Info and conversations from the old Blog page and from emails I've received
I'm no longer using the Blog as I 'm using the MC-96 Reverse Trike Group on Facebook instead
No improvement in Speed with Carb Changes
Changing the Main Jet and Air Filter made no difference to the top speed of the trike. Acceleration was possibly a little better, but that was good before the changes, and the fuel consumption was terrible - around 3/4 of the tank (probably about 1 1/2 gals unmeasured) for a 38 mile run. Compare that to about 60mpg before.
I think that the only way to get more speed out of this system is to do something radical to the CV system. I'm open to any suggestions from anyone who has actually modified their CV system on a 250cc engine on a trike or ATV, and got better that 50mph max. Anyone out there?
The trike is still fun to ride, and cruises really well at 30-50 mph. I would just like to get it up to 60mph, without spending vast sums to get there. Otherwise, I'll continue to enjoy riding it as is.
****************************
Air Filter & Carb Tuning
I've just added a new page entitled Advanced Tuning & Maintenance. I'll be adding more details as I proceed with tuning the engine.
I found that after altering the Air Filter system the engine was bogging down - this is a good thing! It indicates that the engine is now getting more air. The trike started, and ran smoothly up to about 20mph, and them lost power - lack of fuel in the mix. This means that the main jet is too small! The first 1/4 of the throttle is controlled mainly by the needle jet, and the main jet takes over after this. This would be why the engine is OK up to about 20mph, and has problems after that with the new air filter system.
I can now go ahead and start carb tuning. The main jet is a 107 and I'm going to start out with a 120 to see if I can improve the performance. It will probably involve several attempts to get the correct main jet for best performance without fouling or burning the plug, and then I may also have to play with the other jets, needle etc, to get smooth operation across the full engine rev range. This did not really make much of a difference to the performance so I set it all back to the original setup.
I found that after altering the Air Filter system the engine was bogging down - this is a good thing! It indicates that the engine is now getting more air. The trike started, and ran smoothly up to about 20mph, and them lost power - lack of fuel in the mix. This means that the main jet is too small! The first 1/4 of the throttle is controlled mainly by the needle jet, and the main jet takes over after this. This would be why the engine is OK up to about 20mph, and has problems after that with the new air filter system.
I can now go ahead and start carb tuning. The main jet is a 107 and I'm going to start out with a 120 to see if I can improve the performance. It will probably involve several attempts to get the correct main jet for best performance without fouling or burning the plug, and then I may also have to play with the other jets, needle etc, to get smooth operation across the full engine rev range. This did not really make much of a difference to the performance so I set it all back to the original setup.
********************************
Changing the rear Sprocket
I tried changing the rear sprocket from the stock 30 teeth, 530 pitch, to a 26 teeth, 530 pitch sprocket. I was able to take the trike out over the weekend ...... in January! I had the GPS set up and I was still only getting 51.5mph, which was about what I got with the 30 teeth sprocket.
This leads me to believe that the answer lies in either the CVT system, the CDI or the carburetor I'm going to add an rev counter so that I can see what the engine is doing a various speeds, and then I may either fit a different CDI, or play with the carb.
One of the other MC-95 owners has done more, playing with the CVY weights (which I gather are as large as possible already), and also done a lot of engine tuning, with not much of a gain, so I'm going to tread warily and see if I can work out what is going on.
Interestingly, I got no decrease in the acceleration, the mid-range speeds seems a little more responsive, and the throttle seemed to give more speed when backed off a little? I'm open to suggestions from those of you reading this with some experience in engine/CVT tuning?
having said that I had two awesome rides over the weekend, in 44F temps. I never expected to be out riding in the middle of January here in the MIdwest. We are usually around 5F at this time of year. I still love my MC-95. It is fun, fast (up to 50 mph), and as eye-catching as always.
Spending tiime on tweaking it it all part of the fun, and I certainly have no regrets buying the MC-95. And who doesn't mind tinkering to make it go faster!
This leads me to believe that the answer lies in either the CVT system, the CDI or the carburetor I'm going to add an rev counter so that I can see what the engine is doing a various speeds, and then I may either fit a different CDI, or play with the carb.
One of the other MC-95 owners has done more, playing with the CVY weights (which I gather are as large as possible already), and also done a lot of engine tuning, with not much of a gain, so I'm going to tread warily and see if I can work out what is going on.
Interestingly, I got no decrease in the acceleration, the mid-range speeds seems a little more responsive, and the throttle seemed to give more speed when backed off a little? I'm open to suggestions from those of you reading this with some experience in engine/CVT tuning?
having said that I had two awesome rides over the weekend, in 44F temps. I never expected to be out riding in the middle of January here in the MIdwest. We are usually around 5F at this time of year. I still love my MC-95. It is fun, fast (up to 50 mph), and as eye-catching as always.
Spending tiime on tweaking it it all part of the fun, and I certainly have no regrets buying the MC-95. And who doesn't mind tinkering to make it go faster!
***************************************
Getting More Speed
As the top speed, as verified by GPS, is only 50mph or so, some of us are looking at trying a few mods to increase this.
One possibility is changing the rear sprocket ratio. There is no free prize. Increasing the speed costs some torque, or acceleration, However, it is a way to experiment without throwing too much cash at it, and it is reversable, easy to try, and so is worth a try.
The MC-95 reverse trike currently uses a 18 teeth front sprocket, and a 30 teeth rear sprocket
This gives a ratio of 30/18= 1.67:1. At 5500revs/min this gives 50.9mph.
So. if we alter either the front sprocket (more teeth) or the rear sprocket (less teeth), we can increase the speed ( for a loss in torque/acceleration).
Trying the Front Sprocket Change
A 30/21 set of sprockets will give a ratio ot 1.44:1 which gives a speed of 60mph
Trying the Rear Sprocket Change
A 26/18 set of sprockets will give a ratio ot 1.44:1 which gives a speed of 60mph
The Chain is 530 size and will need to be a longer length, so add that to the list of parts. It can be purchased cheaply but the length, ans also can be shortened if you decide to go back to the original sprockets, so it is not really wasted.
Now, the tricky part is to find the sprockets!
I tired a 530/26T rear sprocket, with the standard foreign (metric) six hole spacing. It was custom made, but when I tested the new setup it really did not add any more speed, and the acceleration as down slightly, so I came to the conclusion that the problem is that the CV system is absorbing the power. I'm not sure if there is any way to get more speed out of this system. If anyone reading this has worked on improving the performance of CVs I'd be very interested to hear form them.
