Wolverine BigBear Gear Swap.

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2000wolvy

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I have been looking into doing the BigBear gear swap. I know that most guys are doing the 1st gear swap for more bottom end torque but what I am looking at doing is the 4th and 5th gear swap for more top end. I currently have a 446 stroker will all the goodies and it pulls my 25" tires like a champ through all the gears. I do however find myself reaching for that "6th" gear at times. I really would like some feedback from guys that have actually done the swap. On paper the ratios looks good but some real world experience would be great. I really hate to do the swap to find 5th gear not practical.

Thanks guys
 
It is possible to swap the big bear 4/5 gears into a wolverine, but it is way easy to buy the big bear tranny for around 45 bucks, swap the secondary gears from the wolverine onto it and re-install in case and go.


The strait cut gear is one of the secondary gears, you don't have to swap this one though. Just reuse the one in your wolverines case.

This gear here, its hard to see ,but its the first gear next to the bearing in the case, is all you have to change. All there is to do is pull the snap ring off the end of the shaft, swap your wolverine's gear onto the big bear's tranny, drop the big bear trans into your case, and the rest is history. This way will give you a slightly deeper first gear, and a longer 4th and 5th gear that will get you to 62-65 mph depending on tire size. 2nd-3rd gears remain identical.
 
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I apologize for resurrecting an old thread, I'm currently in the planning stages of rebuilding my 2004 Wolverine and this caught my attention. I wanted to do the BB400 4th and 5th gear swap, but this is intriguing.

@lucas98wolvy:

I have attached a link to a parts diagram for the Wolvy transmission. Is it #27 in the diagram that needs to be swapped? It is listed as "GEAR, MIDDLE DRIVE (28T)" in the parts list.

ya5927_21.gif


I inferred from your post that only one gear needs to be swapped, but I would think the gears wouldn't mesh unless they were swapped as a pair. Does the corresponding gear on the middle drive shaft also need to be swapped? It would be #39 on the parts diagram I think.

EDIT: Nevermind that last paragraph, I just realized that it's the Wolverines middle drive shaft that would be used so it already has the correct gear :)

Have you done this swap already? I think I read in another thread that you have a built motor ready to be installed in the spring, I'm curious if you have ridden the machine with this change and what your impressions are.
 
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Haven't gotten that motor installed yet. I am currently doing the 2wd/4wd big bear swap so that motor is still chilling in the vault so to speak. My current goal is to get that done. Do a review on it, and post some photos which I will do today. I have finished the harness conversion, and bought all the tools needed to do the swap. So as I get thru the swap you will see that posted. I hope to have the motor swap done by the spring hair scramble in Evansville PA. Depends on job and other projects, I got a 73 challenger that's is almost rtr. The other thing about the gear swap is that I don't think a non-stroker motor will have the torque to pull it to its top speed, without the addition of a warn 424/BB 400 diff to free up the power being used by the front axle. Of course, if you are using the stock 23" tires it may pull it in 4x4 mode...

That said, My other motor has a BB 400 crank displacement is an honest 406cc, with S/S valves, titanium retainers, HD valve springs, a custom ground web cam, CC'd chamber, full port and polish work done by me (my business is head porting normally I do car heads lol), 85mm yfm 350 JE 10.5 piston with the dome removed and repolished, which gets me 11-1 actual compression, factory head pipe and FMF slip on, and a 38 mm keihin carb. Other plans call for a hand built S/S head pipe with a larger internal diameter. I also have another case that is intended for a possible 446 big bore set up...one day lol.
 
Here is the stand alone only part missing is the fuse block, I will be repurposing the BB on for this harness as well as any other circuits I need to add, IE BB oil cooler mpd and cooling fan.
 
I used duestche connectors from summit racing as they are water proof and for 40$ a set really can't beat the price, on all the sections I'm making.
 
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The factory switch is really the best way to wire this, here is the factory 6pin connector it only uses 5 wires thou. The Brown is ignition 12v the black is ground. The 3 blue striped wires are the switching wires. The switching function is really quite complicated as polarity and pin position switch. So if your not too wiring savy cannibalizing a big bear 02-06 or Kodiak 00-06 is your best option.
 
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I am using the thumb throttle assembly from a 2000 Kodiak, both models usebthe same size bar and have a 28mm~ throw. Also as far as circuit protection only a 3 amp fuse is required.
 
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The other thing about the gear swap is that I don't think a non-stroker motor will have the torque to pull it to its top speed, without the addition of a warn 424/BB 400 diff to free up the power being used by the front axle. Of course, if you are using the stock 23" tires it may pull it in 4x4 mode...

I already have a Warn 424 select kit installed and I'm planning to do a mild bore along with a BB400 crank as well. I'm currently in the planning stages and figuring out the specifics. I have read your Sneaky 401cc Stroker thread several times and have been researching that side of things as well as the gear swap. I will be posting over your stroker thread soon as I have some questions ;)

That said, My other motor has a BB 400 crank displacement is an honest 406cc, with S/S valves, titanium retainers, HD valve springs, a custom ground web cam, CC'd chamber, full port and polish work done by me (my business is head porting normally I do car heads lol), 85mm yfm 350 JE 10.5 piston with the dome removed and repolished, which gets me 11-1 actual compression, factory head pipe and FMF slip on, and a 38 mm keihin carb.

Do you have two motors using the BB400 crank?

Thanks for the update, looking forward to reading more as your projects progress!
 
