Can anyone tell me the best way to check my kickstart gears? As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, it is exhibiting problems and sometimes is difficult to engage or doesn't seem to be meshing properly. It always springs back, so it's not the spring. I reckon there may be a broken tooth, as I have been giving it too much abuse trying to get the bike going while it had broken woddruff key, etc. etc.
I presume I have to drain the oil from the engine and remove side casing after disengaging the water pump (I now know there's no need to drain, but its already done as I have the engine apart to replace my piston.)
Silly question I know but - What I don't know is how many different oils there is in the bike? I think just the main engine oil, but some posts have got me thinking there's more than 1, probably 'cause they're saying gearbox and engine oil. Surely not 2 oils? Also, from what I've been reading on the forum, it seems that I may have to remove the clutch to get at the kickstart gears if there are teeth missing and I need to replace the gears - how can I do that? I read you shouldn't just use a socket and hold the clutch basket as it might crack or snap... but I'm not sure I can get access to impact driver/ air ratchet type device here in Beijing. Any suggestions?
I know there are a few videos as well (though whether I can access YouTube at present is a big question - I think it's been blocked until after the Chinese 60th Anniversary in October for security reasons...) ... do you know which video covers this area?
still not sure whether to just get a new piston (very easy) or exchange the barrel (difficult)- I checked with GasGas and they still do this and have one in stock.
The wear is pretty minimal so I think in the first instance I'll get new piston and rings, jets etc. etc. and see if I can get the bike going reliably. I don't feel the barrel will cause too much of a problem, it is not more than just the surface of the coating of the inner sleeve, so I think it should be OK, and shouldn't really cause too much of a compression problem for starting (I hope).
Not sure about future wear though, as the main portion is both sides of the exhaust outlet . Will this pattern of wear repeat itself or do you think it is the result of full open throttle without petrol?
If you have misgivings with my amateur diagnosis, please voice concerns and I'll reconsider It's a pain in the ... sorting this out from Beijing so a new piston is also the easiest, rather than rely on friends and colleagues to drop off, pick up new cylinders when they're in the UK!
I have a 2006 TXT Pro 300 that I've had about a year and never ride because I can't get it to start reliably. When I initially bought it, it started 2nd or 3rd kick every time. I took it out and 1 time (as I see often happens) it revved out Full open Throttle. I turned the petrol off to stop it as I couldn't think to do anything else (Never thought of using the choke).
Since then I've replaced the worn slide in the carb (that caused it to stick open) and the woodruff key and got the bike going again occassionally, but never reliably. It seldom ever starts and the amount of kicking I have done seems to have had an adverse effect on the kick start mechanism, but that's not why I'm writing.
As I said, after the full open throttle incident, I sorted the immediate issues out and ensured I got a spark and got the bike going. But if it stops I can never start it again.
So, 1 year later I've taken the bull by the horns, dragged it's carcass up to my apartment and have it apart in my spare bedroom cum storeroom/ workshop. Head is off, as is barrel, to better allow me to check out the inside of the cylinder and the state of the piston, as I feel there was a loss of compression and suspected probable damage.
Yes, the piston has some significant score marks in 3 places... 2 that are polished and probably 5mm each in width, and the 3rd area that you can physically feel the damage with your finger.
The barrel has fared much the same with 1 area where you can feel the damage (not right to the top of the barrel) and this is mostly just above (2cm) and below (1cm) the exhaust outlet.
My question is: a new piston and rings is around 130quid + VAT, a new barrel is 429+VAT (GasGasUK).
If I only replace the piston and rings will it generally be OK? Or with this sort of damage is it necessary to replace the barrel as well?
I'm not after a competition bike. I just want one with a decent engine that can blat around the hills reliably and be a bit of fun.
I'm also going to get a head spacer to soften the engine and aid starting and will probably look at jetting, also in the hope of making it easier to start.
I have an update for you on my woodruff key exploits on my TXT 300. Yes Jon, I put the fairly sizeable part of the broken woodruff key back in the groove and bedded it in with an end sticking up. Located the flywheel and tightened it up. All back together... started after a few kicks with chock. Was chuffed to bits.
However, flooded it later on when I got out to the hills and it wouldn't start after that. Kicked for a long time to no avail. Had a look tonight, after further advice from Jon and the flywheel had moved and totally anihilated the portion of woodruff key I'd used.
Now I think I know why... I live in China and they only use 1/4 or 1/2 inch sockets sets. My torque wrench is a 3/8 so I tightened the bolt on the flywheel as tight as I could with a normal 1/2 socket wrench but I'm sure it was nowehere near 40 kn. So WHEN I get my new woodruff key I'll also get a 3/8 socket sent out.
A question that springs to mind is: How to you stop the flywheel rotating when you're tightening the flywheel centre bolt? A thought would be to have the bike in gear and loads of back brake. Am I right? There are a couple of allen key bolts on the front of my flywheel (I'm guessing that means it's got a flywheel weight) I could also use them to hold the flywheel steady, eh?
Anyway, Jon, yes part woodruff keys do the trick, but I guess without properly torqueing the bolt up (which I doubt I did) I was asking for this to happen.
I also looked at the shaft and the snout. Scored but not badly... worse (scored and slightly pitted) near the very tip of the snout of the shaft. Does that sound bad to you? Should I be looking to use grinding paste between them?
Anyway, will now order new woodruff keys (will get spares) along with new 3/8 socket and domino black throttle and see how we go.
