| Author |
Message |
    
Jeff (87max2)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
Help, I just bought a 1987 Max II and am having a blast with it. It lived in a duck marsh most of its life in the California delta (brackish water) and hasnt had much ( if any ) maintenance.
1. the trans seems to seep ATF out the top filler plug. ( oil level is set to the lower plug) the plug is tight, no visable crackes in the trans case, tried teflon tape on the pipe plug. still seeps fluid ?? normal ??
2. took it out for a water test at the marina. water leaks from all wheel bearings. leaks like a drinking fountian. do i need seals ? bearings ?
3. If i lift all the wheels off the ground i can wiggle the tires about 3/8" in all directions ?? normal ?? how big of a pain is it to change the bearings. i boutght the manuals from R.I.
4. Engine 160 Techumpsa. seems to idle pretty high and creep a little when in gear and the sitcks forward. stops creeping if you pull them back a bit. if i idle it lower the govener kicks in and surges the motor. air fuel screw adjusted to highest rpm @ idle
5. there is a fuse for the charging system that only lasts for a few hours of riding. (20amp) amp guage will constantly charge 15-20 amps. (has a new battery)
6. all the sprockets seem to wiggle a bit on the shafts. i tightened the bolts, they were loose. seemd to help but dosn't seem correct
7. I bought it to drive out at the duck club and i am wondering about mud performance. the mud to the field can get about 3' deep in spots but a lifted truck with 33" mud tires and posi can make it. the field is flooded rice with about 18" of water in it. will it go though the mud and water good enough. i know a quad and a polairs ranger can make it with no problems.
8. all in all it runs and drives good. I am having a blast in the back yard with it. i just dont want to screw it up by driving it on worn out parts and break somthing expensive.
thanks for the help
Jeff
walnut creek Ca. |
david berger (Davidrrrd)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
jeff
(1) yah,
(3) iner bushings on your axels will let you move the tires in all directions like that when they are worn out,
(2)the flangets that hold your bearings can be cause of the leak if your bearings are ok because they sometimes become beeten out of shape, new ones are cheep but old ones can be tightend with a hammer and wood block, just remove them and tap all the way arround then reinstal,
(5) not a fix but you can hook uo an automotive circut braker to cut hastel,time and cost of replaceing the fuzes.
(6) never tighten the bolts to much, you only squeaze the tubes and maybe make them hard to remove when you need to remove axels, it is normal for them to flop a litle, it is the nesesary clearence to reduce chance of tube freezing or rusting permenently in place,
it is not how tight the tube is that dose the work but rather the sides of the bolt and respectev holes it go's in, only need to remember to use bolts with shank longer then thickness of drive tube to be certing the threds dont becom a stress point wich may alow bolts to brake easy.
(7) put it this way~ most of the quads at the PA event on sept 25 died in the mud bog!
and not even one of the 6x6's that tryed the bog was stoped! we took a trophy in that event! |
Big Wolf
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
Hello Jeff,
After reading your posting of all the loose stuff and the amount of play in all the components, I would have to say and recommend that you are ready for a complete drive train rebuild.
Sounds to me that you are ready for all new bushings, bearings, flanges, sprockets, and chains through out the entire machine.
If you are handy with tools and can do your own work, then you can save a lot of labor cost.
Next I would have to recommend that you contact Richard Clark the onwer of this web site and parts depot, to aquire all the parts to do the complete rebuild. While you are at it, you should take a good look at some of the engineering improvements that he has come up with to improve on the reliability of the older model machines such as you have. Many of his improvements are listed on the how to or tips page of this web site.
These suggestions are probably the best things that you can do at this point in time. If you do choose to do a complete rebuild, you will definately have a very reliable piece of equipment. You will also need to keep the drive train properly maintained after the rebuild to ensure the continued reliability.
As far as how these machines operate in mud and water as compared to any other type of off road vehicle, bar non the 6x6 and 8x8 machines will outperform any type of wheeled vehicle in these terrain conditions period.
To put things in the proper perspective and also provide a good example of a real life application, of what these machines are really capable of doing. We recently did some clean up work on a beaver pond and dam system at my buddies place. We piled four guys on my Max IV and pulled an 8 or 10 foot utility trailer behind it full of guys and work gear through the same type of mud and water that you have described above, and I have to say, it was not even a challenge for the machine. Our terrain conditions were actually much more severe than what you have described above.
Any how, I hope this information is helpfull! |
Jeff (87max2)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
thanks for the info guys. looks like I have some work to do, how long does it take to replace all the bearings and bushings? i know depending on abillity. is it typicaly a weekend job or somthing that can be done in an evening? any special tools needed besides regular hand tools? any tips?
thanks
Jeff
Walnut Creek Ca |
Motown's (Bigwolf)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
Jeff,
In the tips section on this web site, Richard has some real good tips about how to prepare an older machine that has a lot of rusted together drive train parts. I beleive he mentions spraying and soaking down all the axle shafts and bushings and bearings and sporockets with a penetrating oil, and then breaking loose all set screws and so on, and then driving the machine for breifly to aid in breaking loose rusted and frozen componente in preparation for the tear down work.
Give Richard a call and talk to him about it, he seems to have the most extensive experience with complete tear down and rebuild projects.
There are also several other guys on this board that seem to have a lot of experience with complete tear down and rebuild work. |
david berger (Davidrrrd)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
id only add the new bearings should have the cam locks tightend with a proper spanner wrench insted of the punch like factory used, your cam lock will last longer and be easyer to remove if you don't butcher up the little hole with a punch, righty tighty lefty loosey ok! |
Fred Sowerwine, Montana's Max dealer (Fred4dot)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
Jeff, I would like to add that before you tear it down completely that you check your flange bolt tightness. should be at 20 Ft lbs (use short handled wrench so you don't twist them off). Also with wheels off the ground (after you have tightened the axle flange bolts) do your side to side wiggle and check to see if it is inside bushing or outside bearing that has slack. Outer bearing slack means replace bearing. Inner bushing slack is a judgment call (might be that new grease will give you a couple more years of use). If chains are out of adjustment, get new chains. Check sprockets for chips,missing teeth, etc. (use a file to smooth up rough edges on an otherwise good sprocket). Important to have all sprockets lined up and adjusters tight. Make sure chain does not have any frozen links. Chains work best a hair too loose rather than a hair too tight. Remember that a max is a slow speed vehicle and a little play won't hurt a thing except maybe cause leaks (a bilge pump is less than new drive system).
Could have water in your ATF. Top plug is vented and when tranny gets hot, the water will boil out. Best to change your tranny oil when you have water in fluid.
I'm not sure off the top of my head, but I think that inline fuse should be 30 amps.
Very important to make sure axle bolts have shank enough to keep all threads out of axle (factory issue bolts are right and have narrow threads). If you have hole slop, Richard has washers to weld on or you can fill the wear area with weld and redrill. |
Jeff (87max2)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 10:45 pm: | |
thanks everyone, great tips and info. I took it up to the duck club this past weekend, it did great in the flooded rice fields |
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Restoration of older ATV's