Sticks need adjusting? Sticky valves on T-20. Diagnosis needed please!

[nethermoor]

Hello,

I have discovered when driving my Max II that performance is better when cornering (especially in thick mud) that if I push forward on the stick that would normally be in 'rest position'.

Is this normal or is adjustment needed?

Also noticed when I took the top off the Max that when I move the sticks, the valves (I don't exactly know what they are, but they look like valves) take a bit of time or jostling to move, after the stick has moved. Does this need lubricating or is it because the engine is not running? If they do need lubricating, do they need anything special or just WD40/grease?

Not sure whether the two problems are related...

[hydromike]

Your steering sticks likely have springs that hold them forward (the engaged position) when they're at "rest". The springs help with fatigue that some people experience after holding the sticks forward for long periods of time. When the machine is under heavy load such as mud or cornering, you should absolutely be pushing forward on the appropriate stick, and not relying on the spring to do all the work. The bands tend to slip on the drums in the transmission when under load and only relying on the springs, resulting in poor steering performance. With regard to the plungers taking a while to move, the linkage on a lot of T-20s tend to have a lot of slop in the linkage, and you can have a few inches of travel at the top of the stick before the plungers start to move. The U-channel version of the T-20 (the most common since the mid 1970s) inherently has a lot more slop. You can modify the U-channel models to take out the majority of slop by adding a pivot bolt in the case. It's actually not that difficult. Here's a shot of one I just did.



Also, check out Lance's mod here.

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/attex...project-3.html

You might also want to look into adjusting the bands on your transmission. There are several threads on the Site describing the process....

[Rusty-Gunn]

The plungers (you called them valves) do snap in/out with the lateral (lever) movements. This is normal with the U-channel design. As stated above, the U-channels can be modified to use a pivot bolt, which removes the clanking. I've done it to mine.
I've used 3-In-One oil on the plungers many times. Smoothes them up a bit. You don't need to add pivot bolts, but you ought to lube the plungers regularly.

[nethermoor]

Thanks for the replies. Will lube up the plungers and look at taking some of the slop out.

How do I know if the bands need adjusting? Or is it just regular maintenance?

[msafi65]

Measure the total movement of your sticks at the top of the handles. Start by just pulling back enough to remove the play then full back. A max II shouldn't have no more than 5 inches movement at top of sticks. Don't worry if it's 7-8" it's common to see one that's never been adjusted. 5" at top of sticks is just right.

[nethermoor]

Ideal, thanks will try that test.

[wiggy]

That's one thing I need to do, fancy the pivot pin, I saw that on here a bit back after I first bought them,did not like the sound.

[wiggy]

I just did the check, is 1" free play ok? One the left stick I have 5" and one right stick I have 4 3/4" is this ok?
P.s is less than 5" ok?

[msafi65]

Good enough if the sticks are uneven you can remove an upper clip and move adjusting bolt one or two flats on the head. I see them with 8" of movement and that is a bit hard to control well.

[hydromike]

Having less movement in the sticks can certainly help with control, but I'll admit that I can't get used to machines running springs on the laterals regardless of the amount of play. I cut my teeth in this hobby on two-stroke, lightweight Attex machines that never had springs on the laterals. I've driven friends' machines with springs (Max IIs, mainly) and I just can't get used to it. I tend to run the laterals a bit loose on the racers because it seems to be more forgiving when bouncing around. I've tightened up the bands a bit on a couple of them, but they're still considerably more loose than the trail machines. The lack of springs lets me have a much better feel for slipping the bands in the turns and leads to a more visceral experience.

This looks like a lot more work all-in-all, but it never lasts more than 5-6 minutes. Usually less, since I've usually crashed or broken by minute 3.