Finishing the Greyhound Build!!!
- Thread starter Elmo
- Start date
Lance Portnoff
New Member
good luck on your project
silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Good to see you're back building, Elmo. Fun eh?
SB
SB
Elmo
New Member
Yeah it is fun Silverbear sometimes. This one went together easily, I started it yesterday evening and finished it today except for paint. I pulled it 20 miles to see how it would do and everything was o.k. except it is too light. It turned over from bouncing over some bumps. It pulls like a dream, all it needs is a couple of bricks in it.
I already had the hitch from a Schwinn tag along and all I had to do was make a compatible hookup and figure a way to make it swivel when the bike leans over in a turn. It was easy, I used a couple of 1/2" nuts brazed in the tongue and screwed in a section of 1/2" allthread. Works like a charm.
I already had the hitch from a Schwinn tag along and all I had to do was make a compatible hookup and figure a way to make it swivel when the bike leans over in a turn. It was easy, I used a couple of 1/2" nuts brazed in the tongue and screwed in a section of 1/2" allthread. Works like a charm.
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silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Pretty neat. That should work really nice. I don't know if you're going to put wood on the sides, but it would add a little weight. Well, when you come out to the parking lot you don't have much trouble spotting which bike is yours, do you! I just got a HF motor yesterday and spent the day fiddling around with first running it for awhile and then removing the gas tank and muffler, staring at the the air filter and getting a couple of ideas, then cutting aluminum plate for the mounting plate, a couple pieces of angle iron and tomorrow will get U bolts and another hockey puck. I have to go back to the early part of your build to see what you did about hooking up the throttle, disconnecting the governor, etc. I'm using an EZM transmission, not being as inventive as you. Looking forward to fooling the the Greyhound. Looks like a pretty nice motor for $82.00. Pretty amazing.
SB
SB
Elmo
New Member
SB I used a brake lever and brake cable for my throttle. I just removed the connection between the gov mech and the carb. the lever still moves when you rev the engine. I cannot see any loss of power from that, I wouldn't go inside the engine to remover the governor, too much sugar for a dime. I have had mine up to 38.5 mph since I adjusted the valves and replaced the sparkplug. Good luck with your build, I know that it will look real nice like your other builds. You sure have a touch to build good looking bikes. Mine are more for use than looks, as one of my friends Grandfather used to say, "To h__l with the looks, service is what I want." I don't think any of the hotrods that I built ever had a decent paint job but they sure would go like stink.
silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Elmo,
I always enjoy reading your posts. They'd go like stink, eh? I never heard that one before. Ha! Thanks for your kind words and good advice. I'll disconnect the governor tomorrow and have a left over kit throttle I will change over to leather covered foam grips. I'm trying to read up and get up to speed on the HF motor. If I can't find anything on adjusting the valves perhaps you can point me and others in the right direction. What spark plug do you suggest? There is a beauty in what works well, is practical and straightforward, utilitarian... a machine that does what it is supposed to do. I like machines and I like your bike.
SB
I always enjoy reading your posts. They'd go like stink, eh? I never heard that one before. Ha! Thanks for your kind words and good advice. I'll disconnect the governor tomorrow and have a left over kit throttle I will change over to leather covered foam grips. I'm trying to read up and get up to speed on the HF motor. If I can't find anything on adjusting the valves perhaps you can point me and others in the right direction. What spark plug do you suggest? There is a beauty in what works well, is practical and straightforward, utilitarian... a machine that does what it is supposed to do. I like machines and I like your bike.
SB
Dan
Staff
I am thinking a ball hitch mounted above the rear wheel. The only ones mass produced seem huge. What ya think?
Some how incorporated to a book rack. Don't want the seat post height to be regulated by the hitch. Or having to fabricate with the post in mind. Ball hitch would be quick on an' off..... Just thunking out loud.
Oh, check your mail! LOL, I know, way late but I have a set of great excuses!
Some how incorporated to a book rack. Don't want the seat post height to be regulated by the hitch. Or having to fabricate with the post in mind. Ball hitch would be quick on an' off..... Just thunking out loud.
Oh, check your mail! LOL, I know, way late but I have a set of great excuses!
Elmo
New Member
Once when I was looking on the net for trailer ideas I saw a little ball hitch for bikes but have no idea where. I had it bookmarked but lost all my bookmarks when the computer went south. Maybe you can find it. What size balls do the motorcycles use? Also when I was doing hotshot pulling trailers all across the country I saw an equalizing hitch That had a couple of 1" balls for the equalizing part. no idea if any of this is of help. I just happened to have an extra seat tube on my bike so that made it easy.
Dan
Staff
Elmo! the certificates I spent the morning on are so dang funny and acknowledged your amazing ability use parts you had. I can't figure out how to post!!!!!! Cant even load em up to photobucket. Help!? they are really cool, look great and make fun of our engineering, personal hygiene and living skills. Did send the prizes out this morning and will send tracking code.
Just sayin' thanks. I really enjoy your unique take on building these crazy things.
Just sayin' thanks. I really enjoy your unique take on building these crazy things.
