1989 Cushman Meter Maid Parts Available

[CharleyL]

Dave,

I think you might be able to adapt a "Table Leaf Latch" to latch your sliding windows shut. They are similar to standard double hung window latches, but have a 90 deg rotating hook that swings into place on the mating hook and then pulls tight as the handle motion is completed. You can find them in almost any hardware store or Lowes and Home Depot. Not quite as elegant as the Cushman window locks, but they should work.

http://www.kennedyhardware.com/table...lock-tl-8.html

Charley

[CharleyL]

At this time the 1989 Truckster parts have all been spoken for. I will update this post if any of it becomes available again.

Charley

[Ynaff100]

Originally Posted by CharleyL

Dave,

Here are 3 pictures of the drivers side window latch on my 1987 Truckster. I wish that the 89 truckster had doors and windows so I could sell the latches and windows to you. Maybe the photos will help you fabricate some window latches for your Truckster. They are just a simple hook catch and lever knob, but the window half of the latch is mounted to the window glass with two bolts through holes in the window from the inside.

The last two photos are of the 1989 Meter Maid Truckster that I'm parting out. My son and I pulled the motor and transmission out of it this past weekend for parts to fix the motor in my 1987 Truckster. Most of the rest of the 89 Truckster is available if any one needs anything. Most of the motor and tranny parts will be available too and my prices will be very reasonable. I need this Truckster gone soon, and want to help others who need parts for their Trucksters. I'm not trying to make a profit on it, just help other truckster owners.

Charley

Hello Charley,

I am new to the forum. I own a 1980's model Cushman Meter Maid and I am looking for a few parts for it. I am in need of a rear rim as mines has rusted out as well as a few parts for the breaking system. I don't have a lot of knowledge on these vehicles and I currently have it at a small local repair shop in hops of getting it road ready. It has started and run sense I purchased it but it needs the break system restored.

I would truly appreciate for any help in locating paerts.

Thanks,

[CharleyL]

Welcome to BGW. I once lived in NY State, but kind of the South East end on the East side of the Hudson, just SE of Poughkeepsie. It would help if you filled out more of your profile, so we have a first name to address you. Ynaff100 doesn't look like a first name to me. Your location information is fine. It's best not to get any more detailed there.

For your Truckster's year of manufacture, find the metal plate located to the left of your steering wheel. The stamped in model number will show a dash in the number and the two digits immediately following the dash are the year of manufacture.

Do you have an OMC engine in your truckster? I have some OMC parts, but the most fragile parts or those that wear out are likely already gone. Ask for what you need and I'll look for it. I will be reasonable on the price, if I have it. In the late 80's they began installing 3 cylinder water cooled engines and even Kubota 3 cylinder Diesel engines in Trucksters. I still have most of two OMC 22 hp engines left in parts. The third is in use in my Truckster.

I parted out an 89 Police 3 wheel Truckster, but the body, chassis, and front steering went quickly. I still have parts of the engine, transmission, and rear differential, although my son is after the differential for a project of some kind.

Cushman wheels are almost unobtaniun (no longer available), but they sell a wheel the same size in Northern and other places like trailer sales and trailer service locations. Unfortunately, the lug pattern is a slightly different spacing. You can buy one of these and then take it to a machine shop along with one of your Cushman wheels and have them cut the needed lug holes between the already cut lug holes, using the correct Cushman wheel lug spacing. Then the new wheel can be used on trailers AND also Cushman Trucksters.

Most Cushman OMC engine parts are still available new. One source is www.directparts.com and the other is www.denniscarpentercushman.com. Dennis Carpenter supplies parts for Cushman Scooters and they will tell you that they don't have Truckster parts, but one model of Cushman Scooter used a one cylinder version of the two cylinder version of OMC truckster engines, so almost all of their OMC scooter engine parts will fit the OMC Truckster engines. Recently I bought two stainless exhaust valves for my truckster engine from them, because one of my exhaust valves broke, and while the engine was apart I wanted to change both. Both of the cylinders of the OMC Truckster engine are identical and both valves in each cylinder are also identical, but the front facing valve on each cylinder becomes the exhaust valve and the rear valves become the intake valves. I decided to only change the ones being used for exhaust, since the high exhaust heat is what damages them. I think my Truckster engine was over heated several times before I got it, likely causing the exhaust valve damage.

The original fuel pumps are no longer available and NOS models are so old that the rubber parts in them will likely fail quickly. I installed an electric fuel pump in my Truckster purchased from ORiley Auto Parts. It is self regulating for fuel pressure, so no bypass filter is needed, nor is the return fuel line back to the fuel tank. An inline fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump input and a hose direct from the fuel pump output direct to the carburetor is all that is needed. If not already removed, there is a tiny fuel filter inside the hose connection of the carburetor. It is NLA. Just remove and discard it. You won't miss it, but if you leave it in, It will likely cause major trouble.

