Three Wheeler Registration

[BassKnuckles]

Are 3 Wheelers required to be registered?

[Macgyver55]

You shouldn't have to, I dont know of any that were made after 87 or so.

Mn All terrain registration rules

'All Terrain Vehicles 25 years and older are exempt from registration if they were originally produced as a separate, identifiable make by a manufacturer. ATVs 25 years and older MAY be registered for unlimited use. This registration is non-transferable. Collector ATV registration does not expire. It is valid until the ownership is transferred."

[Gordie]

You still have to run the id numbers on the machine or at least thats what the registration office told me

[BassKnuckles]

What do you mean by run the ID number?

[Gordie]

I went to register my 1983 honda and it was an accident but I read the rules on registration as the lady was writing up the registration for my machine she hans me the bill and I looked at it and said "it says in the rule book that I dont have to register this machine because its over 25 yrs old" she looked at me like I was crazy then she read the rules.

Then she said I guess your right so I wasnt charged for the regitration but then she called somebody, I would assume the state and then she said that I had to have it licensed and I had to run the little plate with the 3 inch tall letters and numbers on it. so that I could use it on the trails and ditches when legal to so.

She also told me that I should carry the rule book with me because the DNR may question the fact that its not registered and that I could show them. I smiled and say sure you bet.

My bad I ment lic.numbers

[BassKnuckles]

So I bought a Tri Moto for $100. We cleaned the carb, changed the oil, gas, spark plug and looked everything over.

I ended up getting it started for a little bit with starting fluid. It rev'd up and kept kept going till the starting fluid ran out. It was crazy.

Any thoughts on what might be stuck open?

[Macgyver55]

Have you checked the gas shut off at the tank to make sure it flows freely to the carb?

[McGurk]

If it runs with ether until it is gone, then it is a fuel delivery issue. I have had 3 old machine that needed extensive carb cleaning due to the crud left in carbs from current 10% ethanal gas and sitting idle for a year or more. It is a REAL pain to completely get rid of, and the most recent one sat for 3 years before I got it and went through the carb 7 times before I finally felt confident it was clean.

On a side note, which Trimoto did you get? I the 200 and 225 4 strokes seem to be easier to ressurrect than the 125 and 175 2 strokes. Unless you are talking about a Tri-Z 250, with which you will want to cherish the ride you have stumbled upon for $100, and spend some good money to get that beauty running right!

[BassKnuckles]

I picked up the 175. I was just looking for something to drag all my gear out onto the ice. I will post pics of it sometime after I get it running.

As for flow. Gas was flowing fine from the tank and through the filter when we were draining the old gas.

Now when I added the new gas though I noticed that there was no gas going from the tank to the filter or at least it didn't look like there was gas in the filter area. Is there something that should be like a vacuum drawing the gas through or is it all gravity fed.

What about when it was running for that little amount of time on the starting fluid and it just rev'd up at what seemed to be max throttle. The throttle seems to move freely, is this a carb issue also with something sticking?

[Dave S]

by draining the gas completely, it more than likely had some debris flow into the petcock. I would replace all fuel lines and dry out the tank and blow out any remaining debris with the tank removed from the machine.

[McGurk]

Resurrecting ain't ever easy. Drain all gas. Remove and disassemble carb. Clean tank, petcock, and Carb thoroughly. Clean or replace all hoses and filters. Clean carb again. Check carb boot for cracks or pinholes. Replace air filter and spark plug. Clean carb again. Check all cables to make sure they move freely and completely. Drain and replace Rear diff fluid. Check brakes, and replace pads/shoes and adjust if needed. Clean carb again.

Oxygenated (Ethanol blended) fuel is the worst thing to happen to small engines that are run intermitently. After as little as a month, it starts to leave a film on the inner workings of your carb, and will plug jets and fuel passages over time. A simple shot of carb cleaner and a toothbrush isn't enough to tackle it. You will need an air compressor and "blow gun", some good carb cleaner, a good set of small reg screwdrivers, various tiny fine wires (not recommended for brass but useful none the less), and patience. If you can get all of the plastic and rubber peices off for a full disassembly you can also get a gallon can of Berryman carb soak or the like and let it do some of the work for you.

It's not always easy, I've brought back an '83 Honda 185 (bought and sold for $300), an '84 Yamaha Trimoto 225DX (bought for $300 and sold for $600), and a neglected '95 Yamaha Wolverine ($750). I will say I learned a lot firsthand, and have applied a lot of that knowledge on friends' machines.

Don't force anything, and don't give up easily. Google is your friend, as there are many forums dedicated to just 3 wheelers and old machines that will have already had your questions asked and answered if you search long enough. Believe me: I know from experience a lot of the info is out there for us to find, including pictures and videos.

[BassKnuckles]

Thanks for the info.

Another thing I'm going to check is the wiring and make sure that's all correct. They look pretty shady.

Thanks again for the info. Is it alright if I keep asking questions in this topic if I get stuck?

[McGurk]

I'll answer what I can, but there may be other groups of people with more intimate knowledge of your specific 3 wheeler than there are here. Hold off on the wiring as it did run with ether, so I doubt that is the problem. Do you know which carb is mounted on it? I think it is a Mikuni VM20 or VM24. Get a diagram, print it out, and disassemble it completely on a white towel in a brightly lit area. The most often missed port is a tiny hole on the side of the main jet (hollow brass tube that a long thin needle pushes into).

After confirming that gas is getting to the carb (gas in tank, open petcock with line off of the carb) you will want make sure all ports, passages, and jets are free and clear. The most common issue with fuel delivery to the carb (other than out of gas) is the float and needle valve assembly. No gas in carb= sticky float or needle. Gas pouring out of the carb= sticky float or needle, float that absorbs gas and doesn't float, or needle and gasket that doesn't close entirely.

[Dave S]

Does your 175 have a fuel pump on it? I know the Tri-Z 250 was notorious for the diaphragm in the fuel pump going bad.

[BassKnuckles]

It does have a fuel pump. I'm looking for a replacement right now. I wish there was a place local so I don't have to wait for shipping.

I had it started for less than a minute again last night but without starting fluid. Before it quit it rev's up really high again. From what I've been told is that it is running out of gas and becoming lean and that's why it's rev's up like that.

I removed the gas line that goes into the carb and switched the pitcock to fuel and it flowed just fine through the filter and all.

So it must be the fuel pump?

Part number

5V7-24410-01-00 FUEL PUMP ASSY