Another one back from the dead (1997 King Quad 300 LT-FWDX)

[Hagbard]

JACKPOT

 

https://www.upholsterycentral.com/products/appollo-4-way-stretch-vinyl?variant=29379923410986

 

Lime and Plum. I double dog dare you. I'll even sew it.

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Hagbard

[JustRandy]

Yeah lime and plum is totally me man.  How'd ya know?

[JustRandy]

My chain.  Lightest I could find.

Evidently I added weight to my clutch, but don't remember doing it lol

[JustRandy]

I think this is a Jardine exhaust like that guy with the 250S on craigslist.  The muffler sucks so I made my own, but the header is nice.

The muffler I made

That's a section of driveshaft.

The muffler is super quiet until the throttle is opened up.

That's enough for today.  My pc is acting up.  I haven't restarted it in about 3 months so the memory is probably maxed.

[Hagbard]

I want to hear this bike running almost as bad as I want to hear my 230! The Jardine looks pretty similar to the DG RCM I have.  I repacked that, and installed the intact harness into the LT160(with the 230 in it), now it cranks with the electric starter, getting spark and fuel at the plug, but won't fire. More fun to troubleshoot. 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Hagbard

[JustRandy]

I haven't heard mine running in 8 years!

Mufflers like speaker boxes have to be strong enough to contain the sound which is why I picked something thick like a driveshaft.  The pressure won't be able to leak through all that metal.

Did you check the intake valve lash?

[Hagbard]

I’m about to do just that. I also remembered that I failed to hook up the neutral safety switch or the ground jumper for it. Came out here to do that and tried starting it again, no dice. So out with the feeler gauges.

[JustRandy]

There wouldn't be spark if it were the neutral switch.

Cold hard starting = check intake valve.

Hot hard starting = check coils of enameled wire.

.001 is the smallest perceptible movement without producing much of a click.  .003 makes a decent clicking sound.  Anything bigger feels sloppy.  I don't use feeler gauges because they're too hard to wiggle in there.

[Hagbard]

Adjusted to .002 intake and .004 exhaust. Still nothing. It’s been so long since I touched this thing but I feel like I’m missing something obvious. 
What would make it easier to start, more clearance or less clearance?

[JustRandy]

More clearance man.  Make the gap huge.  You don't have to set it right to get it started.

If you're getting gas and spark then either the spark is not the right time or the gas is the wrong mixture or compression is not high enough (open intake valve).  Got a compression checker?

[Hagbard]

No, but I'm long overdue for one. I'll look and see if I can find one tomorrow. I tried backing the intake adjuster screw out like an eighth turn, and it didn't change anything, I'll mess around with it some more tomorrow.

[JustRandy]

I guess from here I'd start with a different plug and look for vacuum leaks.  Is the carb in the boot?  Is the intake filter on?  Then I guess keep digging farther into the carb looking for plugged jets.  If it's not that, and it's not the ignition, then it has to be low compression.  Either a valve is open or the rings are super worn, which I doubt because a buddy had a 250S where the weight of an empty beer can was nearly heavy enough to push his kicker down lol

[Hagbard]

Last time it ran a few weeks ago, it was smoky as all get out. I did change the carb boot, I'll make sure to check the fit tomorrow. Anything I can do to unstick the valve? Marvel Mystery oil?

[JustRandy]

If a valve is sticking I can't imagine there is anything you can do other than reaming out the guide.  That same guy also had a valve sticking but it didn't affect anything since the spring was plenty strong enough to force it closed.  That engine had EVERYTHING wrong with it.  When we flushed the engine with kerosene a bunch of random metal shapes came out.  I have pics somewhere.

If it's smoking that bad then maybe the rings are worn so much that compression can't build, but I'd be surprised because the stroke is so long that it almost doesn't matter if the rings seal.  Seems more likely a valve is open.  That's why I say back off the lash so you're absolutely sure the valves are closing.

Other than that, is it possible the cam chain could have jumped a tooth?  If the valves are opening at the wrong time that would also lower compression.  If you had a compression tester a lot of these things could be ruled out.

