Re: (ET) Thoughts on brakes and tires

[Jim Coate <jbc coate org>]

Hi Chris -

Either it's warmer where you are or else you have a heated garage :-)

On the brakes, others may chime in but Bill apparently has an upgrade
kit available that is "worth every penny" (look in the archives on Jan
16, 2002). I plan to do this come spring.

On the regen braking, yes it is pretty impressive. I hadn't thought
about the seat switch cut off "safety" versus the "safety" of having the
regen continue... will need to ponder this.

On the use of D2, my friend who helped me find an ET has been driving
them since shortly after he could walk, always goes fast, and has never
flipped it over (at least that he admits too). Put a mowing deck, blade,
etc on front and there will be no chance.

On the tires, yes turning them inside out is to increase the overall
width. What's weird was getting a tractor with one wheel in each
position. Get the owners manual for official description ($5 or $7 from
Bill?). Only down sides I know of are the obvious that it is harder to
check the air and harder to fit the tractor in tight spaces.

And finally, on the belts slipping, they may need to be tightened. From
the repair manuals on page 1-27:

 1.18 BELT TENSIONING

With the belts(s) properly adjusted, a 10-pound force will deflect the
belt(s) approximately 1/4-inch.

To increase tension:
1. Loosen 4 carriage bolts holding motor plate. Insert 1/4-inch wedge
under the forward part of the motor plate, and retighten the bolts
finger tight.

2. With belts in place, force the motor mounting plate away from the
transaxle as far as possible. Tighten the two carriage bolts nearest the
transaxle.

3. Remove the 1/4-inch wedge and tighten the remaining two bolts.

4. Recheck tension.

If one belt needs replacing, recommend replacing both belts at the same
time.

Good luck!


Christopher Zach wrote:
> ... I took the Elec-Trak down my hill here and the
> brake did *zilch* to stop it ... Is it possible my
> brake pads are gone, and are there replacements?
>
>...And if you bounce on the seat, the
> tractor takes off (because the regen is shut down) ...
>
> while filling the tires, I noticed the valve stems were all on the
> inside. Normal? I was wondering if my wheels were reversed ...
>
> I think I will stay *out* of D2....

_________
Jim Coate
1992 Chevy S-10
1970s Elec-Trak E20
http://www.eeevee.com