96 Max II lower center drive chain-sprocket broke!

[96MAX2]

Fantastic, well this greasy pig lasted a 3 weeks before a major breakdown...looks like the center drive chain was loose enough to get off center and ride up on the sprocket ruining the teath and breaking it free from the axle?? Where can I find schematics for the Max II regarding drive config so I can order parts and positively Identify the broken/worn parts during the teardown process? To come up with the jargonI used above I downloaded the manual and found a small sketch on page 96 of the Max II/Buffalo truck manual..ut to explain it for those who are alot smarter than I its the sprocket that attaches small chain from upper jack shaft(driving) to the center wheel axle on the left side of the machine if sitting in it..hope this helps..thanks in advance!

[thebuggyman1]

The left side of a machine is the machines left......yes, as you sit in it. It is NEVER as viewed from the front, as many people like to do.
The t-20 transmission drives a #50 chain to the jackshaft (2 sprockets) and the jackshaft drives a #60 chain to the center axle sprocket assy.(3 sprockets). That assy has a #50 cain to the front axle sprocket and one to the rear. Your center axle sprocket assy is connected to the axle with a thru bolt. Your jackshft position is what keeps tension on the 2 chains connected to it, The bracket that holds the jackshaft spindle (on each side of the shaft) has 2 bolts that secure it and 2 adjusting bolts. Tighten the chains with the adjusting bolts THEN secure it in place by tightening the other 2 bolts(2 per bracket, 4 per jackshaft)

It is amazing that you broke a #60 chain.....that's strong stuff. The MaxII has a bad habit of wadding up chain on the center sprocket and cutting through the lower tub....hopefully this did not happen to you.
If you need a new sprocket assy., call Jay at Recreatives. He should be able to help you out.

[fmints]

Fantastic, well this greasy pig lasted a 3 weeks before a major breakdown...looks like the center drive chain was loose enough to get off center and ride up on the sprocket ruining the teath and breaking it free from the axle?? Where can I find schematics for the Max II regarding drive config so I can order parts and positively Identify the broken/worn parts during the teardown process? To come up with the jargonI used above I downloaded the manual and found a small sketch on page 96 of the Max II/Buffalo truck manual..ut to explain it for those who are alot smarter than I its the sprocket that attaches small chain from upper jack shaft(driving) to the center wheel axle on the left side of the machine if sitting in it..hope this helps..thanks in advance!

You might be good by PMing Cbass. He has two off his 98 Max II that he is parting out, or calling RI will work also. Just trying to help you find the cheaper find!

[96MAX2]

Thanks guys

Buggyman and fmints..Thanks for the great responses, it actually didnt break the #60 chain per-say, it stretch/widend it where it rode up on the center sprocket damaging/ruining 5 teeth.. I guess I lucked out with the tub being spared it sheared the center sprockets weld right off the shaft!! Ill Pm Cbass before I order a new one.. the removal was a royal PIA!! i left the body on it and was able to do everything fairly easily accept getting the 3 sprocket-hub out of the wheeler..i had to remove the drive chain off of the clutch, slide the tensioning jackshaft all the way towards the front of the machine and weasel it out like a rubics cube... Some additional things that popped up such as the rubber tub gasket was easily torn due to drying of rubber and bearing condition hard for me to discern as i have never worked on before, Im tempted to hose it down with degreaser and carb cleaner and remove all grease to allow me to see bearing condition..any suggestions..Oh and are the bearing eccentric/cam loc'ed onto the axle? I couldnt find a set screw which most cam-loc style have a set screw you tighten once you have spun the eccentric/cam tight onto the inner race.

[CBass]

There should be a hole for a set screw some where around the locking collar. It might be packed with dirt as I have found mine to get like that once in a while to the point I cant find it.

[96MAX2]

Thanks Cbass I'll check it out later tonite, Anywho, for those wondering I called Recreatives, the part is known as a Max II triple sprocket and runs 126.00 new...wheew! During some investigation of the additional parts I have some other questions for you all. Is the male end of the center shaftthat mates with the axle supposed to have some slop? If so, how much? Also, Does everyones inner-front drive chain run extremely close to the tub? its like its rubbing just sitting there..does this mean the axle ends or shoulders are worn causing the axel to seat deeper inward therefore pushing the triple sprocket drive inward and out of the chain grooves in the tub?...again excuse my poor wording..

[thebuggyman1]

Axle allignment is determined by where the locking collar is set and not by the inner bushing. In other words: the sprocket bolts to the axle, align the sprocket so the chains to the other axles are straight, then tighten the locking collar to hold it in place. The end of the axle has an inner bushing, these wear and will have some slop to the steel pin it rides on. Some slop is ok, but excessive is bad.....I have no idea how to describe what "too much" is. I just know it when I see it.

[96MAX2]

Thanks for the info buggyman, I hadn't noticed a bushing on the inside is the axle I will inspect it and hopefully determine if its bad or not. regarding the axle replacement in the sprockets, I will also take a good look at those hopefully I will not have to adjust all of them . I really appreciate everything you guys told me so far. so far this repair has been a great learning experience and also confidence builder, hopefully I'll get the part from Cbass be able to have her back on the road by the end of the week. thanks again to everyone who helped.

[buffalochuck]

Hi I need help. I took my 1998 buffalo out for the first time on opening day of duck hunting and it filled up with water half way to my barrel. When I got home I filled it up with water and found it was leaking out as fast as I was putting the water in. The water is coming out of the center right side axle. I have never worked on one of these so I am lost, but I am a equipment mechanic and I have mechanic smarts. It looks like the bearing is pushed inside of the flange plate because there is a gap between the flang and the collar. The left side is sealed flush and it looks like a bearing. I can also lift the axle slightly up and down. Can anyone help with a break down or photos on how to replace the bearing or what ever is missing. Thanks

[Noel Woods]

You have two options:
1)pull the axle and replace the bearing. The down side of this is that its a multi-step process and will involve several hours of hard and dirty work. You will need to make room in the machine to do this via removing chains, probably pulling the engine and transmission, then putting all back together. Estimated time to do the work will vary with your mechanical skills. I'd say best case scenario would be 8 hours time, maybe more.

2) Adair Argo has a patented split UHMW bearing. A kit for one axle consists of 4 parts, two are the inside bearing and two others are the outside bearing, The inners and outers fit together with small carriage bolts, Imagine a cookie that has been cut in half and this is what the parts look like. You basically place the bottom inner on the axle, then the upper inner and attach them together, then go to the outside and repeat the process, then carriage bolts will go from the outside to the inside through the stock bearing bolt holes in the lower body. Once the assembly is bolted down you will have a water tight, worry free synthetic bearing. I can install a set of these in less than an hour.

Guess which way I'd go? Synthetic of course. FYI: Here's a pre-existing thread for the regular synthetic bearing, it will show the general layout: 2002 max4 hd bearings and synthetic bearing install - Amphibious ATV Pictures

[ARGOJIM]

Noel is correct on time for all 6 outer and inner bearings.

To do the one center bearing(suggesting inner as well) will probably take the better part of 2 hours. Need to disconnect the 3 chains running to the center axle, if your machine has bolt on sprockets remove the bolt, the inner bearing has an eccentric collar with a set screw that will need to be loosened by loosening set screw and using a punch rotate the eccentric collar loose, the same needs to happen on the outer bearing collar, though if you wish ,removing the 3 bolts in the bearing flanges will allow you to pull the axle and do that on the bench.

There may be a video in the manual section of the home page.