what did you do to your motorized bicycle today?

[Mike B]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Finished up the Mango Toucan 3. Added a Origin 8 cargo unit which is this really cool set of handlebars with a built in basket. Had to paint it 'cause they only had white, so did a two tone. Needed to shorten all the control cables too. Not to mention get a threadless stem adapter and a 4 bolt clamping stem.

 

[happycheapskate]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Do you have a picture or link to the handlebars? Origin8 makes some pretty useful and inexpensive bike parts.

 

[Mike B]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Here ya go.

Cargo Unit Basket Handlebar – ORIGIN-8

 

[happycheapskate]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

That is great. Thanks!

 

[rustycase]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

...Nice handle-basket !
I'm wondering about the size....

Took her out for a spin to the hardware store to get free popcorn, allen head bolts for the rear sprocket, an O-ring for the nt carby, and allens for the chain tensioner.

Much smoother trip than prior with the nt, but still running way fat at mid and hi rpm. The #65 drill is WAY too big for the main jet, so I gotta go get more drills to see where I'm at before seeing how much smaller I should go.

Two tax collectors passed me by, at different times. I was relieved. Hope I can go long as possible without an encounter... Who knows???

The Great Master was leaking between the body and insulator so I pulled it out and put in Lima Delta brand from the other kit. No change in performance on that count. I did notice the plug threads were carboned up for the same distance past where the plug threads in... the plug thread on the body is not long enough for this straight head...

I went from the hardware to O'Reilly's auto parts and got the NGK B6HS that is advised, and it doesn't have a proper length thread, either. Guess I better go to NGK site and find out what plug is REALLY for this cylinder head.

LOL
Went by a radar speed detector as the second tax collector was passing me near the auto parts store... I was going 13mph LOL and I was nearly at the speed I cruise at, which is probably 15 - 18mph there on the main street of town.

Made a cheapie tool to align the rear sprocket, but did not have the new bolts yet.

Got home safely and avoided skidding out in the gravel driveway! Yay!
(I'm NOT too old to learn!)
rc

 

[Lance Portnoff]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

went out today and a little kid went no way real loud as i went by on a new subaru 35 cc, staton setup

 

[killercanuck]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Got out to the races today, 35km both ways. Engine seized on the way back, 5km from home. I hate pedaling!
Was totally worth the trip though:

 

[Goat Herder]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

That looks like perfect biking weather! Some nice scenery. Engine seized man thats a bummer.

 

[Wm Holden]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

assembled an extended exhaust system to carry the oil and smoke under the back of the trike instead of all over the rims..in the air cleaner...on my wife...etc.

 

[MarkSumpter]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Got the darn sheared front mount bolts drilled out from the SBP universal mount... Thank goodness for left handed twist cobalt drill bits from Snap On tools, they make life a whole lot easier one just spun out with the drill twist and the other backed out easily with an EZ out. Put in m6x1 20mm long stainless hex heads.

Time to go for a ride after I put some NeoSporin on the burn it gave me from the head touching my calf when they sheared.

 

[Goat Herder]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Got the darn sheared front mount bolts drilled out from the SBP universal mount... Thank goodness for left handed twist cobalt drill bits from Snap On tools, they make life a whole lot easier one just spun out with the drill twist and the other backed out easily with an EZ out. Put in m6x1 20mm long stainless hex heads.

Time to go for a ride after I put some NeoSporin on the burn it gave me from the head touching my calf when they sheared.

Hello all,

I've been reading through some of the recent posts and saw some interesting comments regarding the fasteners that the chinese use to assemble their engines.

I've also read a few posts about the alternatives; Grade 8, Grade 5, even stainless.

Stainless is not a good choice for most applications...Stainless offers very little holding strength. Stainless is malleable...it will not take torque.

Stainless fasteners are used for finishing, and required, in applications where food items come in contact with machinery.

Stainless fasteners share the same stigma as titanium...most people think that titanium is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel when in fact titanium sits nearly in the middle. Titanium is heavier than aluminum, lighter than steel: stronger than aluminum, not as strong as steel.

A lot of people also wrongly assume that stainless fasteners are the ultimate..."they are for the right application". They are more expensive, so the notion is that they must be better...just remember "better for what". Engine powered bikes need tough fasteners... unless you are seeking FDA approval leave the stainless out...lol.

The exception; dress-up items...stainless fasteners are fine for decoration.

DO NOT MIX STAINLESS WITH ALUMINUM...especially cast aluminum where heat is involved. Over time the materials will bond together making removal impossible. Wring them off and drill them out...so much fun!

The notion that grade "8" is too brittle and will prematurely fracture is also wrong. Grade "8" fasteners are made from chrome moly, (4130, 4140), heat treated to Rockwell 38-42 with a tensile strength of 140 to 190 PSI depending upon alloy and rockwell hardness.

Grade "8" fasteners are used throughout the racing world!