***************************************
One possibility is changing the rear sprocket ratio. There is no free prize. Increasing the speed costs some torque, or acceleration, However, it is a way to experiment without throwing too much cash at it, and it is reversable, easy to try, and so is worth a try.
The MC-95 reverse trike currently uses a 18 teeth front sprocket, and a 30 teeth rear sprocket
This gives a ratio of 30/18= 1.67:1. At 5500revs/min this gives 50.9mph.
So. if we alter either the front sprocket (more teeth) or the rear sprocket (less teeth), we can increase the speed ( for a loss in torque/acceleration).
Trying the Front Sprocket Change
A 30/21 set of sprockets will give a ratio ot 1.44:1 which gives a speed of 60mph
Trying the Rear Sprocket Change
A 26/18 set of sprockets will give a ratio ot 1.44:1 which gives a speed of 60mph
The Chain is 530 size and will need to be a longer length, so add that to the list of parts. It can be purchased cheaply but the length, ans also can be shortened if you decide to go back to the original sprockets, so it is not really wasted.
Now, the tricky part is to find the sprockets!
I tired a 530/26T rear sprocket, with the standard foreign (metric) six hole spacing. It was custom made, but when I tested the new setup it really did not add any more speed, and the acceleration as down slightly, so I came to the conclusion that the problem is that the CV system is absorbing the power. I'm not sure if there is any way to get more speed out of this system. If anyone reading this has worked on improving the performance of CVs I'd be very interested to hear form them.
***************************************
Alan's 300cc Modification News (Read from the botton up)
Latest on Roller Weights Mod
Sorry for the delay. I have a long story for ya and will write it up this weekend. Tell your guy that roller weights don't make much of a difference speed wise. Also you wont find heavier roller weights than the ones that are already in there. The stock ones weigh 31 grams. I had to custom make mine to make them weigh 38 grams. Not really worth the trouble. Find a different size sprocket instead. But then he will need some engine performance to make up for it.
Alan
I agree with you. The specialized work is probably too much for most people. I'm happy with the way my MC-95 runs. I may change out some of the things over time. I think that the roller weights are probably the way to go for improved performance, but you do always have gains and losses when you do mods. I'll be interested to hear how you get on with them.
I don't really have a steering stabilization problem. My trike seems to track straight even when I'm hitting the potholes and lumpy road surfaces. I do notice it wandering if I happen to tense up and use the handlebars for support, but if I stay loose it seems to steer straight. I think some of the bad tracking on some trikes
I don't know if a steering stabilizer is necessary, but if you get the higher speeds then it may be helpful. Again, let me now if it works or not. I have noticed that some trikes seems to be delivered with the steering column nut being too tight, making the steering hold too much. Now that I have over 350 miles on my trike the suspension and steering feel fine, if bouncy, but then I also notice the bad road surfaces when I drive my Hyundai Accent to work. I actually like the ride. It is better than the boring car!
I did a rough fuel consumption check last night, and was getting about 50mpg. That is cruising reasonably fast - probably typical city speeds. I'll be monitoring if more accurately over time.
Kevin
........................................................................................................................................................................
I put in the big bore kit and the level 1 head from that web site I had sent you. I upgraded the jets in my carb to a 42 pilot and a 142 main. the stock main jet is only a 107. My gas mileage is worse now when riding at highway speeds, so I'm hoping that my roller weights will drop my RPMs at 55mph to get my gas mileage back. There's no need to be driving 55 with the engine wrapped all the way out. I would not reccomend anyone doing the engone mods unless they really know engines. There is just too many things that can go wrong if they dont get the cam timing set right with the piston. The carb has restriciton screws all over it that need to be drilled out in order to open. Its quite a bit of work.
Have you ever thought of putting a steering stabilizer on this trike? I have been looking at them online. They make them for motorcycles. If you can get a steering stabilizer put on one of these then say goodbye to all of your jumping around on the road. When you hit a pot hole with these things it really throws your steering. I might order one here in the next month or so and find a way to mount it.
Alan
................................................................................................................................................................
AlanThat is great news! Let me have details of the parts you put in if you can. And the photos will be really welcome too. I think several other owners will be following your example so the more details the better.I rode mine to work today. It was great fun. A real rush. The trike is able to keep up with traffic up to about 55mph. Bouncing around on the different road surfaces makes it exciting, but I never feel unsafe or out of control. The GPS really is necessary as the speedos seem to be unreliable. Looking forward to the ride home.Keep emailing me as you do more, and I'll add the info to the website.Kevin
..............................................................................................................................................................
Kevin
The Trike is now a 300cc beast.. With a level 1 performance head and performance UNI air filter, all I can say is WOW!! I have so much more torque and quite a bit better acceleration. I can actually accelerate up hills where as before I would lose speed going up those hills. I havent got the roller weights changed out yet, so my top speed is still 55mph. When I get those changed Im hoping to hit between 60-65. The trike is louder, and has a deeper roar to it. It runs much much cooler than the stock head did. I drove it to work today and the temp gage never rised. It stayed right in the middle. It actually runs a tad bit hotter when it is idleing..
I think when I get the roller weights set right and a performance CDI "with no rev limiter" that this thing could hit high 60's maybe 70mph. Thats fast enough for me..
There are different ways to break in a new motor depending on who you ask. Most manufactureres say keep the engine speeds low, and other mechanics will argue to run the hell out of it and the rings will seal better. Anyways - I think you can tell that Im the "run the hell out" of type of guy.. lol
Let me know if you need anymore info.. I will send you some pics of me tearing down the engine
**********************************
Some Great Riding
I rode the trike to work for the first time a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the ride. I had one section of 50mph traffic between Council Bluff, I A and Omaha, NE, as I crossed the I480 Interstate, and the rest was 30-40 mph limits. The trike handled the different surfaces well, and it had the usual truck and car drivers waking up and taking notice of the trike. I felt more alive myself as I was really taking care to watch for traffic and road problems. I even ended up riding in the rush hour traffic around 5pm through Omaha, and had no worries.
Anne and I had a ride out last night to look at the local flooding, caused by the ground water rising up as it soaks though the earth surrounding the rising Missouri River. The sight is scary impressive. It is a major disaster even if the levees hold, and they are going to have to hold for another 2-3 months.
