How To's

Our new How - To section will have step by step instructions on making modifications to your amphibious ATV. Check back often for new how - to's. You may also e-mail suggestions for future how - to's to. richard@route6x6.com



ENGINE / CLUTCH SECTION:

Click to view - Briggs & Stratton Vanguard Carburetor Cleaning


Click to view - T-20 clutch removal. ARGO clutch removal

 

 

TRANSMISSION SECTION:

Click to view - Coot Trans: complete overhaul guide

Click to view - T-20 clutch removal

Click to view - T-20 Skid Steer, checking oil level.

Click to view - T-20 Skid Steer, Diamond shifter removal and inspection .

Click to view - T-20 Skid Steer, Band Adjustment

Click to view - T-20 Skid Steer, Complete disassembly guide.

Click to view - T-20 Skid Steer, Complete Assembly guide.


Click to view - ARGO Brake Rotor removal

 

 

BODY SECTIONS:

Click to view - How to prevent freezing cables and lube them at same time.

 





CHASSIS / AXLES / BEARINGS SECTION

Click to view - Repair worn axle sprocket bolt holes

Click to view - MAX II chain adjusters, modern LIFETIME GUARANTEED roller replacements.

Click to view - Max II jack shaft adjustment

Click to view - MAX Axle replacement: Round style without splines.

Click to view - Locking collar Bearing replacement.

Click to view - Max II and MAX IV axle Splined Set screw.

Click to view - Max II and MAX IV axle Splined Snapring style

 

 

WIRING DIAGRAMS
Make sure you use the one that describes your machine


Click to view -
Basic: 2 cycle Solid State Ignition and Single cylinder points ignition
Attex, Amphicat ect (not Terra Tiger)


Click to view - Basic: 2 cycle Twin cylinder points ignition
Attex, Hustler , others


Click to view - Basic: 4cycle Solid State Ignition, Older Briggs, Kohler, Tecumseh


Click to view - Basic: 4cycle Solid State Ignition, Briggs Vanguard, Kohler Command


Click to view - Basic: Terra Tiger with JLO 295

Click to view - Basic: Hustler Kohler K341 only, Battery Ignition system


Click to view - Basic: Hustler Briggs IC 18hp only







Modifications and Maintenance

Got a modification or a maintenance idea?

Send me your information and photos to be featured on this page. If you want your pictures returned send an SASE for return
You may also e-mail me any information along with photos. richard@route6x6.com


Winch plate to fit MAXII and MAX 4 models for more information richard@route6x6.com

Left stick modification by one of our ROUTE6x6 Friends, this may help some people!

The Thin Disguise this idea from Ron House may help you getting from trail to trail.

A rust free tip from John Bushinski: "Here is a very simple and insignificant trick to keep the rust off unpainted axles. Get some leather shoelace and soak it in oil the tie around axle with two inches of slack. As the machine drives the leather lace keeps the rust away". Remember when you were a kid and did the same basic trick to keep your axles of your bicycle clean and bright!

Global Positioning System. New 1998 Max II equipped with Omnistar GPS Laser Plane Surveying and Field tile Mapping Equipment. A joint effort between RICHARD'S RELICS and LI'L ENGINE SALES AND SERVICE.

Want to push snow with your MAX2? Here is a photo of the mount setup. This same basic system would work on most other ATV's.

Pete Lanc has been busy. Here is a good idea of what he is doing!

"I have been designing a family of Multi-wheeled vehicles. I thought that you might want to see them. They are based on a 'universal Carriage-all terrain' (UNI-CAT for short). They all have the same components, just more or less to suit. They are road legal, trackable and amphibious. They have an integral trailer, and auxiliary motor. The std vehicle is 8x6, but 4x2 on the open road, 3.8 Metres long and 980kg. They have an integral remote system. I have shown a few configurations, but these 'clip ons' are only limited by your imagination. Power is either Petrol, diesel, direct drive,electric or hydrostatic (dedicated or with any combination of them as they are modular) I have also been designing in my spare time a 6x6. it seats 2 in tanden, and is powered by a mazda rotary of 112HP. It has an inflatable wing and a rear mounted Propeller for air service (110Kph cruise) and all up weighs about the same as a medium sized quad with 2 on board (274kg). Every thing stows away on board when being used on the ground, but it is limited to 30KPH. I have some drawings if you want to have a look". UPDATED. Photo of the lower body

Looks neat, We hope you go ahead with these projects! Contact Pete Lanc. He is looking for interested people for possible production. Here is a chance to get in on the foundations of a new ATV concept.

