Thanks XShark. There's always a big gap between what I envision when I start and what I end up with given my skill set. Learning to be OK with that is part of the challenge along with trying to raise my workmanship level.
Reworking the lights, rewiring, top tube tank, etc
- Thread starter Harold_B
- Start date
You are likely to get more responses and perhaps even a suggestion or two by starting a new thread.
Made a bracket for the alternator and have the pulleys pretty well aligned. I'll need to order a really short belt and then cut the jack shaft to length. Maybe a belt guard, maybe not.
Thanks again sb. Still haven't done anything about that travesty of a garage. At least my wife's side is clean and she can park inside! Aligned the rear wheel and put the chains on. Should have the transmission on and the front fender secured in a day or so. Perhaps I'll get a chance to fire the engine this weekend (and then clean garage).
More modest progress. Getting the fender braces and brackets installed.
Also have the Dana modified and brackets made. Nothing super beefy just enough to keep it from rotating. Next is to paint it and bend the other crank.
Also have the Dana modified and brackets made. Nothing super beefy just enough to keep it from rotating. Next is to paint it and bend the other crank.
My gosh My goly that is one Fine bike, I don't think there is anything I don't like this Bike Crazy Awsome Fine! keep up the good work.
Thanks truckd. Another day of tinkering (along with getting a few things done around the house). The Dana is painted and installed. The shifter needs a little work though.
Harold,
Your one of a kind build is really coming along. So much thought and careful work is really paying off. If I wore one my hat would be off to you! I had never heard of a Dana transmission before your thread and find it interesting. They must not have been at all common. I see that the two speed version is $299.00 which puts it out of my reach. Having two speeds is enough on a bicycle to make a real difference and three is better yet.
As I think about it this setup does not require having an SPB shift kit which is not inexpensive either. I've gone that route on a 1934 Elgin build using a vintage British 98cc Villiars midget cast iron 2 stoke in conjunction with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer rear hub. I have yet to run it and with other things on the front burner it has been delegated to a back burner as I attempt to find a carb rebuild kit. That's neither here nor there other than pointing out that getting multiple speeds is neither super easy nor inexpensive. I wish it were as it would mean a smaller engine could do more with less wear and tear on running an engine at high rpms.
I've often thought about the possibility of making a transmission external to the crank or rear end by utilizing an old sturmey archer 3 speed rear hub from the sixties. They were pretty light duty as I understand it, unlike the new 3 speed rear axle I bought for the SBP kit. As I recall Camlifter was experimenting with one of the old kind and had it set up as part of a jack shaft. Apparently it worked. Might one day do a search to find his old threads. He is no longer with the forum, unfortunately.
Forgive my digression. Your Dana has no doubt made others think about how nice it would be to have multiple speeds on their bikes. I was hoping to find that it was inexpensive. It would be cool if there was a nice do it ourselves way to have multiple speeds using old bike junk.
That's what a build like yours does... gets us staring and thinking out of the box. I'm glad to see the different engine you're using, glad about the experimentation in lighting and of course the transmission you are using. This won't be the fastest or most expensive bike on the forum, but in a quiet and understated way it is one of most unique which helps to expand our biking horizons. Well done. sir!
SB
Your one of a kind build is really coming along. So much thought and careful work is really paying off. If I wore one my hat would be off to you! I had never heard of a Dana transmission before your thread and find it interesting. They must not have been at all common. I see that the two speed version is $299.00 which puts it out of my reach. Having two speeds is enough on a bicycle to make a real difference and three is better yet.
As I think about it this setup does not require having an SPB shift kit which is not inexpensive either. I've gone that route on a 1934 Elgin build using a vintage British 98cc Villiars midget cast iron 2 stoke in conjunction with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer rear hub. I have yet to run it and with other things on the front burner it has been delegated to a back burner as I attempt to find a carb rebuild kit. That's neither here nor there other than pointing out that getting multiple speeds is neither super easy nor inexpensive. I wish it were as it would mean a smaller engine could do more with less wear and tear on running an engine at high rpms.
I've often thought about the possibility of making a transmission external to the crank or rear end by utilizing an old sturmey archer 3 speed rear hub from the sixties. They were pretty light duty as I understand it, unlike the new 3 speed rear axle I bought for the SBP kit. As I recall Camlifter was experimenting with one of the old kind and had it set up as part of a jack shaft. Apparently it worked. Might one day do a search to find his old threads. He is no longer with the forum, unfortunately.
