speaking of the "doo"

[Jud]

Nope. Didn't happen to me. But I have done or overseen about fifty quadrant swaps over the years. About one in six has been broken, so that is eight or nine broken quadrants I have seen with my own eyes. About one spring in four has been bad. This is all for '07 and earlier. My experience is reflected by a number of others who have held or participated in tech days since 2003. From time to time, Mike Cowlishaw posts a photo of the large pile of broken quadrants that he has collected over the years. I suppose he could be BSing, but he reports about the same failure rate as others have, so I am inclined to believe him, notwithstanding his obvious self-interest as a guy who makes replacements and sells them at a profit. To be sure, there are lots of KLR owners who have never heard of the balancer idler adjuster quadrant, or 'dohicky', but nevertheless rack up huge mileages. Five out of six is pretty good odds, I guess; more really, since in many cases the adjuster bolt will hold the pieces of a broken quadrant in place, sometimes for tens of thousands of miles. The only way to know for sure if your quadrant is intact is to remove the flywheel and look at it. Given the trouble and expense of the special tools needed for this job, I figure that as long as you are in there, you might as well replace it whether it's broken or not.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, RobertWichert wrote: > > Has anybody actually seen a failed doohickey, with their own eyes? Not > "I heard it thru the grapevine..." I mean "It happened to me". > > I'm waiting. > > > Robert P. Wichert P.Eng +1 916 966 9060 FAX +1 916 966 9068 > > > > > ======================================================== > > On 2/8/2010 10:57 AM, roncriswell@... wrote: > > > > Yeah beware if you are a company that is on the media and government > > as a target. Exploding Pintos and Corvairs that like to go backwards > > hitting something or rolling at 80 mph come to mind. Still I really > > don't understand companies that make really good machines that don't > > heed early signs of warning (as in the doohickey on a KLR). This is > > going to cost Toyota millions probably billions. Besides, if you are > > on a cell phone texting, it is a severe test of multitasking if the > > throttle jams, to shift into nuetral and pull over. Or if the brakes > > fail to remember to hit the emergency brake. Remembering to pull in > > the clutch on a KLR and hoping that works if the engine suddely tries > > to lock up because of a defective design is another form of multi > > tasking split second decision I hope I don't have to make. > > > > > > Criswell > > On Feb 8, 2010, at 11:30 AM, klr6501995 wrote: > > > >> Thank You, > >> > >> I'm so glad that this thread started as I have been wanting to post a > >> same topic message. > >> > >> This is really starting to feel like the firestone/ford explorer > >> "problem" a few years back. > >> > >> As a media watcher (to much tv) this topic got nasty when a "48 > >> hours" or "20/20" did a re-enactment of a family getting themselves > >> killed with a stuck accelerator. But the MAN of the family was > >> recorded on a 911 call pleading for help as his car wouldn't stop. > >> They pleaded for help, And the collision and OMG, crash sounds were > >> heard. > >> Very scary. America are you shocked. of course! > >> > >> I'm sure I'm missing something. But from the very begining of the > >> story didn't we on the list and the rest of America who believe in > >> self responsibility "predict" the media/govt response to the toyato > >> recall? > >> > >> Yes! I have had a throttle stick in a car and motorcycle. > >> I damn well knew that if I could call 911 and yap for help I could > >> save my ass before the call. 86 ford escort hatchback- klr6501987. > >> > >> BTW kenda 270's made me leave skid marks in my drawers on wet and dry > >> roads. Like them off road. But Avon gripsters never leave marks on > >> roads and I have been able to conquer the same off road conditions > >> that I did with k270's. > >> > >> --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > >> , Jeff Khoury wrote: > >> > > >> > Is there something about: > >> > > >> > 1. Apply Brakes > >> > 2. Turn key from "ON" to "ACC" > >> > 3. Coast to side of road > >> > > >> > That I'm missing? Isn't that in every driver's ed. course since the > >> 1950s? > >> > > >> > -Jeff Khoury > >> > > >> > > >> > ----- Original Message ----- > >> > From: "fasteddiecopeman" > >> > To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > >> > > >> > Sent: Sunday, February 7, 2010 10:19:22 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada > >> Pacific > >> > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Toyota & KLR doohickey > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > And, by the way, the latest issue of either "Automobile" or "Car > >> and Driver" has an article wherein they tested several Toyotas, and > >> were able to stop in very close to normal distances, with WIDE OPEN > >> THROTTLES AGAINST FULL BRAKES! > >> > Ed > >> > > >> > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > >> , Stephen Grisanti > >> wrote: > >> > > > >> > > Good luck on all those points, but the Toyota incident involves a > >> brand that is one of the national symbols of Japan and a high-profile > >> product that affects millions of customers in easily dramatized life > >> and death situations (Unintended acceleration! No brakes!). The > >> humble KLR, by comparison, merely destroys its engine due to a > >> manufacturing flaw that has never been officially addressed by the > >> factory and it only affects a relative few, insignificant members of > >> the motoring public who don't even buy "real" vehicles. Broken toys, > >> guys. Don't hold your breath. > >> > > > >> > > Stephen > >> > > > >> > > --- On Sun, 2/7/10, roncriswell@ wrote: > >> > > > >> > > From: roncriswell@ > >> > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Toyota & KLR doohickey > >> > > To: "Billy Brooks" , CurtisDrew@, "Don & Jewel Gil" > >> , "GARY PATTERSON" , "Fred Hink" , "KLR > >> Group" < DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > >> >, "Michael McSpadden" > >> , "rocky heuer" > >> > > Date: Sunday, February 7, 2010, 8:00 AM > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning > >> about Toyota's big problem with it's accelerators and Prius brakes. > >> It was interesting in the article that how the most successful car > >> company in recent years both in quality and safety has let this > >> happen. The article itself speculated that it may be a cultural issue > >> with the Japanese in that it is considered a no no to question > >> authority or admit mistakes. How this relates to our motorcycle is we > >> have known and Kawasaki have known for years about the problem with > >> doohickey breakage and spring breakage on an otherwise very reliable > >> motorcycle. The doohickey on the new KLR is stronger but I have heard > >> they still break. I still wonder where that 3/8 inch piece of my > >> doohickey wound up on my '99 KLR. I don't really want that chunk to > >> work itself free from where it might be and suddenly surprise me at > >> 75 mph by locking up the engine. You would think Kawasaki would have > >> made a stronger piece > >> > > much earlier than it did. I have ridden Japanese bikes and cars > >> since 1968 and they have been proven to be the most reliable and > >> trouble free machines I have owned. But still.......I think the Wall > >> Street Journal article does have merit. I still would like for the > >> Japanese to own up to their war crimes with especially China,Korea > >> and other places that they really have never really done. Instead > >> they ask why did we drop the bomb? It ended the war.......quickly. > >> > > My wife works for a company that runs numerous car dealerships. > >> The number one dealer for them for years has been their Toyota > >> dealership. It is dead in the water right now. > >> > > Criswell > >> > > > >> > > >> > > > > >

