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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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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 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 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 knightflyer on Apr 12, 2015 12:23:10 GMT -5
 This is the side of the valve rocker, which I noticed as I was about to begin reassembly... Figured this can't possibly be good! Valve rocker picSaw the big crack as I was wiping dirt and grease off it. The only plus to this project getting stalled for two months was the amount of cleanup I needed to do. That's when i saw the crack. So... off to order a part. I already seated the valves. They were very gunked up, and not sealing at all (could not pass the 'pour light oil on them with paper underneath' test). Hadn't put in an update though in a long time, so I figured I'd do this quick post. Thanks, KF |
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Post by knightflyer on Feb 2, 2015 21:39:10 GMT -5
Thank you, great info! Project is at a stand-still at the moment due to lack of job.
Supposed to go in to do paperwork with a company on Weds though, so should get some income coming in again and then I can get the parts to get this thing back into one piece. I hope.  |
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 19, 2015 9:54:23 GMT -5
Thanks JB! Okay, gotta get some valve compound while in town today... (we live 12 miles outside the closest major town.)
KF
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 18, 2015 21:32:01 GMT -5
Okay, got the cylinder head off. They make it look much easier in the videos, lol. Tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can get a loaner valve tool at the parts store, and then reseat the valves. Going to try relapping the old ones, unless someone thinks that's a really bad idea? I don't think they're burned, but we'll see what they look like once I get them out of the head.
Seems like a lot of gunk on piston and in the dome with the valves? I haven't had an engine this far apart except in shop class, long, long, ago and that was a cleaned up one for school kids to repeatedly take apart and put back together.
I'm taking comfort from my first-aid instructor of some years back "You can't kill something that's already dead. So give it your best shot." We simply can't afford to sink much money into a $500 scooter right now. I can afford some new valves though, if needed. Real, professional, shop though? Ain't happening, lol.
~KF
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 18, 2015 18:28:15 GMT -5
the saga continues... Pulled off the carb, so I could look down at the valve. There was a little gas puddled down there from previous attempts to get the darn thing to start. I slowly turned it over by hand to watch the valve work, not really sure what I was expecting but... I got to watch how leaky the valve is! Yup, "seating well" is definitely not how I would describe it. May be other issues, but I can't see how it would be doing well the way that thing is leaking.
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 18, 2015 16:42:35 GMT -5
That's my guess at this point JB. The lower valve, which is exhaust I believe, was out of tolerance - about .01mm vs .005mm, so nearly twice the gap it ought to be. Set that, but no change. I pulled the diaphrame out of the carb the other day, and when I twist the throttle I can see the gas spray for a second, so we appear to have good gas flow. Good spark as I said before. So... that leaves lows compression, which I don't have a way to check beyond the finger check. I've had a stuck ring before, so I'm guessing it's that again. Now I need to go find out how to pull the cylinder or piston so I can check the rings. Love Youtube...  THanks for the help guys, I'll let you know if I figure anything further out. Need to get the darn thing moved so I can get the expensive van into the garage though! ~KF |
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 14, 2015 22:38:46 GMT -5
Checked spark, and I am getting a good spark. Good idea to clear out the gas, certainly couldn't hurt, especially since water would sit at the bottom and I did ride through a bit of foul weather (rain and such). A ring froze on this unit before, so I tend to suspect that. Was thinking I might put some liquid wrench in the cylinder and turn by hand for a bit. Might de-gunk something. Goofy bike...
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Post by knightflyer on Jan 14, 2015 15:36:57 GMT -5
So I was zooming to work when the belt broke on my TaoTao 50. Hadn't lost a belt before so wasn't sure what was happening at first (except that I was definitely losing power and speed rapidly).
Replaced the belt, but now the bike won't start. It may have over-revved when I lost the belt (I was at full power). Anyone have experience with an over-rev causing valve problems or anything? It had been having problems after some gunk got into the fuel tank (used a gas can that had been used previously for 2cycle mix). I had siphoned out the suspected bad gass, and put in some sea foam. That had seemed to clear up the rough running issue that had been caused by the gunk.
I squirted some carb cleaner in through the air intake. I just checked the clearances on the valves; top (intake?) is right on at .05mm, bottom seemed a little looser than .05 but I didn't measure to figure out what it was at or attempt to set (freezing temps = rushing things in the shop).
Any thoughts or suggestions on trying to get this thing running again would be appreciated. I tried to compression-test, but the tester I borrowed wouldn't fit the tiny spark plug hole. It does have enough compression to pass the finger test, but that doesn't really tell yah much. It acts like it wants to catch but won't. Starting fluid had no effect. It had a frozen ring problem once before, and the symptoms seem similar. Really can't afford to spend hundreds fixing it again like I did on that go.
Thanks, KF |
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