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Post by phssthpok on May 13, 2016 8:19:37 GMT -5
IMHO, there is a need for a 3-wheeled vehicle somewhere in cost between the Scoot Coupe ($7000, 150cc engine, too slow) and the Slingshot ($20-$25K) - say, a 250cc-300cc, sized somewhere between the Scoot Coupe and the Slingshot, priced from $12k-$15k - and I like the side-by-side seating...  |
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Post by phssthpok on May 10, 2016 20:09:39 GMT -5
 This is just a 'first thought' concept, but.. Using one of these wooden snake toys as a foundation, attach several screw-eyes down the length on opposite sides. Attach two lines of some sort (Fishing line? Kite string?) to the tip (pointy tail end of the snake) and thread them down the length of the snake through the screw eyes. Source a small electric motor with two output shafts upon which you can establish opposing eccentrics (think: crank shaft) to attach the strings to. Cover your snake in fur and figure out some way to attach said tail while hiding the motor. The string will act like a tendon in your finger causing the tail to 'curl' on each change of 'wag' direction. (On further reflection it occurs to me that attaching the strings only half way up the length would effect a slight 'whipping' action on the outer lengths of the tail...might appear more natural...  ) Alternatively I suppose you could just run a single shaft motor with a string down one side and a length of rubber-band down the other acting as a 'return spring'. Just a thought..
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Post by phssthpok on Feb 25, 2016 22:09:09 GMT -5
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Post by phssthpok on Oct 14, 2015 20:44:16 GMT -5
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Post by phssthpok on Sept 27, 2015 19:32:09 GMT -5
So I *finally* got a full weekend off and was able to do the engine swap. I had to request Saturday in writing to do it. (This paycheck is going to suck, as I'll *only* have 50 hours for the week  The lock-up was not caused by a free range ball bearing as I thought, but a bent valve!  The valve is so bent that it hung up on the lip of the combustion chamber on the head. I'm not sure how I managed to bend the valve. I was quite careful to put a twist-tie on the timing chain link directly above the 'mark' on the old cam before removing it, so I could be certain of having it lined up properly on the new cam. Funny thing is, I actually had it running for a few moments before it locked up. It was running fine...I shut it off to button some things up, and when I went to restart it, all I got was a whiney-buzz from the starter (power flowing, but locked up and unable to spin). Adding insult to injury, I managed to bugger up the spark plug threads (not sure how... I'm usually quite adept at NOT doing that!) so it looks like I'm buying a new head for the old engine.  (Between the time and cost of repairing the valve issue as well as the stripped spark plug threads, it's a better financial decision to just get a complete new head assembly) Since I yoinked all the PAIR stuff from the chassis when I put the non-emissions head on, I had to plug up the PAIR orifices on the new engine. I did this by 'chewing' a piece of aluminum foil into a solid mass, stuffing it into the PAIR port on the head, covering that with a quad-layer folded piece of foil as a gasket of sorts, and bolting the PAIR tube back in place. This is a super temporary solution until I can whip up a real block-off plate at work later on this week. HOWEVER...The new engine is installed and purring like a kitten.  I still have to swap the variator/belt from the old engine, recharge the battery (hopefully not have to buy a new one), and figure out why my rear tire is flat (!), but for now she's back on the road...or will be in a day or two when I'm able to ride her back from where she broke down/I was working on her (Approx 35 miles from home). |
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Post by phssthpok on Sept 6, 2015 9:35:25 GMT -5
Double Drat. I thought I got all the balls out when I installed the cam. Apparently not, as the engine is now Frog's Assed (as in: Locked up tighter than a ...) It won't turn forward or back.  Sooooo... new engine it is! Should be here in about a week and a half. As for the old engine.. let's just say I've REALLY been doing some pondering lately....  |
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Post by phssthpok on Sept 6, 2015 9:22:42 GMT -5
. What do I do about the vibration that usually kills my wrists and puts my hands and butt to sleep every 30-45 minutes? Is there some trick, maybe wrapping the grips with cloths or something to reduce the vibration to my hands? My thought is to cut to length, and wrap with electrical tape. Might have to do something to make sure it 'grips' the throttle though...like maybe securely tape some sandpaper to the grip first, then cover with the pipe-wrap. As for carrying cargo, I've often pondered one of those lightweight kiddy-carrier trailers for bicycles. Designed to carry two kids up to toddler size, you're looking at some viable carry capacity for a small scooter *AND* (as an added bonus) all the trailer coupling engineering (to accommodate lean in a turn) has been done for you! |
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Post by phssthpok on Aug 22, 2015 16:41:49 GMT -5
If you wana keep the cvt and run a jackshaft n chain to a sprocket check out how the guys do it for their yanmar diesel motorcycle conversions. They use a go cart cvt (youll just use your gy6s) then to a jackshaft which is prettt cheap to a sprocket its pretty cool how they set up their little 10hp generators to their bikes Got any links or anything I can look at to get more ideas? |
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Post by phssthpok on Aug 22, 2015 6:04:12 GMT -5
Well with the sprocket I found earlier, I was thinking more along the lines of keeping the cvt but putting a sprocket on the output shaft of the cvt (rear wheel shaft after final gears) and attaching it to a wheel via a chain. You can purchase short case gy6's for buggies that are already set up for that (sprocket on final drive shaft. HOWEVER...bear in mind that the diameter of the rear wheel will require a totally different rear chassis. Much like the engine case on a normal gy6 prevents up-sizing the wheel due to interference, the output shaft will intrude on the center-line of a single wheel (especially since you'd have to extend the final drive shaft to match the rights-side orientation of a bicycle wjeel's driven sprocket). It might be a viable option for a tricycle though. |
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Post by phssthpok on Aug 21, 2015 21:12:50 GMT -5
I've applied a LOT of free brain-time to this idea in the past. What I've come up with so far:
1: No clutch on the output shaft. If you plan on using a typical bicycle derailleur, then the chain needs to be in motion in order to change gears....which you will need to do (downshift into 'first') at stoplights, etc. Retaining the clutch in the rear part of the drive-train allows for the chain to spin freely at idle to allow for gear changes when not moving.
