By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I got a new carb mount made for my Hustler and today was the day I thought it was really gonna run. It did for a little while...
I had everything fixed up and looking good when I started it up in the shed today. It ran strong and smooth so I jumped in and took off. I rode about 100 feet towards the woods, almost out of the yard, when it suddenly died. Darn I thought, it was running so good. I reached for the key to start it again when I heard a noise, like wind blowing... inside the machine. I looked toward the back and lifted the engine cover. I staired in disbelief at a raging FIRE!
I threw the engine cover open and jumped out of the Hustler. I ran up to the house and grabbed the water hose. While running back to the machine the hose stopped, about 20 feet to short! I ran into the garage to get a bucket but couldn't find one. I had to run all the way back to the shed to get one. The Hustler was burning and I couldn't get the water to it!!! I have never ran so fast in my life, all I could think of was a melted Hustler body.
I ran the bucket back to the water hose and began filling it. By now the Hustler was burning for a good minute. With a small amount of water in the bucket I dumped it on the fire. That got it contained but it was still burning. This was no small time fire by now. I ran back to the hose and got more water. This time I pretty well got the fire out. I dumped more water on it just to cool things off and make sure it was out.
In an amazing bit of luck, the fire had stayed on the engine. The plastic is slightly warped in two spots but no real damage. All non-metal parts on the engine are melted. Air filter, throttle and choke cables, and I might have some coil damage. The engine itself was not harmed.
All of this was caused by a faulty carburetor I bought off E-bay. It had leaked gas and somehow caught fire. It is burned up now so it's time for a new one. One thing that surely saved this machine was the vacuum fuel pump that shut off when the engine died. An electric pump would have kept going and the Hustler would be history.
The Hustler was almost ready to ride and maybe even to sell. Minor set back I guess. I was looking forward to a happy ending, so much for pretending.

By JT Barleman on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon ...
I have read (sometimes with amusement) most of the NUMEROUS posts you have made on this site.

I have often wondered how you have managed to amass a seemingly unlimited enormity of expertise in your brief 17 years. :)

I now know. You do things the hard way. Your post entitled FIRE! takes the prize for the best example of why you should ALWAYS carry a fire extinguisher in your vehicle.

On "Big Trucks" (where the fuel is diesel and a hell of a lot less flamable than gasoline) a WORKING fire extinguisher is a MANDATORY piece of saftey equipment.

FYI ... Fire extinguishers come in many sizes and types. They are very inexpensive when compared to the cost of replacing your AATV. Normally they are filled with a chemical that is appropriate to fight virtually all types of fires.

From now on ... Like a certain credit card ... May I suggest you "Don't leave home without it"

JT

By Sam Keys on Unrecorded Date: Edit

JT:

I agree "the expert bites the dust"

Sam Keys

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions on what might have started this fire. I have seen very few, if any, fire extinguishers on any ATV. I have thought about getting one for my Hustler, but I'm really not worried about it. I'm much more interested in what could have gone wrong to ignite the gas. It doesn't matter how much gas poured out of that carb, something had to set it off.
Sam, don't you just love when a dragster or monster truck catches on fire? Or when you see a car burning along side the road? Those people are obviously very stupid and have no clue what they are doing. Certainly not experts.

MaxRules

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

i had a fire that was caused by gas filling up my engine and exaust becaus i forgot too shut of an inline shutoff valve and the max was out in the sun, anyway i tryed to start it and a flash from the exaust set it ablze, im lucky there was water enoph a short distance away but i did not panic, instead i thought about were the closest water was, if not id have bin looking for a long time for a buket too fill ect.. anyway i got it under cotrole and was able then too blow it out, i shure wish the engine conpartment had good axess like my attex's, well you know i travel with a fire extingwisher now, hell thay even got em in jet ski's and thay got all the water thay need huh,
who cairs how the fire started, even if you eliminat that prospect for ignition theres alwase another to take its place, someday sombody elses vehicle may catch fire and you may use it then you never know, but you know murphy's law!

By Sam Keys on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Maxrules

OK: Let help him out everyone.

Try rebuilding the carb to stop the leak.
and make sure the ignition wires are in good
condition as to stop sparks

Sam Keys

By davidb3rd@aol.com (David3rdd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

well ok hows this for helpfull, IF YOU REALY DON'T WISH TO CARRY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAN MIGHT I SUGEST A CAMCORDER?

By Roger and Bonnie Koesterk@dynasty.net on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon
As parents of two grown young men who are making their place in this rough world, Roger and I would like to say something about your fire. This has nothing to do with your repairs or what we think you should have done differently. We would like to commend your attitude. Your statement that "it was just a mimor setback" has to be admired. With an attitude like that you will do well and go far in this ole world. Hang in there.

