expansive..

[yoshi_ltr]

i have heard different opinions about the inline and the one on my bike works great, and yeah i agree with you erick about the gas i just threw everything out there

[LTR-ERICK]

Quote: Originally Posted by B0R0C

with the engine ice you add just water to it correct? you do not have to use any other coolant type and not fill completely with engine ice that would be really expansive..

Do not add water to Engine Ice its already premixed.

[yoshi_ltr]

but you flush with water before adding it

[campbell21]

Another important thing to add would be Valve clearance.

[B0R0C]

i saw a little bottle of engine ice that was about 14 oz and it was like $20 and it would take about 6 or so to fill the radiator? is there another way that engine ice comes? i think that what i saw was a high concentrate bottle or somethin?... anyone?

[Stemmy450]

Bump for a nice post Yoshi. Maybe we can Sticky this one?