Hello from Central Florida

[Billcrow]

Wow this is a great site. I just came across this sport/hobby and I'm really excited to get going. I bought a Chinagirl (did I get the right? lol) T80 kit off of Ebay. Probably should have come here first for some advice on that purchase but I own it now. I'm retired, was a desk jockey, and I'm trying to see if I have any mechanical ability left in this old body. The kit was cheap so if I have to destroy this one as a learning experience so be it.

The quality of this kit is questionable but I guess you get what you pay for. I'm off to Harbor Freight to get some impact tools just to get the screws out to install the motor on my Huffy Beach cruiser (paint overspray, poorly threaded bolts etc.). One question that I haven't seen answered on the FAQs. Is it common for the clutch arm to be not functional right out of the box? I have no spring tension on the arm at all. Like the clutch is perhaps stuck in the engaged (or disengaged for that matter, I'm a rookie) position. I read Norms repair section on clutches and will tear into it once I get tools that will work better then my current hand tools. So, is it common to get a kit that has these (clutch issues etc.) right out of the box???

 

[James912]

Your clutch bearings may have dried out, or its set too tight. If you take the clutch cover off(cover that covers the chain sprocket that the clutch bar goes down into and pull the small bar thats sticking out of the shaft, behind that is a small bearing, quite a bit bigger than a mardi graw beads. It may be dry so ya may need to tilt your bike to the left so the shaft is facing downwards just have your hand over that opening in the shaft and the bearing should fall out. To loosen the clutch if it is set too tight, take the right side cover off and take the brass screw that is holding the flower nut in place off. Pull in the clutch if you can, and push against the silver plate with your fingers and at the same time turn the flower nut counter clockwise with your fingers to loosen. If that doesn't do it, the others on this forum can help ya more.

 

[Billcrow]

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to check out your suggestion and see if it fixes this issue. Appreciate it so much.

 

[Billcrow]

James thanks again. Problem solved, I have tension and the motor will engage and disengage. Now I do think the clutch will need to be adjusted when I get to the end of my build but at least I feel comfortable that it's functioning now.

Thanks man. Bill

 

[Mannhouse51]

Welcome to the forum . Looking forward to your progress.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Here are my guidelines for building: predominant riding terrain, lookup and read local legal requirements, primary rider's physique and budget. Do your research stay within these guidelines and you'll have a bike you can enjoy riding.

 

[Billcrow]

Thanks for the tips folks. I'm already having fun debugging little issues with my kit. I'll put photos up on the site when I'm complete. This forum is a God send for the research. I promise all of you that I'll read first before I ask. thanks again.