We also rode around the other scenic viewpoints in Council Bluffs, and I got the chance to drive on some hairpin corners at one of the sites which gave me a chance to push the limits of the steering a little. It handled them with no problems.
When we stop anywhere we usually get someone coming over the look at the trike and talk about it. Everyone who talks with me thinks that it is a CanAm and they want to know what I think of it. They are usually surprised when they realize that it is the Chinese version. When I tell them the cost of owning an MC-95 they are even more impressed!
Anne and I had a ride out last night to look at the local flooding, caused by the ground water rising up as it soaks though the earth surrounding the rising Missouri River. The sight is scary impressive. It is a major disaster even if the levees hold, and they are going to have to hold for another 2-3 months.
We also rode around the other scenic viewpoints in Council Bluffs, and I got the chance to drive on some hairpin corners at one of the sites which gave me a chance to push the limits of the steering a little. It handled them with no problems.
When we stop anywhere we usually get someone coming over the look at the trike and talk about it. Everyone who talks with me thinks that it is a CanAm and they want to know what I think of it. They are usually surprised when they realize that it is the Chinese version. When I tell them the cost of owning an MC-95 they are even more impressed!
**********************************
Jim’s MC-95 (Read from the bottom upwards)]
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 4:26 PM
Hi Kevin,
This is the latest update on the trike. I don't remember if I told you that Tamy (from countyimports) called on June 30 and proceeded to give me a ration of crap about putting the payment in dispute through the credit card company. It is the only way that I was able to talk to a live body and get the parts sent. If I had paid by check, I would still be waiting. Below is the note that I sent her today.
I now have over 300 miles on this trike and am getting more use to driving it. But earlier today, I was going close to 40 (just under) on a country road with a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. The road has some bumps, no pot holes or missing sections, and when I hit the series of small bumps, the trike wiggled and scared me to death. I thought that I was about to buy the farm. Fortunately, it only swerved back and forth a couple of feet. This road is posted at 50 mph and I was going slow to start with. I drive this road in a car all of the time and you don't even notice the bumps.
I still can not imagine driving this thing at 50 mph.
Jim
Tamy,
We finally figured out what is going on with this trike. The parts that you sent arrived this morning. I removed the wheel from the rear of the trike and put the new rim on (no tire mounted). We rotated the wheel by hand and it does the same thing in that it moves up and down by 3/32". So it is not the wheel causing the problem.
We then removed the sprocket on the other side of the axle and put the new sprocket in place and it still wobbles just as bad as ever. So, it is not the sprocket. .
I live in an over 55 community and there is a retired race car builder that lives here. He is a professional mechanical engineer by trade that worked for one of the top NASCAR teams. I asked him to come and take a look at my trike.
After inspecting the wobble on the wheel and the sprocket, he had me remove both and then rotated the axle and said that the axle shaft was either bent or machined off center. At his direction, I removed the axle for his inspection. He took it back to his shop and put the axle on a lathe using the two centering holes that are located on either end of the axle shaft. He then used a dial indicator to determine just how far off the machining was. The end with the hub (bolt holes for the sprocket) has an incorrect center position. It is off by over 100 thousands of an inch. The other end of the shaft with the spline is on center. The bearing surfaces are mis-matched as they are off by 6 thousands of an inch. He called this very sloppy machining.
The end result is that there is a wobble when the axle shaft rotates.Between the off center machining and the mis-matched bearing journals there is just too much play and mis-alignment.
At this point the rim is not needed and the eccentric housing is not needed. I don't know about the tire until the axle is replace and the original wheel and tire are put back on the trike. They may be just fine. A small deviation on the axle machining translates to much larger movement at the end of the edges of both the tire and sprocket when they rotate.
As you will recall, I said that the chain gets very tight and then loose when the wheel is rotated. The off center machining of the axle is causing this.
I would appreciate it if you can get me a replacement axle and as soon as it arrives, we can put the trike back together and test everything.
At this point it looks like I will be returning the sprocket, eccentric housing, wheel (rim) and tire. I want to wait to do this to make certain that the axle is the only problem.
Please let me know when you will be shipping the axle.
Jim Spring
Sent:Saturday, June 18, 2011 10:52 AM
Subject: MC-95 Update
Subject: MC-95 Update
Hey Kevin,
I thought that I would just give you an update and something you may want to post. Any buyer needs to be very careful about the warranty and the conditions under which it applies. This trike only has a 30 day warranty from the date of delivery on everything except the engine and frame. My warranty claims started on 6/8, day of delivery. So I have until July 7 to get things covered.
I think the selling dealer purposely drags things out to get out of the 30 day warranty period (my personal guess). My trike came through with broken off front turn signals. With that condition, the trike can not be legally driven. I put them back together with RTV as a temporary fix to get it past inspection and a tag so that I could drive it. My registration is probably going to bounce back from the state as the certificate of origin was in the shipping container and contained the manufacturer information but nothing about the completion of the sale. The local tag processing facility is not a state owned facility and they issued the registration with the caveat that the state may come back for more detail before granting a title. At least I have a tag on it and can drive it to get the bugs out before warranty expiration.
County imports requires you to request the documentation for titling after you receive the trike and state that it can take 3 to 21 days for the buyer to receive the necessary documentation to get the trike registered properly.... remember that 30 day warranty ticking away. I requested my documentation around 6/10 and am now in a waiting period. The question becomes, if you can't get it licensed to drive, how do you know what is going to fail before the 30 day warranty expires?
I have now turned over 200 miles on the trike and outside of the severe vibration issues, it runs good.
Dealer Support ???? what is that?
I finally got an email from the warranty dept of countyimports.com, subsidiary of Buggy World, on 6/15. As I think you know, I put in about 6 warranty claims between 6/8 and 6/11. The response is below.
"Warranty is effective only if:
(1) The product is completely and correctly assembled by a certified automotive or motorcycle technician with documented proof of completion and PDI. (pre-delivery inspection)"
So, unless you have the initial assembly done by a certified mechanic, there is no warranty. In their warranty description, they say specifically that this must be a none related party. My son is a certified ASE Master Tech and is also licensed to do state inspections, but I won't address that here.
I was out of town and did not get back until 6/16 and sent off the required paper work and did get back an immediate email response the same day.
"I will update you on your claim soon as I hear something.