Try some starting fluid just to see if it will fire up.

[Hagbard]

Didn't get a chance to touch it today, I suspect it might be the new carb boot not totally sealing though, and I suspect worn rings and valve might be contributing factors as well. Just saw a 230S motor nearby for $100, guy took it out to put in new rings and found a bored 250 that he put in it's place. Already did the rings.  Got the LT80 running, and then not running again, and then running again. Bad coil coupled with old plug and me being retarded with how the petcock works. Thought it was set to ON, it was on PRIME, and just flooding the carb. Swapped coil and got a new NGK plug and it fired up. Need to tune the carb idle and mixture and fix a pinhole leak in the gas tank.

I really like the driveshaft muffler! One thing I wish I had is a metal lathe. No clue how to use one properly, but I'd love to be able to change the dimensions of metal parts like I can with wood. I make do with grinding and cutting and reaming for now.  I had to fight with that old DG to get the core out of it, there was a small ding less than the size of a pencil eraser on the underside where a rock had pinged it, and the core would NOT budge past it.

I jury rigged a puller with a long piece of drill rod as an extension for the slide hammer and brute forced it out. Managed to smooth out the bump internally enough to slide the core back in after repacking it. I use the high grade yellow stuff from Owens Corning Racing myself   That with the blue painters tape really stays more comfortably within the Suzuki color palette. I made a 'quiet core' from some random stanchion mount for one  of those car canopy things. Drilled holes in it and the end cap of the DG core, and used 3/16 rivets to secure it in place. The groove where the snap ring goes in was chipped away and all bent in, not allowing the core to come out, so it had to go as well. Ground it off flush and promptly broke the head off a self tapping screw in the side of it and called it a day. That's a problem for the next idiot that decides to repack it. =P 

 

BTW... Know any way to swage the neck of the muffler down for a better interference fit? I managed to loosen mine up a little too much with all that action, and now it's no longer a 'slip-on' and needs a clamp or a sleeve.

[Hagbard]

Think I could pull of the old "rope in the plug hole" trick and change out the springs without pulling the head?  I have those heavy ovate section ones on the shelf still if they would fit.

[JustRandy]

If the springs you have now ain't strong enough to close the valve then stronger springs won't help as it will just roll more metal into a ball and seize tighter.

I'd start with a compression checker and see if compression is the problem.  And starting fluid to see if it will fire at all.

I've always wanted a metal lathe but no idea where to put it.  I've always managed to hodge podge my way around having one.

Metal dings is another reason I like having substantial metal for a muffler.  If I remember right, the fitting is tapered so it has to be pounded together then fastened with screws.  The first wrap is steel wool, then thick fiberglass for patching boats, then the pink stuff.  I was really impressed how well it worked.

I tried to replicate it with the king but I made the muffler short and fat instead of long and skinny and that didn't work, so the king is louder.

The only way I know to reduce the diameter of pipe is to cut and weld.  I'd get a fluxcore wire welder if I were you.  They don't cost much and come in handy a lot.

[Hagbard]

I have a wire feed welder set up to MIG, with a bottle of argon. The pipe I need to reduce is aluminum, however. I'm just going to get a tube-style exhaust clamp like VW uses if I can find on in the right I.D.

Might trade the KFX80 for a 2000 Blaster that needs engine rebuilt. Parts for them are hella cheap and I think I can handle a bigger 2-stroke rebuild after the practice run with the LT80.

[JustRandy]

I've never used argon.  Always used fluxcore.

Well, one idea is wrap the pipe in steel and weld it.  When it cools it will shrink and reduce the pipe.

Also, to remove sleeves from jugs, weld a line down the sleeve and it will shrink.

Blasters are cool.  No experience with them though.

