variator troubles...

[devonrs]

so i posted earlier that i had a weird noise, a really loud low rumbling - when i drove lately, right around the power band, and once i was out of it, it went away... someone told me the variator could be loose.. so i opened it up and found that two of the v bushings had broken in half, and the third one is almost gone... so i put my stock variator back on, cause i figured it wouldn't be too bad temporarily... heavier weights so it'd just accelerate slower, right? but hopefully that noise should be gone?

wrong! now the bike accelerates super slow, can hardly get to the power band (around 15-20 mph) with the stock weights - i have to go down a hill to make it there, and i don't know what the top speed is, but oh well... and the noise is STILL THERE and now it just lasts a lot longer since i'm not accelerating through the power band really quickly like i was with the performance variator/weights ... can anyone tell me what this noise is / could be, and how to fix it??

i have an appointment to bring the vino into the dealership tomorrow for a tune-up and could have them fix it, but i'd much rather do it myself and save the fortune they'd charge me to do it.

[Elliott]

'''someone told me the variator could be loose.. so i opened it up and found that two of the v bushings had broken in half, and the third one is almost gone...'''

Sounds like Cheap Parts with that other variator
where did you get it from :eek:

[devonrs]

i got it from here!! it was the stage one technomoto variator!

[XPS1210]

the bushings that come with the technomoto kit are cheap... however provo sells replacement bushings that are 100% better than the ones that come with the kit.. That is definately the way to go...

[devonrs]

yea i bought the replacement bushings, i hope they come soon! cause i don't know what's going on with my stock variator, but it sucks with the stock variator and stage one pipe!

[XPS1210]

you can fit the stock bushings onto the variator.. I used mine for testing with the technomoto kit...

Might try and see if it works on your scooter

[Aviatrixie]

Bushings wear out. As do Rollers and belts. I think we need to advise people of that.

[Elliott]

I Think it's Time for a New Design ;no

[Lennox]

Keep in mind that heat speeds up the "wear factor" on these disposable parts! :rolleyes:

[devonrs]

i am aware of the fact that parts wear out...

okay, so i got the new bushings today, put them on, along with the 4.0 gram rollers - running better now, but not as good as before with the malossi racing rollers (i think that's what they are?) - the ones that came with the stage one for ten bucks extra... anyway, the ones i put in today seemed to be a bit lighter, but it was really hard to tell, though now i can't get as much top speed, quite noticable. so i'm gonna switch back to the old rollers and hopefully that'll make it run like it used to?

there's still something else going on though, that noise i first complained about is still there, right when i'm at the power band, an extra loud low revving sound can be heard, i was hoping the new bushings would solve that problem, but no... also now, just as of today, when i start the bike, while it's idling, there's an extra sound as well, like something is rattling around in there somewhere... ummm ??? i really don't want to pay the shop to fix this stuff, since i don't think it's anything too bad, -despite the sounds, everything seems to run fine, and there's no weird sounds while driving full or near full throttle, just the at the power band - plus i really can't afford it!

how do i diagnose random problems like this? take everything apart, look at a manual, make sure it looks the same, and put it back together again???

[XPS1210]

to start... the rollers you have, are they the skinny stock size or the fatter ones that are for most aftermarket variators?

everything tight?

other than that... not sure what to tell you... 100% sure it from your tranny?

[hungff77]

I would say try to make sure everything is tight, one time when I ride, there is some rattleing sound, I ignore it at the the first time, and then it stops. but at the end, I found out the y bracket of the exhaust fall of, that is where the sound from, so it could be anything. Also, did you upjet your scooter??

[devonrs]

as far as i can tell everything is tight, at least in my tranny, i'll check other things like exhaust pipe brackets and screws and stuff... but it really sounds like it's coming from the tranny and the rattling sound that happens when i just start the bike and let it idle sounds like it's definitely coming from the tranny and it started happening just after i opened it up to change the weights...

i'm using super light weights (4 grams) and i've re-jetted to a 72 or 72.5 i think it is... stage one exhaust and variator... been running a couple thousand miles since stage one with not a single weird sound or problem... and now this, no idea what it is... what else should i check?

[XPS1210]

how old are your rollers? if they are pretty worn they will tattle when slowing down and at idle...

[devonrs]

i just put in new ones, the 4 gram ones sold on this site with the replacement v bushings.. and that's when the rattling noise started... so it's definitely not the age of the rollers!

[XPS1210]

were they the stock size or the larger rollers? the stock ones are smaller diameter and width then the ones the aftermarket variators take... so it you got stock ones.. you could be getting a rattle due to that...

[devonrs]

i'm not sure exactly, but i think they're larger, they fit in pretty snugly, they seem to be about the size of the plastic cases that you put the roller weights in, except these are are one solid piece, they're white, with a little gold weight in the middle... anyway, i took them out yesterday and put in the rollers i was using before, as i'm pretty sure these are too light and i was getting a lot less top speed than usual. so i put back in the... i think malossi racing rollers, something like that, they came with the stage one from here for an extra $10 - they're like gold/orange colored rings (hollow) - i'm not sure what they weigh exactly as most of the writing on them is worn off, also they're a little worn, like not perfectly round anymore, just a little... but anyway, the loud revving/rumbling sound when i accelerate through the power band is still there, and i'm still not getting as much top speed as i used to, though it's closer with these rollers in now...

any other ideas? could it be a worn belt? (the top speed loss) i've put 2500+ miles on my kevlar belt with stage one mostly all WOT miles, it looks fine, but my stock belt looked fine too and then shredded to a million pieces a week later... could that be it? or... ?? and i have no idea what the revving/power band noise is.... grrr!

[devonrs]

also, it's hard to tell, but it seems like the noise is coming from the pipe side, not the tranny side... the pipe seems fine, but what do i know? is there some way to check it out? what would i look for?