First post and first MaxII

[CROSSBOW]

Bought a used Max II and replaced all chains and 1 bearing.The guy said it was a 2005 and gave me a 2005 manual.After calling the factory and giving them the VIN number they said it was a 1998. There is a little play in the other outside bearings. Leaks water through them. I was wanting to know what size bilge pump you guys are using.Thanks for your replies,Roger

[LarryW]

Congrats on your max. Thats kind of fishy with the year/manual thing. I dont have a bilge pump so I cant answer that but I guess it depends on how much water you want to drive it. If you fix your leaks and dont plan on a large amount of time in the water I wouldnt worry to much with getting a smaller sized one but bigger is always better. I just play in the water few minutes at a time and keep an eye on if its leaking. But on the other hand even if you just plan on going for a few minutes and you have a problem getting out because of a bank or something you can run into problems with even a smaller leak.

[MikeyM]

Welcome and congrats! I also just got my first Max II a short time ago...mine was said to be a 98...turned up its a 94. I dont really think it really matters, as long as you have fun! once you get it out, your going to love it! i have had the most fun with mine so far and will always have a 6x6! I dont have a bilge pump yet, so cant help ya there...grease up the bearings that helps keep the water out

[CROSSBOW]

Thanks Larry and MikeyM ,yea the guy stuck me on the model but i love this thing.I drove it off in my pond yesterday and in 20 feet there was water up to my floor board where the sticks come threw.I thought the bottom was cracked but after checking water was pouring out of the bearings.

[Dan67]

Replace all the bearings, make sure to use anti-seize on the axles when you put them back in. Goop it on thick and it will help to seal the between the bearing and axle, water will not degrade the anti-seize. Refer to Mike's video on replacing bearings on a max, its in the how-to section. As for a bilge pump, you can get it from the local walmart in the boating section. Kit comes with hose, pump, & wiring.

[MikeyM]

IF you can wait just a little longer for a bilge pump, I have been seeing them on Amazon.com way cheaper than walmart....but then again there arent that expensive at walmart, I think I priced everything for just about 30 bucks

Thats a lot of water in a hurry, Mine leaks a little, but not bad at all, after about a 20 mins of water time, I take in a quart or so....dont take offense, but both of your drain plugs are in right?

[thebuggyman1]

I have gone into a pond alot farther than that before seeing that much water.......And I forgot the drain plugs....ooops
That's ALOT of water for a loose bearing or two. Replace all your bearings, reseal the flangettes against the tub and check it again. A small amout of water is normal, but it should be small. You should be able to cross a creek or pond with out having to drain the tub....just keep driving.

[amphibious drew]

I agree with buggyman. That is a ton of water. I was playing in a creek without plugs and it was virtually dry inside after a few crossings. I would even double check that the bottom doesnt have a crack in it.

[CROSSBOW]

Thanks Guys the plugs were in.I guess i need to jack it up so i can check the bottom ,put some water inside the tub and look for leaks.

[CROSSBOW]

One more thing,I was loading it on the trailor after two chains came off and was winching it up the ramps when the winch flew off. The guy had bolted the winch to the plastic with nothing behind the cover.Looks to me their should be a metal plate behind it to keep the bolts from pulling threw.

[thebuggyman1]

Yes, there should be some extra support there. Even a piece of angle iron to spread the force out. The front lip of a maxII is actually very strong (where the top meets the bottom). I put a piece of 1 1/2" angle iron over the front lip, and then weld additional suppport going up the nose with bolts through and more support inside the body.
Hope you can see enough detail in the pictures

[jstout9]

Hey Buggyman, are those led head lights in the green one?? If so do you have the part number and where you got them?

[LarryW]

Sometimes the chain can damage the tub if it wraps around the sprockets. Not sure if you meant they just popped off or snapped but check the tub under all the axle sprockets for cracks or bulges where the chain has pushed on it. It could be leaking there. Just an thing to double check.

[CROSSBOW]

Thanks Larry I found the leak it has a crack about 6"long and a 1/4" wide on the left side under the jack shaft and may be more,seen that while adjusting parking brake. Got my winch back on Buggyman I had some alum. angle iron laying around the house Thanks guys for all the help!

[racerone3]

sadly, sellers are rarely honest about the year of the machine. he probably bought it in '05 and got a manual that year, so that is what he sold it as.

for the crack (S) in the tub, plastic welding is the only repair that will work. you might find a local body shop with someone qualified to do the work. If not, pick up a welder and DIY. it can be done with a soldering iron, but I've found that a true plastic welder works far better. This is the one I use. Urethane Supply 5600HT Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder | eBay follow the directions and practice on some scrap (HDPE 55 gallon drums can be found on craigslist for ~$5 most places and are a perfect sacrifive for some plastic welding ). Currently, my wife's Max II is the only machine in the fleet of 5 that I have never had to do some welding on, and I've had no leaking issues with the others.