Brian Hadt has solved the night time driving problem! He states: I have some pictures of my Argo Magnum specially outfitted for night riding. I have: 15 little clearance lights, 6 head lights, 4 dome lights, backup lights, a strobe air horn, C.B. as you can tell I don't like the dark". I bet it looks like a UFO comming through the woods, neat!

Argos in the UK - September 1999 by Richard Walsh: It's interesting to take a look at the diversity of use that the ARGO is put to here in the UK. You may be aware that the ARGO has been imported since the early 1970's by Crayford Special Vehicles Ltd and is the best selling all purpose, all-terrain amphibian in the UK. In fact there's no other amphibious ATV on the market here ... yes no MAX !! However, competition for the ARGO is fierce in the form of the massive numbers of conventional Quad ATVS that have become commonplace in every farm in the country whether they be hill farm or arable. There's also a considerable price attraction to a Quad, virtually half the new price of an 8x8 Conquest. We don't have the open spaces and uninterupted access to the countryside that many parts of the USA have, there's many restrictions to off-road recreation in the UK and therefore primary users of new ARGOS are in the sporting estate, farming and industrial utility service sectors. Scotland offers the most ardurous terrain for the ARGO user and practically every sporting estate in the Highlands has at least one ARGO. During the stalking season it's busy, throughout the shooting season too, and during the rest of the year will be involved in estate maintenance such as fencing and tree work. The most popular ARGO model for this job used to be the ARGO 8x8 MAGNUM with the 18hp Kohler engine. Usual specification would include a full or half cab with windscreen, a winch would often be fitted too. The photograph below shows a 1991 Magnum with 844 hours on the hourmeter recently from a Scottish Estate. ARGOCAB. Considering the terrain encountered in many Highland Estates these ARGOS really do last well. Those heather covered hills hide rugged rocks and tree stumps, most ARGOS have the optional full length underbody protection which assists with protecting the underside of the vehicle. Interesting too to take a look at the tyres fitted. There's not a lot of amphibious application here, so the Goodyear Runamuks aren't an essential tyre fitment. Indeed it's normal practice to fit a more "agressive" treaded tyre on the front four wheels to assist with grip whilst climbing. ARGOTYRE. The ARGO above is an early 1988 MAGNUM model with superwinch X2 and "dirt dog" front tyres. The steel floor on this machine was totally rotted through although the chassis rails were in good condition. After a little basic refurbishment this machine has been put back into work as a support vehicle on an off-road go-kart track. It seems that most ARGOS are replaced by the Sporting Estates after around six years, although sooner if finances are good and hours are high. Early 8x8 CONQUESTS are coming onto the second-hand market and holding their money well, appearing at roughly half new price, but of course dependant on hours, condition and extras fitted. Once the vehicles get older they filter through to those interested in off-roading, mainly as a kind of novelty vehicle and are often in a "tired" mechanical state by this time. Some fall into enthusiasts hands seemingly fascinated by the oddity of driving a vehicle without pedals or steering wheel ! We'll take a look at some older spirol pin machines next time.

A Max II with a rollbar, convertable top and factory snow plow. Let it snow!

Gary Harper found an old AMPHICAT. Have you ever seen one like this? Photo 1 , Photo2.

Larry Doucette is restoring an original Hydro JIGER. Yes Jiger had a hydrostatic machine in the 1960's!

ATTEX 450 TOMAHAWK sent in by Frank LaPalla. Note the clutch is installed backwards! PHOTO 1 , PHOTO 2.

Mike Foate's MaxII spray outfit: The max's 25 gallon weed sprayer is powered via an auxilliary cigarette lighter(that has a dust cover). The weed sprayer power cord plugs into the lighter outlet. I also put a switch in that line to turn the pump on and off. This switch really wasnt needed as the pump turns off when it comes up to pressure when using the handgun on and off but I needed a way to turn the BoomBusters off. For handiness I added the switch to be used when the BoomBusters are being used. That way rather than turning the valves on and off I just flip the switch on the cord. We investigated the possible use of the Max for this purpose because we needed a reliable tool that could get us around this rough country much of which we can not get to in a pickup, (as is evidence by our neighbors spraying by helicoptor much of their ranch) and to save us wear and tear on the pickups. I also needed a tool to get me around the acreage that I flood irrigate in the summer and to get me to fences that need mending. We need to cross Clear Creek to get to much of the ranch and since it is a water crossing the Max will work. Pickups used in creek crossings=no more wheel bearings! PHOTO 1 , PHOTO 2.

