My First DIY Maintenance

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:18 pm

If you want to use an impact driver, get yourself a set of torque limiting extension bars. It's basically a tightly wound spring. Once you get to the level of torque that it's specced for, the spring gives enough to negate the impact. Several companies make them, but I've had good results with the ones from Harbor Freight. I have checked them against a bar torque wrench several times and they always fall within range.

This is what they look like:

Here's a few examples of the different brands.
Pittsburgh - Harbor Freight
Grey Pneumatic - Tool Barn
Sunnex - Amazon

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:36 pm

Awesome! More tools to buy!

(Hello, my name is Skootz. And I am an addict...)

SYMbionic Duo · Post by **SYMbionic Duo** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 10:49 pm

make sure you get a limiter that goes down to 45 ft/lbs. most of these kits don't.

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:01 am

SYMbionic Duo wrote:make sure you get a limiter that goes down to 45 ft/lbs. most of these kits don't.

Yes that's a good point. I use these on my truck lugs and large scoots. For smaller torque settings, it's good to set it by hand with a locking jig when possible.

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:34 pm

Not sure if this relevenat but researching a replacement boss for Kymco the length of the boss will have a direct result of acceleration or top end speed. So the washers on the variator may be having a similar result?
Just thought maybe helpful? Your repair posting has given me the incentive to try as well, and get my scotter out of a long storage. Thanks.

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:31 am

Lostmycage wrote:
SYMbionic Duo wrote:make sure you get a limiter that goes down to 45 ft/lbs. most of these kits don't.
Yes that's a good point. I use these on my truck lugs and large scoots. For smaller torque settings, it's good to set it by hand with a locking jig when possible.

For the same price, you could buy a 1/4", 3/8", and a 1/2" torque wrench at HF and do it right. The torque limiters are for lug nuts. I wouldn't use them on anything else.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 4:41 am

Well, adding to our base of knowledge... I was curious what the pros did when it came to impact wrenches and variators etc goes. So I sent an email to Buggy Parts NW who collectively have 1000's of hours of experience on all kinds of different engines, GY6 (Buddy Engines) in particular.

===
Q: What is the best way to hold the Dr. Pulley variator in place to torque the nut tight? I can use an impact wrench to get it off OK, but when tightening, the specs call for 45 ft/lbs torque. I can tighten it with the impact wrench easy enough but I'm concerned it might be too tight for it and cause damage. Same goes for the clutch assembly. Can I just use the impact wrench to tighten or is there some other technique I don't know about?

A: We just use the impact wrench until the nut is clearly tight and only barely moving (or not moving at all). Once the nut is clearly as tight as it's going to go and the impact wrench is only able to turn it very slightly we usually hold it there for about 1/2 and then call it good. We do not keep the impact wrench running until there is no more possible turning for fear of the damage you've described, and we have yet to mess up the threads on our vehicles.

That being said, if you want an extra measure of safety then you should use blue Loctite when putting these nuts back on and let it cure for a few hours before running the bike and heating up the CVT.
===

Speaking for myself, Buggy Parts NW's many years of experience is enough to ease what worries I might have had. I think so long as one is not brutalizing their scooter with the impact wrench you should be OK.

Tomorrow I am riding with NoHo Mike. I will ply him for information as well.

bgwss · Post by **bgwss** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:04 pm

Good info!

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:18 am

Different impact wrenches and different operators can have different results. I have been told to use Blue threadlocker as an option. On a Kymco the variator nut torque range is even less around 25-30ft/lbs.
An impact wrench will make things easier to remove but unless experienced user can have an issue using to put back on. May want to just check take a torque reading to get an idea how close the nut is set to specs. Great posting and imformative.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:52 pm

readinweeden wrote:I live in Nashville and the shop I would usually take it to went out of business and the new place is a little out of my way and seems to be a one guy shop

Have you tried Eastside Scooters? They seem like a reputable place.

Great job Skootz, doesn't it just add to the pride of doing your own tinkering? Way back when, I had my shop put on sliders, not sure if it's 12 or 13 g Dr pulleys. I'll need to swap out for new ones in the spring before cannonball. What does the consensus think I should go with? 12, 13, or 12.5? It's pretty flat around here and I'm always looking for more top end, especially for the race. I also need to pick up a torque wrench and swap out my belt in the process. The sliders look a bit worn out and I feel like its running sluggish lately. Also need to replace the spark plug and cables before hand.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:40 pm

Well, the learning continues.