I have 3 separate cases, one is a 366, the other is a 406, the other is a complete BB400 bottom end. The 366 is currently in the bike it has a fully ported head, JE piston, stock cam and a 36mm carb upgrade from a warrior. It runs great now, and I actually outrun my buddies 500 CanAm by 3 quad lengths up to about 50, eventually then he just kinda slowly walks around me, his bike will hit 72 of thou. The 406 is waiting on springtime to be put in. I honestly have way to many projects lol. I just redid my 400 Kodiak (the beer hauler lol), with a coop sheeve mod, new piston, stator, and 02 style water pump. I have a 73 challenger restomod I am building, and a 79 dodge pulling truck on the side as well! I hop from one project to another whenever I lose steam on one lol, or if I really have neglected one for awhile.
 


These are the 2 styles of CV boot banding clamp tools, these are USA made and can be had for about $30 each or less if you shop around, you will also need a set of snap ring pliers, the convertable ones will do fine, or 2 flat head screw drivers.



This shows the inner CV cups you'll have to swap. Other than color, they are shaped differently, the BB (green one) is also larger on the stub shaft in diameter and length. This is why the BB inner cups are needed.



This is the other part that needs to change, the photo above shows why, the BB cup uses a smaller inner cv race than the wolvy, so you'll have to swap that onto the wolvy shafts as well. If you've never rebooted a CV joint, it's messy, but simple. Once the boot is opened up pull the outer cup snap ring. This allows the cup to be removed. Then the inner snap ring can be removed, this one holds the CV race to the shaft. Also of note Wolvy inner shaft and BB
inner shaft are same size/spline count and the snap rings inner change; however, the outer cup snap rings are smaller on the BB inner cups thou so don't mix them up, ask me how I know. :mad: End result is this.



Here is the BB diff now installed on the wolvy.


Here is everything reinstalled, I still need to shorten the drive shaft, it measures 15.2mm in diameter, so I will make a sleeve out of some solid stock steel on a lathe, cut 1 3/4" out of the center of the front driveshaft.
stick the 2 ends into the sleeve and weld it up. You may be able to use a 02-06 BB front driveshaft, but I don't know if it would work. It is shorter than the full time 4x4 BB thou; however, I don't know if the wheel base is the same as the wolvy.:???:

 
Tomorrow I will start on the wiring side of things as well. I did quickly thro on the handle bar switch/throttle. Looks right. ;) I would do more but its bed time.

 
I have 3 separate cases, one is a 366, the other is a 406, the other is a complete BB400 bottom end. The 366 is currently in the bike it has a fully ported head, JE piston, stock cam and a 36mm carb upgrade from a warrior. It runs great now, and I actually outrun my buddies 500 CanAm by 3 quad lengths up to about 50, eventually then he just kinda slowly walks around me, his bike will hit 72 of thou. The 406 is waiting on springtime to be put in. I honestly have way to many projects lol. I just redid my 400 Kodiak (the beer hauler lol), with a coop sheeve mod, new piston, stator, and 02 style water pump. I have a 73 challenger restomod I am building, and a 79 dodge pulling truck on the side as well! I hop from one project to another whenever I lose steam on one lol, or if I really have neglected one for awhile.

Holy Schmidt, you have lots on your plate that is for sure!

The front diff swap looks great, much cleaner than the Warn 424 and probably works better too, nicely done! The Warn kit is pretty simple but the ball and detent mechanism can be problematic once it's worn.

You had mentioned that you didn't think a stock Wolverine with Big Bear 4th/5th gears would have enough power to pull it to top speed, do you think a bored motor with a 366cc kit in it would work? I'm curious in case I decide against going with the BB400 crank (I have some concerns about the stroker build and wanted to run some things by you but I'll post on your Sneaky 401cc Stroker thread to keep on topic).

Cheers!
 
The 366 kit with a cam, pipe, port & polish, big valves, and warrior carb upgrade would easily pull the gearing in 2wd, and would have no problem pulling 4th gear in 4wd, which would get you close to 47 mph. 5th gear may be to tall for it in 4x4 mode, but really if you are going that fast in 4x4 mode you could probably get by in 2wd.
 
Well conversion is complete works flawlessly. Bike pulls 5th like it use to pull 4th. I can go up hill and pull 5th gear to maxx speed no problem, before I could hit the hill tapped in 5th and it would bog it down. So is all the work worth it... Yes.
 
Checked out the wheelbase length BB 400 and Wolvy are identical. So you could order an OEM front shaft for $70
 
switching

do you have any more info on the wiring? i have the handle bar switch and the diff. im waiting on cvs and drive shaft. just wondering how much more of the harness ill need to finish my wiring! great write up by the way!!!
 
Yes I do just got your PM. Did you just get a handle bar switch? Did you at least get a pigtail for the wires that go into the diff selector? There are two wires in the switch that need run. the Brown is a 12v ignition switched source. The Black/striped one is a ground the other wires are blue, these run to the selector motor on the diff and there are 3 of them. The easiest way to do this is to buy an entire BB 400 02-06 harness or kodiak/grizzly 00-06 harness. I found an entire 03 BB for 90 + shipping on ebay. I opened up the harness and pulled out the diff connector in the front, traced it backed thru to the handle bar connector. where the square brown 5 pin connector is. At that point cut the Brown and black wires free from the main harness and it becomes an easy stand alone unit, that only requires 2 hook ups to work. I will get some photos up soon
 
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