Pull start china doll?

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mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Is there any problem with pedal crank clearance using these?
I have a genesis 29 from walmart.
There can be, it the engine is mounted high enough in the frame that pedal don't contact pull start you're good to go, but if pedal crank hits pull start, you will need to do one of three things,

1. heat cranks with torch and put a bit of a dog leg bend so the cranks clear

2. buy wider cranks

3. if there is enough room in frame to raise height of engine so the crank arm will pass just under pull start.

the last is a fairly easy solution if the frame will allow and you have a way to make an extended front engine mount.

the first two options are the most common since so many frames dont allow you to raise the engine enough to clear.

the "daimond shaped mountain bike and fixie road bike frame give plenty of room for raising the engine, but most cruiser frames don't.

The 29er might have room, but you'll just have to experiment to see what you have.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Can't help for my engine mounts high.


Fly
Nice looking ride there.... I been looking at those fixie bikes myself, very good price on those and they are perfect for motorizing.

I wont one to build a 24" wheeled motorized bike from with suspension forks, coaster rear and disc brake on the front...
 

Slogger

Member
Sep 8, 2014
544
4
18
nohio
There can be, it the engine is mounted high enough in the frame that pedal don't contact pull start you're good to go, but if pedal crank hits pull start, you will need to do one of three things,

1. heat cranks with torch and put a bit of a dog leg bend so the cranks clear

2. buy wider cranks

3. if there is enough room in frame to raise height of engine so the crank arm will pass just under pull start.

the last is a fairly easy solution if the frame will allow and you have a way to make an extended front engine mount.

the first two options are the most common since so many frames dont allow you to raise the engine enough to clear.

the "daimond shaped mountain bike and fixie road bike frame give plenty of room for raising the engine, but most cruiser frames don't.

The 29er might have room, but you'll just have to experiment to see what you have.
Thanks, Mapbike.
That's what I was wondering. Pull start would be nice, a lot easier on the drive parts and rear wheel. I just checked and the engine is low enough to hit them, I have about 5/8" clearance.
 
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mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Thanks, Mapbike.
That's what I was wondering. Pull start would be nice, a lot easier on the drive parts and rear wheel. I just checked and the engine is low enough to hit them, I have about 5/8" clearance.
the pull starts are nice when you get a good one, sounds like wider cranks would be your fix for using one.
 

Slogger

Member
Sep 8, 2014
544
4
18
nohio
Yup. I could move it up, but it would have to be about 2" higher and that would take a new front mount spacer and u bolt and leave it riding higher than I want it to be.
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
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0
San Antonio Texas
Mine had issues with the pull start hitting the pedal cranks as well as the centrifugal clutch I had installed on the other side but I just put a double bend on the crank arms so they were just clearing on each side by about 1/8". Another option would be to get a wide crank kit, but most one piece cranks will bend easy enough by slipping a 3 foot long pipe over the crank and bending them out while stabilizing the bike , just make the bend close to the crank base, then you can make a second bend up closer to the pedal so it'll still pedal straight when pedaling. You can also heat the crank to make them bend easier, but not a good idea on a fully assembled bike since it'll melt or even ignite your bearing grease and can toast any aluminum parts like an aluminum frame by overheating the aluminum enough for it to lose it's heat treatment.

If you already have a 3 piece crank it's best to just buy a wider crank set unless you can find a set of cranks that'll bolt onto your center that are already double bent.
 

Flyman

Member
Nov 28, 2014
259
3
18
Vian Oklahoma
Well a typical china made part guys. The holes needed to be relocated
& I had to counter bore the cover to recess heads. But it works. The breaded
wire pull rope is nice through.

Fly
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
10
0
San Antonio Texas
One other thing I've noticed with mine is that the rope does wear out that plastic fairlead pretty quickly, I've read that applying some wax on the rope would help lube the rope and fairlead and help slow down this wear... I'm wondering how the cable is going to hold out and what kind of wear it might cause at the fairlead. I do think the cablle is a good idea as long as it doesn't start to fray and eat away the plastic guide at the top like the rope does. Either way I'm planning on just replacing mine with a better all metal one when the rope finally wears out.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Well this is it BUT it does not show the cable. The cable is stranded wire just
like a throttle cable though. When you pull up this amazon site Bikeberry has on
listed at to cheaper & with prime. It looks the same, but maybe the plastic one
Map was talking about. But the $26 I bought came from China, & if its the same,
I recommend it. http://www.amazon.com/Alloy-Start-Engine-Motorized-PU11/dp/B007VEYKB8 Hope I helped, Fly
wow amazon is proud of that, the same one can be had for less than $15 from a guy in Florida, i tried mine out on my latest GT5 engine just to see how it would fit up and it fit perfectly, no mods required.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=281594473912&alt=web

actually $14 free shipping, its the all metal one with cable pull rope.

just wanted to pass this along so you can get a better xeal on the next one.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Just noticed that.... $26 is pretty pricy for these....
yeah what i was thinking, one thing that i dont like about the ones with the cable is that the cable will cut into the edge of the hole it pulls through very quick if its pulled at an angle at all, my first pullstarter wasthe cable type and the cable broke fairly quickso i put a high quality pull rope thats typically used in chainsaws and never had another issue with it.

what i consider my best pull starter already has what looks to be a good rope in it and its all metal as well.


I think I give about $16 or $17 for it on ebay.