I thought that I would just give you an update and something you may want to post. Any buyer needs to be very careful about the warranty and the conditions under which it applies. This trike only has a 30 day warranty from the date of delivery on everything except the engine and frame. My warranty claims started on 6/8, day of delivery. So I have until July 7 to get things covered.
I think the selling dealer purposely drags things out to get out of the 30 day warranty period (my personal guess). My trike came through with broken off front turn signals. With that condition, the trike can not be legally driven. I put them back together with RTV as a temporary fix to get it past inspection and a tag so that I could drive it. My registration is probably going to bounce back from the state as the certificate of origin was in the shipping container and contained the manufacturer information but nothing about the completion of the sale. The local tag processing facility is not a state owned facility and they issued the registration with the caveat that the state may come back for more detail before granting a title. At least I have a tag on it and can drive it to get the bugs out before warranty expiration.
County imports requires you to request the documentation for titling after you receive the trike and state that it can take 3 to 21 days for the buyer to receive the necessary documentation to get the trike registered properly.... remember that 30 day warranty ticking away. I requested my documentation around 6/10 and am now in a waiting period. The question becomes, if you can't get it licensed to drive, how do you know what is going to fail before the 30 day warranty expires?
I have now turned over 200 miles on the trike and outside of the severe vibration issues, it runs good.
Dealer Support ???? what is that?
I finally got an email from the warranty dept of countyimports.com, subsidiary of Buggy World, on 6/15. As I think you know, I put in about 6 warranty claims between 6/8 and 6/11. The response is below.
"Warranty is effective only if:
(1) The product is completely and correctly assembled by a certified automotive or motorcycle technician with documented proof of completion and PDI. (pre-delivery inspection)"
So, unless you have the initial assembly done by a certified mechanic, there is no warranty. In their warranty description, they say specifically that this must be a none related party. My son is a certified ASE Master Tech and is also licensed to do state inspections, but I won't address that here.
I was out of town and did not get back until 6/16 and sent off the required paper work and did get back an immediate email response the same day.
"I will update you on your claim soon as I hear something.
Tamy"
Nothing else has happened so far... and the warranty period keeps ticking away. I have no idea as to what she means about she will update me on my claim when she hears something.
In the mean time, I filed a dispute with the credit card company and claimed that the product was not fit for intended use due to the severe vibration. This is more than just a minor warranty issue as the manufacturer's quality control should have found this when the trike was built. The motorcycle repair facility said that I needed to take it to an automotive machine shop for proper diagnosis. Too many things are out of spec and any one or combination of the issues can be the cause of the problem.
Issues
Rear wheel out of round 3/32", tire tread area wobbles back and forth 1/8", rear wheel binds when rotated out of gear causing the chain tension to get very tight then loose as the sprocket moves forward and back when rotating, rear sprocket and hub wobble when rotated.
One last thing, if you will recall, the battery was not charging and it left me stranded. I put in a claim for a new voltage regulator as it was not charging the battery and this is the response.
"battery dead-- jumped on the CAR BATTERY ( I hope not) if so as per claim form this can void warranty
wants instructions and electrical part to fix the charging unit."
More typical garbage. Jumping a 12 volt system from a 12 volt battery is a none issue as long as the connections are proper.
More typical garbage. Jumping a 12 volt system from a 12 volt battery is a none issue as long as the connections are proper.
Jim
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Kevin,
I just wanted to thank you ever so much. I got my MC-95 yesterday and for 2 days, I have been trying to find out where to put the gear oil. Call to the selling dealer are useless as the only thing you get it a message voice mail and obviously no return calls.
My unit is also yellow. When I took it out of the crate, and started to remove the protective foam over the front two fenders, I found both turn signal lights broken off. The protective wrap is still over the lens.
left front turn signal lamp sitting on bike Right front turn signal lamp
These were overtightened by the manufacturer and the black plastic mounting portion of the molding are broken in about a dozen places. I have requested replacement lamps under warranty. In the meantime, I used thick RTV to put them in place to get the bike through inspection.
Delivery was also an issue. YRC trucking brought the unit in to eastern PA from CA. They were supposed to deliver it to a residence but could not unload it off by using the tail gate as the create was about 5 x 8 feet long and the fork lift slots are on either end, not the long sides. Consequently, after two days of nonsense, I had the trucking company take it to a friend of mine who has a business about 30 miles away in DE where a forklift was available.
Some typical assembly issue were encountered. One of the rear fender bolts that was welded to the frame, was filled from the top side with weld splatter. The assembler knew this as they put the bolt in to the nut from the tire side. Of course you could not bolt the fender on and I had to run to a hardware store to get a metric tape to re-thread the nut.
Once assembled, I could only guess that there was no coolant in the radiator, so I bought a gallon and mixed a 50/50 mixture to put in. It only took about 4 ounces.
I had to take it from DE to Oxford, PA to get it inspected, a trip of about 25 miles. Two thirds of the way there, the bike quit running with no electrical power. I was traveling at about 35 mph when it lost power. I did not have any tools with me as there is no storage compartment on these bikes. I had my wife bring some tools and a V-O-M to test the battery and connections. After removing the front windshield assembly and checking all of the connections, everything seemed to be OK. I went back to where the battery is located under the seat and looked more closely at the solenoid next to the battery. There was a spare 25 amp fuse stored there. I then pull the end off of the solenoid and there it was... a blown fuse.
I had been riding with the headlights on for safety. After replacing the fuse, I was able to start the engine. The next thing that I did was just stupid. I turned on the headlights again and immediately blew the second fuse. I was sitting on a desolate road about 8 miles from my destination. After thinking about this for awhile, I spotted a soda can that someone had thrown on to the side of the road. I removed the pull tab, broke off a portion so that what I had left looked like the letter U. I plugged this in to the fuse terminal, restarted the engine, but did not turn on the lights. I was able to drive it to the inspection facility where I left it until tomorrow.
I will go back and start to trouble shoot why the headlights are blowing the fuse.
The bike is unstable at this point. I really did not want to run over 40 for two reasons, break-in and odd handling characteristics. I read the article on toe-in and will check that first. At ~35 MPH, the bike rides like a tire is out of balance with a vibration. So, I will check the toe-in t see if that is the problem.
My bike was manufactured in May of 2010 and I will also see if it has the torsion bar assembly.
Anyway, thanks again.
