Huffy Nel Lusso - 1st build by a new guy
- Thread starter Three-Wire
- Start date
No pictures tonight... I re-mounted the enigine without rubber based on the consensus opinion in this thread. Still had to tweak the muffler to clear everything, but some grunting and a padded bench vise took care of that. Also painted the gas tank and chain guard... Couldn't find a perfect match, but Krylon Chocolate Brown is close enough to look decent.
Tomorrow night I'll work out the clutch cable and handle, and hopefully the ignition box & plug gapping, but I'm about out of major things to accomplish until the new orders of brakes, wheels, and intake manifold arive. Bear with me, but it may be Labor Day before I can log much more progress...
Tomorrow night I'll work out the clutch cable and handle, and hopefully the ignition box & plug gapping, but I'm about out of major things to accomplish until the new orders of brakes, wheels, and intake manifold arive. Bear with me, but it may be Labor Day before I can log much more progress...
Hey Three-wire, it's your buddy from garden. I just ordered all my stuff from gasbike but found no coupon so paid full shipping. 26 dollars is not that big a deal. I ordered the GRUBEE 2010 SkyHawk GT5 66cc/80cc Angle Fire Slant Head Bike Motor Kit the offset intake along with the dual break throttle handle. I'll go pick up my huffy tonight. It's similar to yours, but champain colored with tan fenders and no rack on the back. I'll be painting the gas take, fenders and a few other parts a cranberry metalic color so it should pretty trick when all said and done.
I've decided to go with coster breaks along with side pull breaks on both wheels. I figure one can't have to much breaking power, plus I always over do everything I seem to build. Sounds like your going down the same road with the wheels you're thinking about purchasing.
Question for you..... What sized universal motor mount did purchase though sickbikeparts??? I would like to order the same one.
Take care. I gotta go teach class.
I've decided to go with coster breaks along with side pull breaks on both wheels. I figure one can't have to much breaking power, plus I always over do everything I seem to build. Sounds like your going down the same road with the wheels you're thinking about purchasing.
Question for you..... What sized universal motor mount did purchase though sickbikeparts??? I would like to order the same one.
Take care. I gotta go teach class.
Same codes, just replace KMB with GB...
Dude! Welcome! When you get your calipers, don't get the Tektro ones I mentioned early in the thread... They're too big, and there's some discussion here about it. I've got another set coming and will post details when they arrive. As for the motor mount, that'll depend on your bike. Mine had a 1.5" downtube, but yours may be different - SickBikeParts shipping was really fast so ordering it after you have the bike shouldn't be a problem. The engine bolt spacing is 1.6".
Thanks for the welcome!! Your bike is looking really good!! I just got my bike today. They didn't have any unassembled bikes so I'll start taking my bike apart this evening. I'll start taking pictures as I go. Thanks for the warning on the breaks. Lucky for me I have a bike shop in town that's willing to play nice with me and my huffy bike as long as i'm ordering parts from him. I have a pair of alloy breaks (front/rear) for cruiser bikes on there way. I'm also toying with the idea of having him order me some hanger handle bars. Either that or a longer stem for my original handle bars. There's not a lot of room for my knees on this bike. Sorry to hear about your experiences with your local bike shops. The guy here told me to tell you to look around for low-rider bike shops. They seem to understand we who like to tinker fabricate and build on a budget.
Tonight I'll be stripping the bike down so I can start painting the fenders and chain guard. I'm thinking about painting the crank also but first I must clean the garage out so I have a place to work on it. So off to the garage I go.
Take care and I look forward to seeing some updated photos
Tonight I'll be stripping the bike down so I can start painting the fenders and chain guard. I'm thinking about painting the crank also but first I must clean the garage out so I have a place to work on it. So off to the garage I go.
Take care and I look forward to seeing some updated photos
Parts have all arrived! I've got everything I need to finish this build (I think) and a 3-day weekend to work on it. Stay tuned...
So how is the bike coming along Three-wire?? I had house work today so didn't touch mine. I have a couple questions for you. Have you delt with that crazy looking cylinder head / head gasket issue? I looked at my head gasket yesterday and noticed that mine was just as crazy looking as yours was. Also if you wouldn't mind please send me some pictures from different view points of your motor mount that you got from sickbikeparts. I'm considering buying one but would like to see how it fits on your bike first. I might just make my own mount. Hope your 3day weekend is going well.
