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Post by rob00757 on Aug 2, 2012 8:50:45 GMT -6
Vintner, After writing my thing about the typed accent, I think it is this site that automatically puts in a british or irish? accent. when I read mine after posting it, the word "surpass" mysterically came up as "surparse" Anyway, I did notice the r's being replaced for "s's" in alot of threads. So you have some wobble or "play" in your front end. I have always been suspect of that steering shaft since i read a thread somewhere about the bearings coming out or about to. Never looked at mine yet, but have been meaning to for over a year. I guess when I splatter out on 35W going 70mph will be my sign that something is wrong. I ride everywhere in any weather condition (mostly). I am always looking for reasons to go for a ride. Not sure I would be any help to you, but would go for a ride to where you are and take a peak. You say you are in Minneapolis? I am in Lakeville, send me a personal message and I'll come check it out sometime. Happy ridin!!
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Post by rob00757 on Aug 1, 2012 5:48:04 GMT -6
Just read Vintner's stories about the wheel, fuel pump and front end bearing saga. great reading!! What is with the accent coming thru the typing??? Anyway, to anyone living in the twin cities area, and riding scooters, a good source of parts and advice and service is a little shop called Go-Moto. I bought a used linhai horizontal engine from there and it saved my scooting life. Me and my MC54B will soon surpass 30,000 miles on the china built frame. A few stators, tires, brake pads, drive belts, variator rollers, carb diaphram thingy, valve adjustments, two spark plugs, starter clutch, water pump, thermostat and that's it. still have the orig head lights even. And Vintner, you should ride even when its hot out!! that is some of the best scooting. Anyway, keep fixin and keep ridin whenever and however you can....still not sure about all the "r's" in his writing??
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Clinician
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Post by rob00757 on Apr 19, 2012 5:43:17 GMT -6
cruiser and alleyoop, thanks for the reply's on my troubles. I was unaware of the personal messages we can get on this site. I just happened to see i had messages so i clicked on them and wow, read each one. This is such a great resource, thanks to all who run and put this out. my new used engine works great after i swapped out the stator and magneto from my old one. Seems the new engine had the smaller stator that was incompatible with my electrical system. Now I will ride that thing daily. I have a question about breaking in a new engine. I read somewhere you shouldn't baby the engine, wide open from the start. any thoughts?
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Post by rob00757 on Apr 17, 2012 22:56:19 GMT -6
ok, thank you for the response and the lesson on head gaskets. I am going to try and dress up the old one as i have nothing to loose. I already installed a new used engine in scoot. Going to try and learn as i go in fixing the old one, then use as a back up if need be. Thanks again for this form,, it is truly a blessing of a resource....
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Post by rob00757 on Apr 17, 2012 8:31:59 GMT -6
has anyone tried to resurface or sand a cylinder head? the shop manual for MC54b (yamaha manual) says to use 400 X 600 wet sand paper on a plate (must mean flat surface) and rotate head in a figure 8 pattern. how do you get an exact flat surface? and why can't a guy re-use the metal gasket? what is so special about a new three-ply metal gasket. seems you could clean up the old one and put copper high heat gasket maker on it? NO? just a thought... thanks
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Post by rob00757 on Apr 14, 2012 21:30:05 GMT -6
O.K. thanks to all who read my troubles with overheating. As there was no coolant in the oil, i figured head was ok. but as i flused it with water, ran water from garden hose hooked up to the water pump intake and wham...white smoke out the back. so figured head is cracked or warped or something. so I called a guy and 20 minutes later I had in my possesion a newly rebuilt whole engine. 200 bucks and I am swapping them out. will use my old one ( with 22,757 miles on it for parts) hope to put 20,000 or more on this one too... happy scootin y'all......
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Post by rob00757 on Apr 12, 2012 18:49:51 GMT -6
Ok, I am at my witts end on this. MC54B with linhai engine, put new radiator in with new fan sensor. Drained and coolant. Drained oil because that is what you do when you put in a NEW water pump. Even took off the right side cover where magneto is to get a look at the drive sproket that turns the water pump. The oil pump sproket drives the water pump sproket that is connected to a four inch shaft which is then connected to the water pump on the left side of engine. sprockets looked good and even spun the fly wheel to watch them both rotate as my wife observed the water pump blades rotate on the other side of the engine. So where does all this lead to? AN OVERHEATED ENGINE!!! I have taken out the thermostat, removed the water pump, blew compressed air up from the bottom where the coolant enters the engine(under cylinder by exhaust) and air blew out the thermostat hole, then did the same from the top. them blew from hose that connects to water pump as air gushed out the thermostat hose. blew air everywhere to make sure there were no clogs in the system. boiled the actual thermostat in suspended hot water. it checks out good. Filled system with coolant while small hose was disconnected from thermostat housing to let air escape. fired her up and watched with cap off. it seems to be backing up and overflowing the overflow bottle. The fan cycles on and off as it idles, but when i rev to 5000 and hold it, the fluid backs up and overflows the at the cap. then with cap on and i ride it the needle goes to red after about 15 mins of good hard riding and out it comes from the bottle. I suspected the water pump because the red lining was intermittant, like the pump was sometimes pumping throughout system. No cracked head or anything as i don't have coolant in oil. what is causing this overheating? Where to turn to next?? FRUSTRATED !!!