I live overseas with long delays to get parts. I've just examined my bike after it revved out FOT to find the flywheel very loose and the woodruff key sheared. If the woodruff key is only used in aligning the flywheel when re-fitting it, then it should be feasible for me to replace the flywheel without it (or with just the broken edge ofthe woodruff key sitting proud (but securely) to ensure the alingment. After all, the bolt holding the two tapers together should ensure the flywheel sits securely.
Would you agree, or is the woodruff absolutely necessary to get an exact alignment? Would you receommend I wait to get a woodruff key delivered?
Thanks guys, I'll have a look this weekend and give you an update.
Just as an aside, I am assuming that a spark plug held against the cylinder head or the frame of the bike will give a spark, or is there some magical place that you're supposed to hold it against?
recently my TXT 300 Pro was stuck with full open throttle for around 10 seconds. Only way I could stop it was to turn off petrol.
It still kicks, but when I tested the spark plug there was no spark. It's a Kokusan system, so I got a new coil and Ignition control module and fitted them, but still no spark. Tested the ohms on the cables and the stator is 20.3 when the elecotronics diagram says 20.9. The pickup coil ohms reading is 91.6 when the diagram says 99.4 ( I tested this by bareing the wires - not sure if there's a need to turn the motor/ kick it to get a true reading)
My feeling is that I should check the gap on the pickup from the stator coil as this reading is low... and I was watching the video link on the 'stators and other mythical beasts' forum discussion submission that shows the pick up. Other than that, I can only think it's the coil itself in the stator, but the reading seems quite close.
1. Does anyone have any suggestions what I should do next?
and 2. can you confirm where I should be touching the end of the spark plug to check whether there's a spark or not.
Hello, my carb stuck open on my '06 TXT Pro 300. It revved flat out for around 10 secs until the petrol ran out (I'd turned it off).
I've started working through ther bike to see why it wouldn't start immediately afterwards and find there is no spark. It used to start first or second kick. It has a Kokusan ignition.
Can anyone tell me what I am likely to have damaged? Should I get a new coil, a new Ignition control module, voltage regulator? or may I have done something to the Ignition stator assembly? How can I check what might be broken?
Thanks for the detailed reply, it's really useful. One quick question, How can i check for engine compression?
and yes, I am enjoying the Olympics thanks. Quite apart from the now glorious unpolluted weather I'm off to watch athletics this evening after watching the British dominate the cycling on Saturday night. Fantastic
I recently had a stuck carb on my recently purchased 2006 TXT300. The engine revved at maximum for around 10 seconds. Even with the carb working OK, and me still being able to kick the engine over it won't start. Chatting to a mate we presume the piston has been nipped or the rings have seized and this means there is not enough compression.
I'm going to inspect but I think I'll probably buy a new piston and rings and check the cylinder to make sure it's not scored.
The problem I have is that I only have a shared basement garage in which I can do this... not the best place. Can anyone tell me the minimum I need to do to get the piston out? (i.e. can I take the piston off with only removing the cylinder head or do I need to remove the cylinder as well?) and whether I need to order new gaskets ('o' ring internal and external - is what it says in the manual) etc?
Do I face any other difficulties or is it fairly straightforward on a GasGas (I've done it on other 4 stroke trail bikes).
Thanks very much for your advice. As I've said, I'm new to trials, am the only trials rider I know out in Beijing, and to be able to ask simple but important questions on this forum and get prompt replies from others is fantastic.
Thanks for all your help...
Just to add a little colour to this entry... Was out for the first time in the hills today for a couple of hours... 35 degrees plus, trying to ride the technical trails we ride on our mountainbikes. It was like the garden of Eden... tracks are suddenly overgrown, as this is the rainy season, insects everywhere and hot and humid... had a great time! And it's all very good practice to hone the new skills I'm picking up. Still quite polluted, but we'll wait and see how it clears over the next couple of weeks before the Olympics.
I've recently put together a GasGas TXT300 pro and I'm not sure how tight the chain should be. It's a pretty new chain and seems tight enough when I sit on it and ride generally but I'm used to trail bike set ups, so the chain tensioner on a trials bike is confusing things.
Does anyone have a foolproof way of ensuring I set the chain to the right tension, as I don't want to stretch it and put stress on bearings, gearbox and sprockets etc. if I drop off something and there's not enough slack to follow the suspension movement.
I live in China and am just about to assemble my GasGas TXT Pro 300. I'm new to trials bikes and I've just bought the GasGas and shipped it out here from the UK.
I don't have any air filter oil and I wondered what you would recommend. Would something like WD40 do the job?
I'm off to the SSDT for the first time and know nothing of the particular routes or places.
In this weeks posting, there was talk of a PROGRAMME for the event. Where would i get one? Are these readily available in and around Fort William during the week?
Are there any other places where the general outline of the week is set out, I'm specifically thinking of the internet. Couldn't see any detail on the SSDT site. I'm taking my parents (and my dad will probably be more interested in the pre-65 as that's when he was biking) and it'd be good to know a little more before we turn up, and also good to give them a little more information on the trials before we go.
It's a pain in the ... sorting this out from Beijing so a new piston is also the easiest, rather than rely on friends and colleagues to drop off, pick up new cylinders when they're in the UK!
Checking Out/ Replacing My Kickstart Gears - How Do I Do It
in Gas Gas
Posted
Thanks guys, I'm off to have a bash now. Will keep you informaed of how I get on.
Cheers
Ian