Jim Washburne has the answer to the legroom problem in a MAX 4!!!!!!!!
He has designed a nice seat adjuster. Jim states: "... here is a
PHOTO of how I mounted my seat adjuster in my max 4. I saw an ad for seat adjusters in a Summit car parts catalog for $24.99, but I have not seen them in person. My seat adjusters came from a Cobra kit car. In general:
1. mark the front and back of the seat frame where it hits the main frame
2. remove the seat frame
3. mount the bottom adjuster to the main frame (might require drilling if holes don't line up)
4. mount top adjuster to the bottom of the seat frame
5. slide the seat in from the front

I did however have a few difficulties/challenges:
1. the seat adjusters I used were too short, so I welded 2 together on each side (note 4 bolts in photo)
2. a cable can be run between the two sides (thus tying the adjuster handles together) so only one hand is required to move the seat
3. THE FLOOR PANEL HAS TO BE MODIFIED FOR SEAT MOVEMENT!
4. I welded the seat belt rail to the seat frame instead of mounting it to the body

My hat goes off to Jim for fixing this age old problem, I bet we will see others do this now!

Thanks, Jim


John Leurck has a time saving tip: "I had to fabricate some new front axles (grade 4140 steel 1 1/4" round stock) for my 1982 ARGO 8x8, since I run Goodyear Rawhide III on the front I designed them to inset the tires 1" closer to the body, in hopes of reducing bent axle problems. But the real tip is when I was aligning sprockets on this double roller machine, I found that using a laser pointer pen between the double sprocket and shinning the dot to the next sprocket sure did "pinpoint" alignment!"

Thanks John!

Henry Pitts good work! "Attached are several photos showing a roll cage/top I made for my MAX II. The frame is easily made of pipe and bolts on the the flange on each side of the tub. The top is made of material bought at the local fabric store and sewn on my wifes sewing machine. It is all fastened with snap fasteners to the frame and the machine. I have sides as well but no doors yet. It really helps in the winter. The total cost was about $150.00 for all the material. Also I have included a photo of an outboard bracket I made. It is a piece of 2x10 lag screwed up through the flange and braced with rods through the back of the body. I used fender washers to back up the braces. I have used both and electric motor and a 21/2 hp gas motor. It works well and only cost about $5 for the bolts and board. The third photo is my trailer that I haul the MAX on. It was built by a local farm equipment/welding shop for about $400. It tows great and loads easily".

Are you tires spinning on the wheels? David Berger has one soultion: "Use self taping screws long enough to only go 1/2 way through the tire, about 8 per side, use tubes to keep 2 or 3 psi, this works well enough to do wheelies with" PHOTO 1, PHOTO 2 Thanks David!

Here is an idea from Kenneth Gerdes Jr. to improve water performance: "I have a modification idea for ATV's. If you drive in open water alot it should come in handy, without the hassle or cost of outbourd motor. Simply mount four paddles to the lugs that hold rims, excluding the middle ones. This can be done by mounting a piece of 4"x5" quarter inch steel to a 8"x1" piece of flat bar. The end result is like a small flag. With the paddle portion able to fold in and out of the rim. They stay out of the way when on land and fold out just before entering the water. It works great on my Hustler! You wont win any boat races but it will increase your speed on the open water. It also enables you to turn much more efficiently. Kenneth Gerdes, Jr.

Anthony Garcea has been busy, check out his custom ARGO. It is a Real Snow Mover! Interior, Plow mount, Plow, Defroster, Wiper and Anthony himself! Looks nice keep up the good work.

Mel Torrie Computerized Triton Predators. "The first photo shows two vehicles spraying a field together (I can get you an mpeg vid clip if interested). These are controlled either by joystick or autonomous remote computer using a GUI and map information. The second picture (explorer) shows an implementation where the Predator takes a small robot out to a hazardous materials site and lowers to the ground for site characterization. The third picture shows the vehicle outfitted with a soil sampler."

Jim J: "Here are some pictures of the rollcage I made with winch bumper .it is made of 1'' and half square tubeing with cut corners instead of bends"

Ken Goldbeck wished to share a helpful hint: I have a six wheel scrambler and have replaced all the 12 tooth sprockets. I got them from a local bearing and drive shop. I did have to have a machine shop open up the hole it was only about 1/2 inch to begin with. Be carefull when you have them welded on I know on the clutch disk the welds need to be small so the chain doesn't ride on the weld.

