picked up a LTA50 for the kiddo as they are found cheap and I personally am a old (check out the forum join date) 2 smoke lover. I have searched to the end of the earth for my questions but every forum is a mix of youngster posts and guesses. Does anyone here know these quads inside and out?
1. What on earth is the cable going into the recoil starter used for? Whenever I squeeze the brake I get a loud rattling inside the starter. I assume its a parking brake engagement system, but it starts without brakes applied just fine. Should I just pull the cover and remove this?
2. I don't think the oil injection is working, very loud top end rattling (sounds like someone forgot to install the wrist pin berring) and the exhaust smells like a 4 stroke- how do I check the injection pump system?
3. I know these engines have a hidden 1st gear, where is the selector shaft? If its not easy to reach probably not worth trying out?
4. Is the float valve & seat on these engines something super strange & restrictive? Mine will run the float bowl dry if kept floored for minutes with my heavy A$$ on it.
5. Fuel valve is 3 choices, 2 are the same- prime and on- again super strange head scratching. Is it not a 100% gravity fed system or is it intended to run upside down
Thanks, Joe

 

Video, Disregard me calling it a LTZ 50 as its a LTA

 

The starter should slip and not engage unless that brake is on, the mechanism gets worn and sometimes they work without needing the brake, sometimes slip all the time, even with brake on, be careful if you do dismantle, most parts are not too expensive, but tatty used starter assemblies cost more than a whole engine, from breakers.

It is probably too late for your engine, but set the bike running with a 30 to 1 fuel oil mix in the tank, disconnect the tiny oil line from the carb and see if oil is dribbling out, if it is, the pump is working.

Never heard of any hidden first gear.

Yes the float valve is restrictive, I once spent ages on a bike that would bog and stall after five minutes running then, leave for five minutes, re-start and run again for a few minutes. Turned out the float valve was not letting in enough fuel to keep the bike running. They can be adjusted with the tang on the float.

The Suzuki fuel tap is legendary, a vacuum tube from the inlet manifold opens the tap and allows fuel into the carb. When the engine stops, no vacuum, so the tap switches the fuel flow off. PRIME position overrides this and allows the fuel through without vacuum, for starting when the carb has been empty. Works great, and stops the engine filling with fuel if the float needle sticks open, but if they go wrong you get all sorts of problems, so many fit an extra on/off tap in the line, or a normal tap instead.

P.S. The LTA50 is a great bike, the LTZ50 is awful.

 

Great info, thanks! I do have amsoil 50:1 fuel in it now, ill check that line. Other forums say both the LT and JR 50's have a 1st gear that's not used but none have a write up on how to. Your the second person to say the 4 stroke isn't good- my friend bought one and said its so gutless his 5 year old gets stuck on sections of his trails that aren't perfectly flat- full throttle and the quad simply wont move! crazy!

 

LTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I think they have a 2nd gear. I had a 50 with it.
Supposedly you get to the shifter inside you grind so the shifter will go the other way.

 

the cable that goes into the starter is to allow starting only while the parking brake is activated, you can adjust that or bypass it. For the engine noise, I would just rebuild it, that noise is not the bottom end. By the looks of the lack of smoke, I assume the pump is not working. My sons injection pump quit working and it lost all compression. I ordered a complete engine kit on amazon for 65.00, piston, rings, cylinder, head, gaskets I mean everything. Now, I mix the gas and it runs like new. The fuel petcock is one of Suzuki's vacuum units, if you put it on prime fuel should just flow. Take the carb apart and just clean it out, there is probably trash in the jets / needle & seat. Don't forget to remove the restrictor in the intake and exhaust, you will be surprised how well it runs with a clean carb, fresh rebuild and restrictors removed. yes, it has a first gear, but the atv model engine is always in 2nd, there is no shift lever hole in the case, the detent inside the tranny is blocked, so its always in 2nd. Hope this helps. Nice looking 50! In two years you will be ready for the lt80, I just picked one up, been looking for a year. Good luck on that!

 

powersportsvetern,
Already working on the LT80, my friend bought it non-running for his 8 year old and I'm getting it running for him, in a few years it will be pushed down to my youngsters when they outgrow the 50 pictured above.OH, question- the well-nut on the LT80's fuel tank petcock is stripped causing the petcock bolt to just spin and not seal the petcock- so fuel just dumps out of the tank, Any ideas on how to fix those? I cannot tighten or remove the petcock on that LT80

 

I think you're SOL...those don't have much material to re-tap...LT80 may have a suggestion, however...

 

Could we all please bow our heads and observe a moment of silence for that LT80 tank...

 

LOL..Sorry..The nut part is cast in the plastic, then it turns and can't get it out or if it does come out, what do you do to it???...