Elmo
New Member
It was a NGK-BPR4HS spark plug. I am sure there are others but that is what was available locally. It has run quite well for me.
If it was me I would wait till it was broken in before I fooled with the valves. Give them time to wear in. This is how I adjust mine. Got the engine warmed up. Rolled the engine over until it came up on compression stroke, this has both valves closed. I think it was a 10mm nut on the rocker arms, loosen the nut and used a screwdriver to set the clearance for a snug but not tight fit on the feeler gauge. It has to slide in and out fairly easily. If in doubt set them on the loose side because you can burn the valves if it is set too tight. My engine had lost 1 mph and after I set the valves it gained back the 1mph plus another .5 mph so I guess they were loose to start with. Have fun.
INTAKE .006
EXHAUST .008
silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Thank you. I've stored away the information for probably next summer before the motor is broken in. Getting colder here and I expect snow within a week. There may still be some riding weather yet. I hope so.
SB
SB
whelan wheels
Member
hello there elmo how goes it,well done on your build design,it looks strong and roubust. Wanted to ask you if you had any pics of the bottom sqaure tubing used on your bike as in the thickness of the walls on it? Also what are the dimentions of the inside of the added frame parts that you brazed in,i.e. as in height,length ,also how are yor motor mounts put in place do you have any close up pic's of it. I'm planning on building a frame like so very soon over the winter i've already did a drawing design of this idea very simular to yours four or five years ago but didn't have the parts neccisary to start my project with but now i do. looks like you beat me to the punch
.if you could assist me in construction that would be appreciated you p.m. me as to what your e-mail addres would be so we could chat futher on this on msn chat if at all possible. I must say a most intruging design indeed,well done dear sir well done.
.if you could assist me in construction that would be appreciated you p.m. me as to what your e-mail addres would be so we could chat futher on this on msn chat if at all possible. I must say a most intruging design indeed,well done dear sir well done. O.K., I know it's been a few months since I started The Low Rider project (motivated by following Elmo's Bike project...Thanks a bunch), but I've made some real progress. My goal was a Christmas test run but that looks like somewhat of a long shot. The rear suspension really slowed me up; hope 1-1/2" of travel is worth it. I went with a 10/24 - 10/44 jack shaft setup, that should push me 41.5 mph at 6000 rpm. Fast enough I think. (Elmo, what do you think of a 10.56:1 Ratio??) I made a copper exhaust with a baffle setup. Nearly no back pressure. It's not too loud but I may pack it with stainless scrubbers to quiet it down a bit more.
I have a friend and neighbor who races carts with these engines and he has been an invaluable resource; that's what its all about; bench racing and garage engineering. Motivated by my cart racing neighbor, I added a high flow air filter, changed the idle and main jets, ported the exhaust and of course removed all the internal governor parts from the engine. It should be around 8 1/2 HP. The bike i almost 9' long tire to tire... not very practical but maybe I'll do a commuter bike next since this one is not likely to be comfortable for more than a half hour at a time.
If anyone else is building a Harbor Freight / lifan project, and wants to do any engine upgrades or tuning I will be happy to relay any info I have found.
Just typing this post has fired me up!! It's Friday night but I'm putting down my beer and going back to the Garage!!
I have a friend and neighbor who races carts with these engines and he has been an invaluable resource; that's what its all about; bench racing and garage engineering. Motivated by my cart racing neighbor, I added a high flow air filter, changed the idle and main jets, ported the exhaust and of course removed all the internal governor parts from the engine. It should be around 8 1/2 HP. The bike i almost 9' long tire to tire... not very practical but maybe I'll do a commuter bike next since this one is not likely to be comfortable for more than a half hour at a time.
If anyone else is building a Harbor Freight / lifan project, and wants to do any engine upgrades or tuning I will be happy to relay any info I have found.
Just typing this post has fired me up!! It's Friday night but I'm putting down my beer and going back to the Garage!!
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silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Very neat build. I hope you'll break this loose and give it your own thread. It deserves it. I looked for your previous post & didn't see it... wanted to be clear on what engine that is. It looks like the 2.5 hsp. Is that possible you got that up to 8.5? I'd like very much to know more details of what you've done to that engine and I hope you have some photos of the changes you've made to it. This is what we need to know... how to get better performance and power out of what is already there.
I also like your copper exhaust. I made one up in copper for the HS engine and in just a few minutes it generated so much heat that it melted the silver soldered unions. I'm encouraged to see yours appears to be holding up. I wonder if the Greyhound is less hot at the exhaust. Did you silver solder your unions or use something else?
Do you think it is necessary to remove the internal parts of the governor or is simply disconnecting the externals enough?
I just picked up another 2,5 HSP Greyhound and will be building it into a 53 Schwinn cantilever frame over the course of the winter. Any advice on improving the performance of the engine would be much appreciated and no doubt by others as well.
Looking forward to your test ride. Good luck!
SB
I also looked for prior posts; it looks like there were three posts total for this bike, all contained in this thread.
rmillerb, I second SB's proposal for a separate build thread for your bike, and am also requesting HF79cc hopup info!