haven't started in 10 years ..

[doe]

hey whatsup im new to the site ..i was just surfing the web to see if i could get some pointers on getting my minibike started again and found this forum which im pretty siked on and i plan to stay involvedd withh ..but anyway enough about that ..

i have a minibike that hasnt started in a good 10yrs ..at first it ran perfect, starting with no problems ..then it all started going downhill, where it would take forever to get it going which ended up me not even wanting to try and get it going ..

so after 10yrs i finally pulled it outta the shed and thought id see whats up with itt.

when i pull the pullstart the motor still spins which is good caus i know its not seized ..

when it spins i could hear compression as well.


soo if anyone could shoot me some pointers on this itd be greatly appreciated :drinkup:

 

[Drewman79]

Get some fresh oil, clean gas, clean the carb out, and check for spark.....just the basic things i do on an older engine that be sitting :thumbsup:

 

[xspike77x]

Also, what kind of engine is it, tecumseh, briggs, or other? A quick check for spark and compression is to spray starting fluid in the intake and then give it a few good pulls. If it does not fire on starting fluid then you have a spark or compression problem that must be dealt with before you even get to the carb.

 

[doe]

to tell u the truth i never found out exactly what kind of engine it is lol :shrug: i bought it without stickers. to me it looks like a briggs .. ill take pix tm in the daylight

and for the whole starting fluid ..years ago it wouldnt even start off of starting fluid .. if that helps lol i took the carb off earlier today.

now with compression problems ..how would u go about?

 

[doe]

i was also just thinking about taking the whole thing apart ..cleaning out the motor, and repainting everything ..would that be a good idea?

 

[5 Horse Fan]

i was also just thinking about taking the whole thing apart ..cleaning out the motor, and repainting everything ..would that be a good idea?

For some of us, minibikes are a way of life.

You can just repair it, or you can restore it.:thumbsup:

 

[Richard Trotter]

First you need to find out what motor you have. Then check the valve clearance and points. You could take it to a small engine shop or get a book and learn to do it yourself.

 

[doe]

http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/e...5246-can-anyone-tell-me-what-kinda-motor.html

i posted that thread and someone told me they think its a briggs and imo that was my first thought

 

[JustEnough]

Definitely looks like a Tecumseh H model. The carbs on Tecumsehs are notorious for getting gummed up easy. I have had great luck with using white vinegar to clean carburetors and gas tanks. It is about $2 a gallon at my grocery store. Clean the carb with laundry soap and water first to degrease it, then rinse with water, then soak the carb in a clean bucket of vinegar for 15 minutes or so before scrubbing the parts with a toothbrush. Rinse with water again. Carefully dry the carb.

I recently ruined a Tecumseh carb by blowing compressed air into the fuel inlet and the check ball blew out and hit me in the hand like I was shot by a BB gun. So maybe someone can chime in on how to avoid losing the check ball and if it is possible to replace the check ball.

I have successfully restored six carbs for Honda ATC's by cleaning them with vinegar, and I have not bought a single replacement part or carb kit, so I am sold on vinegar as a solvent and rust remover. I plan to buy some 23% phosphoric acid solution at a tile supply store to treat the gas tanks after vinegar cleaning to prevent flash rust.

 

[doe]

thxx justenough ..yea thats what they were saying that its a tecumseh h.
im currently taking the whole bike apart to restore it and u mentioned about cleaning the gas tank ..what are some other ways? caus the gas tank had gas sitting in it for 10yrs :1orglaugh:

and with cleaning the carb ..i take apart the whole carb then let it soak right?

 

[JustEnough]

You can take the carb all apart, or you may be able to just unscrew the brass jet that holds the aluminum carb bowl on and then just soak it. If you don't get it clean enough, you can always go back and clean it again. If you can find an old plastic mower tank, you can test the carb with water to make sure the bowl fills up and does not overflow. I try to test the carb, on the engine running with fresh gas, soon after I clean it to prevent any remaining water droplets from remaining there to cause corrosion.

A badly rusted or gummy tank usually requires degreasing with the water/laundry soap, then fill up one fourth to halfway with vinegar and some nuts and bolts (to knock any rust flakes loose). You then have to shake the tank a lot to move the nuts and bolts around. Since the vinegar is 95% water and you have to use water to flush the tank and neutralize the acid, the steel tank will "flash rust" even if you dry the tank right after rinsing. That is why I need to try a second treatment of phosphoric acid, because it apparently puts a hard black finish on the steel that is rust resistant. I have heard to avoid the Kreem gas tank cleaning kit because the coating is like paint and ends up peeling. I have heard that the treatments that you find at a marine supply house are better, like POR15, but at $50 and more for the kits, I am trying the homebrew alternatives.

Some people use other acid solutions like Muriatic Acid but that stuff is so hot, even when watered down to 50% or less, that you have to wear a mask. I wear gloves even with the vinegar, but it is just 5% acetic acid.

 

[badtec]

I recently ruined a Tecumseh carb by blowing compressed air into the fuel inlet and the check ball blew out and hit me in the hand like I was shot by a BB gun. So maybe someone can chime in on how to avoid losing the check ball and if it is possible to replace the check ball.

That wasn't a check ball, it was the inlet seat. That's how I get all of my Tec seats out. You're suppose to take that out, and then replace with a new one, when rebuilding a Tec carb.

 

[NotSoCoolJ]

If you have a big tub that you can build a fire under, you can boil the tank for a few hours and that will clean it out and convert any rust on the inside to black iron oxide. Take it out when it's still hot and blow it out with air and then spray it full of WD40 and swash it around and dump it out. I dump it into a catch can and reuse it. It's water displacing oil. You can buy it in a jug also. That's the way I do it, but a spray can will work in a pinch.

EDIT: don't use tap water. That can keep the rust from converting. Use rain water. This is how double shotguns are blued. You cant hot salt blue them because the solder would melt. look up slow rust bluing in google and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.