So I got excited and bought a Bazoo?

[Cardamonfrost]

EDIT - gave up on Photobucket, thanks Mods for allowing hosting!

Hi All,

Well, I am in over my head here! Yesterday I went an looked at a 72 Bazoo. I instantly had visions of bounding through the Hydro Cuts and using it in the winter to reach our island cabin.

Urged on by my 6 year old daughter I sealed the deal and brought this thing home even though it hasn't run in 3 years.

The previous owner had plans but life caught him hard and he decided to focus on other things. I am the third owner.

I did some research (here) and found that it has the original upgrade engine the CCW 290 twin. I got it home and threw some chainsaw gas in it and it started on the third pull (no battery in it, but it does have electric start). I cant get my lawnmower that I use weekly to start that quick.

I dumped a half jug of degreaser in the tub and let the hose run for an hour in there and flushed out everything until I could see what is going on. There are a couple chunks out of the fiberglass tub, but its not bad. Its cool to see the original stenciling on the inside of the tub that reads "Oshawa Fiber Co" and its address and phone number.

I am a pretty handy guy, but suspect I will be asking a lot of questions here over the next while. I plan on removing the wheels then axles and engine/frame and then redoing the fiberglass and all of the poor patching that has been done over the last 46 years.

My big problem of the moment is that it doesn't seem to turn to the right. I think a lot of it has to do with the new tires on my pavement driveway (I am a suburban dweller who doesn't have any lawn easily available, I cant fit Bazoo through my gate to the back yard...). The brakes work though. It has a primary clutch, a gearbox that seems to work perfectly, and the drive clutches with disc brakes (?) that power two independent chain drives for each side. I imagine this is pretty standard, but haven't found any manuals yet. I suspect I wont... lol.

I don't have a pic of the drivetrain yet, as it was dark etc by the time I finished the washing. I will get one shortly though.

On the odd chance there is someone around me (Barrie, Ontario) that has experience and wants to help a dude out, beers on me!

Some pictures of Bazoo.














Cheers,
C

[allwheeldrive]

Don't see a lot of Bazoos. I thought there was a member on here that specialized in them. If so maybe he'll drop in.
Do these machines have reverse?
A lot of older machines get grumpy trying to skid steer on pavement. Are you trying from a stand still? Or with momentum? Stand still can be very hard depending on tires which I'm not sure what your running.

[Cardamonfrost]

Hi There AWD!

No reverse here. Yes I am suspecting that pavement is a big chunk of the problem. That and the bungee cord I found wrapped around one of the sprockets!

As some of the pics show, I have started the disassembly, I want to get it down to tub only tomorrow so I can degrease again (I have dumped A LOT of WD40 down there.). Its amazing how well the axles came out actually. I found a couple of issues, but am trying to stay focused on removal so I can get the fiberglass work done before it gets too much colder.

The mechanical issues will get sorted soon enough.



C

[Cardamonfrost]

Well, a bit of searching here shows I have the 'wrong' tires. Drag. Trail wolf is an atv tire, not so much a water tire.

Sometimes being in Canada sucks... Not a lot of options up here.

Maybe it wont matter. Would love to sort out how to get tracks on Bazoo!

C

[allwheeldrive]

Yea you really don't want knobby tires. Is this what they look like https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/205...0&odnBg=FFFFFF ?

You want AATV tries. My suggestion is to get the least aggressive looking tire you can. A lot of people get hung up trying to put big mud slinging tires on AATVs. Under some circumstances they can get away with it (such as very powerful big machines) I'd suggest Goodyear ATV Tire - Runamuck 22-10.00-8 (2* Ply) Such as these. I promise if you ever get stuck it won't be because these tires didn't perform, it's because 6x6 only have a few inches of ground clearance and the deeper the tread the more has to sink in lowering ground clearance + once meaty tires bite they just dig and reduce ground clearance even more.

Also without reverse (I've been there, old Scrambler had no reverse) You have to be realistic with your expectations of the machine. You’re never going to be able to drive some place that you can’t physically push the machine backwards out of. Thus Swamps, deep mud, snow over 8” etc are never going to be a place you can practically drive the Bazoo. Tracks do not change this. Tracks will just get your further into stuff you will never be able to push out of. And believe me your going to want to bring a friend because you never realized how useful reverse was until you don’t have it. Hope I’m not coming off as off putting but I spent months working on my Scrambler only to realize it was really more of a strange 6 wheeled go-kart to drive around on grass and dirt parking lots than an unstoppable off road machine.
These old lightweight reverse-less 6x6s are unbeatable on sand, much fun.

[Cardamonfrost]

Either way, by the time I am done with it , it's going to be in near factory condition.

It is just too cool to pass up because it was made less than an hour from me. I suspect that it will be barrels of fun!

I'm sure I can sell the tires that came on it to an atv guy, the previous owner just mounted them and they were not used at all.

The real goal for this machine is going across win swept ice to the cabin, and I suspect it will do that just fine.

C

[ARGOJIM]

I have never personally seen a Bazoo, however the brochure on the home page states the machine has "Forward-Neutral-Reverse", try moving the shifter while rotating the input shaft and the output shaft should change direction.

[Cardamonfrost]

Holy cow. Lol, I dropped the ball there.

Yeah, its got reverse. Sorry, I've been armpit deep in 50 year old 2 stroke oil. For some reason I forgot about reverse even though I have been tinkering with it.

Here are a few more pics of the progress. I plan on grinding out the bad delaminations tomorrow and getting things ready to start laying up the fiberglass patches.

I think that I am going to use the West System and vacuum bags to do a top notch job. I have the stuff left over from a boat repair so might as well put it to use!

Also, I found that the company who made the tub is still in business. It wont be worth it to have them make one, it the still have the mould (unlikely), but I am interested to hear if its still around. I could see buying it and laminating it myself....

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

C

[allwheeldrive]

Nice call ArgoJim!

Got reverse, carry on this will be everything your looking for. You may once more commence intense off road fantasies :wink:

AATVs are excellent ice vehicles. One super low ground pressure. They can drive on ice that won’t support a human walking. 2. If you fall through its not instant emergency. Granted they can be hard to get out.

[Cardamonfrost]

"Not an instant emergency". Love it.

Well, got to grinding off the previous patches. They were pretty grievous. Previous Grievous, good band name. There are some bigger voids, but that's what fiberglass is good for, easy patching.

I plan on trying to remove the undercoating/rockguard that keeps gumming up my sanding disks. I also suspect that it will interfere with painting. Also, I just don't want it on there. I was thinking antifouling would be a pretty decent bottom paint. It is a kind of boat....

Pics.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

Cheers
C