# Prairie 360 overheating, why? Anybody else?



## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

I've got an '05 Prairie 360 that I got over the winter and never had problems until now. A few times when the temps get up to 80 or so after running awhile I would push the thumb throttle in all the way and it would just stumble badly, so I'm assuming it's overheating. Or could it just be vapor lock? What would cause it to overheat like this? My 4x4 light has been blinking, could the KEBC stick so to speak, causing drag on the engine? I jetted it a little on the rich side for winter plowing but I've never had anything act like this when running rich. Should I wrap the exhaust? Help I don't know what to do! How do you you keep a air cooled engine from overheating?


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## drtj (May 3, 2009)

sounds like the jetting is off.


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## jrfonte (Mar 9, 2010)

Yep jetting, if you had it rich in the winter with the cold air temps since its gotten warmer out its really running rich now. Cold air is more dense than warm air meaning it has more oxygen in it and you can throw more fuel to it in the winter than summer. You need to rejet it for summer time now.


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## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

I seems to me it's more along the lines of overheating. If it's hot out and the atv is cold it runs fine for 30-45 minutes before it acts up. I've heard the exhaust valves on these are problematic, if it's to tight would that cause this. I am going to lean the carb for summer weather but I think something else is wrong.


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## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

As far as jetting I went one size richer on the pilot jet, stock main and shimmer the needle .06" (i think)


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## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

I'll try removing the needle shims and see what happens, any other thoughts?


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

*Mine overheats as well*

My '05 P360 is overheating as well. I rejetted it (dynojet kit) and it still overheats after about 15 min of riding, worse at slow speeds. I adj the valves a while back so I don't think it is that, on the lose side. I might check that again for peace of mind. I unpluged the carb heater and cleaned out the radator. It runs great, the fan comes on but it just gets hotter and hotter. I have to turn it off and let it cool down. I feels like the timing is advanced of something. Can the ignitor go bad and advance the timing? Any help would be great. 

THX


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## hondarecoveryman (Feb 28, 2009)

mikep360 said:


> . I unpluged the carb heater and cleaned out the radator.
> 
> THX


 A Prairie 360 is air cooled , only has oil cooler


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

*Any ideas (help)*

Yes they are oil cooled. I guess I should say a washed the dirt out of the fins of the oil cooler, (heat exchanger). Does anybody have any ideas on what I should check next? Great bike and I want to ride but just cant figure this one out.


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## phreebsd (Dec 16, 2004)

have you checked to see if the oil cooler lines are clogged with sludge. remove the banjo fittings and blow thru it - blow thru the whole oil cooler.


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

I will try that. I guess good time to change the oil while I have it all apart. I put a purlator filter on last oil change, clould that be the reason it is running hot? Also I am running 87 octane fuel, can that cause it to run hot? Like I said before it runs better them ever, reminds me of when I use to over the advance timing on car motors for racing. They ran great but real hot. Thanks i will let you know what i blow out of the oil lines.


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## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

Well its been awhile since I originally had this happen and I've put prolly 40 hours on it since. I couldn't find any info on this either. What I ended up doing was going back to stock jetting and it helped a little, I then wrapped the exhaust right under the carb and that made a noticeable difference, I also removed the 2 plastic pieces that block a lot of airflow to the engine behind the front tires. I have been riding on the hottest days this year and it hasn't given me any problems. Don't get me wrong my fan runs all the time but that just seems to be normal by now. They're some pretty bulletproof motors!


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

Thanks. What octane gas are you using. When I first got this bike it ran cool. I cant understand what happned. I keep thinking its a timing thing. Can a car timing light be used to check the timing on an ATV? I let you know if I what i find out.


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## SlurpJ (Oct 16, 2010)

I run the cheapest has I can find which is 87 octane, occasionally I will put in 100 octane that I keep around for my bike and it runs the same no difference. I think the problem for me was vapor lock the carb got really hot from the exhaust and was causing me problems.


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

I did notice a diff when I unplug the carb heater. I will try wrapping my pipe as well. What did you use?


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

No other things anyone can think of to check out why this machine could be running hot? I hate to throw in the towel!!!


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## mikep360 (Aug 22, 2011)

I checked my float bowl fuel level with very little gas in the gas tank with the clear tube method and the level was almost to the bottom of the float bowl. Ouch! So i filled the gas tank half way and bowl level can up to about half way. Then i filled the tank all the way and the bowl level was at the parting line of the carb, right where it should be. This can't be normal. Any sugestions? The bike runs alot better with a full tank but still hotter then I would like. The battery is dead so I had to pull start it. Would that make the fan run slower and the bike hotter?


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