93 Max II Re-Build

[m38inmaine]

No real berfore pictures but just picture a typical 20+ year old neglected rusty Max sitting outside for many years.

Started by a complete teardown of the machine and evaluate what is good and bad. Had to cut off one of the rear axles as the sprocket was stuck. It took alot of heat and all my hydraulic press could do to get it off the shaft. Other than that it came apart pretty easy. All of the factory tires were rotted and had been tubed at some point, the tube installer for some reason drilled a seperate hole for the valve stem, never seen that before. Any way the wheels were pretty rusty so I just replaced them all with Rec-Stuff wheels and new Duro 22x8 tires. The 12.5 Vanguard was leaking oil from several places so repalced all the gaskets and seals as well as replaced the ailing starter. I understand the 12.5 was installed for 2 years. Drained the T-20 which some one decided to fill to the fill plug instead of the level plug, man there was alot of fluid in there, so much for reading the manual. Replaced with the correct fluid and additive. Wiring harness was hacked and replaced with a harness from a boat trailer, interesting. I built a new harness using the factory build sheet. The tub had a 1 1/2 tear in the bottom rear corner, used gel-flex epoxy to repair along with a couple of chain/sprocket gouges on the inside of the tub. The frame and sprockets were quite rusty so I sand blasted, primed and painted all the steel. Polished out the rust and clear coated the steering levers. Replaced all 3 axle support rods and bronze bushings. Most of the axle bearing were broken and full of rust, repalced them all from Buffalo bearing. The windshield hinge was really beat so I replaced it with a new hinge and also upgraded the old bungee/wire support with the newer solid aluminum pole supports. Lowered the completed frame into the tub last night, now to start installing axles. 3 axles had to be re tubed so waiting for the machine shop to complete those. I'll post more pictures later.

[coosaridgerider]

Looking good.Looks like you have all the hard part behind you.

[racerone3]

great job so far, you are well on your way to having a solid dependable trail rig! your Duro tires will hardly swim at all. If swimming is a concern, you can do some mods to them to get them to swim a bit, it is a PITA, but here is the basic idea.

[m38inmaine]

Thanks for the advice on the tires. I doubt I will swim it much atleast until I am more familiar with the machine. I was going to install some axles tonight but after I pressed in the bronze bushings they would not fit over the support rods. I need to get a 3/4 reamer as I am sure the interior diameter decreased due the press fit and being a softer material.

[racerone3]

A hint for future axles. Throw the bushings in the freezer for a few hours. heat the axle a bit with a propane torch. the bushings will tap in easily without mushrooming the end. I usually put a board on the bushing and hit the board with a hammer.

[m38inmaine]

After no joy with the axle install I moved on to the muffler. RI no longer offers muffler parts for the external type exhaust. They gave me a Napa number for a generic tractor muffler. Napa wanted a good price for it so I crossed the numbers and it was just a standard Walker tractor muffler, I bought one from Summit racing for half the price. The same went for the muffler brackets, no longer offered. So I fabricated/welded my own. I also bought a 90 degree elbow which I welded to the muffler to complete the muffler build. So for around $35 a new exhaust can be had for these older machines, has a sweet sound as well.

[brushcutter]

M38, looks like you're going at it pretty good. These machines can be a pain to rebuild but anyone who has put out the effort to do it will tell you that there's no better feeling than the one you get every time you fire it up for a ride, knowing you basically built the machine you are driving! It's a great experience, and you also have the confidence that comes from knowing every bolt, nut and sprocket, which makes on-trail repairs and adjustments easier!

R13: love the tire cutting tip Is that on one of your machines, did the tires swim better afterward?

[shorty]

You really are doing good. Your story has me thinking i should get rid of my '93 before i end up leaving a mess for someone else to clean up like you are. I have a '93 Max 4 sitting in the garage. Runs like a charm, brand new engine. Wheels are small and tires need replacing. But i upgraded to a 2003 and much as i want to keep it, i can only put my butt in one seat at a time. Really like that machine, but....

[m38inmaine]

A bit more progress, installed 3 of 6 axles and finished the windshield upgrade. I got rid of the bungee cord cable system and made it a rigid mount like the current machines. Also installed a grab handle on the dash like the newer machines. Waiting for the other 3 axles to be finished at the machine shop.