NON VALK- ATV Question

[tbone]

 Ok, got home from Inzane and was told our ATV was locked up.. Dad did not want to ruin the trip by telling me sooner. I trust the advice of this group and was hoping you may have some guidance on possible salvage yards that are reputable. It is an older ATV- 2000 Arctic Cat 500- That is the reason I am not thinking 2500 for a new engine. I know I am probably SOL but hoping. Thanks  TBONE

[BradValk48237]

If its a 2 stroke and you are handy, more than likely it can be fixed for not a handful... or they are local guys that work on 2 strokes, not a dealer.

Have ridden snowmobiles for years and have had many buddies who have seized a motor and if they had the parts were back out the next day......

Unless its totally screwed up..lol

Bard

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm pretty sure that is a 4 stroke. Polaris made some 2 stroke ATV's, but it's been a while. I'm surprised its seized up those are pretty good motors. Did it get run with no oil ?

[cookiedough]

I had for 7 years a 2000 Arctic 500 automatic 4wd  single cylinder probably identical to what you have.    They made it in an automatic and the not so popular shifter model.  Motor is made by Suzuki and that 500cc motor in Arctic Cat ATV's have been around forever made by Suzuki until more recent years where Arctic Cat finally went away from Suzuki engines and as of only a few years ago started making their own Arctic Cat engines. 

Your whole ATV is only worth 2600 bucks total assuming in good shape still.  I had NOT one bit of trouble out of my bulletproof 4-stroke Suzuki 499cc engine, although was cold blooded in the cold wintertime.  Am sure you can get an engine out there a TON cheaper than 1000 bucks easily since fairly common engine they used for years. 

No idea on how that engine could lock up to be honest, maybe something else going on?  It has a pull starter rope, try using that to see if it turns over.  Just be careful, my pull starter rope you had to pull GENTLY the first 3-5" and then yank it very hard and DO NOT use full choke on left handlebar since my starter rope liked to recoil in very harshly ONLY if using full choke for some reason.  Using the choke (fully pushed down) was very fussy (not liked) when using the pull starter rope.

ATV's newer now have NO backup pull starter rope which has bailed me out dozens of times due to the crappy electrical push button starting system on that Arctic Cat 500.  When cold,  electric start didn't have enough OOMPH to turn engine over, had to use pull starter rope all the time if sitting in the cold not using it for weeks/months at a time. 

I am guessing, but maybe a mis-diagnosis and something else going on.  That is a GOOD, reliable engine and that all metal (not cheap plastic) with HUGE METAL racks was a workhorse for sure although not the most user friendly and forgiving on the ATV trails, best workhorse (farm use, etc.) ATV on the market in my opinion.