Opus44
Opus44
Ok, so the honey-do list was long but completed. 
And I manufactured some distractions as well, but there was some tinkering completed.
I got the carb installed with the new aluminum intake manifold - it fits better than the manifold that came in the kit but still contacts the seat tube. Think I'll leave it this way and see how she runs.
All essential items are installed on the handlebar and cables are routed temporarily. One of my distractions was dying some zip-ties brown to match the frame... Another was a new mountain bike.
Gas tank is painted and installed, chain guard is painted as well.
The new brakes are here and will work well, but the fenders are going to require modification. I'll probably leave them off at first and work on better brackets too.
New wheels are here but are not installed yet. I ordered them from Lynn at CustomMotoredBikes.com and am very pleased with the service and products. Lynn also had the intake manifold and the new kickstand...
opus, here's some better pictures of the front motor mount. I really like the extra hardware he supplies to adapt the geometry to almost any installation and the parts fit perfectly.
Won't get to work on it until next weekend, but the next major project is the drive sprocket and chain installation. I've got 4 days to think that process over.
And I manufactured some distractions as well, but there was some tinkering completed. I got the carb installed with the new aluminum intake manifold - it fits better than the manifold that came in the kit but still contacts the seat tube. Think I'll leave it this way and see how she runs.
All essential items are installed on the handlebar and cables are routed temporarily. One of my distractions was dying some zip-ties brown to match the frame... Another was a new mountain bike.
Gas tank is painted and installed, chain guard is painted as well.
The new brakes are here and will work well, but the fenders are going to require modification. I'll probably leave them off at first and work on better brackets too.
New wheels are here but are not installed yet. I ordered them from Lynn at CustomMotoredBikes.com and am very pleased with the service and products. Lynn also had the intake manifold and the new kickstand...
opus, here's some better pictures of the front motor mount. I really like the extra hardware he supplies to adapt the geometry to almost any installation and the parts fit perfectly.
Won't get to work on it until next weekend, but the next major project is the drive sprocket and chain installation. I've got 4 days to think that process over.
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It's a steel frame.If that is an alum. frame on the brown bike you might want to put a steel liner under the u-bolt on the frame,and how do you dye plastic zip ties
Dying zip-ties is easy! I used Rit dye from the supermarket (usually in the same area as shoe polish). Soaked them in a coffee can full of hot water with some salt and the dye for a few hours and presto! Brown zip ties...
That's a good idea!I'm gonna file that under good idea's in the back of my mind!Bikes looking good also.Kip.
Thanks for the pictures Three-wire. I decided to just make my own mount and it turned out looking a lot like the one your ordered. Mine just goes forward on the down tube instead of back like yours. Your bike is starting to look awesome!!!! Have fun with that mountain bike.
Good luck w/ that. I have the same bike and it has been a real pain in the butt.
After studying your pictures three-wire I've noticed that you've hooked your clutch up around your carb. Looks really professional. Did you do that yourself or is that an aftermarket part??? My bike is all together minus the seat. Once I figure out where all the pink lines on the carb go I'll try starting.
Take care,
Opus
Take care,
Opus
I was wondring if someone would notice that... I bought it from a member of another forum who makes and sells them on a small scale. Something that could easily be made from Lowe's or Home Depot parts, but I'm shorter on time than money these days. Seems like a much better geometry for clutch actuation than the stock setup, which appeals to my inner engineer. Here's the link:
MotoredBikes.com: Motorized Bicycle Forum
r00t4rd3d, thanks! I have been wondering about those pink lines as well...
Slowly but surely... I seem to only be able to free up Sunday afternoons to work on this bike. Made some good progress today, but hit a new obstacle too.
2 bits of advice for the next new guy:
1) If your idler doesn't turn when you tighten it down against it's mount, take it all apart and fully seat the bearing inside the idler. See picture, lightly tap with a hammer where I'm pointing... (Thanks opus!)
2) Don't mess with bending the coaster arm until you've installed and trued the drive sprocket! Once the sprocket bolts are all tightened down, it may not be necessary to bend the coaster arm for clearance.