[Hagbard]

Picked up the 2000 Blaster last night, after driving 45 min each way twice because I forgot the KEY for the KFX80 I traded for it.  Dude was one of these gearheads who uses jargon as a means of subterfuge - uses a lot of big technical sounding words and has no idea WTF he's yammering on about. Plus he changed out a bunch of sh** from what was depicted in the ad - took off the grab bar, switched the wheels/tires and plastics, took the nerf pad off the bars, etc. 

Chiseler. 

Told me the top end was fine because it's "a Wiseco, not that cheap chinese sh**", and the bottom was locked up. The top end is so "fine" that the jug slides right over the piston because the rings are stuck in their grooves. Mmmmhmm.

The crank wouldn't move, but there was flash rust on a lot of the gears, and after a healthy soak in PB Blaster CSP (Corrosion Stop and Prevent) I managed to get it freed up (yay!) but it will only rotate 7/8 of a full turn in either direction (boo!), and then it thuds to a stop against some as yet unidentified obstacle...

I don't feel any play in the crank and the rod bearing seems to have an acceptable amount of deflection. The wrist pin bearing was just shredded, and fell apart when punching out the pin. 

I did a little Google Fu and found a few posts around the internets about the kicker mechanism being a possible cause of the incomplete rotation issue. I suspect it's either that or one of the needles from the wrist pin bearing is lodged somewhere inconvenient. Or both. I pulled the tranny drain and found a lot of filings on the magnetic plug end, so I'm soaking the tranny in kero, gonna give it a good shake and drain it thru a coffee filter to see what comes out. 

I see some gouging on the case from where a chain let loose and mangled it a bit, but no cracks. And I only managed to shear off TWO bolts so far, and they're only on the Magneto cover, so no leakers   I have a plethora of broken bolt and stud removers, but that's a project for AFTER determining the depths of depravity to which this poor old YFS has sunk. 

The pros: 

• a decent set of FLY bars
• some PowerMadd handguards
• FMF pipe and slip on - Pipe is in excellent shape, muffler has been thoroughly defiled, and has no packing in it, but I can shape it up just fine. 
• a DG bumper
• Twist throttle to save my arthritic thumb
• a mostly intact, mostly matching set of plastics (rear is a pretty rare dark blue vs the rest which is the more common bright blue and the nose is blue but painted black. CitriStrip and done.)
• Seat is in good shape, but I hate the cover, so it's getting redone.
• Very little monkeying done to the harness - had what I assume are dash light connectors mummified inside just shy of a mile of black tape. Cheap kill switch twist & taped to two cut wires from what was probably the OEM start/kill/lights switch. Have to look at the wiring diagram when I have a minute. 
• Frame could use a little love in terms of paint, but appears intact and straight. Nothing a little strategic rattle canning won't solve.

The cons:

• No rear grab bar
• missing/rusty/stripped hardware - I see a complete bolt set on eBay for $25, I think that's going to be necessary. 
• no rear brakes at all - no caliper, no disc, no cable, no foot lever "Oh yeah, Blasters are notorious for missing their rear brakes" he says when I ask him about it after I've gotten home and found they are not in the box of parts. Riiiight.
• front tires appear to be worn out ice tires with nubs left of the studs, which sucks because I'd like to race it on the ice this winter on Lake George   
• Obviously the motor is in pretty rough shape but I think it's workable. 
• 

Going to crosspost this over in the Yamahahahah board (hope that's OK) and see if anyone there has any good ideas or useful parts.

[JustRandy]

Dang man all I can think is you should be a writer or editor of something because your prose looks better than that puzzle you've undertaken lol.  Well at least you won't be suffering boredom for the foreseeable future.

This is the first time I've laid eyes on a blaster since I was a kid ogling the atv mags so I don't have any technical input other than generic 2-stroke knowledge which isn't helping me explain what might be hung in your gears.

Are you building this for you or to flip?  If it were for me I wouldn't sweat the back brakes since I always take those off to save weight and complexity and they're fairly useless anyway.  Did I mention I can bunnyhop my 230 with the engine off in the garage?

Are there cheap chinese alternatives to wiseco?  If so I might be interested.

