Good day to everyone, my name is Andy, I bought this trike from my neighbor who's husband had passed about 10 years ago, and I thought it was his toy, WRONG. It turns out that her mother and boyfriend bought it, replaced the original motor with a motor that they had/or rebuilt themselves. So this trike has been with the same owner since early 1980 as I can tell. The first day of registration was in 1976 and no real way to tell how many miles on the trike.
First I had to make heads and tails of the wiring mess. The fuse box was mounted, but not much was wired properly. So I started doing wire schematics of the wiring and what I replaced and did to make it correct so that one might be able to follow the schematic and find problems or what ever. Also had to figure out how to get some gauges and sending units installed, again wiring schematics done on how all is wired into the trike electrical system, and yes I got a full working fuse box now. Next will it start and run ?
Secondly I had idle running issues, so went to do the tune up on it and found some residue in the fuel lines and carburetor's. Sent them to a shop to be cleaned and rebuilt, apparently only one worked half way, took several attempts at cleaning them out before all was clean, so I did get my money's worth. What are they, I run the dual stock Solex carb's, and at that time I upgraded the linkage along with electronic distributor system.
Than I got the idea of cutting out the old rotten gas tank, I took off about 1/3rd of the front rounded bulge, kinda like a ( L ) shape cut. Made me a dash panel and mounted the gauges.
No pic of that work yet, I am bad. Still have issues with some working, at least I think, more on that later. It took some work to find and mount nuts in the fiberglass inside the old tank area, but got it all done, except the welding of the L panel piece together where they meet.
Now I have an issue, no fuel tank, so I spent a winter in the garage designing and building me a model of my new gas tank.
Okay I need to check on a few pics, not all are loading up for me.
okay the middle pic is the model gas tank that I made, than I drew up the schematics from the model, yes I did the in and out work to make sure it fit as I needed first, than once I new I had a working model I drew it up on paper.
Now the end pic of the rear end, that was taken after I my attempt at lowering it, a bit to much, so I have played with the camber and stuff trying to get that ride height figured out. Actually it is about the engine sitting level. The rear was so lifted the engine was on a angle and thus the carburetor's too. This has lead me to think that the Trike was not put together correctly with the proper fork length.
I know I need enough torsion in the bar so that the spring plate will force downward enough to give camber to the rear tire. I feel I am should set the tires as levels as possible to the road surface, Zero degree's of camber if possible .......correct or wrong ????
Than there is the Atomic Drop plates that claim the drop or raise the rear end by 3 inch's, is that the secret ?
But if I want the tank to be mounted at center of the belly of the trike, between the rider legs, than a higher ride height is beneficial, yes no ?
I think I have the rear end where I want it, but the spring plates still set on the lower stopper, but move off of it with rider and passenger body weight on the trike. No not sure what I am doing to be honest, just trying what I think is the solution to the problem.
So to help me get on the road and ride some, I mounted a fuel cell on the back behind the passenger seat. I used to just put the input line in a 2 gallon gas tank and run it in the drive way, but I need to ride it down the road.
Now the daughter said something to me, and it appears to be happening.
She said that I created a siphon on the fuel because the tank is mounted higher than the carburetor's, and I think she is correct. I run a electric fuel pump, but the trike runs with out it on and last night I smelt the dip stick for the oil, oh ****, it smelt like gas, did not light on fire, but I found where the fuel went from the tank.
A quick fix to help me only made a problem, so does one just put a valve in line so the can turn of the fuel supply when not running, crack it open when you want to run the engine or ride the trike ???? Help me, yes I know do not start the engine until I drain out oil and let it air out a bit. But first I need to stop the siphon flow of fuel.
LOSt for sure.......
First I had to make heads and tails of the wiring mess. The fuse box was mounted, but not much was wired properly. So I started doing wire schematics of the wiring and what I replaced and did to make it correct so that one might be able to follow the schematic and find problems or what ever. Also had to figure out how to get some gauges and sending units installed, again wiring schematics done on how all is wired into the trike electrical system, and yes I got a full working fuse box now. Next will it start and run ?
Secondly I had idle running issues, so went to do the tune up on it and found some residue in the fuel lines and carburetor's. Sent them to a shop to be cleaned and rebuilt, apparently only one worked half way, took several attempts at cleaning them out before all was clean, so I did get my money's worth. What are they, I run the dual stock Solex carb's, and at that time I upgraded the linkage along with electronic distributor system.
Than I got the idea of cutting out the old rotten gas tank, I took off about 1/3rd of the front rounded bulge, kinda like a ( L ) shape cut. Made me a dash panel and mounted the gauges.
No pic of that work yet, I am bad. Still have issues with some working, at least I think, more on that later. It took some work to find and mount nuts in the fiberglass inside the old tank area, but got it all done, except the welding of the L panel piece together where they meet.
Now I have an issue, no fuel tank, so I spent a winter in the garage designing and building me a model of my new gas tank.
Okay I need to check on a few pics, not all are loading up for me.
okay the middle pic is the model gas tank that I made, than I drew up the schematics from the model, yes I did the in and out work to make sure it fit as I needed first, than once I new I had a working model I drew it up on paper.
Now the end pic of the rear end, that was taken after I my attempt at lowering it, a bit to much, so I have played with the camber and stuff trying to get that ride height figured out. Actually it is about the engine sitting level. The rear was so lifted the engine was on a angle and thus the carburetor's too. This has lead me to think that the Trike was not put together correctly with the proper fork length.
I know I need enough torsion in the bar so that the spring plate will force downward enough to give camber to the rear tire. I feel I am should set the tires as levels as possible to the road surface, Zero degree's of camber if possible .......correct or wrong ????
Than there is the Atomic Drop plates that claim the drop or raise the rear end by 3 inch's, is that the secret ?
But if I want the tank to be mounted at center of the belly of the trike, between the rider legs, than a higher ride height is beneficial, yes no ?
I think I have the rear end where I want it, but the spring plates still set on the lower stopper, but move off of it with rider and passenger body weight on the trike. No not sure what I am doing to be honest, just trying what I think is the solution to the problem.
So to help me get on the road and ride some, I mounted a fuel cell on the back behind the passenger seat. I used to just put the input line in a 2 gallon gas tank and run it in the drive way, but I need to ride it down the road.
Now the daughter said something to me, and it appears to be happening.
She said that I created a siphon on the fuel because the tank is mounted higher than the carburetor's, and I think she is correct. I run a electric fuel pump, but the trike runs with out it on and last night I smelt the dip stick for the oil, oh ****, it smelt like gas, did not light on fire, but I found where the fuel went from the tank.
A quick fix to help me only made a problem, so does one just put a valve in line so the can turn of the fuel supply when not running, crack it open when you want to run the engine or ride the trike ???? Help me, yes I know do not start the engine until I drain out oil and let it air out a bit. But first I need to stop the siphon flow of fuel.
LOSt for sure.......