New Cannondale Owner, Need Help!
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I just bought a used Cannondale 440, and the previous owner says the engine is blown. He bought it brand new and said he didn't break it in and the engine blew. That is all the information I received. Got it for dirt cheap and I'm not that mechanically inclined, also no local dealers will work on it. If someone would point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Your fellow Dale rider
Thanks,
Your fellow Dale rider
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- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
Lol! It's true if you dont have $ to pay someone then you will BECOME mechanically inclined out of neccessity. If you have $ to pay someone to look at it Timbo who is in PA is where I would go even if it means a bit of a drive and wait.
If giving it a shot yourself first thing you need to figure out is what does "Blown" mean? Maybe you got lucky and bought one with a spun flywheel or something simple. Simple start. You always need fuel, compression, spark and timing for a motor to run. Verify these things first.
If giving it a shot yourself first thing you need to figure out is what does "Blown" mean? Maybe you got lucky and bought one with a spun flywheel or something simple. Simple start. You always need fuel, compression, spark and timing for a motor to run. Verify these things first.
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I have someone to fix it. Where can I order parts from? All I need is the parts and I think my guy can do the job. I also would really like to find stock graphics, seat covers, red headlight covers, and billet clutch cover and stator cover. Also, It's a 2001 with a 440 seat cover and the seller claims it has a 440 engine. I thought Cannondale only made a 400 in 2001. Any and all help is appreciated.
If your guy has never worked on Cannondales before and doesn't know anything about the updates and has no interest in learning the ins and outs of this machine before even touching it I am afraid your experience will be a painful and costly one. Experience in Cannondales is a must for a proper build. Just because they put a Honda together in their sleep means absolutely nothing.
If they are Cannondale savy then you might be in luck. Any part you can ever need can be had from ebay, Canniboomer or just post up on this site and ask for it.
Please before blowing money on blingy crap get the motor updated CORRECTLY first. A billet stator cover will look nice when getting towed out of the mudhole because you didn't spend the money on an updated crank or gutting the fuel line quick connects.
All Dales were 432cc from the factory regardless of what the seat cover says.
I know we may sound pushy about getting updates done but this is an all too common story with dales. The guy picks up a dale cheap, thinks it needs a set of rings, rebuilds it blindly with no updates or proper knowledge of how to do it right. Runs for a couple days and blows chunks. Gets cranky because now he figures out he needs to do it all over again the right way for more money because all the new parts he just bought are trashed again. Either becomes proficient at Dales and the rewards they have to offer or parts it out on ebay for the cycle to begin again.
Dales are not hard to physically work on but they do have issues that most other machines never had to deal with so diagnosing problems even absurdly simple ones can throw Joe mechanic for a loop.
You may have a gem of a machine there or a ran into the ground money pit so if you are ready for the challenge then do a search on updates and do a bit of reading in the powertrain section of the forums.
If they are Cannondale savy then you might be in luck. Any part you can ever need can be had from ebay, Canniboomer or just post up on this site and ask for it.
Please before blowing money on blingy crap get the motor updated CORRECTLY first. A billet stator cover will look nice when getting towed out of the mudhole because you didn't spend the money on an updated crank or gutting the fuel line quick connects.
All Dales were 432cc from the factory regardless of what the seat cover says.
I know we may sound pushy about getting updates done but this is an all too common story with dales. The guy picks up a dale cheap, thinks it needs a set of rings, rebuilds it blindly with no updates or proper knowledge of how to do it right. Runs for a couple days and blows chunks. Gets cranky because now he figures out he needs to do it all over again the right way for more money because all the new parts he just bought are trashed again. Either becomes proficient at Dales and the rewards they have to offer or parts it out on ebay for the cycle to begin again.
Dales are not hard to physically work on but they do have issues that most other machines never had to deal with so diagnosing problems even absurdly simple ones can throw Joe mechanic for a loop.
You may have a gem of a machine there or a ran into the ground money pit so if you are ready for the challenge then do a search on updates and do a bit of reading in the powertrain section of the forums.
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I second Wistech, definitely do your research on the updates before getting into the cannondale engine and have them done correctly. I have had 2 engines built from 2 different people on this site and they are reliable as any other quad as long as you take care of it and make sure it feels good on the inside haha. oh yea p.s. i have a quad that is just ported and polished and will eat up most 450 quads with the same mods and i have a built engine that only highly built banshees and few others have been able to catch and beat so far (no other 4 strokes though). But like others said they are real addicting and wives and girlfriends might get jealous lol.
QUOTE (UpsMan @ May 30 2010, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They are an addiction that will take over your life worse than drugs. Sell it now while you are still thinking clearly. I hope it isn't too late already.
+1. Check my sig to see how deep my addiction has became. LOL Also, a friend bought his first Cannondale a few weeks back, and he left early this morning to go pick up his second one. lol
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