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Some of the other mini-quad specialty forums have Special Guests who provide answers to the very hard questions and/or provide assistance in areas that haven't been tried before. These Guests are on special invite request or are sometimes scheduled on a quartly basis.

For this forum, I've been granted a "let's try it" approval to create a special thread for our first time mini-quad Special Guest. His name is Dave McCloskey from dave @ BnCracing.com If wondering, Dave's shop is an authorized E-Ton, Xtreme, and DRR dealer. Dave also repairs and/or upgrades other mini-quad brands as well. His family has won many National level mini-quad races and is willing to share some of his time and experiences (aka: secrets) with us "young riders and pit crews". As agreed, Dave will not openly promote his own products and/or prices but has agreed to answer many of our questions from a "general market" perspective. And, answer the questions to our Performance Upgrade inquires we need further assistance with. In many ways, we are very lucky to have Dave McCloskey help us with our "help - I ran out of options" type questions. Many thanks Dave.

If you have any questions you would like to ask Dave directly, please post / reply in this thread. Dave has subscribed to this thread. Thus, your reply will be brought to his attention - on his next business day. By using this public thread instead of direct PM, other readers can search the history of this thread - to eliminate asking the same question twice. And please, only use this "Dear Dave," thread if you've exhausted all other options in your research and/or your troubleshooting activities.

Many thanks.

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* I'll start to show an example and to allow Dave to establish his subsription link....

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Dear Dave,

I'm confused and need your help.

During the last few months, I've read many posts stating that many factory air boxes have "bottle neck" air flow restrictions. If this air flow restriciton needs to be eliminated, many recommend replacing the plastic air box with a 3rd party air filter system. I've read the info with www.off-road.com/atv/k...rade2.html and it too emphasis that an air box replacement does create huge performance gains.

During my research, I read that K&N, Unifilter and foam filters are often used as performance upgrade parts. I've read that K&N Filter doesn't like water. And some believe they are NOT as good as the other filter systems. The Unifilters sound good but I really didn't understand its cleaning / recharging details. Perhaps they are too much maintenance time for our unique driving?? And perhaps others are miss-informed of the K&N filter system in fine dust conditions??


If wondering, we do lots of mud, water, sand, the odd burst of sand dust and all sorts of extreme weather change trail riding conditions. Based on your experience, please help me with the following questions:

1 - For our slow ground speed "trail riding only" with no speed competition with others riders, would upgrading our air filter benefit our type of riding? In other words, would you upgrade the factory air box on our '03 Pred-90??

2 - If you would upgrade the air box, what "product type" would work best? For example, K&N, Uni or foam pods? If wondering, I hate maintenance activities. I'd rather be on the trails riding instead.

3 - Based on our unique wet / crud riding conditions, do you recommend we upgrade the snorkel on our factory air box instead?


Many thanks for helping me with these "help - I'm stuck" questions....


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Hi Spike,

Great questions. Here's my thoughts.

If you are going to run in mud and water, I'd stay away from the aftermarket "pod" filters since they are mounted directly to the carb and will get soaked. You don't want water in the engine. In this case, I'd replace the snorkel pipe with a larger diameter PVC pipe, the bigger the better. Afterwards, you may need to go up a jet size or two due to the increased amount of air flow. Just remember, the longer the pipe, the more restriction.

If you don't plan on fording streams and such, you can fabricate or purchase a filter cover that protects the pod from wheel splash. This is what I run in muddy conditions. I've been told that the '05 DRR's will come with stock a K&N pod and some form of cover. If the carb opening is the same size as the other Asian minis, then this may be the answer for many.

As to the difference between UNI and K&N, the UNI is more water resistant but for racing, I get better results with the K&N. Some may differ with me on that point, but that's my experience.

In either case, I cover the pod with some sort of sock, such as PC Racing's FilterSkins or one of my wife's Peds. This is particularly important with the K&N since it is so porous (to which I add an Outerwares as well and a rubber band to seal it all up). Also, the nice thing about the socks is that when it gets dirty, just yank it off and put on a new one. It's amazing how much dirt they keep off the pod which cuts down on maintenance. This is great for trail riding since the extra socks are convenient to carry. I oil the FilterSkins as instructed but run the Peds dry.

Keep in mind that going from the stock air box system to a pod will require the jet to be replaced. The filter and sock combination you select will affect the jet size. Generally, you'll be in the .87 to .110 range and larger if you have an aftermarket pipe installed.

