Tanaka 33 friction drive

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Stoney

Member
Jan 23, 2009
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santa barbara
Hi ALL,
PLEASE help me out!
I have the Tanaka 33 front mounted on a staton friction drive on A cadillac Fleetwood Bike (While it was running I was in blisss... with my daughter on the tag along bike. Going up 10% grades with me peddling of course and it was fun.)Any way, Last night the engine lost all power and I mean all power it sounds muffled more like a four stroke no high 2 stroke pitch. It has approximately 200 miles on it. All in one week. I was using it to go to work. I was worried about whether or not a friction drive would suit my needs and I had no doubts about the engine. Tanaka "reliable and bullet proof" GO FIGURE! I am using tanaka perfect mix and premium gas FYI Thanks everyone
 
cory151

cory151

Member
Oct 19, 2010
466
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SoCal
Check the little paper gasket between the carb and the manifold I had mine blow out on me causing the engine to die and four stroke. I made a new one out of thicker higher quality Fel Pro gasket material.
Check that and pull the plug and see how it looks or post up a pic.

 
Last edited:
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Stoney

Member
Jan 23, 2009
78
0
6
santa barbara
Could bad gas make it do what I am describing? The reason I ask (EVEN though it is premium gas and bought 2 days ago) This started when I happen to refill my gas can at chevronand the very next ride this took place.
 
cory151

cory151

Member
Oct 19, 2010
466
0
16
SoCal
I guess anythings possible but these things don't have the tightest tolerances, I mean they are weed eater motors, mine runs just as good on 6 month old gas as it does new gas.
Don't take this the wrong way, but when you say fill up at the Cheveron station you are adding oil right? How much?
 
S

Stoney

Member
Jan 23, 2009
78
0
6
santa barbara
Yes Tanaka perfect mix purefire formulation 50 to 1. You can't screw up the mix. What does 4 stroking sound like? What should the spark plug look like?
Is the gasket that you made between the carb and the red see through plastic contraption (is that the manifold)? The gasket between that area is a large square shape looks like fine sand paper.
The sound on full throttle but creating no power is like rummm...rummm...rummm...rumm... in a circular pattern instead of yinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg..................

And how do you know if the clutch went out? (I don't think it's that but I don't know what the **** I am doing nor am I a tinkerer but if need be then I will thats why I bought a friction drive with a tanaka to begin with where I could avoid exactly what I am dealing with. - enough moaning
I appreciate any advise and will act on it and hopefully get this resolved
 
cory151

cory151

Member
Oct 19, 2010
466
0
16
SoCal
Well your about to become a tinker because your gonna have to go get yourself a screwdriver and start taking the air cleaner off then the screws that hold the carburetor on and check the gasket. Then get an appropriately size spark plug socket and unscrew the plug and take a picture of the side that goes inside the engine and post it up. I can imagine this clutch going out in a few days considering I've put 70 miles on mine in one day.
 
5

5-7HEAVEN

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2008
2,661
240
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Stoney said:
Yes Tanaka perfect mix purefire formulation 50 to 1. You can't screw up the mix. What does 4 stroking sound like? What should the spark plug look like?
Is the gasket that you made between the carb and the red see through plastic contraption (is that the manifold)? The gasket between that area is a large square shape looks like fine sand paper.
The sound on full throttle but creating no power is like rummm...rummm...rummm...rumm... in a circular pattern instead of yinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg..................

And how do you know if the clutch went out? (I don't think it's that but I don't know what the **** I am doing nor am I a tinkerer but if need be then I will thats why I bought a friction drive with a tanaka to begin with where I could avoid exactly what I am dealing with. - enough moaning
I appreciate any advise and will act on it and hopefully get this resolved
Click to expand...
LOL, Stoney, you WILL be a tinkerer very soon.

That's what totally defines the active motor bicyclist.

First, you're like this::-||

When it's fixed and running, then you're like this:dance1
 
S

Stoney

Member
Jan 23, 2009
78
0
6
santa barbara
Hey all,
1st I'd like to say thank you to Cory and 5-7 Heaven for responding as well as MR. Happy Valley. I really appreciate it! I did buy the spark plug socket, but I didn't use it. I just had this nagging suspicion that it was the gas, so before taking the carb off and/or checking the plug, I decided to throw away .30 cents of gas and buy Mobil gas where I purchased my first gallon and lo and behold she was my baby again and I am full of miles and smiles... vlt1cvlt1cvltlafflaff
I AM A MOTOR BICYCLIST!
 
H

happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
784
1
0
upper Pioneer Valley
Stoney said:
Hey all,
1st I'd like to say thank you to Cory and 5-7 Heaven for responding as well as MR. Happy Valley. I really appreciate it! I did buy the spark plug socket, but I didn't use it. I just had this nagging suspicion that it was the gas, so before taking the carb off and/or checking the plug, I decided to throw away .30 cents of gas and buy Mobil gas where I purchased my first gallon and lo and behold she was my baby again and I am full of miles and smiles...
Click to expand...
Good deal. As we discussed more often than not it's the simplest things, just best to go through them first to isolate a problem rather than assuming you have to rebuild the thing, particularly with a new engine. Hang onto the plug wrench though, reading the spark plug is your best quick diagnostic of how an engine is doing.
 
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