Forgive my digression. Your Dana has no doubt made others think about how nice it would be to have multiple speeds on their bikes. I was hoping to find that it was inexpensive. It would be cool if there was a nice do it ourselves way to have multiple speeds using old bike junk.
That's what a build like yours does... gets us staring and thinking out of the box. I'm glad to see the different engine you're using, glad about the experimentation in lighting and of course the transmission you are using. This won't be the fastest or most expensive bike on the forum, but in a quiet and understated way it is one of most unique which helps to expand our biking horizons. Well done. sir!
SB
Well SB, I feel like I should send you a hat so that you can keep it on your head. Either that or I need to work harder because I feel like I've let you down! A few posts back I mentioned that I would be putting the Dana on the pedal drive but it's kind of buried with some other comments. My concern at the time was running out of gas or any other failure that would require me to pedal a fair distance. I think Scotto had posted something about that happening to him. Considering the bike will be over 100lbs I think gears are in order.
I had reconsidered over the winter and did a few calculations for gearing. To use the Dana I would need to connect the output of the engine to what is normally the output spline of the Dana. The Dana bottom bracket spindle would need to drive the back wheel sprocket. All of this would be do-able if I could weld #41 chain sprockets onto the Dana spindles but that is not in my skill set. I had purchased a couple of junker mountain bikes to salvage the bottom brackets as well as buying some sprockets but quickly reached my limit.
I bought the Dana used on eBay for $100. They still pop up now and then or you can post a wanted ad on RatRodBikes forum. People over here have them or are aware of them.
Thanks for the praise but it was not earned I would say.
I had reconsidered over the winter and did a few calculations for gearing. To use the Dana I would need to connect the output of the engine to what is normally the output spline of the Dana. The Dana bottom bracket spindle would need to drive the back wheel sprocket. All of this would be do-able if I could weld #41 chain sprockets onto the Dana spindles but that is not in my skill set. I had purchased a couple of junker mountain bikes to salvage the bottom brackets as well as buying some sprockets but quickly reached my limit.
I bought the Dana used on eBay for $100. They still pop up now and then or you can post a wanted ad on RatRodBikes forum. People over here have them or are aware of them.
Thanks for the praise but it was not earned I would say.
Harold,
I don't need a hat and you don't need to deflect any praise for your excellent build. If there is fault it is in my poor understanding of how the Dana works and my wanting there to be easy ways to have gears. I don't pedal either and well understand dreading the prospect of pedaling a heavy bike. My virtual hat is still lifted from me pointy head.. Ha!
SB
I don't need a hat and you don't need to deflect any praise for your excellent build. If there is fault it is in my poor understanding of how the Dana works and my wanting there to be easy ways to have gears. I don't pedal either and well understand dreading the prospect of pedaling a heavy bike. My virtual hat is still lifted from me pointy head.. Ha!
SB
I am always amazed when I see posts where someone has scored a sweet bike and a few days later they have a really nice build completed. The last two days I've been in the garage for most of the day and into the evening and progress is difficult to see. I have been jumping around doing whatever interests me the most at the moment. I'm thinking "why not" since it all needs to get done. Finally started on the wiring though. Re-made my electrics box to fit above the jack shaft. I really appreciate the ones I see for sale at Phantom and Sportsman's. They are a bargain considering the time my cobble job took!
No doubt SB. There are days I suspect by the time my build is on the road it will have accumulated that great looking patina! The details never seem to end.
Getting there. Battery, on / off switch, buck / boost, hi / lo beam switch, and headlight are wired up and working right.
Removed the shifter to work on it but it was nice to have it out of the way while routing the harness.
Also mounted a bracket for the speedo drive on the back tire sidewall. Not crazy about the clearance to the chain so I might need to move it a bit.
Removed the shifter to work on it but it was nice to have it out of the way while routing the harness.
Also mounted a bracket for the speedo drive on the back tire sidewall. Not crazy about the clearance to the chain so I might need to move it a bit.
If you are interested in the vintage Schwinn with the Briggs the build thread is on this site. I hadn't bumped into it until after I posted the Facebook book capture.
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=46922&page=2
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=46922&page=2