My wife and I have been wanting a SXS for several years now. However, we are both pretty tight with a dollar and simply refuse to pay $15-25k plus taxes for a new machine. Since I worked for HONDA in dealerships for over 20 years and as a Certified Tech for many more years, there was only one choice as far as a brand, that was a HONDA. NO belts for me. I like the concept of the DCT and am very familiar with "The HONDA Way" of doing things.
That being said, We decided that $10k was our limit to spend, if a P1000-5 did not come along at around that price, we were not going to spend more or go into debit for more. I knew if the right one came along, that I could fix anything that might be wrong and stay in our budget. One day a 2016 P1000-5D popped up on FB Marketplace. We called and it was still available. So we went to take a look.. it was a pretty decent looking machine with the HONDA Roof and Windshield and 4000 miles. The battery was dead, so the owner jumped it off and it started, but with a bad rod knock. So the engine needed work. Turns out that the machine had been sunk and run with water in the oil, by someone who wanted to "Try it out and see if they wanted to buy it". After they sunk it, It seems they changed their minds? No problem for me, but a local dealer had quoted him $8000, just to "Fix" the engine. He did not have the Money or the ability to DIY the repair. He needed out from under the payment ASAP. I told him I would give payoff directly to AHFC as long as it did not exceed $6500. Two others were supposedly looking at the machine and were supposed to bring "cash", both backed out after seeing the machine and hearing the terrible engine noise. He let me know that if I still wanted it, he wanted me to have it. It was a "diamond in the rough"! We took it home in August 1 2020 and were on the trails October 15th. As you can imagine, COVID induced delay for getting a title and payoff taken care of, I began to assess the repairs needed. I could not do anything until we got clear title. Once the work began, we found that the engine was just the tip of the iceberg.
Here is the original "To Do" list:
1. Complete engine bottom end replacement and top end overhaul
2. Repair damaged Low/Reverse Gears in Sub-Trans
3. Replace 1-3-5 Clutch Pack
4. Replace both front Drive Shafts
5. Replace Lower Control Arms (bent)
6 Replace Brake pads
7. Replace Battery
8. Replace 4 tires
9. Replace bent front bumper and damaged headlight mount
It took 2 solid days of pressure washing after stripping to the frame to get the mud out of every nook and cranny on the machine. There must have been at least 150 lbs of mud packed everywhere on this poor thing.
The engine needed a new crankshaft, both connecting rods, all bearings and both piston assemblies due to internal damage. It took a few days to get all the metal and debris out of the engine. Engine Parts were on Back order for some time, again due to COVID. I also had carpal tunnel surgery, so I was working with one hand, literally.
R & R Engine. One rod had the big end bearing spun and crank journal ruined. Both rods had the piston pin holes galled from water intrusion and poor lubrication. All bearings were pretty much toast from massive amounts of metal and poor lubrication.
Both Pistons were destroyed and unusable due to galled pin bores. Cylinders were perfect, no wear or scratches (Miracles do happen)
Both piston pins were ruined.
Replaced cam chain just to be safe. Checked and set valve clearance.
Tore down and inspected oil pumps (3). These were in amazing condition, no damage or significant wear. I expected to need to replace all the pumps.
Replaced Oil strainer, it was completely full of metal from the crank and rod.
Rebuilt the Sub Trans with new gears and shift forks. Oil in sub-trans showed contamination from water as well.
Replaced 1-3-5 Clutch and inspected the 2-4-6 Clutch.
Replace Lower Control arms and ball joints along with both drive shafts.
Aligned front end.
Replaced battery and installed dual batteries, since I was adding a winch. I went with a pair of original equipment type batteries, wired in parallel, no isolation. Engine cranks off of both batteries at the same time. This is simple and efficient. No Isolator needed or there to fail. Do not have any desire for sound systems and huge lights, so all that extra stuff was just more work and expense.
Installed Auxiliary Fuse panel, Relay, Volt meter, Rocker switch panel, RAM mount and USB power port.
Installed new bumper and 5000lb XTREME Winch, synthetic rope, KFI Mount and KFI Front Hitch Receiver.
Installed 4 slightly used BIGHORN 2.0 6 ply tires from Kawasaki TEREX.
