The project has been slow to progress the last few weeks. Some of that is the time of year and other things taking up my time, but it's also due to the state of the project right now. It is at a time when there are lots of puzzles to solve to make much forward progress.
Part of what I enjoy about this project is the quest to solve problems in clever ways that aren't expensive and don't require special tools. This is a two-edged sword as it also makes the process frustrating as well. Forward progress is quickly halted when you need a part that you can't fabricate or find laying around. This requires that several tasks be moving ahead at the same time. Right now I am working on a solution for the intake air box, chain tensioner, exhaust, brakes and a gas tank.
Intake
I figured the intake box would need to go somewhere right in front of the wheel since that's one of the few places there is room close to the carburetor. For this part, I knew I was going to need to fabricate my own part. When I do metal fabrication like this I like to use cardboard, like the kind serial boxes are made from, they are about the right thickness and can be mocked up easily. Ideas that don't work can be tossed without having to waste sheet steel and the time to make something. I played with various shapes and sizes and came up with a fairly simple triangle shape that the existing intake pipe would nearly line right up with.
After deciding on a shape, I transferred that to the steel. I am using the top to an old computer. the steel is nice and thick and its free!
I wanted to keep the intake port for the box under the seat so the air was dry and free from flying dust and debris. With this location I felt I could purchase the kind of air filters used on lawn mowers and it would fit right on top, between the two horizontal seat rails.
I will trim it down to fit between the rails so it can be changed without removing the intake box. Once the design is a go, I will cut the holes for the incoming and outgoing air and weld up the connecting flange for the boot to attach to. Then fabricate some method of securing the air filter to the air box and some way to secure the air box to the frame.
Chain tensioner
I need a way to provide tension to the chain. Since space is limited and the chain is fairly heavy, the mechanism has to be fairly simple and stout. I want to reuse the tensioner from the 3 wheeler so I decided to mount it on the horizontal frame member, or what would be the swing arm on a normal motorbike. I worked out a way to mount it under the member and allow for it to be locked down with a bolt.
Gas tank
Like so many other things on the 3 wheeler, the gas tank was between the wheels so it had to be moved. There aren't too many places where there was room for it and I didn't want to put it near the rear wheel and risk a puncture from debris. The search was on for a tank that would work in the space on the frame in front of the seat, similar to where most motorcycles have their tank. Fabricating a tank entered my mind for a short time, but I knew enough to know that wouldn't turn out very well, so I had to find an existing tank that magically fit the small space available. I found a few cheap plastic tanks that might work and took a chance on one. Once it arrived slow boat from China I realized it was not going to work. I found another option and ordered it. When it arrived it looked promising, but a bit big. After cutting part of the seat away and playing with it's position, I think it's going to work. I will have to fabricate some mounts and change the way the seat mounts up front, but I think it's doable.
Part of what I enjoy about this project is the quest to solve problems in clever ways that aren't expensive and don't require special tools. This is a two-edged sword as it also makes the process frustrating as well. Forward progress is quickly halted when you need a part that you can't fabricate or find laying around. This requires that several tasks be moving ahead at the same time. Right now I am working on a solution for the intake air box, chain tensioner, exhaust, brakes and a gas tank.
Intake
I figured the intake box would need to go somewhere right in front of the wheel since that's one of the few places there is room close to the carburetor. For this part, I knew I was going to need to fabricate my own part. When I do metal fabrication like this I like to use cardboard, like the kind serial boxes are made from, they are about the right thickness and can be mocked up easily. Ideas that don't work can be tossed without having to waste sheet steel and the time to make something. I played with various shapes and sizes and came up with a fairly simple triangle shape that the existing intake pipe would nearly line right up with.
After deciding on a shape, I transferred that to the steel. I am using the top to an old computer. the steel is nice and thick and its free!
I wanted to keep the intake port for the box under the seat so the air was dry and free from flying dust and debris. With this location I felt I could purchase the kind of air filters used on lawn mowers and it would fit right on top, between the two horizontal seat rails.
I will trim it down to fit between the rails so it can be changed without removing the intake box. Once the design is a go, I will cut the holes for the incoming and outgoing air and weld up the connecting flange for the boot to attach to. Then fabricate some method of securing the air filter to the air box and some way to secure the air box to the frame.
Chain tensioner
I need a way to provide tension to the chain. Since space is limited and the chain is fairly heavy, the mechanism has to be fairly simple and stout. I want to reuse the tensioner from the 3 wheeler so I decided to mount it on the horizontal frame member, or what would be the swing arm on a normal motorbike. I worked out a way to mount it under the member and allow for it to be locked down with a bolt.
Gas tank
Like so many other things on the 3 wheeler, the gas tank was between the wheels so it had to be moved. There aren't too many places where there was room for it and I didn't want to put it near the rear wheel and risk a puncture from debris. The search was on for a tank that would work in the space on the frame in front of the seat, similar to where most motorcycles have their tank. Fabricating a tank entered my mind for a short time, but I knew enough to know that wouldn't turn out very well, so I had to find an existing tank that magically fit the small space available. I found a few cheap plastic tanks that might work and took a chance on one. Once it arrived slow boat from China I realized it was not going to work. I found another option and ordered it. When it arrived it looked promising, but a bit big. After cutting part of the seat away and playing with it's position, I think it's going to work. I will have to fabricate some mounts and change the way the seat mounts up front, but I think it's doable.
Comments
Post a Comment