Broken T20 mounting bracket

[Rusty-Gunn]

I decided to check on my Max IV and give it look over. Two issues arose imediately. The shifting had friction during shifting. It then got stuck in reverse. I lubed all linkages, but still would not shift to neutral.
The second issue is it would not start. No fuel is going to the filter. I shortly realized I turned the fuel line off for starage. Duh!
I turned it back on and some fuel is now getting to the filter. I will wait to start it til I get the shifting fixrd.
Next I get the engine and trans out. This is when I discovered the right side front "r" shaped bracket is broken. This bracket is bolted to the top front of the T20. I believe this bracket might be an up grade for older Max IVs. Its a weld on kit, no longer made I think.
My nephew is a welder and can weld it but he is out if town.
It broke because two bolts rattled off. The top rear right side and the bottom rear left. Appearantly I didn't bend the bolt lock tabs enough. I didn't use thread lock either. My bad.
So, can I bolt a thick steal plate over the break? I figure drilling two holed above and two holes below, and use grade 8 bolts to fasten a 1/4" steel plate over the break. Is this suitable? Any suggestions? Thanks.

[msafi65]

That's a fix that will work welding back in is the best way.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Thank you. I figure bolting it might work but better ask. I'll have Adam look at it. He can weld it back. I am seriously hoping the frame don't need to be taken out!
Anyhoo... While the T20 is out I'm going to install U-channel pivot bolts. I got the spare U-channels drilled fir 3/8" grade 8 bolts of the right length in the shoulder area. I may need to shorten the threads though.

[amphibious drew]

You can weld it back with the frame in place. Fill the tub with water though so nothing melts your tub.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Thanks Drew. I'll be talking this over with Adam when he comes around. Water in the tub is a good idea.
My back up plan is bolting a plate to the bracket. Its a 1/4" thick, two inch wide, 1095 high carbon steel I intended to use for a knife blade. Its about four inches long, having had cut a piece for a different project years ago. I think it will be enough.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Adam won't be around for a while (going to California) so I've decided to bolt the broken part of the bracket back on. I drilled 5/16" holes above and below the break. Welding will have to wait. This ought to get us back on the trail.

[Rusty-Gunn]

We got the transmission back in the Max IV. The problem we got is the sterl bar that goes to the top front corners bump into the bolts. The solution I am doing is to flex the broken (but bolted) bracket out about a quarter inch. I am putting a shoty stack of washers and a longer bolt to the corner. This will fasten the T20 as it should be. Ugly though.
Now, who has a spare weld on bracket? It seems I can not find these weld-on brackets at the Max factory parts site.

Another issue... The four bottom bolts on the T20 use a "dohicky" (I don't know the name that keeps these bolts from coming out via bent tabs. Mine are in very poor shape. I am making new copies shortly.
Question... Can these dohickies be skipped in favor of threadlock and split lock washers? Thanks.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Transmission Lock Plate is the name of the item I refered to as a dohicky. I looked it up. Anyway, I made two out of metal of the same thickness. I used the worn out original as a template. These worked out very well. We git the T20 backbin the Max IV. This time I used threadlock.
I also spoke to Adam and he says he can fabricate the broken bracket if I have a full size template. Anyone with a template? Thanks.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Update on my post #3. I got the pivot bolts installed on the U-channels. Yippee! My U-channels don't clank. Thank you guys, whipper, the buggyman, Amphibious Drew and others for sharing how to do the pivot bolt mod.

[Rusty-Gunn]

After doing the above repairs and pivot mod we have our Max up and running. She runs like the champ she was born to be. The U-channel mod works wonderful. Very smooth and no dang clanking. The plungers don't stick, they glide in their bores. My bolt on repair job works as intended, but is rather ugly.

[tbone9]

Good for you. I'll have to do the same someday. My exhaust is loud enough the clank doesn't bother me. Kinda like Turing the radio up when your car makes a noise lol

[Rusty-Gunn]

Update on the broken "ear" brackets... The other side (passenger) is now broken. It obviously broke late last season, but I didn't know it then. I discovered it yesterday when we took out the engine to install new primary chains.
I expect I'll beef it up with new flat bar material, bolted together. Adding angle iron might be added for more stiffness and strength.
I believe what caused this bracket to break is two of the bottom mounting holes in the main frame have enlargened a bit, causing the T-20 to twist, and pounding the holes bigger. Bigger holes causes more T-20 movement, which causes bolts and brackets to break.
This will be an easy enough fix though.
Inspect your T-20 mounting brackets, amphib drivers. Just maybe you might find a crack, or break, in your bracket(s).

[Canadian_Zuk]

My T-20 mount holes were egged out as well when I 1st got my machine, same cause, T-20 mounting bolts worked loose and allowed the trans to rock in the mount. Some guys just weld the hole up and drill new holes, make sure you mark the holes very carefully if you do this. I've seen 2 examples where they simply welded a thick washer to the Max frame to fix the hole. I cut new 1/4" plates with new holes to fit in the U channel then welded everything up. The frame is now 3x thicker where those holes are

Here'sa link to my 1st repair

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/max-atvs/34426-2003-max-iv-resurection.html

then it happened again but the 2nd time the lower bolts just snapped in the T-20, this was a messy repair followed by more brackets to tie the T-20 down better. What I did works well enough but I should have made these last brackets bolt in for easier service. I may change them when I pull the T-20 again this summer.

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/max-atvs/36859-t-20-broke-loose-again.html

[Rusty-Gunn]

Thank you CZ. I think the "ear" brackets should be made of quarter-inch stock, not the thinner stock used. (Costs go up, I'm sure).
I'm leaning towards the extra plate added to the frame, welded on, and new holes drilled.
The issue is my nephew, whom is a welder, has his welding equipment out of town. And I'm not so keen on stripping off all axles to get the frame out just yet. I can fix the broken bracket easy enough though.

[Rusty-Gunn]

I used quarter-inch steel bar material, two inches wide,
and cut to ten inches in length, to fix the broken bracket.
I got it bolted to the main frame, and to the bracket itself.
I also added a shorter length, also bolted, that goes from
the bracket top to the T-20 mounting bolt (top). Ugly looking
fix, but it will get me on the road again.