Cleaned and cleaned some more.
Installed all new graphics.
Installed Grab Straps on roll cage.
Installed Scissor Jack (3D Printed Custom mount).
Installed Fire Extinguisher (3D Printed Custom mount).
Installed inside Rear View mirror. (3D Printed Custom mounts).
Designed and 3D printed Custom Door Hinge Bushings.
Installed Updated Air intake Cover from 2018 P1000 to keep water and dust intrusion down without resorting to a snorkel.
Replaced Air filter and cleaned out mud and water from intake pipe and air box.
Cleaned IACV (full of varnish and mud)
Drained fuel tank and removed a quart or more of water.
Extended all vent hoses and added filters/flame arrestors.
Repaired rear Differential lock. Cable box full of corrosion, cables adjusted wrong and lever on rear differential was jammed with caked mud, rocks and sticks. Turf mode was not working, remained "Locked" all the time
Adjusted brake light switch. (Brake lights stayed on all the time)
Added a roof mounted LED backup light that comes on using the reverse alarm wiring
Added a 15" wide angle LED Driving light bar to front bumper with custom mounts
Added a 10 liter NATO Type Auxiliary Fuel can and Custom 3D Printed mounts in the bed.
Added a tailgate leveling bracket kit.
Adjusted all latches and bump stops to eliminate door and bed rattles.
Made and installed a custom center dust shield out of Marine Grade clear vinyl.
Designed and 3D printed additional tie downs for light items in the rear bed.
Installed storage bin for the wife's "stuff".
Installed DYNOJET PV3 and custom tune (work in progress) UPDATE: 09/15/2021 I have figured out how to get this thing to upshift and downshift the DCT when in reverse. Now I have 2 gears in reverse, 1sr and 2nd. Seems like it is easier to control and less jerky when it is running backwards.
Replaced lower seat cushion due to old one being saturated with water from the times it was used as a submarine. Seat froze solid in winter and was impossible to ride.
Added extensive sound deadening and heat reducing materials to backsides of all plastic panels.
Added isolation foam blocks to roof panel to stop rattles where the roof rubs on the cage. (4 places)
Designed and 3D printed custom front roof drains for that "lake" that forms in the recess of the HONDA roof panel every time it rains.
Installed STRONGMADE Bracket Lift to gain 2 1/2" of much needed ground clearance.
Added double layers of thermal insulation to the front seat bottom and back panels.
Added weatherstrips to rear doors to reduce dust.
Installed Electronic Bilge fan controller and under seat temp sensor for automatic control of upcoming bilge fan(s).
Sealed openings around front seat belt buckle attachments to stop heat intrusion.
Installed RAD Customs Shifter panels and seals, more heat reduction.
Installed additional Heat blocks around the seat belt lower anchor points. Reduced heat flow dramatically.
Added rear door storage boxes under colored panels.
All of these parts cost just a little over $4500 and were paid for the parts as we went along. So we have the PIONEER for just a bit over $11k, total. Not bad and well within what we originally had budgeted. We added a LOT of extras that we did not even consider when we established that original $10k budget figure. This was a lot of work, but I have way more time than $$$. So I looked at the cost of paying someone to do this massive job and figure that as my profit. The dealers are at least $100 per hour in our area so I figure that I have made about $8k-$10k over the course of this project. Plus the satisfaction of doing what most people would have said was not possible.
Things that I still need/want to do:
DONE!! Finish Installing bilge fan(s) for more heat reduction.
DONE!! Chop Roll cage to reduce overall height. To me, the ROPS is way too high. UPDATED 09/15/2021: ROPS Chop completed last week. Photos attached at the bottom of the thread.
DONE!! Install new bead lock wheels and larger tires.
DONE!! Added Center Console for my Wife. She has always wanted a center armrest and a place for more "stuff". It's a "girl thing"!
DONE!! Install UHMW Full skid plate.
Install additional interior lighting such as dash and dome lighting.
Add external access door for driver side under seat storage compartment.
Replace clutch cover with updated parts. (This is new since original post)
Still a work in progress!
