Way Back Machine

wrenching4fun said:
Two issues cropped up during rides this week. As I was returning home yesterday I noticed my speed was dropping off even though the engine was running fine. At first I thought my centrifugal clutch was slipping, but then I noticed it was my belt was turning slower than the clutch pulley. As soon as I pulled in the driveway I jumped off and saw that my entire belt idler was missing! Major bummer. When I swapped out the bike for my E-bike and retraced my steps I found the idler in the middle of the road a couple of miles from the house. The missing screw was right next to it. What are the odds?

Turns out I had mounted the idler arm { a prized part from an old Sears rototiller} to one of the threaded mounting holes on the base of the engine. Realizing it's not a good idea to be tightening a steel screw into threaded Chinesium, I screwed in a stud so I could mount the arm with a lock washer and nut. That wasn't good enough because the vibration and stress caused the aluminum threads to strip and the entire rig fell off. It's difficult to see from this photo, but I moved the idler to the bottom frame tube (steel on steel) The fabrication took at least 5 hours because the engine, the clutch, the driven pulley, etc. are so close. Finally got it dialed in and it's a much stouter arrangement than before.

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The second issue cropped up during my long ride this morning. I noticed that even though my seat is comfy and absorbs bumps well, it was a wee bit high in the rear causing me to lurch forward slightly on rough pavement. I decided to replace the porch swing springs with springs recovered from a vintage Schwinn seat. They are about the same tension as the porch swing springs, but are half the length. I was able to adjust the rear of the seat up and down using a set of aluminum and neoprene spacers cut to length. It is much more comfortable now and it is even easier to mount and dismount the bike. Below are photos of the change.

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Finally, I am not happy with the look of the chrome mud guards. They just don't fit the grunge vibe of the bike. Am thinking about swapping them out for the original J.C. Hiiggins peaked fenders. They look pretty good for rusty old steel. Might do a trial run on the front and go from there. Does this ever end?
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Very cool bike. Lots going on with a great look.
 
Didn't like the Schwinn chain guard I was using for a mag cover so I ventured out in the sweltering heat to visit one of my parts stores (the local thrift store). I found several better options for a cover and here is what I settled on. It's better than what I had because it combines the pull start and cover into one unit that's a breeze to remove and install. It covers all of the magneto essentials and looks better than the OEM lawn mower cover. Photo #4 shows the back of the cover with the pull start installed. Will probably use covers like it for a belt pulley/centrifugal clutch cover. With a little browsing you can find them in aluminum, plain steel, and stainless. Heck you could even go with cast iron for a Flintstone look.

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In case you couldn't guess, the cover is a barely used 8" stainless steel sauce pan lid with the center cut out and notches for the ignition coil and the lighting coil. Cost: $1.00. Would have preferred something with a little more grunge. Maybe a little caked on marinara sauce would blend in with the bike's patina, but this will have to do.
 
wrenching4fun said:
Didn't like the Schwinn chain guard I was using for a mag cover so I ventured out in the sweltering heat to visit one of my parts stores (the local thrift store). I found several better options for a cover and here is what I settled on. It's better than what I had because it combines the pull start and cover into one unit that's a breeze to remove and install. It covers all of the magneto essentials and looks better than the OEM lawn mower cover. Photo #4 shows the back of the cover with the pull start installed. Will probably use covers like it for a belt pulley/centrifugal clutch cover. With a little browsing you can find them in aluminum, plain steel, and stainless. Heck you could even go with cast iron for a Flintstone look.

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In case you couldn't guess, the cover is a barely used 8" stainless steel sauce pan lid with the center cut out and notches for the ignition coil and the lighting coil. Cost: $1.00. Would have preferred something with a little more grunge. Maybe a little caked on marinara sauce would blend in with the bike's patina, but this will have to do.
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You must of been reading some of the old treads again, Love it! You can always sand blast itwould give you the cast look..........Curt
 
Keep modifying as you see fit. Interesting all the intricacies to BYO stuff!

Anything you can modify to work to your liking is great, as was the thrown out stainless steel BBQ grill I repurposed on my off road bike.

My adaption was to create an extra cover over each side of the engine. You know if I drop the bike riding trails!

Turned out the air vents for the BBQ intake, was position right over the engines intake Airfilter/Carb, apropos I'd say.

I could stand on the covers as a test before I made the brackets to attach the covers. Once I had my bike fall onto a BBQ Grill part of the campground motorcycle off road park. There was no fire going at the time. It was resting against a table as the center stand only works well on level ground. No ill effect!

MT
 
That's the spirit, Measure Twice. Waste not, want not. I don't throw out anything I might need later. I even salvage screws, springs, and switches from broken appliances. The seat cover on my bike came from a pair of wifey's boots she was throwing out. My headlight bucket is a vintage car spotlight and my battery is from a salvaged emergency exit light, both from a junk store. The bike's wiring came from the wiring harness of a Nissan flooded during a hurricane. One man's junk is another man's treasure and repurposing is truly an artform.
 
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