new member with a scetchy sidewinder

[torinoracing]

hello everyone its great to join ya here!
ok so I just purchased a unk year huslter sidewinder its in pretty good shape it has a either 16 or 18 horse B&S motor that seem to work pretty well but this thing has some issues that I could use some help with. I took it out for the 1st time yesterday and it seemed to go ok but didnt seem to have very much power even at a high rpm, it struggled to go up a small hill ( very small) and then would bog down or the belt would start to screech. after i got it up the hill (via my buddys quad) i tried flat land and as the day progressed it got worse only moving about 1/2 a mile an hour. the chain sprocket on the driver side of the trany seems to be rocking back and forth about a 1/8 of an inch and the left forward lever gets stuck when i engage it out, but all of these things aren’t always happening so Im kinda lost, trany rebuild? new belt? and if so what are the dimensions of a new belt so i can measure the old one to check wear? thanks

[amphibious drew]

The tranny rocking could be the issue. it is definitely not a good thing. search the forums and look at a few hustler projects. most everyone does major welding to the frame and reinforces the t20 mount somehow. that will give you a starting point. I hope you have a welder cause your going to need it. after its all solid you may need to replace the belt, but until that trans is not sloppy, you risk severe trail breakdown.

[torinoracing]

Hmm ok sounds good but i think the guy i got it from was ahead of me already there angle iron all over that thing lol but what i mean by the sproket moving is it has a chatter type movement the hole tranny isnt moving?

[amphibious drew]

Oh no, sounds like you need to split it open and put new bearings on the shafts. A rebuild isnt that bad. Read over the how to on the site, and tear it apart and see what you find.

[torinoracing]

sounds like my luck lol do you happen to know a guesstament cost on that? and a side note is that motor i have adaquite power?

[Model Citizen]

Every T-20 we have in our machines has endplay with the sprocket off the tranny. An 1/8" may be much, but it's a lot easier to change a belt out & see what that does for you first.

Bridget

[micmac]

I would say you're in for a T-20 rebuild. No telling what exactly is going on in there until you get it apart. Bands can be relined approximately $140, new bearings approximately $50 apiece (need to get these from Recreative industries). The thing that gets really expensive are the drums and sun gears, but chances are they are OK. Look over the T-20 build in the How to section and "crack" it open. Don't worry, there are a ton of people on the board that can help if you run into trouble. After the trans is good, get a new belt and check the Clutches out good. The secondary on the T-20 has a C clip on the backside that can break and cause the loss of power as you describe. The 18 HP is not bad if the clutching and the Trans is working as it should. I'd start there and fix your way back to the engine.

[micmac]

Also you should get about 20mph on the machine on flat ground and it should climb anything that you have traction on! The Sidewinder - Hustlers are very cool machines and worth fixing up. Post up some pictures when you have a chance

[Model Citizen]

Micmac is probably right. The left lateral getting "stuck" is toublesome.

Bridget

[torinoracing]

thank for all the help! Another ? where can i get a belt?