I just finished reading the 8 pages of this thread and it's great. I wanted to mention for Decon and others here a couple things I picked up on.
On the fuel line sizes, yes there is a smaller diameter and larger. The hardware store I shop sells it off a big roll they have hanging up. The small size one goes in the smaller size hole and the larger through hole made for it. It's a tight fit so it will seal the gasoline inside the tank. If the small is used in the large hole, you'll know right away. That little filter that's on the end of the fuel intake line is quite important. I've seen them break off the hose right where the nipple inserts into the hose. Then it's just a mater of time till the bottom of the carb getts full of dirt and quits running. Ya just gotta pull it all down, blow it out, and I use carb cleaner with the thin red tube that inserts into the spray can nozzle to blast it all out and blow back thru everything. They usually fire up after theat.
Another FIX for seized motors, if you haven't heard of it, is an old lubricant product called "Marvel Mistery Oil". It's red and looks something like auto transmission fluid. But the stuff is a one of a kind in it's ability to free siezed
pistons etc. I've seen people run lawn mowers out of crank case oil and lock the things up. If you can get there about as soon as it happens.......pull the spark plug and pour an ounce or so down the bore so it soaks on the ring overnight. Prop the mower or engine up so the piston faces up over night.
By the next day you may have to gently tug some on the recoil rope start but the engine should bump free. Pull the engine thru a few times to spread the Marvel oil thru the bore and then refill the motor with oil. When starting it, run it at low speeds for the first hour or two so it will be about like breaking it in again. But you can save an engine this way if you can get on it in time.
This oil can be used in a 4 cycle crank case or the fuel tank. I've used a little
of it in 2 cycle mix. It is a good upper cylinder lube.
I used to work with an older guy who had used the stuff all his life. He would
pour a quart in with a fresh oil change when he was ready to pull an engine to rebuild it. After driving the engine for a month or so he'd pull the oil drain and
drain the motor before pulling it out of the car. The insides would be super clean where the Marvel oil soaked all the crud loose. (the oil pan was usually full of crud that had broken off in clumps)
These friction drives are really growing on me for their simplicity of fabrication, inespensive easily available motors & parts, potential gas millage, and still maintaining the pedal drive. It still has a bicycle nature about it which would
appeal to the "Green" spirit of young people and the grocery getter for seniors
where the general public and Law Enforcement agencies would have to even concede the economic necessity of these times driving seniors to this form of conveyance for their daily errands.