As to the maintenance of the UNI filter, I have a gallon size paint can that I fill (about an inch from the bottom) with water soluble foam filter cleaner in where I squeeze the filter until clean. Then I rinse with water outside (it stinks pretty bad), then wash with soap and water and rinse again. Shake and air dry overnight or carefully with a hair dryer if you are in a hurry (don't allow the dryer to touch the foam or it will melt). Then spray with foam filter oil, squeeze out the excess and allow to dry. I usually will wait until I have three or four and do them all at the same time. I give the FilterSkins the same treatment and simply wash the peds in soap and water. When all done, I put them in a zip lock bag.

Hope this helps.

Just for the record, we've only won state and local championships, no Nationals as yet.

Dave

Thanks Dave. With all the trophies on your home page, I assumed your team won Nationals many times over. Those sure are big trophies...

Thank you for answering my questions from a wide range of different perspectives. Your info does help me and many others. Especially KMac's modified Air Filter question within post: atvfrontier.com/ftopict-10942.html

Again, many thanks for helping us out on this one....

.

Dave, Welcome to the Frontier! And thanks for helpin us out!

Great info!

Hi Guys,

Glad to be on board. Hope I can be of help.

As for the trophys, we've had good years and bad. Last year was a bad one: four blown transmissions and a "Mud Fest" race which claimed my water cooled motor. Even so, we won the NQRA's Beach Race (two years running), managed 2nd overall in our local series, and 5th in AMA District 13. Plus we learned a lot. My son knows now to roll off the throttle in the air (we race motocross) and I've a lot better understanding of clutch setups. So far this year, we've done real well. We have another race this weekend, so wish us luck.

Dave

Dave, I just bought a new 2005 viper 90R, and I have a question about the adjustable CDI. When I tried turning it down to limit the speed, it didnt change anything. I then turned it about three complete revolutions and it seemed to work. since it has numbers on it I assumed I could just put it on the number I wanted, and it would limit the speed to that level. Thats not the way it worked. Is this normal ?

Thanks for any info.

I have a call into E-Ton and should hear something tomorrow (the tech guy will be returning from Indy). I thought it was a variable adjustment too, but want to sure.

Dave - welcome to ATVFrontier! Thanks for helping out - we all need it from time to time!

Dave, I think I figured it out. Once I turned it down three revolutions It worked, and I can now turn it up to the desired number and it woks fine. I think it was just turned out way to far from the factory.

Grant

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Below is an email cut / paste I sent Dave earlier today. ethically I don't post personal email cut / pastes but felt this info and my "lesson learned" will also help others...

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To Dave @ BnCracing.com

We finally got our Pred-90 "back into action". We replaced its defective stator with a used one and "away we go".

If I remember correctly, the stock carb on our Pred-90 has a jet size of 85. Last spring, I installed a better air filter snorkel. For a visual, surf top pictures within:

community.webshots.com...6905AgWkij


Since then, our Pred-90's spark plug has been black. I'm thinking we need to upgrade its jet size to 90. Maybe 95 (??). Just wondering how much you charge for 90 jet for our '03 Pred-90? thanks.

Spike / Spike99

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Dave's feedback:

Something doesn't sound right. A black plug (when looking at the first 2-3 threads near the base ring) indicates RICH which shouldn't be the case unless the new air box is being MORE restrictive (unless the plug was black to begin with). A LEAN condition is signaled with a WHITE base ring and/or threads. Some people look at the ceramic insulator around the center electrode. Don't, this primarily is good for letting you know if you are experiencing pre-ignition or detonation - a symptom indicated by tiny, speck size, black shiny balls (aluminum deposits blown off the piston and head) which collect on the ceramic insulator. The ground strap tells you the heat range via a distinct color change somewhere between the tip and where it's welded to the base ring. If closer to the tip, the plug is too COLD, switch to a hotter one (for NGK plugs, this is a LOWER number as from a BR8HS to 7). If closer to the base ring, the plug is too HOT, switch to a cooler one (HIGHER number). The color change should be somewhere near the middle for a plug with the proper heat range. Usually, stock bikes with the oil injection installed run a 7 because they need the extra heat to keep the plug from fouling. Also, bogging is a symptom of LEAN.

As for changing the jet, it can be done on the bike, but it's easier with the carb removed. To find the jet, turn the carb over and remove the four screws around the fuel bowl, then remove the bowl. The jet, a round brass thing with a hole in the middle and a slot for a flat head screw driver, will be exposed.

When jetting, start with a new plug and run the bike at full power few a few minutes. The proper color on the base ring and/or threads should be a light tan, like pancakes. This is the WOT (Wide Open Throttle) adjustment. You need to repeat the process at half throttle by adjusting the needle in the throttle slide (up is richer, down is leaner) accordingly.

Hope this helps.

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My feedback to Dave:

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my email and looking at the customized snorkel pipe I installed.

