Restoring a Suzuki LTZ 400 quad

This is a photo I found of a LTZ 400, Not the one I am working on.

I have been working on the Suzuki. I removed the body and cleaned out all of the hornets nests. I gave it a good pressure washing and began to take stock of what I had. I removed the gas tank and replaced the carb with an OEM Mikuni that I had found on Ebay. Everything fit good and the rubbers were still pliable. I removed the spark plug and found that a bunch of grit had accumulated in the spark plug well and some had likely fell into the cylinder when I removed the plug. I used a strong vacuum and cleaned out the well, the cylinder and the top of the piston. I then put about 1/4 cup of 2-stroke oil in the cylinder and let it sit overnight. When I came back, I put the transmission in high gear and carefully turned the rear wheels. The engine was not seized up at all and seems to turn over fine.

The gas tank was a mess. It was full of varnish from evaporated fuel and gunk. The valve on the bottom of this tank has an attached fuel pump. I was able to find one on Ebay and purchase it. I left the old valve in the tank and put in a pint or so of clean gas and let it soak. After an hour or so, I used a parts brush to brush the tank bottom as best I could and violently sloshed the gas around the inside of the tank to remove as much of the residue as I could. I then installed the new pump/valve and got the tank ready to install. I wanted to wait until I re-install the spark plug before I put the tank back on permanently.

My customer had purchased a black and yellow seat cover and a good used seat on Ebay. I removed the cover from the used seat and found that it had been sealed in the packaging while still wet. I took off the cover and removed the foam from the frame and let it dry over a weekend. The next steps will be to glue the foam back on the frame and stretch the new black and yellow cover over the foam and staple it on. I have watched several Youtube videos on how to recover the seat. I am confident that I can do a good job.

The handle grips had deteriorated to the point that they were just goo on the handle bars. I scraped the goo off and cleaned the bars up with some carb cleaner. I then installed a new pair of yellow and black rubber handle grips.

My next steps will be to finish up the fuel tank and install the rear body. I need it in place to install the battery and get the machine powered up. Then I will add some gasoline and twist it's tail. Hopefully it will start. I have a free engine, new spark plug, new carburetor, fuel valve, fuel pump and new fuel lines. It ought to make smoke and noise!

Then we just have to finish up installing the front and side body panels and get the new rear tires mounted. Then, I just have to do some finishing touches and it will be done. More later.

One of my long time customers has asked me to restore his 2003 Suzuki LTZ400 4x2 quad. He put the quad out in a pasture when he started his business a few years ago. Between the cows and the bright California sun, The bike needs a lot of work. We will be removing the stock body and replacing it with a new replacement body. The plastic overflow tank has rotted in the sun and will have to be replaced. I think I will be able to freshen up the hand guards and replace the handle gips with new pretty new yellow ones from WPS. I was able to find a new OEM carb on Ebay and have just received that. I also have ordered replacement rear tires, also from WPS. The back tires have rotted and will not hold air. The front tires are actually pretty good and may be ok as is. The owner, Troy Smith has also found a replacement seat on Ebay and will be bringing that over when he gets it. When I get caught up servicing Argo vehicles for the upcoming waterfowl season, I will start on this project. I am a bit worried about the cooling system. I see green corrosion around the coolant connections on the engine. I will drain and flush and replace all the gaskets. Once the body is off, I will give it a good pressure washing. Lots of faults will show up once we get cleaning and looking. I will post some before and after pictures. stay tuned.

We now have a used seat and a custom cover purchased from Ebay. We will be showing you those a bit later.