Tim Wafer's Mods to his MAX IV: Max IV Modifications Here are some of the modifications I made to my Max IV. I replaced the front seat with a single bucket suspension SEAT. I mounted the BRACKETS to the inner rails as shown in the pictures and drilled 4 holes through the FLOOR. I made the seat quick detachable by removing 4 hitch pin clips. This allows the front seat and floorboards to be removed with no tools in a matter of seconds. The seat has worked out very well. It allows much more legroom for passengers in the rear seat by allowing them to stretch out on either side. You can still shift your weight when need be by sitting on the edge of the seat or I even added boat type cushions to the fenderwells on each side. The seat is also adjustable back and forth. It was purchased from Northern Hydraulics. I installed UNDER SEAT STORAGE in the rear by hinging the seat cushion in a manner that provides a friction fit against the seat back. It tucks under the back snugly enough to eliminate the need for any latch. The box itself is the bottom of a plastic toolbox I purchased at True Value Hardware that happen to fit perfectly in the frame. I just screwed it in place. That whole job took about a half-hour to install. I made the REAR RACK by welding up a frame and having it slip over four studs that stick up from extensions I put on the roll bar frame. The rack is held on the studs by rubber bungee cords. That way the frame can flex somewhat if I hit a tree with it instead of bending. The wooden slats were sawn from treated 2x6 s and then planed and beveled. The FRONT BUM{ER and winch mount was made from 1-1/4Ó iron pipe, which was heated and bent to match the contour of the body. I bolted it to extensions I again added to the roll bar frame. I also added a couple tow hooks to it. It seems quite rugged and provides a better mount for the winch than just the body alone in my opinion. Tim

Brad Dunn's Mods to his MAX II PHOTO of Max with Trolling Motor for next time. Some of you might be interested in the screening I put over the vents. This really helps keep out the big stuff. I also took a small rubber car floor mat, cut two slits in it for the steering sticks to cover those large holes in the floor that let so much stuff in.
Also he has installed a Bilge Pump inside the tight fitting MAX II Check out where he put it! PHOTO

Mike Kirovac build some tracks for hi s MAX IV, his words: "The tracks i got from a snowmobile dealer. They are used and they throw them away so Igot thforem free. I used 4 snowmobile tracks. I joined two tracks together for each side with flexco belt splicers for $8 each. Then cut to length 14' 8". I made the bearing rails from 1 1/4 inch aircraft aluminum rod and bolted to the bearing cages. I bought 6 3" wheel extenders from Richard. I made the tire guides from 3/4 inch conduit. I cut them in 11" lengths and bent them in the form of a triangle. I bolted them to the tracks using 1/4 inch bolts. PHOTO set.

Richard Standfer sends in this cleaning tip: For those of us who don't have access to a steam cleaner, I found a product called RIGHT STUFF. It really does good job. I purchased mine at a LOWES LUMBER.

Larry Noworyta Send us these really neat plan to build a useable AATV Support Platfom. The details plans
are for the common MAX II but one could easly change the sizes for any AATV. This lift allows all six wheels to be off the ground an dis a great way to clean and lube the chains with the machine in gear and at idle. If the wheels are removed the bearings will take grease much better than if it was at a standstill. PHOTO, and DETAILED PLANS. If you want to contact Larry he is listed in the OWNERS SECTION of ROUTE6x6 under state of OR. (Editors note: Just for insurance make sure to strap the AATV down) Thanks Larry.

Hi Richard: would you please put tis on your how to section this top was made by a friend of mine .
I think it adds some class to my home made roll cage allready on your web site. Jim PHOTO

Here are a few tried and true tips for rusty 6x6 disassembly:
1. Before trying to remove set screws from bearing lock collars, spray with favorite penetrating oil (PB Blaster).
2. Clean out head of set screw with pick and compressed air. Spray again.
3. Use a small flat bottom punch that just fits into the head of the set screw and smack it a few times with a hammer. This will loosen the set screw in the threads and hopefully the Allen wrench and the set screw won't strip.Removing difficult balloon tires.
1. Spray with favorite penetrating oil. Remove nuts holding the wheel to the hub.
2. Use 3/4" brass rod as a punch to hammer the hub away from the wheel. This method works best if the machine is resting on the tires and not on a jack. This works so much easier than beating the tire off with a 2x4 !!!Also when removing axles, the axle slides out of the inner bearing easier than the outer. So get everything as loose as it can get and then remove the bolts holding the outer bearing to the frame. Remove the outer bearing with the axle. Sometimes it helps to spray the axle and bearing and then smack it into the body a little bit before trying to pull it out of the body. I have had success by reinstalling the through bolt in the sprocket and using a pry bar to pry to sprocket and axle assembly out of the inner bearing. I also use pipe wrenches on the sprocket tube and axle to get them broke loose while spraying Blaster on them.I know you have done this many more times than I have, but these methods work for me. Thanks .Lance Dolfi