CHECK ENGINE&REAR SWING ARM BOLTS By Alleyoop (Read 1,250 times)

[Alleyoop]

Warning!!
Today I went for a nice ride and whenever I let off the Throttle coming to a stop or slowing down I kept feeling something shift forward and hearing a slight thunk under the seat.

Got home and put up the seat and checked around. And what do you know the Front LONG BOLT holding the Motor to the frame had BACKED out from the RIGHT MOTOR MOUNT and was laying on the motor. The motor on the right side had DROPPED about an inch.

So I put a jack under the motor and jacked it up and fixed it. My header pipe was laying on the bottom crossmember. Maybe that saved me from the front of the motor dropping even more sideways.

Then I started to check everything else and The Bolts on each side that hold the Rear half(swing arms) of the Frame which holds the axle ALSO were coming out. I am lucky that the WHOLE rear end of the TRIKE did not come off. I will fix that tomorrow have to take the Fenders and center piece off so I can move the whole rear end to align it with the holes in the Frame so I can Screw the Bolts back into the Nuts welded on the Frame.

So you guys with Trikes or even 2 Wheel Scoots once in a while take a peek at the bolts holding the motor to the frame.

Trike guys ALSO check the Bolts holding the REAR SWING ARMS to the frame that hold the axle.
Alleyoop

[jct842]

I wonder if it might be worth while on both trikes an scooters to drill and wire some of the more important bolts like those engine mounts.

I know all about things falling off. like the rear caliper bracket! I just got a scooter back on the road that was parked a year with that bracket missing. installed with locktight this time. john

[tvnacman]

You were very lucky today!!!!!!!!!!!

[royldoc]

Thank's for the heads up. You should go through the whole scoot at least once a year at the start of riding season to check all the bolts. you will spot potential problems and can solve them before they get serious. You were lucky It wasn't worse.

Roy

[Alleyoop]

Yea, I was lucky today and thought me a good lesson. I always check the lights, oil, tires to make sure they are on tight and air BUT never even thought about the bolts holding the swingarm and motor coming loose.
Alleyoop

[royldoc]

Some locktite should be used. Did you have this apart when you did your bbk?

Roy

[Alleyoop]

I did not do the BBK Jim from RapidRepair, but he had the motor off but not the Swingarm off.
Alleyoop

[royldoc]

Maybe all that new found torque is to much for the bolts and caused them to work loose.

Roy

[Alleyoop]

Well the trike is back in commisson, had a heck of a time lineing up the Swingarm to get the bolts back in.
Called my neighbor to help and had a heck of a time lineing up the Swignarm to get the bolts in. We finally got the Left side in and then Added a NUT on the inside with loctite.
Then we worked on the Right side and that was a bear. We finally found out the BOLT had stripped after an hour of trying to thread it through(BUMMER) it would not tighten.
So we took it out and I went to the hardware store and got a new bolt. Actually I got 4 and 4 nuts and 4 lock washers and washers($20.00) because they are metric.
We had to jack up the Trike from the middle Cross member to sort of make it bend and then with some pushing and shoveing after another hour we finally got it lined up so that the bolt would screw into the welded nut on the inside of the frame. We also put a nut on the inside with loctite. Buttoned it all up put the bottom side cover back on and we rode it around testing it and all is good.
Alleyoop

[mike6736]

The material they made the motor mounts on the rear of the magnum totaly deterated on mine, my Magnum. Imade new mounts from steel and PVC, the first were steel PVC an copper but than I worried about the copper and the Al on the motor. Almost like solid mounts now but you woould never know

Mike