Where to start? 83 Marathon 2pg

MoBell412

So I just bought my first buggy project off a guy at work for $250.00. It's a running 1983 Marathon with a lift kit and bigger tires. Took it for a spin before buying it, and it seems to run well for a 31 year old cart that's been sitting under a tree for the past 2 years. I had to jump the battery, put air in the tires and drain the fuel and put fresh 128 : 1 in ( no oil injector) before taking it for a spin. The first thing I noticed was it was LOUD, and there was smoke coming from under the seat. I lifted the seat and discovered a hole drilled in the exhaust pipe ahead of the muffler. Previous owner said it was drilled to accept some type of mosquito sprayer that used the exhaust fumes to kill mosquitoes or something. Also there was a good bit coming from the gasket at the muffler. That will be my first fix mechanically. There was lots of white smoke coming from the hole when I first started it up. I'm not sure how these things are supposed to ride compared to a newer model but it seemed to ride fairly well. Only rode for about 10 min, and when I came back and shut it off I wanted to see if riding it had charged the battery ( it didnt.) So maybe a new battery is needed also. I've been reading a lot on here lately and am planning on checking the fuel filter, seals, carb, and compression tomorrow after work, but are there any other things I should keep an eye out for? Like I said I don't really have any experience riding these so I'm not sure what kind of shape it's in based on riding it alone. The previous owner didn't really know much about it, as it was his dad's, who received it from a friend years ago as a trade for work done on a car. Thanks in advance, and I'm looking forward to getting addicted to working on this thing. Aesthetically, I'm going to paint and fab up some new seats this week also.

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BGW

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Dave Box

If it were mine here is what I would do. Buy a set of exhaust gaskets and remove the muffler then the exhaust. Light a large fire and place the muffler on top. In about 30 minutes the muffler will start to burn out the residual oil trapped in it and you will see flames from either end, just let it burn another 30 minutes. While it is de-coking use an exhaust repair kit to patch the hole in the exhaust. The two stroke engine needs an expansion camber and back pressure to work so your engine is going to thank you. When it is all cooled down reassemble using the new gaskets. Don't forget that the bolts on the engine are metric.

The charging issue is more likely to be the dynamo or regulator rather that the battery. You should use a cheap voltmeter to diagnose this. With the engine running (and the back end jacked up) check the battery voltage, it should be 14 - 15 volts (ish). If it is not then find the regulator and check the positive terminal has 12 volts (ish) and the negative has a solid ground. Pull off the center wire, which is green and labeled DR the battery voltage should be 12 volts, now hold that wire to a ground and the battery voltage should increase to 18 volts(ish). If this happens then the regulator is faulty. If it does not then the dynamo is defective and probably needs new brushes.

Dave

MoBell412

Sounds good, Dave. Thanks. Like I needed an excuse to have a bon fire drink some beers and work on a buggy!

MoBell412

What kind of speeds should I expect from this thing? Also i think it could use motor mounts. Didn't look to have anything substantial other than two little bolts and the motor has a wicked shake to it. What are the mounts supposed to look like?

MoBell412

Uh oh.. what would be causing this? ??

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