Jim
I just wanted to thank you ever so much. I got my MC-95 yesterday and for 2 days, I have been trying to find out where to put the gear oil. Call to the selling dealer are useless as the only thing you get it a message voice mail and obviously no return calls.
My unit is also yellow. When I took it out of the crate, and started to remove the protective foam over the front two fenders, I found both turn signal lights broken off. The protective wrap is still over the lens.
left front turn signal lamp sitting on bike Right front turn signal lamp
These were overtightened by the manufacturer and the black plastic mounting portion of the molding are broken in about a dozen places. I have requested replacement lamps under warranty. In the meantime, I used thick RTV to put them in place to get the bike through inspection.
Delivery was also an issue. YRC trucking brought the unit in to eastern PA from CA. They were supposed to deliver it to a residence but could not unload it off by using the tail gate as the create was about 5 x 8 feet long and the fork lift slots are on either end, not the long sides. Consequently, after two days of nonsense, I had the trucking company take it to a friend of mine who has a business about 30 miles away in DE where a forklift was available.
Some typical assembly issue were encountered. One of the rear fender bolts that was welded to the frame, was filled from the top side with weld splatter. The assembler knew this as they put the bolt in to the nut from the tire side. Of course you could not bolt the fender on and I had to run to a hardware store to get a metric tape to re-thread the nut.
Once assembled, I could only guess that there was no coolant in the radiator, so I bought a gallon and mixed a 50/50 mixture to put in. It only took about 4 ounces.
I had to take it from DE to Oxford, PA to get it inspected, a trip of about 25 miles. Two thirds of the way there, the bike quit running with no electrical power. I was traveling at about 35 mph when it lost power. I did not have any tools with me as there is no storage compartment on these bikes. I had my wife bring some tools and a V-O-M to test the battery and connections. After removing the front windshield assembly and checking all of the connections, everything seemed to be OK. I went back to where the battery is located under the seat and looked more closely at the solenoid next to the battery. There was a spare 25 amp fuse stored there. I then pull the end off of the solenoid and there it was... a blown fuse.
I had been riding with the headlights on for safety. After replacing the fuse, I was able to start the engine. The next thing that I did was just stupid. I turned on the headlights again and immediately blew the second fuse. I was sitting on a desolate road about 8 miles from my destination. After thinking about this for awhile, I spotted a soda can that someone had thrown on to the side of the road. I removed the pull tab, broke off a portion so that what I had left looked like the letter U. I plugged this in to the fuse terminal, restarted the engine, but did not turn on the lights. I was able to drive it to the inspection facility where I left it until tomorrow.
I will go back and start to trouble shoot why the headlights are blowing the fuse.
The bike is unstable at this point. I really did not want to run over 40 for two reasons, break-in and odd handling characteristics. I read the article on toe-in and will check that first. At ~35 MPH, the bike rides like a tire is out of balance with a vibration. So, I will check the toe-in t see if that is the problem.
My bike was manufactured in May of 2010 and I will also see if it has the torsion bar assembly.
Anyway, thanks again.
Jim
Rear Wheel is out of round
Kevin,
I just spent another hour fooling around to try to see what was out that could be causing the problem. The drive sprocket on the engine looks good as there is no wobble in it and it is centered on the drive shaft as there is no movement from front to back when it is rotating. The rear set up is different and there are lots of things that are not true. None seem to be excessive, but maybe it is a combination of issues that is causing the problem.
I made a rig with 6 inch C clamp and a hacksaw blade and placed it next to the pins on the chain on the rear sprocket. I found the high spot (outboard direction from the center line of the trike) and then rotated the rear tire until I go the maximum clearance. It measures about 3/32". I don't think that the chain is the problem as it does not vary when rotating over the drive sprocket. The width or off set of the rear sprocket teeth may introduce the back and forth movement when the wheel rotates.
On the end of the chain (chain centerline to the rear of the trike at the centerline of the sprocket), there is nearly a 3/32 inch movement toward the rear as the sprocket rotates. That would cause the chain to tighten and then relax as the sprocket turns. Since the center shaft hub that the sprocket mounts on is true (no deviation), that means the sprocket could have different issues. It could be cut off center, the mounting holes could be drilled off center or it could be slightly bent.
I rechecked the rear tire at the middle of the tread and it also moves in and out a full 1/8". In addition, the rim is not true and that is out 3/32" across the diameter of the rim. Finally, the tire tread moves left and right about 1/8".
There are just so many things that are out, that the real cause of the vibration could result from a number of these issues.
I think I need a new tire so that tread does not wobble, a true rim so that it is not oval in shape and a new sprocket that is true.
Will keep you advised as to where this goes. I did dispute the charge this morning as that is the only way that I can get the attention of the seller. Maybe the will wake up and give me a call and tell me how to fix this thing.
Jim
On 6/14/2011 11:00 AM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
I just spent another hour fooling around to try to see what was out that could be causing the problem. The drive sprocket on the engine looks good as there is no wobble in it and it is centered on the drive shaft as there is no movement from front to back when it is rotating. The rear set up is different and there are lots of things that are not true. None seem to be excessive, but maybe it is a combination of issues that is causing the problem.
I made a rig with 6 inch C clamp and a hacksaw blade and placed it next to the pins on the chain on the rear sprocket. I found the high spot (outboard direction from the center line of the trike) and then rotated the rear tire until I go the maximum clearance. It measures about 3/32". I don't think that the chain is the problem as it does not vary when rotating over the drive sprocket. The width or off set of the rear sprocket teeth may introduce the back and forth movement when the wheel rotates.
On the end of the chain (chain centerline to the rear of the trike at the centerline of the sprocket), there is nearly a 3/32 inch movement toward the rear as the sprocket rotates. That would cause the chain to tighten and then relax as the sprocket turns. Since the center shaft hub that the sprocket mounts on is true (no deviation), that means the sprocket could have different issues. It could be cut off center, the mounting holes could be drilled off center or it could be slightly bent.
I rechecked the rear tire at the middle of the tread and it also moves in and out a full 1/8". In addition, the rim is not true and that is out 3/32" across the diameter of the rim. Finally, the tire tread moves left and right about 1/8".
There are just so many things that are out, that the real cause of the vibration could result from a number of these issues.
I think I need a new tire so that tread does not wobble, a true rim so that it is not oval in shape and a new sprocket that is true.
Will keep you advised as to where this goes. I did dispute the charge this morning as that is the only way that I can get the attention of the seller. Maybe the will wake up and give me a call and tell me how to fix this thing.