As I as reading your explanation about "should be less restricted, NOT more restricted" explanation, I started to laugh. Not at you, but at me. Guess what I forget to do for the longest time??? I forgot to clean the air filter. I checked my Fall General Maintenance CheckList Chart and didn't see a "check mark" beside my "clean air filter" item. Most others have a checklist beside them. A plugged air filter would definitely create "more restriction" air flow signs on its plug - even with a wider diameter & shorter snorkel pipe. Man, do I ever feel dumb!!!! Within the next few days, I plan to clean our air filter and its front brake hubs. I forgot to do this cleaning as well. While doing this, I'll also dump its old gas and put in some fresh 32:1 pre-mix. Our old gas has been in its tank since mid Nov. Could use from "fresh stuff" for even more accurate plug readings.

==================

The reason for sharing this with each of you (besides showing how forgetful I can sometimes be)???

Sometimes, an upgraded part isn't always the answer to one's technical problem. Sometimes, it's the missed things that each of us overlook.

If wondering, Dave is going to send me the 90 jet (because of our modified snorkel).

Just wanted to emphasis that some folks are parts sellers and some are Technical Consultants. Many thanks to Dave for NOT jumping right in. Seeing & understanding the bigger picture is what each of us sometimes forget.... But we're learning as time goes on...

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Hey Dave,

you are "right on target" when you wrote that I should have less airflow restriction, NOT more. I removed our Pred-90 air filter tonight. For a look-see, surf:

community.webshots.com...5943oVftyc


And yes, the oil cleaning detergent I use is as black as the inside view of the air filter. Thanks for catching this one... I definitely need to follow my maintenance checklist more closely....

Thanks for cathching this one....

.

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Dear Dave (I know, sounds like a Dear Anne Landers thing),

In another post, one of our readers would like more information about upgrading the reeds in his mini. For our details, surf:

atvfrontier.com/ftopict-11198.html


We would greatly appreciate your "information share" help on this one. Especially when it comes to the Boysen Reed brand.

Many thanks.

.

Hi Spike,

There's a lot to be said about reeds so bare with me while I pass on the little knowledge I have.

I've not tried the Boysen reeds so I don't have any personal experience. However, here's some information that may be helpful.

Stock reeds are steel and much smaller than most aftermarket units (15-20%). So, just switching to an aftermarket unit will add performance because they are larger and come with fiber glass or carbon fiber reeds. These reed materials work much better than steel. My preference is carbon fiber as it tends to last longer (the fiber glass ones are more brittle and tend to shred or break off due to the stresses at the high rpm's performance motors can reach).

Reeds also come in various configurations: 2 petal, single petal, single and dual stage, various thicknesses, etc.. Stock is 2 petals on each side. An inexpensive performance boost can be obtained by simply replacing the stock steel petals with carbon fiber replacements from Malossi.

Thickness is used to determine the power range (thin for good low end, thick for top end).

Dual stage petals (a large petal with the center removed which is covered by a smaller petal) are intended to give both bottom and top end.

Reeds stops, flat metal pieces screwed to the reed base and bent out from the reed top (pointy end), are used to control how far the reed is allowed to open. Close in for good top end (at high rpm, reeds can flutter if allowed to open too far) and wide for good bottom end. I like stops because, unlike using thickness, you can fine tune the reed for your specific application such as for high rpm narrow band engines vs low rpm torquey types, short motocross style tracks, long National tracks, etc..

Gains can also be made using a spacer block which is fitted between the crankcase and the reed assembly. This accomplishes things such as increase crankcase volume (useful when running a "stuffed" crank) and providing better flow within the crankcase. It may also aid in higher velocity. There's lots of theories about them so it's best to try and see.

Reed cages come in various materials such as rubber, plastic, aluminum and titanium. Aluminum or titanium is preferable as they are stiffer. This is important since many crankcases do not have properly machined surfaces where the reed and cylinder mount. A slight misalignment will cause the reed cage to warp when tightened resulting in a poor reed seal. Rubber coated cages are the best due to superior sealing ability.

Then there's reed stuffers. This is a plastic insert that is placed into the reed cage between the cage and the intake manifold. They are designed to direct the flow into the reeds in a more efficient manner. They come in various sizes, usually determined by the size of the intake manifold. Use a stuffer only if the stuffer is as large or larger than your carb. Using a smaller stuffer will have the effect of running a smaller carb. Again, there are many theories about stuffers so the best thing is to try and see.

For me, I prefer single stage, single petal carbon fiber with my secret mods.

Hope this helps.

Great reed! pun intended!

So how difficult is it to replace the reeds?

Can you list some sources to purchase reed valves, and cages?


Thanks!