So I bought a Spree IOWA......

[Bear45-70]

Here is a picture of my exhaust...doesn't appear to be a restriction device in there....

Exh_Flange.jpg

The air box is all there and intact along with the center screw. Hose and clamp from the box is all good..

Hoping the larger jet will make the difference being that the restriction device is gone and the 65 jet is still in the carb...

I did notice that the little outlet pipe is broken off of the muffler though....what do you think/? Could that do it...I'm thinking not..but I've been wrong before a time or two...

LM

With the exhaust derestricted and a 65 main jet, you are going to be lean for sure. Don't run it much, at least not at WOT, until you get that 68 jet in that carb.

[lazermule]

Thanks Bear, I was thinking the same thing...

LM

[me4get]

Iowa has changed its Moped laws

B4: 50cc and no more than 25mph

Now:

Bicycle Definition

A bicycle is classified as one of the following:
(1) A device having two wheels and having at least one saddle or seat for the use of a rider, which is propelled by human power.
(2) A device having two or three wheels with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (one horsepower), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden, is less than 20 miles per hour.

New Moped Definition

A "motorized bicycle," or moped, is motor vehicle having a saddle or a seat for the use of a rider, designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, and not capable of operating at a speed in excess of 30 miles per hour on level ground unassisted by human power. The maximum speed of 30mph needs to be printed on the certificate of origin from the manufacturer.

The new definition for a moped written above replaces the reference to "an engine having a displacement of no greater than 50c.c." The change in the definition allows electric motors or electric engines to be used as a source for moped propulsion.

Additionally, for a moped to be classified as a motor vehicle, it must be able to travel at a speed of at least 20mph while driving up a 3 percent grade. If a vehicle cannot go 20mph up a 3 percent grade, it is not permitted to be operated on Iowa's streets and roadways

[lazermule]

So I got the new larger jet after waiting 2 weeks...(Thanks SE Sales for your speedy service...NOT)...

It runs better, but still will only go 20 mph and still does breakup on the top end a bit, just not as bad....any ideas?

LM

[patthesoundguy]

is your air filter element in good shape and oiled properly, mine wasnt and didnt run right untill I replaced it they come pre oiled too. And I had the same problem with my airbox and it ran lean, make sure the screw is tight and the gasket is good. I used some self adhesive foam cut in a thin strip to augment the original gasket, and I replaced the lame clamp on the hose where it goes on the carb with a real hose clamp. And what is your plug gap mine was too big and worked much better with an 0.025 rather than the 0.028 I think it was.

[lazermule]

is your air filter element in good shape and oiled properly, mine wasnt and didnt run right untill I replaced it they come pre oiled too. And I had the same problem with my airbox and it ran lean, make sure the screw is tight and the gasket is good. I used some self adhesive foam cut in a thin strip to augment the original gasket, and I replaced the lame clamp on the hose where it goes on the carb with a real hose clamp. And what is your plug gap mine was too big and worked much better with an 0.025 rather than the 0.028 I think it was.

Element is clean and well oiled. Looks like someone has drilled 6 or so 1/4" holes in the top of the box though... I'll cover then with some duct tape tomorrow and give that a try along with the plug gap at .025"...

Thanks for the tip...

LM

[patthesoundguy]

is your air filter element in good shape and oiled properly, mine wasnt and didnt run right untill I replaced it they come pre oiled too. And I had the same problem with my airbox and it ran lean, make sure the screw is tight and the gasket is good. I used some self adhesive foam cut in a thin strip to augment the original gasket, and I replaced the lame clamp on the hose where it goes on the carb with a real hose clamp. And what is your plug gap mine was too big and worked much better with an 0.025 rather than the 0.028 I think it was.

Element is clean and well oiled. Looks like someone has drilled 6 or so 1/4" holes in the top of the box though... I'll cover then with some duct tape tomorrow and give that a try along with the plug gap at .025"...

Thanks for the tip...

LM

Those holes would totally mess the mixture up, that duct tape should help narrow things down. My 84 stock spree has a 68 jet and with a small leak in the air box lid ran very lean. Those holes would be a major issue with that jet im suspecting.

[lazermule]

[/quote]
Those holes would totally mess the mixture up, that duct tape should help narrow things down. My 84 stock spree has a 68 jet and with a small leak in the air box lid ran very lean. Those holes would be a major issue with that jet im suspecting.[/quote]

Yeah, it still will only go 20 mph but it runs better but still breaking up. Hoping the duct tape does the trick..

