help with questions on the 8x8 i just bought(im a newbie)

[sozo13]

Hi im totaly new to argo's so treat me like an idiot when answering it wont bother me at all it will actually help ,I just got a 2006 response 130 hrs on it i gave 4200 and hopeing i done ok on the deal.
I know i got some tuneing to do and im hopeing its nothing major id like some opinions and tips on where to start..

transmission
1.my number one concern is when sitting idle and turning hard left or right ..it normally wont move,the motor revs but it doesnt feel like its engaged then when you straighten the steering just a very little bit you feel a slight thump and it will start to dig in and turn. now turning hard like that while already moveing doesnt seem to cause any loss of torque is dig in on wichever side and turns..but when starting out and trying begin with a tight turn it just doesnt want too.
2.transmission wants to grind when i put in in gear i try to make sure the idle is low but still wants to grind some and it will pop out of reverse if you let it go ..the shift level feel a little floppy

motor ..
1. this thing is horrible when its cold and first started wants to die soon ad you give some throttle but will idle fine on its own this seems to lessen alot once its warmed up. but this issue seems to go on much longer than i would expect.

2.charging system ..not sure if its chargeing meter shows only 10v and the guy had to jump it off when i got it he said sometimes it does simetimes it doesnt ..

These are my most pressing issues anyone that recognizes these issue please point me in the right direction on this tune up my opinion was most of this stuff is just adjustment ralated. once shes rolling she runs great and as i would expect but getting it rolling is anothr story.

i have no idea how well it was maintained it looks like it was kept in good shape but you never really know it needs 4 tires but has 4 new ones i got the argo with skid plate and brushgaurd/winch,trolling motor,and a new blue optima deep cycle battery for 4200 it seemed to me like a decent price. let me know how it sounds like i done ,please be brutaly honest...i know if this is actually a major transmission issue it may get ugly fast =(

[Newfieguy]

Hi there,

Welcome

Turning an argo form dead stop usually requires much more throttle input then when actually rolling. But with that being said some simple things to look for are... A worn belt (belts too thin change the drivetrain ratio, affects the torque quite a bit. Is your governor working properly? With a properly set govenor you should hear the engine kinda "cut in" when demanding power with the same throttle setting. Another trick some people use if you us ethe argo and very flat ground with a lot of turning is have a slightly higher psi in the 2 middle tires on each side...Makes a big difference.

What kind of engine is it?

Hmmm grinding gears is usually too high idle speed...may want to check that. Popping outta reverse is usually a sign of worn gears in the transmission. But check your lever first, the small bolt that holds the lever on to the tranny can get worn and prevent the gear from completly meshing in the tranny, causing it to pop back out into neutral.

Cold starts, check your choke, make sure the butterflys are moving full closed to full open. If you havent clean your carb yet, this will be a good place to start. Dirty carbs can cause all sorts of issues. youll find a lot of those out there were commonly compensated for by a higer then normal idle, just to keep the thing running. Not the correct fix.

Charging system...Could be a regulator, very common. Not an expensive fix, plug in and go.


Sounds like a good price.

[sozo13]

thanks for the info its the 18hp vanguard briggs..the idle really doesnt seem high but ..im new to these things ill see just how low i can get it once i get to tuneing it .

but the getting a turn going from a dead stop is a odd thing theres a very noticable point just as you come out of have the steering turned till it stops you can feel it "bump" and begin to turn the wheels ..its anoying with such a small turning radius on the handle bars its a jerky stop go stop go ..kinda thing with it till you can get it straight and rolling ..then runs and turn like a champ.

**** ok i went out side and tried really gunning with with a completly tight turn and it does get going so maybe i was just trying to baby it a bit to much lol but im still getting some grinding going into gear and reverse pops out.****

is the regulater an "argo" piece or would any shop with briggs and straton have it?

[JohnF]

Hi sozo13,

Welcome to the site. Your transmission transmits power to each side through an open differential which works by balancing torque on each side. The coefficient of friction of a static brake is much higher than that of a dynamic brake so the static brake side can absorb a great deal of power before spinning the other side tires.

Boring stuff. Don't worry too much about it yet really. I just stuck this in here so that you have a feel for the theory of operation of the machine.

First, you probably need to clean and lube your clutches and, as has been mentioned, check your belt.

Low idle for these machines is probably lower than you might expect. I have a conquest which has a Kawasaki engine. The engine specs state that the low idle speed is 1450 to 1650 RPM. Problem is that the clutch engages at about 1300 RPM. Ideal is low enough that the secondary clutch doesn't spin while at idle - but that can be pretty low, some clutches will spin anyway. If the secondary is spinning then everything in the transmission is spinning and you are trying to shove a spinning gear into a stationary gear. I idle mine at around 600-700 RPM.

There are threads on here about how to dig into the clutches.

Go and clean and lube your clutches.

Oh, and the regulator is probably a B&S part. Google for a parts diagram for your engine. Smallenginewarehouse probably has the diagram on their site.

[B.A.]

Bumping sound............ check slack on chains from transmission and adjust with transmission jacking bolts. My 2009 frontier 8x8 calls for 1/8 inch of slack each side.

[newargoowner]

My 18hp vanguard is cold blooded too. I always let it warmup for 5 minutes before i try to use it. u should be seeing 13+ volts (full throttle) on your meter. check the battery it might need to be replaced. Check all of your chains/sprockets/bearings for excess slack or wear.