Here it is after we started riding the old girl. Also added a ton of photos to the file. These are in no particular order, just to give some ideas of what was done. I wish I had taken more photos of the damage and the aftermath of the destruction. It is impossible to believe the damage that is caused by some water, a little dirt, lack of maintenance and a fair amount of very hard use thrown in for good measure.
That being said, We decided that $10k was our limit to spend, if a P1000-5 did not come along at around that price, we were not going to spend more or go into debit for more. I knew if the right one came along, that I could fix anything that might be wrong and stay in our budget. One day a 2016 P1000-5D popped up on FB Marketplace. We called and it was still available. So we went to take a look.. it was a pretty decent looking machine with the HONDA Roof and Windshield and 4000 miles. The battery was dead, so the owner jumped it off and it started, but with a bad rod knock. So the engine needed work. Turns out that the machine had been sunk and run with water in the oil, by someone who wanted to "Try it out and see if they wanted to buy it". After they sunk it, It seems they changed their minds? No problem for me, but a local dealer had quoted him $8000, just to "Fix" the engine. He did not have the Money or the ability to DIY the repair. He needed out from under the payment ASAP. I told him I would give payoff directly to AHFC as long as it did not exceed $6500. Two others were supposedly looking at the machine and were supposed to bring "cash", both backed out after seeing the machine and hearing the terrible engine noise. He let me know that if I still wanted it, he wanted me to have it. It was a "diamond in the rough"! We took it home in August 1 2020 and were on the trails October 15th. As you can imagine, COVID induced delay for getting a title and payoff taken care of, I began to assess the repairs needed. I could not do anything until we got clear title. Once the work began, we found that the engine was just the tip of the iceberg.
Here is the original "To Do" list:
1. Complete engine bottom end replacement and top end overhaul
2. Repair damaged Low/Reverse Gears in Sub-Trans
3. Replace 1-3-5 Clutch Pack
4. Replace both front Drive Shafts
5. Replace Lower Control Arms (bent)
6 Replace Brake pads
7. Replace Battery
8. Replace 4 tires
9. Replace bent front bumper and damaged headlight mount
It took 2 solid days of pressure washing after stripping to the frame to get the mud out of every nook and cranny on the machine. There must have been at least 150 lbs of mud packed everywhere on this poor thing.
The engine needed a new crankshaft, both connecting rods, all bearings and both piston assemblies due to internal damage. It took a few days to get all the metal and debris out of the engine. Engine Parts were on Back order for some time, again due to COVID. I also had carpal tunnel surgery, so I was working with one hand, literally.
R & R Engine. One rod had the big end bearing spun and crank journal ruined. Both rods had the piston pin holes galled from water intrusion and poor lubrication. All bearings were pretty much toast from massive amounts of metal and poor lubrication.
Both Pistons were destroyed and unusable due to galled pin bores. Cylinders were perfect, no wear or scratches (Miracles do happen)
Both piston pins were ruined.
Replaced cam chain just to be safe. Checked and set valve clearance.
Tore down and inspected oil pumps (3). These were in amazing condition, no damage or significant wear. I expected to need to replace all the pumps.
Replaced Oil strainer, it was completely full of metal from the crank and rod.
Rebuilt the Sub Trans with new gears and shift forks. Oil in sub-trans showed contamination from water as well.
Replaced 1-3-5 Clutch and inspected the 2-4-6 Clutch.
Replace Lower Control arms and ball joints along with both drive shafts.
Aligned front end.
Replaced battery and installed dual batteries, since I was adding a winch. I went with a pair of original equipment type batteries, wired in parallel, no isolation. Engine cranks off of both batteries at the same time. This is simple and efficient. No Isolator needed or there to fail. Do not have any desire for sound systems and huge lights, so all that extra stuff was just more work and expense.
Installed Auxiliary Fuse panel, Relay, Volt meter, Rocker switch panel, RAM mount and USB power port.
Installed new bumper and 5000lb XTREME Winch, synthetic rope, KFI Mount and KFI Front Hitch Receiver.
Installed 4 slightly used BIGHORN 2.0 6 ply tires from Kawasaki TEREX.
Cleaned and cleaned some more.
Installed all new graphics.
Installed Grab Straps on roll cage.
Installed Scissor Jack (3D Printed Custom mount).