Jim
On 6/14/2011 11:00 AM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Jim
I'm sorry to hear that you have the bad problem with the rear transmission system. Sounds like you got a bad one. Maybe it got dropped in transit. I'd agree with putting a hold on the card and getting a replacement trike.
Sounds like the regulator was a bad connection/wire somewhere - possibly intermittent.
I hate it when companies don't respond to a problem! They should step up and take responsibility. They should also adjust their claim for 85mph+ in their advert- mine does 52mph (GPS real speed not speedo)
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Well Kevin... I am baffled. I left the slow rate charger on all night and made a 17 mile run the post office. When I got back, I decided to check the battery to see what the level of charge was.. SURPRISE... 13.56 volts. The darn thing is now working and I have no idea as to why. I also made another 15 mile jaunt later in the day, with headlights on and the battery is still fully charged.
Now for more bad news. The last thing that I have to get fixed is the ump, ump, ump sound as the rear wheel rotates and get rid of that awful vibration that I have had since the first ride. Everything was so strange, that I did not concentrate on all of the vibration coming from the rear wheel. I told you that I had all of the wheel balanced to try to fix the problem, but that did not work.
I made an appointment with a motorcycle shop to see if they could tell me what was going on. They confirmed what I said about the rim being slightly out and the wiggle in the tire tread of about 1/8" but they said that would not cause what I am feeling and hearing. They jacked up the trike and turned the rear wheel by hand. It binds as it rotates.. easy, stiff, easy stiff. The next thing they checked was the tension on the chain. It was way too tight, no give at all when pressing downward on the chain between the two sprockets. They loosened up the tension until it had between 1/4 and 3/8 inch flex with downward pressure between the two sprockets. They then turned the rotor (wheel was off) by had and it still was binding. The chain would have a little slack and then get tight as the rotor was turned.
Both the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket appear to be OK by just looking at a spot and rotating the shafts. When they were working on the chain, I noticed that the chain on the bottom between the two sprockets was moving from left to right and back about 1/2 inch. There should be no lateral travel. After spending about 1 and 1/2 hours on this thing, they had to quit and get other jobs finished. I had called and asked if they could squeeze me in just to take a look at it and two guys wound up spending all of this time. One has been a motorcycle mechanic for 27 years and the other one was a motorcycle mechanic for 14 years.
They concluded that the two shafts (drive shaft coming out of the engine housing and the rear wheel shaft were not parallel and that I might have to take it to a frame shop to get the frame adjusted. They also suggested that I order new sprockets and chain as there was just too much strain on these parts and they may be damaged or slightly bent.
I called countyimports.com again and listened to their menu of prompts. One by one I called back and punched them in sequence. No one bother to answer the phone, just a request to leave another message (I have left calls since 6/8 and none have been returned). I finally called the sales line as that is the only one with a live body. The guy said that Tammy was in charge of warranty and that she was away from her desk right now but should be back in 15 minutes and that he would make certain that she would call me to get the matter resolved. Well, after 6 hours of waiting, I never got a call.
I think that I am calling my credit card company tomorrow to put the charge in dispute. That is about the only thing that I can think of to do.
Jim
On 6/13/2011 8:41 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Now for more bad news. The last thing that I have to get fixed is the ump, ump, ump sound as the rear wheel rotates and get rid of that awful vibration that I have had since the first ride. Everything was so strange, that I did not concentrate on all of the vibration coming from the rear wheel. I told you that I had all of the wheel balanced to try to fix the problem, but that did not work.
I made an appointment with a motorcycle shop to see if they could tell me what was going on. They confirmed what I said about the rim being slightly out and the wiggle in the tire tread of about 1/8" but they said that would not cause what I am feeling and hearing. They jacked up the trike and turned the rear wheel by hand. It binds as it rotates.. easy, stiff, easy stiff. The next thing they checked was the tension on the chain. It was way too tight, no give at all when pressing downward on the chain between the two sprockets. They loosened up the tension until it had between 1/4 and 3/8 inch flex with downward pressure between the two sprockets. They then turned the rotor (wheel was off) by had and it still was binding. The chain would have a little slack and then get tight as the rotor was turned.
Both the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket appear to be OK by just looking at a spot and rotating the shafts. When they were working on the chain, I noticed that the chain on the bottom between the two sprockets was moving from left to right and back about 1/2 inch. There should be no lateral travel. After spending about 1 and 1/2 hours on this thing, they had to quit and get other jobs finished. I had called and asked if they could squeeze me in just to take a look at it and two guys wound up spending all of this time. One has been a motorcycle mechanic for 27 years and the other one was a motorcycle mechanic for 14 years.
They concluded that the two shafts (drive shaft coming out of the engine housing and the rear wheel shaft were not parallel and that I might have to take it to a frame shop to get the frame adjusted. They also suggested that I order new sprockets and chain as there was just too much strain on these parts and they may be damaged or slightly bent.
I called countyimports.com again and listened to their menu of prompts. One by one I called back and punched them in sequence. No one bother to answer the phone, just a request to leave another message (I have left calls since 6/8 and none have been returned). I finally called the sales line as that is the only one with a live body. The guy said that Tammy was in charge of warranty and that she was away from her desk right now but should be back in 15 minutes and that he would make certain that she would call me to get the matter resolved. Well, after 6 hours of waiting, I never got a call.
I think that I am calling my credit card company tomorrow to put the charge in dispute. That is about the only thing that I can think of to do.
Jim
On 6/13/2011 8:41 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Jim'
My battery/regulator readings:
Chargerd battery 13.3v
Engine idle running 14.2v
Lights on engine off 12.5v and dropping
lights on engine on 13.8v and dropping slowly
Lights on on engine idling 13.5v and dropping holding with revs up
Hope that helps
Kevin
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2011 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Good Morning Kevin. I rechecked all of the connections including the green wire going in to the connector at the solenoid next to the battery. All are tight and have good connections.
I am still not reading any increase in voltage when the engine is running to charge the battery. I am able to measure ~27 volts AC coming out of the alternator on two separate lines that go in to the regulator. If I disconnect the connector coming out of the regulator, the engine will not run. I wanted to see if I had any voltage coming from the regulator. The only line that is hot is the red lead that goes to the ignition key. That voltage is the same as the battery.