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I am still looking for a carb for this engine. I need at least 40mm bore and bolt mounting holes 3" apart.
This engine has electronic ignition and I found that the CDI box costs $150. That's the same box on mine that has heat bubbles and began to melt. That made me real anxious to get everything hooked up again and make sure it still worked. I cut out all the melted wire and spliced them back together. With the turn of the key I saw a nice blue spark on both plugs. HA! Ya just can't hurt these Kohlers.
My Hustler never did charge the battery. I have three wires on the back of the engine, two yellow and one black. One yellow appears to be ground for the ignition. I have a red wire coming from the front of the machine, the previous owner said that hooks to the engine. I think to the yellow wire. Where does the other black wire go?

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

HEY BRANDOM: about the three electric cables on kohler engine they goee as follow:

the two yellow produce 14 volt A.C. current..they are just for charge the electric system....they need to be conected to a rectifier/voltage regulator....the black cable could be one of the follow option:

a) ground to be aplied on voltage/rectifier or

b) to short circuit the spark plugs system ( to stop engine..

it's easy to find out the "right" aplication

with engine running "touch" black cable to cylinder head....if takes sparks and engine try to stop it's the one to stop engine

if nothing happens try to conect a 12 v light ( like the one on the back of max) and the other cable to + (positive) of batery...it's should get on...

happy bouncing!!

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I got everything hooked up and finally got another carb. It is the same kind that is made for this engine. I got it from a guy in GA that had a blown 440. I also replaced the fuel line, filter, and pump and mixed the oil 30:1.
I got it started a few days ago by pouring some gas into each cylinder. It has not started since and I don't want to have to prime it every time. I am going to get new spark plugs and maybe take the carb apart.
I've been thinking maybe someday this engine will run and be reliable, but the only thing changing is my way of thinking. The best adjustment is to replace it with a newer Briggs. Right now I'm looking for a used Vanguard that I can get for a good price.
I liked my first 2-stroke, a 338cc in a Sierra Trail Boss. Then I got a brand new Max and it looks like there is no going back to a 2-stroke. If you want to ride for any length of time, there will be a 4-stroke in your machine. My Hustler would be an awesome machine with a Briggs in it. There is no comparison.

MaxRules

By John Kevin Maiolo (Johnmaiolo) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon, four strokes are quieter and don't have that distinctive smell, however, they do have their place, Yes, I do have a 2 stroke in my terra tiger, JLO 292. Yes, it is loud, but it has all kinds of power! Reminds me when I used to ride dirt bikes! By the way, I also have a 440 out of a Hustler, but I don't think I can shoe horn it in the Tiger.

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

HEY BRANDON: check for "vacum leak" between carb and intake port...is a good practice to extra seal with shellac...don't use silicon dress ( isn't compatible with gasoline!!!)..also put some " fuel inyector-carb cleaner on the gasoline mixture to remove tar/gum/from internal parts of carburator...or take it apart and check for dirt on jet and needle/seat section.....two cycles engines are very reliable and easy to "restart" after playing as a submarine ( inmersion on water)...oil mixture should go on 20:1.....

By Eugene Kochnieff on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hi Brandon,
Your wiring might be this.
The two yellow wires could be the output from a two phase generator winding with the black being the common lead, this is a common arrangement on magneto engines that have permanent magnet generators. It allows a simpler two diode rectifier that is cheaper and more efficient than the four diode bridge rectifier needed with a single phase output. If you have access to an ohm meter you should read very low resistance between any two of the three wires ( probably less than 100 Ohms )and all three wires should read very high with respect to the engine body ( 100,000 or more ) if the system is as described above.

If you find this to be the case post back if you want me to describe a rectifier/regulator for you.

good luck.

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The new spark plugs did the trick and the Hustler is up and running once again. I took it for a short ride around the yard with my best friend, a fire extinguisher, in the passenger seat. It ran good and idled smooth.
I hooked up the charging system (two yellow and one black wire on the engine). I get a positive reading on the amp meter so it is probably charging. The needle just bounces and is not smooth like the one in my Max. What could cause that?

By matt435 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hey brandon, now that the hustlers running again will you bring it to attica this weekend? I would like to see some old machines there. Matt

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Matt, I would like to bring the Hustler but it probably won't make it this time. I would really like to ride it in the pea gravel area because it would be the only 6x6 that could go up them. I would have to use the trailer and all I have is a heavy 16' trailer. I don't want to travel 750 miles round trip with it.
Max and I are ready to roll. I can't wait.

MaxRules

By Midwest atv's #1 in 2000 (Hustler) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon,
If you want to bring the Hustler, just bring it to our place and you can load it up on our trailer. Thats up to you. We will have the room for it.

By wade shumate on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hello i just bought a hustler today.i could use any information on where to find parts.my hustler has a 435cc kohler engine which is locked up.and also will need to know where i can find a new body since it fell off forklift while loading it.thank you all for any help