I installed the CDI box in front of the engine at a convenient junction of frame tubes. Wired everything up per the Grubee instructions, grounded the kill switch to the engine mount.
My replacement wheels from CustomMotoredBikes.com arrived a couple weeks ago and I finally got them installed today. They seem much sturdier than the stock Huffy wheels and I didn't have to tweak the coaster arm to clear the sprocket. Sprocket installation was relatively easy since I'd already opened up the center hole to clear the dustcap.
I was able to set the drive chain correctly without the idler, and I think the pedal chain is close enough. The pedal chain is a bit looser than I'd like, but if doesn't work out I'll start playing with half-links and use the idler as a last resort.
Thought there would be issues with the clutch, since when I first tested it the rear wheel would still turn over the engine. I had removed the head to pre-oil the engine and was tesing the clutch setup without compression - torquing the head and installing the gapped spark plug gave enough compression to free the clutch plates. Things are working as they should now.
Unforunately, when I installed the shut-off valve in the fuel tank, I found this week's obstacle. The shut-off valve nipple wants to go straight into the frame... Suggestions, anyone? I think I'll have to find another fitting and some sort of in-line valve to get around this.
The throttle cable is way too long... I'll have to disassemble the carb and shorten things up in there. I think it'd run okay as-is, but I know I can't get to full throttle and the first 1/3 of handle twist just takes out slack with no effect on the carb.
The to-do list for next weekend looks like this:
a) resolve fuel line rouing issue & finish plumbing
b) shorten throttle cable & rear brake cable sheath
c) cleanup wire/cable routing
d) modify/install drive chain guard
e) remove tires to install anti-puncture liners & get rear tire turning the correct direction
f) install my $0.99 ebay bicycle computer
g) modify fenders an install
h) ride the darn thing!
g) and h) may not be in that order...
Thanks everyone for all your feedback. Bear with me, this may be the longest new-frame build project in the history of this site but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...
2 bits of advice for the next new guy:
1) If your idler doesn't turn when you tighten it down against it's mount, take it all apart and fully seat the bearing inside the idler. See picture, lightly tap with a hammer where I'm pointing... (Thanks opus!)
2) Don't mess with bending the coaster arm until you've installed and trued the drive sprocket! Once the sprocket bolts are all tightened down, it may not be necessary to bend the coaster arm for clearance.
I installed the CDI box in front of the engine at a convenient junction of frame tubes. Wired everything up per the Grubee instructions, grounded the kill switch to the engine mount.
My replacement wheels from CustomMotoredBikes.com arrived a couple weeks ago and I finally got them installed today. They seem much sturdier than the stock Huffy wheels and I didn't have to tweak the coaster arm to clear the sprocket. Sprocket installation was relatively easy since I'd already opened up the center hole to clear the dustcap.
I was able to set the drive chain correctly without the idler, and I think the pedal chain is close enough. The pedal chain is a bit looser than I'd like, but if doesn't work out I'll start playing with half-links and use the idler as a last resort.
Thought there would be issues with the clutch, since when I first tested it the rear wheel would still turn over the engine. I had removed the head to pre-oil the engine and was tesing the clutch setup without compression - torquing the head and installing the gapped spark plug gave enough compression to free the clutch plates. Things are working as they should now.
Unforunately, when I installed the shut-off valve in the fuel tank, I found this week's obstacle. The shut-off valve nipple wants to go straight into the frame... Suggestions, anyone? I think I'll have to find another fitting and some sort of in-line valve to get around this.
The throttle cable is way too long... I'll have to disassemble the carb and shorten things up in there. I think it'd run okay as-is, but I know I can't get to full throttle and the first 1/3 of handle twist just takes out slack with no effect on the carb.
The to-do list for next weekend looks like this:
a) resolve fuel line rouing issue & finish plumbing
b) shorten throttle cable & rear brake cable sheath
c) cleanup wire/cable routing
d) modify/install drive chain guard
e) remove tires to install anti-puncture liners & get rear tire turning the correct direction
f) install my $0.99 ebay bicycle computer
g) modify fenders an install
h) ride the darn thing!
g) and h) may not be in that order...
Thanks everyone for all your feedback. Bear with me, this may be the longest new-frame build project in the history of this site but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...
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