Had my first belt break this Friday. In hindsight I should have changed it along with the sliders. Note to self, pay attention to how many miles are on my belt and put in a new one every 5K. In my case, since I do a great deal of WOT and fast accelerating riding, I might even be well advised to change it a bit more frequently than that.

Interesting thing: Having never before changed a belt by itself with no other service done at the same time, this is the first time I've been able to observe what performance changes a new belt alone will make. I have to say, the scooter has over all gained in performance. It is peppier off the line, is more responsive at middle speeds, and has gained a little in the top end. Pretty cool. Not at all what I would have expected.

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:50 pm

Since you already had practice working with the pulleys, variator nut etc this should have been a lot easier now. Did the impact wrench make things easier
for the fix?

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:38 am

Well, the impact wrench made it easier for the mechanic that did the work

As I did not have a belt NoHo Mike gave me a tow to the shop and they did the work. And I was most grateful!

Mousenut · Post by **Mousenut** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:41 pm

Would this: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth ... 47214.html work to remove & reinstall the variator nut? It shows a max of 48 lbs. clockwise which sounds safer than the impact wrenches that go up to 100+. I don't know if "Air ratchet" <> "Impact wrench".

I also have to assume I shouldn't use standard sockets and I should get impact metric sockets?

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:13 pm

I'm not familiar with the Air Wratchet" I have the 12v 1/2" Emergency Impact Wrench from Harbor Freight. Works great. Particularly because I have no power outlet in the garage where I live. Just clip the leads onto the scooter battery terminals and presto, you have impact. (Don't use the supplied 12v plug-in adapter on the Buddy. It will blow the 1amp fuse). It comes with its own sockets so no need to buy any additional.

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:12 am

The variator nut should always be torqued on!

I really don't think an impact makes life that much easier.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:23 am

you guys can get that scooter repair workshop going anytime you want

i would happily pay a reasonable fee for a day of hands on basic knowledge

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:41 am

Hey Skootz,
I kinda lost it in the thread. Did you go back to straight 12g sliders or keep the mix?
I tried 13g for a couple hundred miles and found them too heavy so I went back to the 12's (that was in early October). Now, with the warmer weather, my scooter is running like crazy so I was thinking of putting the 13's back in this weekend. After reading your post, I may try the mix, too.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:02 am

Tocsik wrote:Hey Skootz,
I kinda lost it in the thread. Did you go back to straight 12g sliders or keep the mix?
I tried 13g for a couple hundred miles and found them too heavy so I went back to the 12's (that was in early October). Now, with the warmer weather, my scooter is running like crazy so I was thinking of putting the 13's back in this weekend. After reading your post, I may try the mix, too.

I went with the 12g/13g mix and was OK with it. For my LA commute I think the 13g might be too heavy. Maybe if I lived somewhere totally flat they would be OK but I think the hills around here would be to much for them. I was about to switch to 12g's again just for comparisons sake but my scooter developed some maintenance issues and as part of trouble shooting those I went back to 100% stock. So for now I still have the 100% stock setup which is interesting after 3 years with a Dr. Pulley performance kit installed. I plan on reinstalling my Dr. Pulley performance kit with 12g sliders after I check out the stock setup for a while. When I get a free moment, I am going to write a quick thread about the performance differences I'm noticing going back to stock after the Dr. Pulley performance kit. Thought some folk might find it informative.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:30 am

Please do.

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:43 pm

My thought on mixing rollers is that if you're going to do it, mixing 12g and 13g won't provide much benefit because they're too close together. Might as well just run 12s. On my Vespa, I'll usually run rollers that differ by as much as 4g.

It's personal preference, of course. By running a 9g and 13g mix, I get good off the line as well as nice top speeds. The acceleration curve isn't linear or smooth, though, which is fine by me. I get two sweet spots, which is what I like.

Also, once you find a setup you like, stick with it. You'll probably wind up going back to it if you change. I tried sliders. Didn't like them. Went back to rollers. Am happy again!

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:39 pm

I used the Harbor Freight 12V impact wrench and the variator nut was off in a second after trying a torque wrench up to 70 ft/lbs. I replaced an unrestricted drive boss and found improved top end increased 14MPH. Much better for limited local travel. I did notice a little bog down starting a hill or goining around a corner though. I know you lose some acceleration and pick up top end. Since the boss is unrestricted 38MM same length as restricted does that seem logical or perhaps how I installed the new boss? The old restricted boss had a 8MM collar which kept the front pulleys apart. Would still use a torque wrench to reinstall the variator nut to the scooter specs not the impact wrench. Ant ideas regarding bogging down or maybe just needs to break in a little since pulleys have another 8MM to move.