1976 Western Flyer

Yes, but I would prefer to pay $5.00 for a tube instead of $10.00. I'd also prefer paying $10.00 for a tire instead of $15.00.

Got around to some engine work finally. I took off the flywheel and replaced the points and condenser and I am now using a points magneto. Tomorrow after a trip out to a friends place, I'll have a 12v SLA battery so I can use a car coil I got from the junk yard as well as run a headlight and taillight someone gave me. I also ended up breaking a couple fins off the flywheel removing it, so I'm gonna have to get a new one. I'm gonna have to anyway because I picked up an electric starter for this engine and I know where I can get a 2hp Briggs with the ring gear on the flywheel; plus I could use a few other things from the engine as well. I took the shroud, tank, and air filter down to the metal and I've painted them green. It's not the same green the bike was, but it looks nice with the red flywheel. Tomorrow I'm gonna paint the engine green, the pcv chrome, and I might put a layer of chrome on the gas tank. It's engine paint, so there won't be a problem. That's kinda about it for now, if anyone wants pictures I upload whatever I take to http://www.flickr.com/photos/35546685@N05/ I also have videos up on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/livesteamfan1

curtisfox said:

Don't realy need to get a diferent flywheel just brake the same amount of fin off the other side and it will be in ballance..if you take your time and are carefull,a little grinding it will look like they came that way................Curt

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Yeah, but I would need a different one anyway to use the starter I picked up. The engine it's on is a newer 2hp that doesn't burn oil like this one does, and the flywheel on it is aluminum. I can get the other for next to nothing, so I figure why not. I've been running it as it is but it vibrates a lot above 2500 rpm, so I don't go too fast.

chainmaker said:

Nice looking bike, the starters and batteries are going to weigh a bunch. There are tons of things you can do to a Briggs check out my thread http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=44393&page=3
And this thread. http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=49314

And a pic with a Briggs sitting low and centered with a j shaft, I still need to make a different intake manifold. I have a extra small flo jet carb if you wanted to drop the touchy diaphragm carb, but you would need a remote tank.

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Very nice! The starter I have doesn't weigh too much, it cam off a 3hp lawnmower and the battery weighs maybe 1lb; it's just a 3a/h. I'm quite happy with the carb I have. This one is actually not a diaphragm carb, it's straight from the tank without that fuel pump. I would like to be able to use a flo jet so I could have a bigger remote tank, but this one works. I'll check out the threads when I can. How much would you want for the flo jet?

chainmaker said:

Let me know when and if you need it you can have it for shipping, I've got some nice 3 and 4 inch tubing for tanks as well.

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Well, I'll look into the shipping and I'll send that when I can afford it. Thanks!

Of course the day after I say the carb I have is a nice one, the pickup tube breaks off while 5 miles from home. I went to a close by friends house and used super glue to get me home, which it did and no more. I really don't know what to use to keep it up in there. Chainmaker, if you see this, I sent you a PM about your carburetor. I forgot to mention that I don't need the tubing for tanks, I have one around here somewhere that I can use. I would say send it out, but I don't have any money at all to pay for shipping and I don't know when I will.

The Briggs is too far gone for me to fix it. It's not that I can't do the work, it's that I can't afford the new piston rings and a different carburetor. As it currently sits, it'll foul the plug with oil in about 30 seconds and it's constantly smoking and blowing a ton of oil out the exhaust. The carburetor pickup keeps falling off, it won't stay in adjustment and I can't run it over 1/4 throttle without it surging. I also think the exhaust valve might be sticking or something because at low rpm I get fire out the exhaust. So, I'm picking up a 3.5 HP Tecumseh tomorrow. It hasn't been run in a little over a year, but doesn't need anything besides a carb cleaning. I was told it's less than 10 years old. Either way, the best part is that it's free!

Well, I've decided to at least try and make this look like a professional build. I ordered the 4-stroke engine mount from boygofast on ebay, and I'm gonna get a 79cc Predator when I can. I have the hardware to make a jackshaft, make a mount plate that'll fit the 79cc, and I'm gonna try to talk a friend into giving me a clutch and sprocket he took off of something that he's never gonna use again. Harbor Freight is having a 75% off sale tomorrow and I'm hoping I can also use my 20% off coupon as well. Then when it's all tested and working how it should, I have an almost new bike that I can put everything on to make it look much nicer than the old '76 Western Flyer with all its rust and now badly done paint job; it's one of those 50' bikes, it looks good from 50' away, but not up close.

Picked up the engine on sale for 75% off I could use the coupon, but $25 +tax is a good price for an engine that's usually $100. Removed the muffler and tank to make room. Tomorrow I'm going to rework the original engine mount plate that I had so it'll fit in place of the plate that came with the mount I bought being that one is too small. Then I need to figure out how to put all this junk together.