Grade 5 fasteners are fine as replacements for any of the hardware on the Chinese engines.

Chinese hardware...cheap, saw cut, all-thread for studs. All-thread never has been "high grade", it was manufactured as a temporary battle field "fix-it" during world war one. Cut off what you need and you have an instant bolt. The process of making all thread guarantees a low tensile stength product suited for emergency use...just as intended.

I use grade "8" allens for almost eveything, simply for the ease. I prefer an allen wrench to a screwdriver.

Jim

Did not know if you knew the Stainless will be weaker?

 

[Dan]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Killer, Bummer! Fixable?

On the studs thing, when I do replace em, (which I rarely do. More out of lazy) I use the automotive ones. Any thoughts on them? They cost a lot and more wondering if it is just over kill. Have never had any fail though.

 

[GearNut]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

In reference to Creative Engineering's entry of "DO NOT MIX STAINLESS WITH ALUMINUM...especially cast aluminum where heat is involved. Over time the materials will bond together making removal impossible. Wring them off and drill them out...so much fun!"

Stainless also being a dissimilar metal that aluminum will create a galvanic effect (read battery effect) when in close contact with aluminum. Threaded into a hole of aluminum is a recipe for disaster when heat and moisture are present. The threads will start to corrode in the aluminum as it is a softer metal than stainless thusly weakening them.
The stainless will also pit a little and the resulting oxides that form in between the pitted stainless and corroded aluminum will effectively create a "super loc-tite" effect.

Oil or grease can slow this reaction down a little, but not stop it. The best I know of is simply to use milk of magnesia. That's right, the stuff that is sold in the medecine section for bowl problems. The magnesium will act like a sacrificial metal and stop the corrosion between the stainless and aluminum. The magnesium will break down very slowly. It will not act like a loc-tite. It will not cause the threaded parts to come loose any easier than if assembled dry.

Shake the bottle up very well, pour a little into a cup and dip the threads of the bolt or stud into the milk of magnesia before threading them into the aluminum.
Wipe off any extra that gets squished out.

 

[rustycase]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

REALLY a difference in the quality of Snap-On tools and the china junk that I use now...

lol I stuck one drill bit in a piece of mild steel and darn near straightened the bit out to a single blade! It was hilarious!

Gosh those offshore boats are awesome! Would have liked to see something like that. Maybe one day...
rc

 

[MarkSumpter]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Galvanic effect aside (which is negligible in stainless to aluminum mating surfaces) the use of stainless in mounting an engine is preferred for the simple fact of its malleability and that it can actually give with the stress of the engine where grade 8 with a higher RF will shear and there is a neat little product out there called anti-seize to keep down aluminum oxide from forming between the threads. Not my first rodeo folks I have used this same method for years with good success.

 

[Dan]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Got sick of redoing my HF 79cc pull starter spring. Put a Predator 99cc pull start on it. Bolted right on. Don't "feel" right but the grip is much more comfortable and more importantly worked.

Does look way better with a black cover too. (I hate the greyhound blue)

 

[Mike B]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Then why has ever outboard engine I've ever seen use stainless steel screws into cast aluminum?

 

[retromike3]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

today I think I fixed the carburetor choke lever on my old NT. It was getting loose and it would fall down just sitting there. I was wondering why I could not get any power (DOH!) I hope this will fix my woes. If not that than I may have to get a new spark plug my current one it getting a little thin I think.


Mike

 

[GearNut]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Then why has ever outboard engine I've ever seen use stainless steel screws into cast aluminum?

Finish durability and the factory can apply any suitable anti-seize or anti corrosion product on the threads as they please during assembly.
Some factories don't care and if it buggers up in a few years, then the service department of the dealership makes more $ fixing it. Dealerships like certain designed in failures.

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Another flaw in the "don't use stainless" theory is any dissimilar metals in aluminum will induce the corrosive effects of electrolysis, at least w/stainless it'll be limited to only one of the two materials lol

TBH, unless it's a salt water marine application such is really a moot point. While there will always be some galvanic effect, in boats it's aggravated by their immersion in salt water and their onboard electrical systems (ground fault in an aluminum boat = dissolved w/a quickness despite all sacrificial anodes heh) - even living on the coast, riding all year & in the winter salt (calcium chloride now actually & that's nasty stuff) the dissimilar metal effect w/my bikes is so minor as to be irrelevant.

Far more practical concerns would be the quality & price of stainless & it's relative worth in a project - far too often the "stainless" offered at premium prices simply isn't, it's of such a low grade that it'll spot rust within a season and this is with so called "quality marine grade replacement parts" - as but one example, even brand new boats often have oxide streaks on their hull from their "stainless" fasteners w/o ever even being dunked before, just from the exposure to the sea air.

So, while the dissimilar metal thing is not enough of an issue to care - getting the value you expect at a reasonable cost might be... for the average build I don't personally think it's worth it.