If the frame is bent they're not that hard to straighten.  I have a pic of that somewhere.

Well I guess I'll follow you to the yamaha board for your search for life.

[Hagbard]

I’m neck deep in canvas at the moment after 5 hours of sleep 😳

realized that my ATV budget was running low, and the project was starting to overtake my professional obligations lol. Going to try to crank these two boat covers out this afternoon so I can get paid and continue wasting money on small engine parts.

[JustRandy]

Abandoning the interesting to pursue the mundane.  I guess you can't have pudding until you eat your meat lol

[Hagbard]

To be fair, the boat canvas and industrial sewing machine thing started out as a similar project. I was trying to repair some outdoor gear like backpacks and stuff, and just ruining home sewing machines in the process, while failing to actually repair them. Found an old 1960s Upholstery sewing machine, in somebody’s basement for 250 bucks. Had to learn how to work on that to make it sew right. Figured it out for the most part, and started taking on side work. Grew into a full-fledged business that supports my interests, I rather enjoy it compared to every other line of work that I’ve done. 
 

My office:

[JustRandy]

That's cool that you've found a line of work that is enjoyable.

I tend to bounce from one interest to another because as soon as I've learned how to do something then doing it more is more like a chore than an interest.  If I were a kid I'd be all over that truck coolant but now I'm dragging my feet something fierce.  Between a general disinterest and the persistent deluge of calamity this year has been it's an exercise in resolve just to get anything done.

I need to get a sewing machine but I don't know the first thing about them.

[Hagbard]

I’ll gladly guide you through the process and get you something incredibly affordable and effective. It’s the least I can do for all of the insight you’ve given me in this arena. Quick update on the Blaster, I had a rain delay from my Canvas duties and decided to fart around with the Blaster again and investigate those possibilities I mentioned earlier. Took off the clutch and there was no change. 
Took a long magnetized screwdriver and started fishing around in the bottom of the crank case, lo and behold - several small chunks of wrist pin bearing. One in particular pretty firmly embedded in the bottom of the grant case, preventing the connecting rod from passing in either direction. Managed to pry it loose, and now the crank rotates freely. Flushing the crank case with kerosene, about to dump it through a piece of cloth and see what I find.

[JustRandy]

Yeah man pick me out something great because I don't know one from another.  I'd like to do things like sewing a new zipper on my jacket, new elastic in pants, and might even make my own quilt one day.  Not sure if I'd sew anything heavier because I don't know what I'd do before having the capability to do it lol.  I've always been confined to sewing by hand and that is sloooooooow.

Helping you is its own reward because it gives me something interesting to do and puzzles to solve.  I usually spend winters parked in front of the wood stove on the internet anyway.

Looks like someone ran that engine without oil (plugged oiler I was talking about before?) from the condition of the piston and the wrist pin bearings.  Is there any evidence of seizing in the jug?  Probably have to bore it and go up a size in piston.  Might need a new clutch too considering they likely beat the snot out of it.  I guess what you do to it depends on whether you're flipping it or keeping it.

[Hagbard]

https://imgur.com/gallery/vsQXkVQ

[JustRandy]

Looks like it underwent catastrophic failure if bearings are pulverized.  I'd mix my own gas rather than rely on an oiler.

[Hagbard]

There is an oil pump delete/block-off installed on the clutch cover. Plugs in a couple spots where hoses probably should go. I have to look at one was supposed to look like to figure it out. just for the sake of putting it back together for now, I sanded down the rusty clutch discs and stacked them with the pressure plates and reinstalled the clutch and cover, without gaskets. Going to order a set and a top end rebuild kit for it. The head is all dinged up internally, and I'd just as soon start fresh without messing with the sleeve.  I can get everything I need - clutch kit, gaskets, piston, cylinder, head, and a carb - for about $125.  It's a whole different world from the hunting down parts and paying small fortunes for mundane items I've grown accustomed to with Suzuki.  Incredibly broad and deep aftermarket for these bikes. Lots of YFZ parts fit it too, if one is so inclined.