YAMAHA WOLVERINE 450 2006 Owners Manual
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If water has been used instead of coolant, re-
place it with coolant as soon as possible,
otherwise the engine may not be sufficiently
cooled and the cooling system will not be
protected against frost and corrosion.If water has been added to the coolant, have
a Yamaha dealer check the antifreeze con-
tent of the coolant as soon as possible, oth-
erwise the effectiveness of the coolant willbe reduced.
NOTE:If the engine overheats, see page 8-54 for furtherinstructions.EBU26440To change the coolant
WARNING
EWB01890Wait for the engine and radiator to cool before
removing the radiator cap. You could be
burned by hot fluid and steam blown out under
pressure. Always place a thick rag over the cap
when opening. Allow any remaining pressureto escape before completely removing the cap.
1. Place the ATV on a level surface.2. Remove panels C and D. (See page 8-8.)
3. Place a container under the engine, and then
remove the coolant drain bolt. (Use a trough
or a similar object as shown to prevent coolant
from spilling on the footrest.)
1. Coolant drain bolt
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84. Remove cowling A. (See page 8-8.)
5. Remove the radiator cap.6. Remove the coolant reservoir cap.
7. Disconnect the hose on the coolant reservoir
side, and then drain the coolant from the cool-
ant reservoir.
8. After draining the coolant, thoroughly flush the
cooling system with clean tap water.
9. Replace the coolant drain bolt washer if it is
damaged, install the coolant drain bolt, and
then tighten it to the specified torque.
1. Trough
1. Radiator cap
1. Coolant reservoir hoseTightening torque:
Coolant drain bolt:
10 Nm (1.0 m·kgf, 7.2 ft·lbf)
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8 10. Connect the coolant reservoir hose.
11. Pour the recommended coolant into the reser-
voir to the maximum level mark, and then in-
stall the reservoir cap.
12. Pour the recommended coolant into the radia-
tor until it is full.
CAUTION:ECB00400If coolant is not available, use distilled water
or soft tap water instead. Do not use hard wa-
ter or salt water since it is harmful to the en-
gine.
If water has been used instead of coolant, re-
place it with coolant as soon as possible,
otherwise the engine may not be sufficiently
cooled and the cooling system will not be
protected against frost and corrosion.If water has been added to the coolant, have
a Yamaha dealer check the antifreeze con-
tent of the coolant as soon as possible, oth-
erwise the effectiveness of the coolant willbe reduced.
13. Install the radiator cap, start the engine, let it
idle for several minutes, and then turn it off.
14. Remove the radiator cap to check the coolant
level in the radiator. If it is low, add sufficient
coolant until it reaches the top of the radiator,
and then install the radiator cap.
15. Start the engine, and then check for coolant
leakage.
NOTE:If any leakage is found, have a Yamaha dealercheck the cooling system.
16. Install the cowling.
17. Install the panels. Antifreeze/water mixture ratio:
1:1
Recommended antifreeze:
High-quality ethylene glycol antifreeze con-
taining corrosion inhibitors for aluminum en-
gines
Coolant quantity:
Radiator capacity (including all routes):
1.32 L (1.40 US qt) (1.16 Imp.qt)
Coolant reservoir capacity (up to the maxi-
mum level mark):
0.25 L (0.26 US qt) (0.22 Imp.qt)
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EBU23640Cleaning the air filter element The air filter element should be cleaned at the in-
tervals specified in the periodic maintenance and
lubrication chart. Clean the air filter element more
frequently if you are riding in unusually wet or dusty
areas.NOTE:There is a check hose at the bottom of the air filter
case. If dust or water collects in this hose, empty
the hose and clean the air filter element and air fil-ter case.
1. Remove the seat. (See page 4-12.)2. Remove the air filter case cover by unhooking
the holders.
3. Pull the air filter element out of the air filter
case.1. Air filter case check hose
1. Air filter case holder
2. Air filter case cover
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8 4. Pull off the lock plate, and then remove the
sponge material from the air filter element
frame.5. Wash the sponge material gently but thor-
oughly in solvent.
WARNING
EWB01940Always use parts cleaning solvent to clean the
sponge material. Never use low-flash-point
solvents or gasoline to clean the sponge mate-
rial because the engine could catch fire or ex-plode.
6. Squeeze the excess solvent out of the sponge
material and let it dry.
1. Air filter element
1. Air filter element frame
2. Sponge material
3. Air filter element lock plate
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8
CAUTION:ECB00440Do not twist the sponge material when squeez-ing it.
7. Check the sponge material and replace it if
damaged.
8. Apply a quality foam air filter oil to the sponge
material.NOTE:The sponge material should be wet but not drip-ping.
9. Pull the sponge material over the air filter ele-
ment frame, and then install the lock plate.
10. Insert the air filter element into the air filter
case, and then install the air filter case cover
by hooking the holders onto the air filter case.
