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Post by JerryScript on Apr 12, 2015 22:15:10 GMT -5
If valve lash gets real tight, or the valve seats get fouled or burned (burning occurs if lash is way to tight), the valve can stay open just a bit during combustion. This would explain gunk in your valve/rocker arm area.
Sounds like you've got it under control once you get your final parts. Let us know how it goes.
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Post by knightflyer on May 8, 2015 11:30:13 GMT -5
Well... got the part, put everything together. Turned engine slowly and carefully by hand several times to make sure nothing seemed to bind. turned okay, and seemed to have good compression as I turned. Try to start - nada. Turns over nicely, and doesn't even act like it wants to catch. So... worse than before I started. Checked spark, and getting a good spark. Checked fuel flow by pulling the line at the carb. Seemed weak, then stopped. So I replaced that vac-activated valve with a manual one, and replaced the deteriorating lines with new. Nothing. Cranks but no sign it is catching at all. Tried a little starting fluid (got a generator that gets cranky about starting if it sits too long). Nothing. Not even a cough. I had a hard time with this new rocker assembly. It didn't seem to sit well when installed. I was able to use the feeler okay on the intake but simply could NOT get it into the exhaust at all. I set that by screwing down until it touched, then backing it off the same amount of turn as the top valve. Rough, but I was improvising. I'm really wondering if this new assembly is holding the valve open but I wouldn't think it would ever feel like it was getting compression (when turning engine by hand) if that was the case? I dunno. Gonna take it apart again, see if I can do anything with this rocker assembly. Very tired of this and I just want my scooter to run. Beautiful weather and I gotta use the gas hog to get to work.  We're really broke right now (hey, I work nights at... Walmart. I know, get a real job. Working on that, via internal promotion) so I'm kinda on my own. That, and it's hard to justify much expense on a scooter worth $500 if it were running. |
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Post by JerryScript on May 8, 2015 11:49:00 GMT -5
There are two different sizes rocker arm assemblies. Are you sure you got the right size? Putting the larger one on a head that uses the smaller one makes it almost impossible to adjust well. Putting the smaller one on a head that uses the larger one, even turning the tappets all the way won't make them reach the top of the valves.
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Post by rdhood on May 8, 2015 15:00:53 GMT -5
There are two different sizes rocker arm assemblies. Are you sure you got the right size? Putting the larger one on a head that uses the smaller one makes it almost impossible to adjust well. Putting the smaller one on a head that uses the larger one, even turning the tappets all the way won't make them reach the top of the valves. What jerryscript said. Looks like they size them by hole spacing and valve stem length. And, make sure that you put it on correctly (ex on the exhaust side). And remember that a new cylinder head is only about $30. Don't get bogged down in minutia if you really just want to get it on the road. |
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Post by knightflyer on May 10, 2015 15:52:14 GMT -5
Oy vey... I didn't know that, and that would make perfect sense of why this doesn't seem to fit quite right! Okay, back to the parts suppliers.
Thank you so much guys!
~KF
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Post by knightflyer on May 25, 2015 18:54:02 GMT -5
So I wound up scrapping up some money and taking it to a pro shop since my wife had lost all faith (if she ever had any) in my fixing this.  They found (surprise!) that the rocker assembly is wrong. Really?!? Never would have known that, since I already told them that. They are are an authorized TaoTao dealer though, so have access to getting the right part based off the engine number. I'm just hoping that the rocker is the only thing still wrong so that I can get this thing back on the road. Assuming they get it running, I'll still need to put all the plastic back on once I get it back, then I'll be able to ride again! Yay!  |
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Post by knightflyer on Aug 21, 2015 11:51:21 GMT -5
Final verdict... The TaoTao is dead. The engine, after they replaced the entire top end, now barely runs, but not at any usable level. The clutch is bad, and there are other problems too. Long story short, it needs a new engine, and I just don't have another $400 to spend on it. It was fun and economical while it lasted, but if it ever gets fixed, it won't be soon. If I'd had a way to know ahead of time, I'd have been money ahead if they'd just swapped out the engine in the first place, but we didn't know.  Thanks for all the help guys. Wondering if maybe I can part out all the new parts they put on it, and at least recover some of the loss. Hmm....  |
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