Did you measure the output from the regulator? If you did, you take the measurements?
I also spent about an hour trying to get the steering wheel straight while maintaining the toe in. It is difficult trying to get an accurate measurement with only one person. Attempting to thread the ruler through the frame to a spot on the tire is difficult with no one to hold the other end of the ruler. I get about 1/8" toe in about 1 1/2 inches below the center line of the tires. Because of the body structure, I could not make the measurement at the center line.
Thanks
Jim
On 6/11/2011 4:35 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
I am still not reading any increase in voltage when the engine is running to charge the battery. I am able to measure ~27 volts AC coming out of the alternator on two separate lines that go in to the regulator. If I disconnect the connector coming out of the regulator, the engine will not run. I wanted to see if I had any voltage coming from the regulator. The only line that is hot is the red lead that goes to the ignition key. That voltage is the same as the battery.
Did you measure the output from the regulator? If you did, you take the measurements?
I also spent about an hour trying to get the steering wheel straight while maintaining the toe in. It is difficult trying to get an accurate measurement with only one person. Attempting to thread the ruler through the frame to a spot on the tire is difficult with no one to hold the other end of the ruler. I get about 1/8" toe in about 1 1/2 inches below the center line of the tires. Because of the body structure, I could not make the measurement at the center line.
Thanks
Jim
On 6/11/2011 4:35 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Try pressing on the green wire at the solenoid connection! It seems to be where Dean's problem is!
Kevin
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Kevin,
In an earlier email, you asked about the battery rating. My battery is clearly marked 12 volts 12 AH. It is sealed.
Jim
On 6/11/2011, Kevin Rutland wrote:
In an earlier email, you asked about the battery rating. My battery is clearly marked 12 volts 12 AH. It is sealed.
Jim
On 6/11/2011, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Thanks for the info Jim. Saving me some time. I'm suspecting the regulator too.
I'll keep checking and get back to you if I find anything else.
Kevin
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Subject: Re: MC-95 Rear Wheel is out of round
Kevin,
I found that and I think it is a rectifier. There are 3 yellow wires coming from the engine case on the right middle front of the engine inboard of the water hose connection. I believe that the alternator is inside the housing. With the engine off, all three yellow wires show no voltage. With the engine running, two of the yellow wires are putting out 26 to 27 volts AC. I tried reading them on DC and got a zero reading. These wires go to a connector that then goes to the ZTXZ1004 module that you are talking about. There are 3 additional wires coming from the module, Red, Green and Black as I recall. These 3 wires go to the ignition key.
The red wire will read 12 + volts (same as battery) but that voltage is coming from the ignition key switch. I suspect that this red wire is the wire that is supposed to carry the charging voltage back to the battery. It reads the same voltage with the engine off or on and did not respond to increased rpm.
I am willing to bet that this is the module that is bad.
Jim
On 6/11/2011 3:04 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
I found that and I think it is a rectifier. There are 3 yellow wires coming from the engine case on the right middle front of the engine inboard of the water hose connection. I believe that the alternator is inside the housing. With the engine off, all three yellow wires show no voltage. With the engine running, two of the yellow wires are putting out 26 to 27 volts AC. I tried reading them on DC and got a zero reading. These wires go to a connector that then goes to the ZTXZ1004 module that you are talking about. There are 3 additional wires coming from the module, Red, Green and Black as I recall. These 3 wires go to the ignition key.
The red wire will read 12 + volts (same as battery) but that voltage is coming from the ignition key switch. I suspect that this red wire is the wire that is supposed to carry the charging voltage back to the battery. It reads the same voltage with the engine off or on and did not respond to increased rpm.
I am willing to bet that this is the module that is bad.
Jim
On 6/11/2011 3:04 PM, Kevin Rutland wrote:
Jim
That is a spare connector. at the front end. Just tie it out of the way.,
I'm outside working on Dean's Trike, with the same charging problem.
The Regulator is located behind the left engine panel - two bolts to remove and them pull sharply downwards to release the panel. Check the connectors on the regulator. I'm about to check output voltages.
I'll continue faultfinding and get back to you.
Kevin
Saturday 11th June 2011
Kevin,
The unending saga of trying to get this beast to run and handle properly. I now have 62 miles on the trike and yes, you can post this.
Since I am new to riding something like this, I was not sure what to expect. At all speeds I get a vibration through the whole bike and could not figure out what was causing it. By the time you are at 35 MPH the vibration is very noticeable and with other control issues, it is hard to figure out what is going on. I took the trike up to an auto repair shop and had them balance all three wheels. One wheel did not have any weights and needed a small weight. Another wheel had a weight but it was totally loose. This did not solve the problems that I am having.
1) I jacked up the rear of the trike and started the engine in gear so that the back wheel would rotate. I used a fixed post to move close to the left side of the tire from the rear and it had a variation in distance from the fixed post to the tire wall of about 1/32 inch when the tire rotated. I then moved it to the right side and the variation was closer to 1/8 inch. Next, I put the fixed post at the back of the tire and fixed the position at one of the deepest grooves in the tread so that I could see how much wobble was on the tread. This measured about 1/16 inch.
I did not think that this would cause the amount of vibration that I am getting, so I decided to check the rim for being out of round. Low and behold, when I put the fixed post at the edge of the rim, I got 3/32" of distance out of round. I think this is what is causing the vibration of the rear wheel. I neglected to mention that there is an audible hum, hum, hum not continuous, but all of the time like a throbbing. The fast you go, the faster the throbbing noise.
My son was following me in a car and watched the wheel and he said that the fender and license plate vibrate severely.
2) I initially adjusted the tire pressure to 40 psi and since have dropped it to 37 psi to see if there were any handling differences. The result is inconclusive.
3) I changed the setting on the back shock from the middle position to the softest position (spring not compressed as much). This did remove the jarring in the buttocks every time you hit even a small bump.
4) There is a male electrical connector in the front that is disconnected. It consists of three wires, gray, blue and orange. The gray wire is hot at all times even with the key off. I used a multimeter and put the positive probe on the gray wire and the negative on the blue and orange alternatively. Both sets of connections show battery voltage. I have no idea where this goes as I cannot find a female connector to plug it in to.
I have no idea as to what this is for. Is it possible that this is why the battery is not charging? The voltage does not increase on this line when you rev up the engine.
Jim
Kevin,
The unending saga of trying to get this beast to run and handle properly. I now have 62 miles on the trike and yes, you can post this.