LM

[lazermule]

Those holes would totally mess the mixture up, that duct tape should help narrow things down. My 84 stock spree has a 68 jet and with a small leak in the air box lid ran very lean. Those holes would be a major issue with that jet im suspecting.[/quote]

Yeah, it still will only go 20 mph but it runs better but still breaking up. Hoping the duct tape does the trick..

LM[/quote]

Well, I gapped the plug and I plugged all of the "extra" air box holes with RTV silicone and it did help a bit but it was still breaking up once it got to the top end but not nearly as bad. I was able to get 22 mph out of it (up from 20 mph). I then started backing out the mixture screw on the side of the carb just below the idle screw and it also helped but did not cure the problem. I was able to get 24 mph out of it but that was it as it still wants to break up...I am now out 2 1/2 turns on the mixture screw...

Again better but not there yet...just checking things here, it has 140 lbs compression, good spark, now a 68 jet, out 1 1/2 turns on the mixture screw. It is an "IOWA" spree, bit there is no apparent restricter in in the exhaust as the previous owner must have done away with it...

How fast should this thing go anyway?

LM

[Bear45-70]

The idle mixture screw makes the engine leaner the farther you turn it out, it controls air not fuel. Also it has little to no effect above 1/4 throttle. So your adjustments made the motor leaner, not richer and should have made the issue worse. My 1985 Spree non-Iowa, does 27.9 mph on the GPS and 30 mph indicated on the Speedometer, but 25 mph is not abnormal either. At this point I would throw a 70 main jet into the carb and see if it helped (but then I have jets from 68 thru 90) but you could always order one. If you didn't already do so, get a new spark plug, a NGK BPR6HS.

[lazermule]

So what is the stock setting for that mixture screw?

[Bear45-70]

Idle mixture for a 1984 Spree is 1 1/2 turns.

[eliteguy50]

So to answer your question, yes, the standard spree was just too fast. It was also too fast for Wisconsin so they received some Iowa sprees.

Edit: me4get beat me to the update on Iowa law, but did forget to mention the in between period where Iowa law increased from 25mph to 30mph but still had the under 50cc spec.

[lazermule]

I still have the same Spree IOWA that I started this thread talking about. I've used it for a pit bike for the past handful of years and then it went dead again so I stuck it in the shed and for a year or 2 and forgot about it. It went dead at the races when my buddy took it out for a ride (everybody wants to ride it). Anyway, why did it go dead? Well it was fully charged but wouldn't start, no blinkers, nothing. Seemed like it was acting like it was the day I brought it home. I checked the fuse and it was good, and decided I needed to spend more time on my big block Mopar than the Spree so I forgot about it for a year or 2 while it sat in the shed. Last weekend, a buddy was helping me arrange my shed to get more cars in it and there was the little Spree looking at me. I pulled it out determined to get it running again. I looked it over, put the booster on it and still dead. The fuse checked good, so i started tracing wires...here some battery acid from the cheap battery I had put in it had dripped down into a solderless connector on the main line and separated the connection inside. I soldered it, shrink wrapped it and boom it started right up even with 2 year old gas.

I took it out for a cruise and it ran great. I've always ran race gas because of its shelf life it seems to not go bad when sitting for awhile and I always have it around because of the racecar. Anyway it ran 24-25 mph flat out. Which is about what it did before. Diving into the forums a bit to figure out where this restrictor actually was on the IOWA I found that there isn't an actual "restrictor" at least on mine anyway, mine is restricted by the header pipe just being a smaller diameter. My buddy has a basket case Spree sitting here so I robbed the exhaust off of it, installed it and this thing now goes a solid 28 MPH!!!!

For some reason my final drive has always been a bit noisy so I'm going to address that next. I had changed the oil before, I checked it today and it was up but was dirty. I may switch to a 90 wt gear oil to see if that quiets it down. The sound is just a really noisy straight cut gear noise. If the 90 wt doesn't cure it I may look at replacing the bearings.

I am also looking at shaving the head a bit for some extra power. I have a lathe and a mill so what the heck. I'll probably turn it on the lathe using the plug hole as the axis. I always run good high octane fuel so it should be safe to bring it to a .020" squish.

Lazer

[patthesoundguy]

Make sure you upjet it to the 68 jet with the new exhaust. I wouldn't put the 90wt gear oil in the rear end. Use synthetic oil and use what ever the recommend viscosity is or really close to it. Don't fill it up all the way top it off with Lucas oil additive. That will make it quiet unless stuff is broke.