another question from the villiage idiot

[deacon]

Most of you know I'm no mechanic. Best I can do is butcher a perfectly good engine, but today I have a question about options.

I have a weed whacker engine brand new... I disassembled it and now I am trying to make it work. Well I didn't take it apart completely but I have this here lil ole problem.

It did not have a clutch which I didn't want anyway. What it had was a hollow tube screwed onto the drive shaft that held the cable to the cutting head. Now I want to use that rod to mount a gear on. So here is the problem the rod is 11mm od.. the gear hub is 1/2 id.

So I figure these are my option. reducing bushing, if I can find one, for the inside of the gear for sure. Then drill and run a pin through the hub. Or get the outside of the rod threaded and run lock washers and nuts on it to hold the gear. I am thing pin at the moment since there is no channel in the hub. It goes to a #35 chain which will turn a small scooter wheel, which will press against my bike wheel. Rube Goldberg eat your heart out.

So what can I use for a reducing bushing or shim.. Any other advice would be appreciated

 

[deacon]

Never mind I went to home depot and found a plastic bushing the that was right for the gear then i drilled it right for the axle. I put a hole in the axle and a pin. Not sure it will hold but we shall see.

It makes me think now that I could have done the same with a brash busing. Got a 1/2 inch outside diameter then drilled the inside to 11mm.

Oh well next time. I'm sure there will be a next time.

 

[Dave31]

Glad you found something to work Deacon

 

[deacon]

alas the whole thing fell apart on me. Not literally but the gear was twisted so it is on to plan b which actually seems to be working out. It's just a redesign of one of my other incarnations.

Oh well.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Come on deacon, your a photographer, take some pictures and show us this stuff. It's fun seeing how your mind works..........................

 

[deacon]

I have shut down for today but I'll show you the new design tomorrow. it had to do with stiffening up the motor mount.

But here is the problem of the day. To remount the engine more in a more stable manner I had to turn it on it's side. Yes it will run but since my episode with the seized engine I worry about the gas flow. I also can't fill the tank with the filler cap on the side.

So here is the question of the day, what cool thing can I use for a gas tank. It should be:

1. Easily available

2. Have a screw top. I can vent it and I can even close any existing openings in the cap.

3. I would like the plastic stronger then the film coke bottles. Rigid would be best.

4. The bike is full of junk now so mounting is going to be difficult. I have a little space on the seat post. I think I can slip a small bottle in there.

5. I need at least 12oz. 16oz would be better.

6. It should be clear so that I can see how much gas is in the tank. Not absolutely necessary since this bike won't drag start. When it shuts off I'm gonna know something is wrong. I'll just engage the suicide clutch.

So now you can chew on it while I chew on it as well. On the chainsaw bike which made about one short trip before I screwed it up beyond hope, I used a large thermos bottle with the glass liner broken. I'm going to rob the gas lines from it. The bottle is too long for this build.

I have been toying with the idea of a plastic coke bottle with one of those cheapo plastic cup holder things secured to the seat post with a hose clamp to keep the coke bottle rigid. Not sure about that though.

 

[deacon]

NEW QUESTION

Picture this.. I bought a brand new weedeater then destroyed it for the engine. I put it on the bike and ran it a few times. The drive wheel was wobbling making it very crazy vibrations. Finally broke the motor mount. I couldn't get it to start but I figured it was just the vibration and twisted.

So I remounted it and hooked everything up. I tried to start it but no luck. I am getting gas (soaked plug).. Fire I can't tell without taking the motor off the bike yet again. I might have to do that but it is a last resort. I am letting it dry out just in case it is just flooded. I'll give it a couple of hours and then try it again. If worse comes to worse I will pull it down and try to figure out if it is getting fire.

The compression is good even though I abused it pretty good yesterday. If you have any ideas please dont hesitate to suggest. I switch out the plugs and neither one would start the bike.

Additional information.
I found that I had the frame touching the magneto. Not sure it made any difference because when I insulated it I still had no fire on the plug it seems.

I wonder if all that vibration did something to the magneto.

 

[deacon]

When I got into look at the magneto I found a big red x on it in grease pencil. I think they used a faulty magneto on the motor. Of course the warrant is out since I destroyed it as a weed wacker.

I have a magneto from a 25cc weed whacker different brand. So can I swap them out.

 

[deacon]

Okay since I didn't get an answer I went ahead and tried to switch out the magneto pickups. It didn't work but I did find that my spark plug wire is damaged. Does anyone know how to repair or replace it. Its on a weed whacker engine/

 

[Norman]

can you unscrew it? if its held in by epoxy get out the soldering iron and melt the epoxy and use 5 min epoxy to mount the new wire. someone put it together the first time you just have to figure out how to put it back together once you tear it apart.
Norman

 

[deacon]

How about I go to the damaged section of the wire and cut it out. Then put a pin in the cut area a quarter inch up each wire then tape the pure **** out it. Would that work.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Try to get a couple pins stuck in there, three would be even better, but yeah, that's a good idea.

 

[deacon]

If it don't fire when I try it today, I'm gonna go with the pins. What the hay the wire is probably ruined anyway if it wont start. I got nothing to lose and I might save a trip to the auto parts store not to mention not having to take the motor off again. None of the cable fit the same when I put it back.

 

[deacon]

I got very very lucky. I put a lot of electrical tape over the cut area and it did the trick. I have spark and the engine fired right up just like it was supposed to. I had to adjust the pickup in relation to the flywheel. I had to take the motor off yet again. At least I really do know how to break that bike down in a hurry.

Now I am building a drive wheel for the engine that I hope will be in a better balance.