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Post by rob00757 on Mar 21, 2012 8:22:43 GMT -6
Do you guys mount your own tires on the rims or take it to shop to have it done. I have seen youtube videos of it done before but i am affraid to wreck the rim. I have got the old tires off myself, but putting new ones on seems tricky. I just ordered a static wheel balancer so i will be doing that myself as they say it is a better balance than computer spinning. just wondering... thanks.
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Post by rob00757 on Mar 20, 2012 10:52:08 GMT -6
not sure what the actual problem was. Think just a good old fashioned cleaning from the bottom up did the trick. could have been a sticky thermostat, and the fact of boiling it in water freed it up. I will let you know as the summer progresses if it stay in great working order. but for now, it all seems to be going along swimmingly. two new tires are on the way this week and then look out. non stop riding rain or shine.......
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Post by rob00757 on Mar 20, 2012 10:01:15 GMT -6
Michillen Gold Standard Tire Alert!!! I Put on a Gold Standard sept of 2011, and after two months of fall riding for about 2500 miles, I come to find this spring (March 16th 70 degree day) fresh out of winter storage, a BULGE in the tire. Must be a defect of some kind. But what have i done just yesterday? went and ordered another Gold Standard, hopefully they will find it was a defective one in a million and compensate me. I have found that rear tires are only good for about 9 or 10 thousand miles at the most. Had a Avon stryker on the rear, and it only lasted 7000 miles, but the same tire on my front is still on and it has about 18000 on it. (this is getting replaced by a City Grip this week.) Anyway, just my two cents worth....
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water pump
by: rob00757 - Feb 22, 2012 9:42:21 GMT -6
Post by rob00757 on Feb 22, 2012 9:42:21 GMT -6
anyone know how hard it is to remove a water pump on MC-54B? Or this question.. do radiators actually get plugged up and not allow fluid to flow through. And as long as we're on the subject, just how does the cooling system function as a whole? Thank you to anyone answering.
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Post by rob00757 on Feb 6, 2012 14:49:49 GMT -6
My 2008 MC-54b, replaced thermostat, still runs hot but fan does go on. When it cools down, I take off the rediator cap and it sprays like a shook can of pop when opened. Could the radiator be plugged or why so much pressure built up? something is not right,,, any suggestions? Thinking of taking out the radiator and replacing it. thanks for any help
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Post by rob00757 on Nov 10, 2011 7:24:17 GMT -6
ok got an update on the mc54B. it is 11-10-11 here in Minnesota and still riding in November!!!!I got 21,657 miles on odometer. newest problem is fan. gonna check it out in the spring, but will ride til the day it snows. happy scootin!!!
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Post by rob00757 on Jul 25, 2011 5:00:10 GMT -6
just turned 15,000 yesterday on my 2008 MC-54B with the linhai engine. Here is what I have done: Bought with 763 miles used for 1100 bucks Sept. '09. (today is 25Jul 2011). 2 New back tires one new front. New valve stems. Of Course new rubber fuel and most vaccuum lines. one new carb. rubber vaccuum plunger thing. same plug it came with that is the irudium or something like that. one new drive belt. one new or slightly use clutch. one set of new 14g roller weights. 3 new stators. one new voltage regulator. Maybe 17 or 18 oil changes the last 10 or so with only fully synthetic 10w40 either scooter amsoil or mobile one. started out using the shell rotella 15w 40. maybe 4 gear oil changes. one new starter clutch ( as the berarings shattered on the original but not seem to harm engine with the metal shavings every now and then that showed up on oil changes. one new front rim ( bent from a pothole Minnesota sucks for that) the back needs it also but holding out on that, I hammered it back as best i could. still wobbles 5000 miles worth. both wheels perfectly balance with a very sensitive static wheel balancer home made with roller blade wheel bearings. home made back rest that is a god send for long trips. I have drove this thing hard and fast for long periods. three hour trip on freeway one way then back home same day. twice. oh, yeah, new rear wheel swing arm bolts as they have broke off. had to drill out and replace with hardened american metal. New muffler bolts but not new muffler but i do need a new one as it rattles like crazy from baffles stuff. thats it. one new battery too. looking for 20,000 next milestone... see ya then
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Post by rob00757 on Jun 27, 2011 23:49:11 GMT -6
ok, so I took out the therostat and boiled it in a pan of hot water. it opened at aroung 180 range. Anyway I put it back in scoot and wow, does the fan work and cycle on and off like it used to. That stuck therostat must have been the problem as to why my fan seemed to run constantly once it kicked in. I had a gut feeling there was something amiss... now all is good and purrs like kitten with 13,352 miles on . only problem now is the leak from the stator cover, forth time i have been in there. new gasket and proper torque settings, still has leak.. any thoughts on how to fix leak... please tell me there is a miracle product one just sprays on and leak is gone forever.... thanks
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