Installed Fire Extinguisher (3D Printed Custom mount).
Installed inside Rear View mirror. (3D Printed Custom mounts).
Designed and 3D printed Custom Door Hinge Bushings.
Installed Updated Air intake Cover from 2018 P1000 to keep water and dust intrusion down without resorting to a snorkel.
Replaced Air filter and cleaned out mud and water from intake pipe and air box.
Cleaned IACV (full of varnish and mud)
Drained fuel tank and removed a quart or more of water.
Extended all vent hoses and added filters/flame arrestors.
Repaired rear Differential lock. Cable box full of corrosion, cables adjusted wrong and lever on rear differential was jammed with caked mud, rocks and sticks. Turf mode was not working, remained "Locked" all the time
Adjusted brake light switch. (Brake lights stayed on all the time)
Added a roof mounted LED backup light that comes on using the reverse alarm wiring
Added a 15" wide angle LED Driving light bar to front bumper with custom mounts
Added a 10 liter NATO Type Auxiliary Fuel can and Custom 3D Printed mounts in the bed.
Added a tailgate leveling bracket kit.
Adjusted all latches and bump stops to eliminate door and bed rattles.
Made and installed a custom center dust shield out of Marine Grade clear vinyl.
Designed and 3D printed additional tie downs for light items in the rear bed.
Installed storage bin for the wife's "stuff".
Installed DYNOJET PV3 and custom tune (work in progress) UPDATE: 09/15/2021 I have figured out how to get this thing to upshift and downshift the DCT when in reverse. Now I have 2 gears in reverse, 1sr and 2nd. Seems like it is easier to control and less jerky when it is running backwards.
Replaced lower seat cushion due to old one being saturated with water from the times it was used as a submarine. Seat froze solid in winter and was impossible to ride.
Added extensive sound deadening and heat reducing materials to backsides of all plastic panels.
Added isolation foam blocks to roof panel to stop rattles where the roof rubs on the cage. (4 places)
Designed and 3D printed custom front roof drains for that "lake" that forms in the recess of the HONDA roof panel every time it rains.
Installed STRONGMADE Bracket Lift to gain 2 1/2" of much needed ground clearance.
Added double layers of thermal insulation to the front seat bottom and back panels.
Added weatherstrips to rear doors to reduce dust.
Installed Electronic Bilge fan controller and under seat temp sensor for automatic control of upcoming bilge fan(s).
Sealed openings around front seat belt buckle attachments to stop heat intrusion.
Installed RAD Customs Shifter panels and seals, more heat reduction.
Installed additional Heat blocks around the seat belt lower anchor points. Reduced heat flow dramatically.
Added rear door storage boxes under colored panels.
All of these parts cost just a little over $4500 and were paid for the parts as we went along. So we have the PIONEER for just a bit over $11k, total. Not bad and well within what we originally had budgeted. We added a LOT of extras that we did not even consider when we established that original $10k budget figure. This was a lot of work, but I have way more time than $$$. So I looked at the cost of paying someone to do this massive job and figure that as my profit. The dealers are at least $100 per hour in our area so I figure that I have made about $8k-$10k over the course of this project. Plus the satisfaction of doing what most people would have said was not possible.
Things that I still need/want to do:
DONE!! Finish Installing bilge fan(s) for more heat reduction.
DONE!! Chop Roll cage to reduce overall height. To me, the ROPS is way too high. UPDATED 09/15/2021: ROPS Chop completed last week. Photos attached at the bottom of the thread.
DONE!! Install new bead lock wheels and larger tires.
DONE!! Added Center Console for my Wife. She has always wanted a center armrest and a place for more "stuff". It's a "girl thing"!
DONE!! Install UHMW Full skid plate.
Install additional interior lighting such as dash and dome lighting.
Add external access door for driver side under seat storage compartment.
Replace clutch cover with updated parts. (This is new since original post)
Still a work in progress!
Here it is after we started riding the old girl. Also added a ton of photos to the file. These are in no particular order, just to give some ideas of what was done. I wish I had taken more photos of the damage and the aftermath of the destruction. It is impossible to believe the damage that is caused by some water, a little dirt, lack of maintenance and a fair amount of very hard use thrown in for good measure.
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