seeing red!!!

[Barrie2777]

Okey...now I'm starting to get miffed....with one 500 and one 502 together I though I could breeze through the next few machines but only to be road blocked by this!!! How is this explained? This hood pin will not mate with the hole in the cross brace. Are these hoods not interchangable? I did not keep tract of which hood came off which machine and some of the lower hinge frames are serapated from the hoods. To try every combination of hood, hinge frame, handlebar set, tractor base and hopefully hold my tongue in the same place through every switch, it will either be four years to assemble these machines or sell parts on ebay. I'm not only seeing red but the air is begining to turn blue!!! and I'm not talking about a rich oil mix in the gas.

[Go Go Diablo]

Barrie,

I've seen this too. Although I have not actually measured hoods to compare them, I believe the problem originates from the hood mount area. I've seen these mating connections be off by almost 3/8".

What I have done when I've run across this problem was to remove the hood mount and move the it the appropriate distance to get the hood pin to line up. Then drill 3 new holes in the chassis and re-attach the mount. Of course, then you have to deal with the two side mounts and for those, I elongated the holes.

It's not a great answer, but one that solves the problem until someone can figure out why it happens.

[Barrie2777]

I concider the 502 which is together and this 503 as my "rider" machines and I don't mind if they are not quite spot on in some details as they will get banged up on the trails. The other two are show machines and I surely hope they are correct. I guess I will have to do some preassembly trials to determine if the others go together properly. This hood is also off by about 3/8". I doubt that there is enough metal on the side mount holes to elongate the hole that amount.

[gearhead]

I think the reassembly problems that you are experiencing could possibly be caused by the sandblasting. Having done a fair bit of it , I have seen some nasty reconfigurations (some were even my handy work) This is caused by heat build up and/or the peening action of the sand striking the metal. The flatter the panel, the more prone it is to distortion. Another factor is the hardness of the steel. The softer it is the more it peens, and the more the distortion.

[Rock]

Hi all

I have the same problem with my 500 . I took the hood off last year and now it won't fit like before. Same problem as Barry

Rock

[Barrie2777]

I have since played around trying to match up the parts and found that the hood wich did not line up came off of a 502, I was fitting it to a 503. Now , I really believe that these parts are more interchangable than this indicates, but when mounted on a 502, it lined up fine. Now with my handle bars and hood problem solved (???* #!!*) it is full steam ahead. I'm just waiting on that guy to make more sprockets!!!! Maybe I should put an order in with Bruce.

[Go Go Diablo]

Hey man, don't call me. I may need more sprockets soon too. Me thinks we are waiting on you

Bruce

[Barrie2777]

I have been waiting three years for the day when I install this brand new set of tracks on my Diablo. The anticipation has been enormous...the look of all those new rivets and washers, no rust, not a mark on any grouser, rubber without hair cracks and ultimately the ease of tapping home the pin to link the two ends together.

[devil dog]

Beauty Ay? Looks like Bolens put one of the connectors on backwards.

[Barrie2777]

I finally bought a new started switch, installed the fuel filter and connected the gas line on my 503. A few cranks of the engine and the gas pulled right up to the carb although it wouldn't fire....forgot to install the plug. With the plug in and a shot of gas down the carb it fired up right away. As I played with the high and low speed adjustments I noticed some arcing and smoke coming from the area of the rectifier. By the time I had got around the machine to inspect more closely, there were great plumes of grey smoke and flames coming from the top of the rectifier. Maybe it should be called a recti"fire"!!!!! I had visions of this machine burning to the ground right in front of me as I try to save the rest of my workshop. I am sure that NOS dash would burn quite well. It was raining outside so I could have opted for raming the lift cart and Diablo over the door threshold, toppling everything outside on the grass a safe distance from the MG but this was not a time for panic not to mention the damage to the paint on this #@!!!"?## machine. I grabbed a pair of pliers and plucked the burning wire away from the recifier. As I pulled it away, it contacted another frame member thus creating more sparks and more smoke and flames. With the wire safely at the tip of my pliers and away from all other metal, the flames died out and the smoke disapated enough for me to see that I wasn't standing in a heap of smoldering rubble formerly know as my workshop. This is what happened...the male tab on the rectifier (better spelling this time) broke off for no apparent reason other than it was old. This was the live wire to the battery which when contacting the body of the rectifier caused acring which in turn lit the covering on the wire. Now I need another recifier unless there is a fix for this broken tab.