Brake systems in these trucksters rust from the inside out because the cap on the master cylinder has a vent hole. As temperature and humidity variations occur in our Weather system, moisture gets into the master cylinder through this vent hole. The brake fluid used in Trucksters is DOT3, which is alcohol based, and the moisture is readily absorbed into the alcohol. Over time, enough moisture gets in to cause the whole brake system to rust from the inside out. New brake systems in cars have sealed master cylinders now with a bladder to keep the outside air and moisture from contacting the brake fluid inside the master cylinder. I searched long and hard to find a suitable sealed master cylinder. I was even willing to make modifications to the truckster, if necessary, to make it fit, but in the end I went with an original replacement and a vow to replace all of the brake fluid in my Truckster every couple of years. There is a silicone based brake fluid that could be a better choice, in these Trucksters, but it is incompatible with the DOT3 fluid, so every bit of the DOT3 fluid would need to be removed before it could be used.

I bought an identical master cylinder for my Truckster off the shelf, from the local fork lift repair shop. Apparently, some models of fork lifts also use this same brake system. The cost was less than half of what the going internet price is. They also got me identical new brake shoes for $10 each. These were all the same part on my Truckster. The front wheel of your Truckster may use different shoes, so check before ordering.

I found that the early 1970's Ford F-100 wheel cylinders were identical to the Cushman wheel cylinders, except for a bump on the casting that could be ground off and not affect the function, but I bought the Ford cylinder rebuilding kits and honed out my original cylinders. One of them was heavily pitted and it later failed. The fork lift dealer was able to get me a new Cushman wheel cylinder for $23, so I never tried modifying the Ford F-100 wheel cylinders.

The flexible brake line between the chassis and front axle of my Truckster needed replacing and ORiley Auto Parts found a match for it in a 1968 Dodge B-100 part, so I bought the one that they had on the shelf.

You will likely need to buy metal brake lines that are too long from the auto parts store, and then bend it to match the shape of the original. Since the end needs to be double flared, you will either need to have this done or buy the special flaring tool and it's expensive. Automotive machine shops and some auto parts stores can do it for you.

Getting the rear wheel hubs off is really tough, and you will destroy the axle threads if you don't go about it correctly. You can buy a special tool fairly cheap. It's just a hex shaped block of metal with a threaded blind hole in one end. You remove the cotter pin and nut from the axle end and then thread this tool on until it bottoms out. Then you hit the end of this tool with a BIG hammer. The shock of the hammer blow is supposed to separate the tapered axle from the hub. You will likely need to hit it several times, and then do the same for the other side hub. Be careful when removing the right rear hub, as there is a nylon gear inside that rides in a gear on the inside of the hub. Damage either, and your speedometer won't work any more. I don't know where to get parts for this, so be very careful here.

You won't find body or chassis parts anywhere, except from a donor wreck. Most of the running gear, brake system, and motor parts are still available, but hard to find. Steering ball joints are automotive OEM and probably sitting on the auto parts dealer's shelf, as likely many other parts, but they don't have a cross reference to Cushman, so visibly matching your broken part to one on their shelf may likely be the only way to find a replacement. That's how I have found what I needed so far.

www.sillylittlecars.com has the parts and service manuals in pdf form in their "Manuals" section. Silly Little Cars was started by a bunch of Cushman owners in San Francisco, although they let even me join. The website is pretty stagnant, but you should sign up for their "Email List" because that's where most of the activity takes place. There may be nothing for a month or so and then someone will make a post. Everyone on the list will receive a copy. Anyone can then post a reply and everyone else will see the reply. There is a sporadic burst of activity on this list every once in a while, and then nothing, until someone else makes a post, but reading all of the action will teach you a lot about Cushman, and the newer GO4 Interceptors, which many seem to be buying since Cushman Trucksters are no longer readily available. The GO4s are still being made in Canada and they have larger engines and automatic transmissions. Some even have air conditioning. They like driving the 3 wheelers around San Francisco because parking of cars is so difficult there, and the 3 wheelers can use designated motorcycle parking spaces of which many more seem to be available and empty. You can license a 3 wheeler, if you can get insurance for it, because it is considered to be a 3 wheel motorcycle. The 4 wheel Trucksters cannot be licensed, but here the police consider them to be golf carts, and golf carts are allowed on secondary highways in NC without a license, if driven by a NC licensed driver. Mine is on the back roads frequently.

I check in here about every other day, so don't hesitate to post a question or need, and I'll try to help or steer you in the right direction.

Another frequent visitor here is "Turfspray" and he once worked for Cushman, so he frequently has better answers than I do for some things. I only know what I have learned from doing my Truckster restoration and related searches.

Please post some pictures of your Truckster when you can. To do this, have them on your hard drive and then open a new post here. At the bottom of your post window, select "Go Advanced", then follow the instructions for uploading your photos and they will be attached to the bottom of your note when you post it.

Charley