mbra buggy maintenance

Ok all you buggy nuts, it's time to take care of your buggy after a long day of riding. Depending on the type of riding you've been doing will determine how much cleaning you get stuck with. Unfortunately the dirt and mud we love to play can cause major damage to your buggy if left unchecked.

AIR FILTER
The first place dirt and mud will effect your buggy is the air filter. If your using a foam type air filter to help with performance you will need to pay close attention to it, during and after your riding. The foam filters do work well but if left dirty the dirt will work it's way through getting into your carburetor and into your engine and that will do a number on your engine over a short period of time. Foam filters only take a few minuets to clean or change. The best option for long outings would be to carry two or even three replacement filters. Doing so will allow you to change the filter and clean the dirty ones at the end of the day. When you do clean your foam filter, simple mild soap and water will work fine. Remember to begin your cleaning from the inside washing the bulk of the dirt in an outward direction.

Carburetor
After you finish with the air filter you will need to jump right into the carburetor. The sooner you clean it the easier it will be so don't waste time with the heart of your buggy. If you kept your air filters secure and clean during your ride the carb cleanup is a snap. Just remove the carb and place it on a clear table top. That means clear off the work bench boys. I like to use a large plastic tub to clean and soak certain parts while cleaning. Once you remove the bowl, jets, float etc... you can begin cleaning. Depending on how dirty you get during your adventure will determine how meticulous you should be with your clean up. Once you began to spray the cleaner through the jets and carb you'll notice right away how much cleaning is necessary.

Drive Chain
The roller chain on your buggy can take a lot of pounding if it's kept clean and oiled before, during and after use. Failure to maintain your chain can cause more damage then you might think. When the chain begins to clog up with dirt and rust the links will no longer move freely putting a large amount of tension on these links. The first thing you will notice running a rusted chain will be skipping and then a broken link or two. This is no fun when you out on a trail a few miles from camp. Replacing or repairing the chain is a minor but annoying problem that can easily be avoided.

Another problem with the chain that many people fail to address is the tension of the chain. If you run your buggy with a very tight chain you can damage the chain, (Driven / Drive) sprocket and shaft. So remember to keep your chain clean, oiled, and set to the proper tension.

Check Electrical
Lets move on to your electrical components. Most buggies are imported from china and many of them share the same handicap. The electrical connectors used throughout the buggy are not the best quality. They will all become lose at some point. The coil and CDI connections are the most common areas where this problem occurs and it will happen to you. Do not be alarmed it's a problem we all have to live with. The easy fix for this is to make sure the connection are tight and secure to reduce vibrations. It won't eliminate the problem entirely but it will help. Other items that tend to fail are the ignition switch and starter relay. Replacement is quick and easy for both these items and you can also convert the ignition to a push button switch. Another trick you might like to try is install a push button switch with wires leading all the way back to the starter relay. Do not connect the leads, just cap them. Now if your ignition switch and/or starter relay break you can disconnect the original ignition switch wires and connect the push button leads to the broken starter relay and continue riding. This will work even if both the ignition and relay are damaged.