New owner of a 6x6

[tim1jr]

I call them today, but no luck the serial number is missing

[jpswift1]

Haha, actually Mike I was up at the Recreatives factory and I then met up with Don to trade some parts. Mike is correct, only a small hand full of the first Maxes produced around 1970 were ABS plastic machines. First, take your serial number located on the inside edge of the passenger side of the upper body and call Recreatives. Amphibious Six-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Vehicles: MaxATVs - Call 1-800-255-2511 They will be able to decode it and give you the year. Judging by the pictures, your machine looks to have a poly body. Most ABS Max bodies have turned very brittle, pieces are chipped off, the red upper body has faded to brown, and the lower tub turned dark gray over the years.

[hydromike]

How do I tell if the Max has a ABS body or poly body?

I'm pretty sure your Max is a polyethylene-bodied machine. It looks like it might have originally been a BigMax. Ask the resident Max experts, but I think only the very early BigMax machines were ABS. JP'll know. He's usually here 9/10ths of the day. I'm surprised he hasn't chimed in. He's probably out working on one of his 12 machines...

~m

[tim1jr]

How do I tell if the Max has a ABS body or poly body?

[liflod]

The engine revving up before moving is "normal". Belt tension has alot to do with it also. If the belt is too loose, the engine has to rev more to get the machine moving. You can probably see where the belt engages on the clutch when it starts grabbing. If its high on the clutch, the belt is too loose. If its still low on the clutch when it grabs, its normal operation.

[tim1jr]

I appreciate all the help and info, as to this being my first 6x6. The guy that i got it off of seemed to be helpful as well. He adjusted the belt before he left as well as explained how to adjust the chains. The previous owner is the one who switched the motors. He gave me the JLO as well. He said everything was adjusted clutch wise to compensate for the switch. He explained that the JLO would have run at almost double the rpm so it had to be adjusted different. He also ststed the same same thing as you that the speed was between 25-30 with the 18hp. I will have to take some more pics of it. As for the gas tank, i see that route 6x6 sells them. How sensitive should the throttle be? In the few minutes that i drove it, it seemed like you had to rev the trottle a bit before it begin to move. Is this normal? (The previous owner said it was due to having to engage the clutch) The way it is set up is that the motor can spin without spinning the drive clutch. I am use to a quad that soon as you touch the throttle that it would go

[hydromike]

Nice ride, Tim. A couple quick things I noticed in one of the pictures that you may want to take a look at, or check over if you're completely new to these machines.

* First off, your belt looks a teentsy bit loose. It's not a big issue, but just being a little loose can make a big difference in performance. You'll want to slide the engine back just a little bit if there's more than a couple inches of deflection in the belt when you press the top side of the belt down toward the bottom with your hand. You don't want it "tight-tight, and the engine should be able to spin without spinning the driven clutch on the transmission.

* You may want to give Recreative's a call about a gas tank for the machine, or find someone on the board that may have an original-equipment gas tank. With all of the bouncing and sloshing around you'll soon be doing, it's nice to have the tank mounted in it's original location.

*Thinking more about sliding the engine back to tighten the belt, be cautious about how close the exhaust is coming to the plastic at the back of the machine. On longer rides, the muffler can tend to get quite warm, and will eventually melt the plastic if it comes too close. Recreatives also sells internal exhausts that, with a little modification (to fit a Kohler, vs. a Briggs), would fit nicely in that generous engine bay.

* Do you happen to know if the previous owner changed the spring in the driven clutch when he (assuming "he") converted it over to a 4-stroke engine? If you're still using the 2-stroke spring in that clutch, it won't give you the appropriate engagement you'll be looking for. The spring is quite a cheap part , and is quite easy to replace. Top speed (I think) on a Max II with about 18hp should be between 25 and 30 mph, I think, but you may want to ask a Max owner if no one chimes in. Since two strokes can run at nearly twice the RPM of a 4-stroke, it makes quite a difference. I'm basically a two stroke fiend, so once I went about building a 4-stroke machine, I had a lot of re-learning to do on the clutch end of things. I had a Comet Duster to begin with, but the pucks weren't calibrated appropriately. I just wonder if your machine is already set up and running correctly. I hope so!

Okay, enough babbling. Just a couple things I was looking at...

Good Luck!
~m

[tim1jr]

Yes, I traded my quad for the Max. I hope to have alot of fun with the max

[Mike]

That's right, I forgot that I had already seen the pictures...duh, sorry about that

Did you end up trading your quad for it even? The new chains and axles are definitely a plus. Those aren't cheap.

[tim1jr]

I had posted pictures before i got it. They are located in the max photos. It has a Kohler 18hp v-twin with a comet clutch. It is a older Max it originally had the 295 JLO in it. The chains are less than a year old, and the axles were replaced with solid axles that are 5 lug. The bottom of the poly body has a few cracks that will needed fixed before it is ready to swim

[rdr]

welcom . nice ride

[hydromike]

Welcome Tim,

The Ledges ride is incredible, and I don't have any reason (yet) to believe they won't hold it again. It's under new direction as of last year, so they're getting the ball (re)rolling as best they can. You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll be able to steer with laterals. It just seems natural. Take and post some pics as soon as you get the chance. It's great to have another amphib owner nearby. The Ribit Riders in SW New York have several rides a year. They have a couple rides planned for this winter, I believe. It's not far from you (couple/few hours?) depending on where in OH you are (Oh, CANTON.... Now I see it). You should try to attend. Details should be coming along within the next few weeks.

Good to have you,
~mike

[Mike]

Congratulations! That's awesome. Tell us some more about your Max. What year, what size motor, tires, etc? Have you had a chance to take it out yet? It probably won't take you too long to get the hang of it. Post up some pictures if you have taken any yet.

[tim1jr]

As of 12-26-07 I am now no longer just an observer to the 6x6 world. I now have my own 6x6 which is a max II. I read about Ledges, and hopefully if there is one in 08 I can make it being that I am already in Ohio. Next thing is learning how to drive the Max. I have always owned 3 and 4 wheelers. This is my first 6x6. Now the fun will begin.

Tim