Diagnostics Advice sought (X-Town 300i)

[Neil955i]

Ebay for about $12>$19

Used it on all 4 of my scooters. 155>400 cc's

Stig

Thanks Stig, that looks a winner!

[CROSSBOLT]

Made my own clutch/variator holding tool from two pieces of flat bar about 24" long, about .75" by .25", each with a .25" at each end. One end is the pivot, the other ends get a M6 x 25 or 30mm bolt  and nut.

With nuts in place, the heads go in the clutch holes, without nuts, in the variator holes. The pivot joint goes on the floor.

[Neil955i]

Thanks for the pointer Stig, ordered.

[Neil955i]

Update:  Recognising I've been quiet on this, I thought an update might be in order. 

Absolutely zero progress on this job as yet, but I do have a good excuse!  I have been up in the East Riding of Yorkshire all last week with my wife and our two dogs - including the new pup who, at 20 months-old we are now trying to toilet train!  We got him last month as a "failed sheepdog" off a farm in south Wales, free to a good home.  Until taking him on he'd never even been in a house, much less be house trained!  It's been probably four weeks so far and I think we've just cleared the 48 hr mark with no accidents and he's going 6 hours overnight with no wees, so progress on that front at least!

Back to the Kymco.  Thread lock goop arrived today and my new torque wrench is due for delivery today also.  Belt etc., due next week.  Once the wrench is here I fully intend to get the cover off and have a look see.  I'm hoping against hope that when I do, one or other retaining nut (variator or clutch) will have worked loose and that simply tightening them (with the new torque wrench) will get me back on the road short term.

I'll keep you posted.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Update:  Recognising I've been quiet on this, I thought an update might be in order. 

Absolutely zero progress on this job as yet, but I do have a good excuse!  I have been up in the East Riding of Yorkshire all last week with my wife and our two dogs - including the new pup who, at 20 months-old we are now trying to toilet train!  We got him last month as a "failed sheepdog" off a farm in south Wales, free to a good home.  Until taking him on he'd never even been in a house, much less be house trained!  It's been probably four weeks so far and I think we've just cleared the 48 hr mark with no accidents and he's going 6 hours overnight with no wees, so progress on that front at least!

Back to the Kymco.  Thread lock goop arrived today and my new torque wrench is due for delivery today also.  Belt etc., due next week.  Once the wrench is here I fully intend to get the cover off and have a look see.  I'm hoping against hope that when I do, one or other retaining nut (variator or clutch) will have worked loose and that simply tightening them (with the new torque wrench) will get me back on the road short term.

I'll keep you posted.

Good news on the 'wee' front~!
Our Lilly replaced wife's Brownie (who ate an entire maple dining room set and made paraplegics out of all my daughter's Barbie's)
Lilly is a fine dog. (yorkie-tzu)
Only bites a bit if: you attempt to leave the house; or my wife - if she comes near me to correct me while i'm sitting down.. (took weeks to train her to do that!)

Stig

[Neil955i]

Feel like it's my birthday today.  Look what the Postie brought this morning!

No excuses now you slacker!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Cool!
do I see that you, also, replace the 2 CVT nuts with new each time?
I figure cheap insurance that they'll stay torqued (w/o risking snapping or stripping something)

Stig

[Neil955i]

Cool!
do I see that you, also, replace the 2 CVT nuts with new each time?
I figure cheap insurance that they'll stay torqued (w/o risking snapping or stripping something)

Stig

Yes, my thoughts exactly Stig.  Can't do any harm I figured!

[Neil955i]

UPDATE:  CVT Cover off this morning and this is what I found!  The nut was loose when removed so I'm assuming it worked loose allowing the variator outer face to move outwards fouling the inside of the CVT Cover at high rpm causing the damage visible.  This would also explain the power loss suffered just before I heard the rattling sound.

As a minimum I need a new variator outer face (Part 22102) which I cannot get from my usual supplier as their minimum order value is now €160!  Worse case scenario is 6 weeks shipping from Taiwan so I've asked my local Kymco dealer* if he can help.  I'll let you know.

* Further Update: I've spoken to Richardsons of Congleton who reckon they can get one next day.  They're just looking to see if they can also get the element (11350) which the variator has destroyed!

[Iahawk]

and now we know! At least you will be able to easily fix this and it shouldn't be too expensive. Thanks for the pictures.

Was your variator nut last tightened at the factory or has someone been in there, before? This might be a good reason to use threadlocker on this nut. We do get reports from time to time of these nuts working their way off. (not torqued down properly?)

[Neil955i]

and now we know! At least you will be able to easily fix this and it shouldn't be too expensive. Thanks for the pictures.

Was your variator nut last tightened at the factory or has someone been in there, before? This might be a good reason to use threadlocker on this nut. We do get reports from time to time of these nuts working their way off. (not torqued down properly?)

No, not the factory, my dealer who sold me the bike when they did some warranty work on the variator!  Guessing it wasn't torqued up correctly, but as that was 3 years ago...  Be sure when I reassemble it, blue thread lock compound will be deployed!

[mousejunks]

UPDATE:  CVT Cover off this morning and this is what I found!  The nut was loose when removed so I'm assuming it worked loose allowing the variator outer face to move outwards fouling the inside of the CVT Cover at high rpm causing the damage visible.  This would also explain the power loss suffered just before I heard the rattling sound.

As a minimum I need a new variator outer face (Part 22102) which I cannot get from my usual supplier as their minimum order value is now €160!  Worse case scenario is 6 weeks shipping from Taiwan so I've asked my local Kymco dealer if he can help.  I'll let you know.

This also happened to me a few years ago. Variator nut came loose on the highway and heard a loud metallic grinding sound.

The outer face pulley is now warped and unbalanced so replacing is the best option. You might also need to check on the splines on the shaft as well.

When assembling use blue threadlock and the correct torque.

[NorWeWa]

I feel my Downtown 300 has some fine vibration at certain rpm, around 4000, especially when cold. I will also add the blue lock tight when I do my CVT. 

Art 

[Neil955i]

This also happened to me a few years ago. Variator nut came loose on the highway and heard a loud metallic grinding sound.

The outer face pulley is now warped and unbalanced so replacing is the best option. You might also need to check on the splines on the shaft as well.

When assembling use blue threadlock and the correct torque.

Splines and shaft seem fine MJ.  As I said, you can rest assured when it goes back together, blue threadlock WILL be applied!  I'm assuming that the correct torque is 9-10 kgf-m or 90 Nm or 20 pound force?

[Neil955i]

I feel my Downtown 300 has some fine vibration at certain rpm, around 4000, especially when cold. I will also add the blue lock tight when I do my CVT. 

Art

My advice Art?  Don't delay with the blue stuff!