My new 4 cycle...Haw Lee-Davey Son

Well, it's about 80% complete. I need to install the throttle and muffler brace and then it's time for a test run. I'm new to building these marvel of cheap Chinese labor and have a few questions for you guys. I notice when I test fired it tonight that it seemed like the clutch was engaging at almost an idle. I'm not sure if that's due to the clutch being new or a result of poor workmanship? Secondly, the engine (4 cycle) really doesn't want to idle. If I flip the choke to half way, it idles better. THat cold be a result of the clutch attempting to engage too early or a mixture issues. I know that symptom usually indicates that the mixture is probably too lean, but I'm not sure if there's provisions on the carb to richen the mixture. On one of my photos, there's what appears to be a brass mixture screw near the front of the carb. I guess I'll have to play with it and see what it does. Also, it's doing the gearbox vent hole weep, and that I'll fix this weekend as well. I also had to cut and weld the muffler pipe so that it wold clear the frame and pedals. Finally, I place inner tube between the engine mounts and the rear chain idler. I thought I read somewhere on here that doing that is a bad idea. I can see how these kits require upgrades and tweaking till they're dependable, but I must admit that I can't wait till I can ride it tomorrow!!

Hmm, I have a question.... What type of engine is that and how much did you buy it for and from where. Other than that, looking good Nitro. Good job

~Mac~

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Spray and pray

Looking good Nitro....nice work

Mac,
The engine is a 49cc Huashengtai Shan, which is a 4 cycle Honda clone. I bought the kit for $269.00 including shipping. The gentleman I bought it from, Bill, is a blessing to work with. I had one small issue with the choke lever and he sent a replacement out pronto. He responds to his emails and is a man of his word. His website is Welcome to bikekitsdirect.com
The last I spoke to him, he was nearly sold out of the kits.
I ran the engine last night and it is very quiet. At 51, I enjoy quiet and stealth over loud and flamboyant.
I should be ready to ride by either late tonight or definitely tomorrow.

Just a thought...once you have the throttle on, and the bike is warmed up, it may run better without any choke. Small four strokes seem to take awhile to warm up.

Also, the clutch may do better after some break-in.

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

Joe,
I took the bike out for an initial 1/2 mile shake down cruise and the idle and clutch seemed to settle in a bit more. I think your advice is dead on, it needs a few miles under the wheels to loosen up. What a blast it is to ride. It got dark too quickly and I was limited on my ride time. I have a few odds and ends to do, but it's basically there.

Next up is better tires and twin saddle bags. I also would like to mount a springer front on it, but I need one that I can add brakes to it.

good lookin putt.

I too have one of these 4 strokes with the Same JL gear box. My JL gear box whines like a loaded school bus trying to climb Mt Evans in Reverse. Does your Gear box also whine like this? Mine is over a year old and I quit riding it because it was so loud. I tried wet but no joy. So I parked it. Runs good, but just too loud of a gear box. Let me know how yours is. Is yours loud like this? Let me know. Thanks..

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visit www.thatsdax.com for more !!

Nice looking ride, Nitrohorse. I have owned this set up for one year and am very happy with it. I noticed that you do not have the cooling shroud which installs behind the exhaust flange installed. From what I have read, this is part of the cooling system and important for cooling the exhaust valve. I'm also curious about what you will do to stop the vent hole weeping. My GB is reasonably quiet with a little whine on deceleration. I can clearly hear the engine above the GB at all forward speeds. I have found that 75W90 synthetic gear oil (about 5 ounces) works best and I run a 36T sprocket from ThatsDax.

66

ThatsDax,
My gearbox isn't that loud. I would lie if I said you don't hear it, but it's a bearable whine, almost like a gear driven timing set up on a small block Chevy.
I did have concerns about the noise when I first rolled the bike around the garage without oil in the GB. THe problem is that they're straight cut gears and they're inherently noisey. If the Chinese can master helical cut gears, the whine would be all but gone. I also believe that the Chinese quality assurances coming out of these factories is probably non-existent. I imagine one could buy 100 GB abd each one would vary as to the gear whine? My plan, if needed, was to remove the GB and take the internals out, rinse with thinner and then coat the inside with Hercules bedliner. That would absolutely deaden the noise, much like undercoating does to road noise on the floorboards of a car. I really enjoy the 4 stroke.

Cruiser66,
The reason I didn't install the front exhaust shield is due to the fact that I felt it would limit the natural effect of the air flow at riding speeds. My belief is that the shield was necessary for a stationary application such as a small water pump. Due to the location of the engine on the frame, the exhaust area receives plenty of air. The only way I can see needing the shield is if you do alot of idling with the bike, which I don't. In my opinion, the shields are more of a hinderance than a help in these MB applications.
As for the venting hole weeping, there's a post on here somewhere that details attaching an internal baffle under the vent bolt. You have to use the search feature to find it though. I'm going to braze a tube onto the bolt and run a piece of tubing up from it much like they do on car/truck rear ends.
Larry