[Jud]

The widespread adoption of 4wd sure has changed the makeup of the in-the-ditch population. Use to be that the first couple of snowfalls would put the Camaros and Firebirds in the ditches. After a few years, it was 4wd SUV's, usually wheels up. The other day we had a slippery drive time and I daw three 4wd F150's in the ditch, and one tipped up on its side. I don't see that many soccer moms driving the F150s.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, mark ward wrote: > > Soccer mom's?? > You meen LIKE PEOPLE who get A 4 wheel drive, so they can Get better traction and GO FASTER ON ICE! > > > > > ________________________________ > From: sh8knj8kster > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tue, February 9, 2010 1:34:55 PM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Toyota & KLR doohickey > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogro ups.com, "transalp 1" wrote: > > > > The Explorer/Firestone fiasco was a weird mess that I saw differently than > > the lawyers & media. The claim was the tires didn't have a sufficiant # of > > plies and could fail. My take on the problem? They built SUVs with the > > strength, weight and power of a pickup truck and sold them to soccer Moms > > that expected a ride all soft & happy like a station wagon or car. You can > > only soften up the suspension so much before that higher center of gravity > > back to haunt you in a bad case of weaves and wobbles. What to do? What do > > do? Ford figured it out by equipping the vehicle with suitably stout > > light-duty truck tires and then specified a tire pressure right on the > > verge of being too low to give back some of the ride quality. Iirc, it was > > like 28psi. That's nuts in a 2-3 ton vehicle. Well, the owners didn't watch > > the tire pressure as closely as they should, the tires got too low and on > > the highway began generating serious internal heat. Next thing you know, a > > tire degraded and gave out. It doesn't take long, either. BOOM! Accident. > > eddie > > > > clip, clip, clip > > ~~~Eddie, You're right about this. The 98' F-150 we bought (still have) came with ridiculously low tire pressure recommendations for your aforestated reasons. We have the NASCAR truck, lowered suspension (from the factory) etc. I didn't care for the way the truck handled with lower tire pressure, the pressure the factory recommended, but then we use this truck to haul heavy payloads, not to shuttle kids to mickey d's > > Jake > Reddick Fla. > Persist in old ways; expect different results - suborn Insanity... > > http://www.shakinja ke.blogspot. com/ >

[Bogdan Swider]

I m not one of the Doo experts who have literally been part of a dozen or two dooarecktomies. However, I ve had mine apart four times or so and observed several others doing the task. I m not an especially talented or knowledgeable wrench but grew up at a time, and in a culture, when you worked on machines you owned. From that perspective I ll advise you to not do it solo but wait for a tech session. It s not a job that only should be left to experts but one where a lot of little thing can go wrong. Getting the rotor back on can be tricky. It s easy to lose the key etc. There have been posts on this very list describing how better mechanics than me have done serious harm to their engines. Bogdan

On 2/9/10 4:56 PM, "ALFRED ELFMAN" wrote: > > > > > > Has anyone in Florida (Miami) done the upgrade, know where I can have it done, > do it myself in a "Tech Day" environment or does it just seem more > intimidating than it really is? > > 2005 KLR > 2006 Stratoliner > > > > > >