2 a: Manual shifting? Fairly easy to engineer the mount points and linkages.
b: Autoshifting? yeah.. I thought that one out too! Roughly explained, I'd have to output sprocket replacing the outer face of the variator while retaining the inner face and the ramps/weights that make it work. Between these would be a stiff spring (akin to the large spring in the clutch-pack on the rear) standing in for the belt tension. Have a lever which actuates the derailleur 'ride' the edge of the face of the variator. Presto! Engine speed increases, variator moves out, presses on the lever moving the derailleur, and shifting up! Engine speed reduces, and the system reverses, bringing you back to first gear!
3: The necessity of a much tougher drive chain to handle the 7-10 HP of a typical GY6 150 would probably limit you to a three-speed gear-puck in the rear.
4: An intermediate gear reduction shaft may be required to bring the operating RPM of the chain/drive gears to an acceptable level. Packing all that into a CVT drive cover will be a challenge.
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Post by phssthpok on Aug 1, 2015 20:37:13 GMT -5
Lost a cam bearing.
Drat.
Replacement cams are cheap enough and easy to install...worst part is knowing that there's some little steel balls roaming around in the bottom of the crank case. With any luck the magnetic drain plug will help capture them.
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Post by phssthpok on Jun 15, 2015 21:16:32 GMT -5
So the scoot's running great. Reliable, good power (for what I want), and making decent speed...but she's got more in her, I can tell. She tops out at ~60* at a little over 6000rpm. Generally, with a slight headwind, she'll hold 55@6000*all day long and sing a happy tune while doing it, though she takes a while to get there (compared to stock). I know these engines can do better RPM-wise without getting to the point of being hard on them, but I'd like to keep the same speed-RPM ratio, while increasing the 'top-out' rpm and I'm not quite sure how to go about it. I'm thinking if I do anything to the transmission set-up, I'll alter the MPH-RPM ratio, which is what I want to avoid.I like running ~50 at such relatively low RPM.
Right now I'm running with a 155mm variator (stock face/fan), 12 gram sliders (NOT Dr. Pulley), stock clutch mainspring, and (I think) 1000RPM clutch-arm springs. Are power increasing mods my only options? I'm hoping to avoid them as more power (generally) requires more fuel. I've pondered an aftermarket header to free up the breathing, but I'm not thrilled with the cost investment required (for just what amounts to just a bent pipe), plus the (probable) need to re-jet. I figure if I'm going that far I'd probably just spring for a BBK as well...and now we're *really* talking money and time invested.
So here's the question I'm posing: How can I increase my top-out RPM *without* affecting my MPH-RPM ratio at cruise?
*(Chinometer, level ground, no wind. Had a co-worker GPS the scoot and he reports that it's about 4 MPH fast @55mph)
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Post by phssthpok on Jun 13, 2015 18:33:17 GMT -5
Watch your Harbor Freight ads for coupons to get these lights free (sometimes 'with any purchase'):  I've picked up about a half dozen of them and they are handy as (bleep). |
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Post by phssthpok on May 31, 2015 17:15:51 GMT -5
^^^What they said^^^ I had the same situation some months back, though not a busted exhaust stud...stripped threads in the head itself. After a short stint of research, I determined the best (read: easiest and most cost efficient) course of action was to just buy a new head. You can easily do a head swap without removing the engine, or even the body panels (at least on my scoot). IIRC I bought my head off of Ebay and it came with new exhaust studs and gaskets included, all for $30-35-ish.  |
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Post by phssthpok on May 30, 2015 16:33:42 GMT -5
My original thought was to simply remove the crank from a plain-Jane BMX type bike and use the crank housing as the mount point for a full GY6 engine/wheel package, cutting the upper rear wheel braces back, bending the lower braces up, and joining them to the shorter uppers to make shock absorber mounting points.Doingthis with one of the 16" rim engines I'm thinking it'd look not too out of place.
The idea I posted happened as I was searching for photos to post, and came across the sprocket drive GY6 (for buggies IINM) which got me to thinking 'recumbent', whereupon I found that image I posted and thought "Hrm... looks like it's got plenty of ground clearance to fit the engine under there and still have enough distance from the drive sprocket to the rear wheel to allow for chain angle deviation during shifting..."
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