Indian Tadpole

[fasteddy]

My son just posted this on his Facebook page. Suspicious red drops on the floor and the grinder. I take it he was involved in the mishap.

Steve.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...36401746596.1073741832.100009907155761&type=3

 

[curtisfox]

WO! had many of them through the years, infact just a couple weeks ago, just not as bad as old ones..............Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Just heard from my son. It was his buddy who was hurt. Seems he is OK but hurting. The flap disc hit bone but it was a paper towel and masking tape repair and back to work.

Steve.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

One of my friends long before he had knee surgery had a problem with it popping out of the socket. While we were out on a boat scuba diving he came up with a make shift idea. Duct tape to hold it in. Red Green would be proud!

 

[fasteddy]

The clutch was back today. Looks great and I got some photos of it in place. I held the chains together with zip ties just so everyone could see what it will look like. Now I can start getting everything hooked up so I can get it running.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

Looks good Steve, is there a free wheel in there some where?..............Curt

 

[fasteddy]

No, there isn't, Curt. It's cable activated so I'm going to have to move both the front brake cables to one lever and the clutch to the other. I have the parts ready and now the clutch is here I can get it all together.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

Didn't think so, plan on pedal starting right? I picked up a 3D clutch from fallow member on the forum. Got to go back and read what you did. LOL. and the changes he made. ..............Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Curt, it will be pedal start for sure. I'll have to send you photos because Photobucket still has my photos and I'm going to go in and delete a lot of them that were of the attempts I made to come up with a decent jack shaft idea before I bought the 3D clutch and had Brian modify it. It will make moving them easier since there are well over close to 900 of them.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

That's OK Steve, i can just go back and read what was done, to refresh my memory. I remember you got a sportsman pedal shaft, so just need to re read the clutch mods, save the current photos and go from there. Mine may not be the same anyway,but close...........Curt

 

[fasteddy]

I was looking through the box with the first 3D clutch I bought and had sent to Canada before I saw the video of Brian Stichter's Harley Davidson build where he was pedal starting it on 3D's website and contacted them about Brian's contact information so I could have him convert one for me.

I had 3D send the second clutch to him directly and he built it up. In the box I found the second motor mount for the clutch and set out to see how it could be incorporated into the tri car. The mount supplies a place for the clutch cable to be mounted and a place for the throw out bearing to be stabilized so it doesn't turn over and the clutch won't work. With keen eye and steady hand as well as the correct size of hammer I went at it.

Since the clutch is designed to work with a Predator 212 from Harbour Freight the mount was fair game to be modified. Modified being a polite term for hacked up as you can see in the following photos. It now fits perfectly between the drive chain from the motor to the clutch.

I am going to make a mount for the cut down mount to be bolted to and then I'll weld that to a muffler clamp that will be bolted to the bottom bracket. If there is an excessive amount of force applied to the bracket when the clutch is operated I'll strengthen the mount or remake it.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

AWESOME! creative staring worked LOL, sure made a nice setup ...............Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Thank Curt. If we get a dry day tomorrow so I can weld outside I'll have it finished up tomorrow.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

For some reason I've not received notices of your recent posts.I'm glad I didn't accuse you of slacking off after the clutch came in, but I wondered....

The photos indeed bring details into focus & verify your excellent descriptions along the way. This looks an excellent power transfer and "starter". Of course it absolutely verifies the use of the 3-D clutch mounted on a 3/4" jack shaft to couple the 1" diameter V-twin for a power train as well. I do hope 3-D comes out with a 1" clutch setup for the Predator big motors soon 'cause that's the easy way & would result in a cleaner build for me. Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

A lot of the time when I look at the forum to see who's posted that I missed, your posts are there and I never received a notice. Just a glitch I guess.

I try to explain what I did and often hope that the posts aren't too long or to boring. Some people like it explained and some like me are more interested in the visual side of it. When I was trying to figure out how the Indian tri car was made everyone took photos from the side and never it seemed from the front or rear of the bike so I could see how the front end was made. Since then of course a lot of photos have showed up showing the bike in detail.

Didn't the owner of 3D say he was working on a clutch to fit 1" shafts? I wonder if he is still considering it or not. May be time for a message to see what is happening if anything.

I'm glad that what I'm doing is of value to everyone. It adds to the pleasure of doing it.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Dry day today and I was able to weld up a mount for the clutch. No photos as yet since after a couple of well though out attempts to come up with something they didn't work and in the end when I did find the answer I was chasing daylight and losing rapidly.

I got the mount finished by the light coming from the garage doorway. Tomorrow we are going to be back to our monsoon rains. A couple of holes drilled and a bit of work with a file and it should be good to bolt on.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Steve there was some talk early on of a 1" clutch under development, then a post I recall indicating the market wouldn't justify the expense, but I'm hoping they make a big hit with the 3/4" sales and put some $$ into expanding their market to include the higher power motors. While I'm still intent on using the Virago 250 on my twin build; I still have the Predator V twin being built up for use on something or to sell & using either the 3-D on a 3/4" jackshaft or the big Comet setup.

I'm really liking the way the clutch looks on the tri car. What is the pedal ratio gearing? It won't take much speed to make that little motor turn over & fire! Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

Could turn the crank down to 3/4" for purpose built engine, I have done something like with Case garden tractor. They require a short crank to mount Love-joy coupler , so cut it off, then only good for Case tractors, just a thought, and work...........Curt

 

[fasteddy]

Rick, I believe the rear wheel sprocket has 22 teeth and the pedal sprocket has 26. The front sprocket had to be physically small due to where the muffler is. I may have to rearrange thing to allow for a larger sprocket on the pedal crank if it is too small but I'm really hoping the rear wheel will act like a flywheel and help things along.

I would expect that starting the bike will consist of me standing beside the bike holding the clutch in and using one of the pedals as a crank to start it. My left leg doesn't bend enough to allow for me to pedal.

Such is life.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

Could turn the crank down to 3/4" for purpose built engine, I have done something like with Case garden tractor. They require a short crank to mount Love-joy coupler , so cut it off, then only good for Case tractors, just a thought, and work...........Curt

Since the Predator is a straight shaft motor turning the shaft down will work, though under a load of 30 hp it might snap, that could occur with a "stepped down" 1 inch to 3/4" jack shaft as well. If one rode in a mature manner I'd doubt the shaft would break in either case. Rick C.