Originally Posted by Senshi09

swapping motors is a possible solution... BUT if the newly swapped motor causes the same problems, then you still won't know what happened. It is better to troubleshoot the motor you have now. LEARN about it, instead of blindly fixing things. im sorta in the same boat, changed my lim and head gaskets, now my light blinks and gives me the 300 code. Instead of swapping motors (the easy route, don't learn a damn thing) im trying to troubleshoot and figure it out WITHOUT blindly throwing money at things. Which also causes me to LEARN so that if it happens again, I know what to do.

Like I said, if you don't know whats causing this problem and swap motors, the same thing might happen to the next motor and then you're still screwed since you don't know what it is. I don't know your cash situation but i know swapping motors isn't cheap or easy. Do you REALLY plan on swapping motors everytime something goes wrong?

When you did your tune up, did you use delco parts or after market? Best thing to do is to listen to these guys on here. They know what they are talking about. If they didn't they wouldn't be trying to help you by telling you to do these little tricks like with the propane torch and such. Maybe like its been said, the atv didn't seal all the way and it's just a leak on your manifold.

EDIT-
Just because the motor has 180k on it, doesn't mean its ready for the garbage shoot just yet. If taken care of, it will be strong and run like a champ. You just got to have patience with it. You can't just jump right in and say "Oh this thing has x amount of miles, its garbage now." A Motor is not an old pair of shoes that you just throw away. When you got this truck, did the previous owner take care of it? If they did, did they provide the paperwork for anything done to it, such as receipts and such? If not did you witness the work being done to the vehicle? The point to that is anyone can say that they did a crap ton of work, but with no paperwork or receipts then its just words. Doesn't mean it has been done. If you bought it brand new, did YOU take care of it? Routine maintenance when it was due and things like that? One thing I was taught growing up: If you take care of something, it will last forever.

Originally Posted by Charder

i understand what your saying about no0t learning about my motor, but the amount of money i will spend TRYING to fix whatever the problem is, i can get a motor with less miles that has more potenial of running longer. of course before i put the new motor in, i will replace head gaskets and other commonly worn parts.
also the motor in the truck now, i was told by a different mechanic that the compression was low in 2 of the cylinders, i think he said cylinders 2and 4, which ive had a 304 code. he thinks that i have a bad head gasket and when i told him that after it started running like crap i drove it home form work( i had no other ride so it was my only way home) which i drove it 70 miles home from work so he said it is very possible that i cracked the head, so i deffently dont want to replace head gasket and then find out its a crack or warped head.
ive only owned the truck for 7 months and its beeen problem after problem. so i dont think it was properly taken care of. and all ive done was try to "catch up" on maintaince.

Originally Posted by Charder

i wish i could do a compression test my self but do not have the tools. but the mechanic wasnt at a shop is a freind of the family that has done work for us before and he came to my truck and did his tests.
how do i tell if the booster is bad?