Post-Winter Tune Up

[missyrm123]

Hi all.  I'm new to the forum, but I've had a TGB R50X since last May.  It's finally warm enough here in MA to start scooting again!  I dug my scooter out of the back of the garage today to see how it held up over the winter.  I forgot to take the battery out, so I had to kick-start to get the engine going.  The scooter started right up, but the idle sounds cough-y.  Unfortunately, I now realize too late that I shouldn't have just let the gas sit in the engine for so long without starting the engine it every once in a while.  I have a feeling that the scooter needs some inner cleaning/oil and gas changing to run like new again.  Instead of taking it to the scooter shop, I'd like to try and fix it myself.  I have all the tools, and now only need to learn how to use them. 

I know the basics of putting in a new battery and changing the spark plug, but I was hoping someone could walk me through, in particular, how to clean the carburetor.  I'm also interested to hear from other R50X owners what else I can do to get my scooter ready for the spring.  This is my first post-winter tune up and I want to get it right. 

Thanks,
Melissa

[John]

Welcome to the forum!

So, there is the right way to fix it and the lazy way

Here are some solutions starting from best to most lazy...

1) drain all the gas.  Buy new jets for the carb and replace them. (probably overkill)

2) drain the gas, pull the carb apart and clean the jets out with carb cleaner and a bristle from a brass brush.

3) pour some sea foam (http://www.seafoamsales.com/) into the gas tank, run the scooter and let it clean itself out.

Keep in mind you might just have bad gas in the bike.  Or water could have condensed in the gas tank.  At a minimum, replace the gas.  Put it in your lawn mower or something.

I am not an expert by any means so do what makes most sense to you.  Maybe there are some mechanics here that can help you more.

-John

[harry]

Ok the best thing is to drain all gas from your scooter,
tank & carb , add fresh gas and start the scooter....
if its hard to start you might want to use some starting fluid
BUT a WORD of WARNING: just put a tiny amount of the spray in the
air box 1 second spray at max just a quick 'psst" is all you need,
to much and you can hurt the motor

 over a winter the gas may loose some of the explosive power
it has making for hard starting.
the gas doesn't start to clog or go to varnish for a couple of years

for storing in the future:
drain gas and run carb dry before storing
perhaps spray some fogging oil in the tank/carb to stop rust
thats the best way for prolonged storage.
or add stable treatment for gas to a full tank and run motor for about
10 min to get some treated gas in the carb.
put your battery on a float/trickle charger 

 oilyhans

[missyrm123]

Thanks for the advice!  I'll let you know how it goes.   

Melissa

[Hagabard]

If you drain the gas, don't put it in your mower, its a small engine too!

I had to replace my battery after leaving it all winter with no charging.  I had to kick start and it ran like dog droppings and even died on me until I took it in.  Naturally, electrical isn't under warranty, so I got a nice bill for a battery swap.

Also, make sure you are using the best gas you can find.  I go with at least 92 octane, since it is best for small, air cooled engines.  (My car gets the 87, but my scooter and lawn mower get the 92)  A little bit of carb cleaner (I hear Seafoam is recommended) in the gas tank once in a while may help out too.

Pulling the battery and taking it indoors so it doesn't get too cold and putting it on an auto-shutoff trickle charger is best for wintering.  I didn't charge mine over the winter, and it's a little low this year, but it wasn't dead like my first year.

How did it go?