11. Install the seat.NOTE:The air filter element should be cleaned every 20–
40 hours. It should be cleaned and lubricated more
often if the ATV is operated in extremely dusty ar-
eas. Each time the air filter element maintenance
is performed, check the air inlet of the air filter case
for obstructions. Check the air filter case rubber
joint to the carburetor fittings and the rubber jointmanifold fittings for an air-tight seal. Tighten all fit-
tings securely to avoid the possibility of unfiltered
air entering the engine.CAUTION:ECB00460Make sure that the air filter element is prop-
erly seated in the air filter case.Never operate the engine with the air filter el-
ement removed. This will allow unfiltered air
to enter the engine, causing rapid engine
wear and possible engine damage. Addition-
ally, operation without the air filter element
will affect carburetor jetting with subsequent
poor performance and possible engine over-heating.EBU23920V-belt cooling duct check hose If dust or water collects in the V-belt cooling duct
check hose, remove the hose and clean it.
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EBU23930V-belt case drain plug After riding in water deep enough to allow it to en-
ter the V-belt case, remove this plug to drain the
water from the case.NOTE:If water drains from the V-belt case after removing
the plug, have a Yamaha dealer check the ATV asthe water may affect other engine parts.
EBU23940Adjusting the carburetor The carburetor should be checked and, if neces-
sary, adjusted at the intervals specified in the peri-
odic maintenance and lubrication chart. The
carburetor is an important part of the engine and
requires very sophisticated adjustment. Therefore,
most carburetor adjustments should be left to a
Yamaha dealer, who has the necessary profes-
sional knowledge and experience. The adjustment
described in the following section, however, may
be performed by the owner as part of routine main-
tenance.
1. V-belt cooling duct check hose (left front side of ATV)
1. V-belt case drain plug
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CAUTION:ECB00480The carburetor has been set and extensively
tested at the Yamaha factory. Changing these
settings without sufficient technical knowl-
edge may result in poor performance of ordamage to the engine.EBU24000Adjusting the engine idling speed The engine idling speed must be checked and, if
necessary, adjusted as follows at the intervals
specified in the periodic maintenance and lubrica-
tion chart.NOTE:A diagnostic tachometer is needed to make thisadjustment.
1. Start the engine and warm it up.NOTE:The engine is warm when it quickly responds to thethrottle.
2. Attach the tachometer to the spark plug lead.
3. Check the engine idling speed and, if neces-
sary, adjust it to specification by turning the
throttle stop screw at the carburetor. To in-crease the engine idling speed, turn the throt-
tle stop screw in direction (a), and to decrease
it, turn the screw in direction (b).
NOTE:If the specified idling speed cannot be obtained as
described above, have a Yamaha dealer make theadjustment.1. Throttle stop screwEngine idling speed:
1450–1550 r/min
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EBU24041Adjusting the throttle cable free play The throttle cable free play should be checked
and, if necessary, adjusted at the intervals speci-
fied in the periodic maintenance and lubrication
chart.
The throttle cable free play should measure 3.0–
5.0 mm (0.12–0.20 in) as shown. Periodically
check the throttle cable free play and, if necessary,
adjust it as follows.NOTE:The engine idling speed must be checked, and ad-
justed if necessary, before adjusting the throttle ca-ble free play.
1. Loosen the locknut.
2. To increase the throttle cable free play, turn
the adjusting bolt in direction (a). To decrease
the throttle cable free play, turn the adjusting
bolt in direction (b).3. Tighten the locknut.
EBU24060Valve clearance The valve clearance changes with use, resulting in
improper air-fuel mixture and/or engine noise. To
prevent this from occurring, the valve clearance
must be adjusted by a Yamaha dealer at the inter-
vals specified in the periodic maintenance and lu-
brication chart.1. Locknut
2. Throttle cable free play adjusting bolt
3. Throttle cable free play
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EBU24070Adjusting the drive select lever safety
system cable The drive select lever safety system cable stretch-
es with use, which can result in improper function.
Therefore, the safety system cable should be
checked and adjusted at the intervals specified in
the periodic maintenance and lubrication chart.EBU24130Checking the front and rear brake pads The front and rear brake pads must be checked for
wear at the intervals specified in the periodic main-
tenance and lubrication chart.EBU24171Front brake pads
Check each front brake pad for damage and mea-
sure the lining thickness. If a brake pad is dam-
aged or if the lining thickness is less than 1.0 mm
(0.04 in), have a Yamaha dealer replace the brake
pads as a set.
NOTE:The wheels need to be removed to check thebrake pads. (See page 8-51.)EBU26460Rear brake pads
Each rear brake pad is provided with wear indica-
tor grooves, which allow you to check the brake
pad wear without having to disassemble the brake.
To check the brake pad wear, check the wear indi-
cator grooves. If a brake pad has worn to the point
that the wear indicator grooves have almost disap-
peared, have a Yamaha dealer replace the brake
pads as a set.1. Lining thickness
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