Since I am new to riding something like this, I was not sure what to expect. At all speeds I get a vibration through the whole bike and could not figure out what was causing it. By the time you are at 35 MPH the vibration is very noticeable and with other control issues, it is hard to figure out what is going on. I took the trike up to an auto repair shop and had them balance all three wheels. One wheel did not have any weights and needed a small weight. Another wheel had a weight but it was totally loose. This did not solve the problems that I am having.
1) I jacked up the rear of the trike and started the engine in gear so that the back wheel would rotate. I used a fixed post to move close to the left side of the tire from the rear and it had a variation in distance from the fixed post to the tire wall of about 1/32 inch when the tire rotated. I then moved it to the right side and the variation was closer to 1/8 inch. Next, I put the fixed post at the back of the tire and fixed the position at one of the deepest grooves in the tread so that I could see how much wobble was on the tread. This measured about 1/16 inch.
I did not think that this would cause the amount of vibration that I am getting, so I decided to check the rim for being out of round. Low and behold, when I put the fixed post at the edge of the rim, I got 3/32" of distance out of round. I think this is what is causing the vibration of the rear wheel. I neglected to mention that there is an audible hum, hum, hum not continuous, but all of the time like a throbbing. The fast you go, the faster the throbbing noise.
My son was following me in a car and watched the wheel and he said that the fender and license plate vibrate severely.
2) I initially adjusted the tire pressure to 40 psi and since have dropped it to 37 psi to see if there were any handling differences. The result is inconclusive.
3) I changed the setting on the back shock from the middle position to the softest position (spring not compressed as much). This did remove the jarring in the buttocks every time you hit even a small bump.
4) There is a male electrical connector in the front that is disconnected. It consists of three wires, gray, blue and orange. The gray wire is hot at all times even with the key off. I used a multimeter and put the positive probe on the gray wire and the negative on the blue and orange alternatively. Both sets of connections show battery voltage. I have no idea where this goes as I cannot find a female connector to plug it in to.
I have no idea as to what this is for. Is it possible that this is why the battery is not charging? The voltage does not increase on this line when you rev up the engine.
Jim
**************************
More from MC-95 Triker in KS
Great to hear from you. I'm delighted that you found and checked out my website.
What setting did you set the wheel alignment to?
How about the shocks? I had to set my rear spring tension down to the lowest setting as it was rock hard on the mid setting. I've not altered the front suspension, but I wonder if it is set to any standard setting?
I noticed my engine was getting hot at anything over 40mph, but I'm still running the engine in. I'll be watching the temps closely as I get faster, and so I'll probably try any mods that work for you.
How is yours handling at 60mph? I couple of people have been having some bad handling even as low as 35mph. Probably the wheel alignment problem you found, so any details you could share would help everyone with similar problems. Are you getting moved around on rough surfaces, or experiencing any instability? Mine feels like it is gently rocking from time to time.
What is the top speed you've achieved so far? I see that it is red lined at about 62mph, although the dealers are giving 68mph?
I'm really interested in the mods you are making. Can you send me details for the parts you are using and how they improve (hopefully) performance?
Would you be OK if I put your email up on the website? I can leave off your name if you prefer. I'm hoping I can get more of us to share our thoughts and mods, and info on handling, etc.
Thanks again for emailing me. The purpose of the website is to share info and help everyone get the best out of their trike. We all probably purchased them on a leap of faith, and so the more info we share the better for everyone.
Please keep in touch
MC-95 in KS:
On the wheel alignment you pretty much have to eye ball it. My first adjustment was good but still had the little whip in it from time to time, but I just got use to it. I did my final (2nd) adjustment tonight and it drove incredibly straight even at 60mph. I didnt feel any whip in it at all. You just have to adjust the tie rod down on the left wheel (as if you were setting on the bike) and just eye it. Or Im sure any alignment shop would align it as well. I havent messed with the shocks but I need to. They are pretty stiff. I see how you adjust the front ones with the big screw on top, but how do you adjust the back one? Top speed I have reached is bout 68 downhill but the speeddometer goes crazy at that speed so its hard to tell if its even accurate. They say all scooters are that way.
Just got done changing the oil, but couldn't get the coolant drain screw off. Its way to tight and I will need to get a cheater pipe to get it off. I didnt think it was possible for this thing to have a tight bolt anywhere on it, as many lose ones that I had to tighten up when I got it. lol..
Let me know if you need any more info on wheel alignment It takes 2 wrenches. One to hold the tie rod and the other to back the golden screw off a little. Once you back the screw off you spin the tie rod and it will turn that wheel in or out depending on which way you spin the tie rod, then crank the gold screw back down tight against it.
MC-95 in KS:
On the wheel alignment you pretty much have to eye ball it. My first adjustment was good but still had the little whip in it from time to time, but I just got use to it. I did my final (2nd) adjustment tonight and it drove incredibly straight even at 60mph. I didnt feel any whip in it at all. You just have to adjust the tie rod down on the left wheel (as if you were setting on the bike) and just eye it. Or Im sure any alignment shop would align it as well. I havent messed with the shocks but I need to. They are pretty stiff. I see how you adjust the front ones with the big screw on top, but how do you adjust the back one? Top speed I have reached is bout 68 downhill but the speeddometer goes crazy at that speed so its hard to tell if its even accurate. They say all scooters are that way.
This is the racing head I will be getting after the K&N air filter, but not sure about the exhaust. Some people drill their exhausts out and save money, but I don't know if I will do that. I'm not exactly sure what level of racing head I will get between level 1 and 2.
You can put my email on your website if you would like. I am interested in speaking with others also about these trikes. There really isn't much info about them on the internet. I sure did purchase it on a leap of faith when I bought this thing. People do like the looks of it and have had a lot of compliments.
Just got done changing the oil, but couldn't get the coolant drain screw off. Its way to tight and I will need to get a cheater pipe to get it off. I didnt think it was possible for this thing to have a tight bolt anywhere on it, as many lose ones that I had to tighten up when I got it. lol..
Let me know if you need any more info on wheel alignment It takes 2 wrenches. One to hold the tie rod and the other to back the golden screw off a little. Once you back the screw off you spin the tie rod and it will turn that wheel in or out depending on which way you spin the tie rod, then crank the gold screw back down tight against it.
I'll keep in touch. Thanks
********************************************
