Dirtbox Venom mini-buggy, 40+ horsepower!

[mysteryboy28]

finally got the forward/reverse shifter hooked up. put a return spring on the gearbox arm, pulling it in the "forward" position, so that is it's natural inclination. ran a cable to the shifter (original from the snowmobile, with locking positions), so in the relaxed position it's "forward", and in the taut position (unlock and push it forward) it pulls the cable and shifts the gearbox arm into the "reverse" gear. i'm so smart. lol. pics coming soon, gonna get some more work done.

 

[OzFab]

Great idea, lemme see if I've got this right; you push the shifter forward to go back & backward to go forward

 

[mysteryboy28]

yup! it was the only way to do it unless i wanted to run the cable to the front of the shifter - and that would just be a waste of cable, and i'd have hoops everywhere. lol.

got the battery frame done. used angle iron to make 3 sides, then welded that to the center floor beam. drilled holes on either side so i can hook a short rubber bungee cord over the battery to keep it from bouncing around when this beast hits the hills and jumps.

gotta buy more throttle cable wire from home depot. i bought plenty of cable conduit (black sleeve), but only planned enough wire for the throttle cable. ended up using that wire for the shifter. just ruined my day. not.

 

[OzFab]

yup! it was the only way to do it unless i wanted to run the cable to the front of the shifter - and that would just be a waste of cable, and i'd have hoops everywhere. lol.

That depends on where the pivot is in relation to the cable. Is the cable currently above or below the pivot point? Can you post some pics?

 

[mysteryboy28]

will be posting pics once i wrap things up for the "night". i work till morning, sleep all day. lol.

 

[OzFab]

Ok, I'll check back in the am

 

[landuse]

got the battery frame done. used angle iron to make 3 sides, then welded that to the center floor beam. drilled holes on either side so i can hook a short rubber bungie cord over the battery to keep it from bouncing around when this beast hits the hills and jumps.

Bighead made a really cool battery mount You can see it in post #38 of THIS thread. He makes a bracket that goes all around the battery. Better than bungee IMO

 

[mysteryboy28]

i've done bungees on all my buggies and karts. as long as there's a solid base around the battery to keep it from sliding around (the angle iron), and strap over the top - they're not going anywhere. i make sure they're strapped down tight.

 

[mysteryboy28]

alright, here's some pics, and a video of the shifter in action. it doesn't take a lot of travel to fully engage forward and reverse. the shifter has the added bonus of having a pressure sensor, so that if i wanted to install a reverse tail light, i could. or i could make it make beeping sounds like a utility truck or forklift. lol.

also cut and linked the chain. contemplating making a tensioner, as there's a little more slack than i'd like. will take the buggy for a couple of test runs to see if it'll stretch the chain enough for a half-link, instead of fabbing up a tensioner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny_3CT3ei-U&feature=youtu.be

 

[greaser]

Its looking good man.

 

[mysteryboy28]

Its looking good man.

thanks dude. yeah, the sheet metal side panels didn't cooperate too well when welding - got a little warped. but i think once they're painted they'll blend in just fine.

is it time for a vacation yet? lol. i advertised for some help on craigslist, got one response from a guy with years of welding and fabrication experience. when i mentioned how much it (didn't) pay - i never heard from him again. lol.

 

[greaser]

heck man i just used some lol i may be able to make it out but that would be a killer fuel bill at 4 bucks a gallon 8-0

 

[mysteryboy28]

shack up on my couch for a week. lol. we got netflix, and beer! lol.

 

[mikeprosauceka]

What ya thinkin 3 days

 

[mysteryboy28]

i'm thinking if all goes well i'll be driving it this weekend, then it's time to strip it down and beautify it! the rack will be last, as you won't be able to get the motor out without cutting and re-welding the rack back on. i could make the rack with hinges, like a trunk/hood. but that would be one more thing to rattle around.

and where's the youtube video of you and Jeremy riding my buggy?

got the banjo brake ends today for the rear brake line. trying to find someone in town that can sell me an 8-10 foot piece of steel brake line. so far Carquest has a 25 foot roll for almost $30. not cool man...

 

[mikeprosauceka]

I need. Wifi to post it with my phone so i havnt got to it yet i was gona email it to youu but my phome wont let me do that either so ill get to it maybe tomorrow if i have the chance

 

[mysteryboy28]

lots of wifi hotspots around town!

 

[mysteryboy28]

cut and re-shaped the muffler and manifold to fit in the small space.

welded nuts onto the muffler and manifold to hook up the retaining springs.

patched up the bottom of the muffler, it was pretty rusty and hole-y in one area.

fabricated muffler mount and welded to the buggy. mounted muffler, attached retaining springs, wrapped a wire around the muffler (temporary) to keep it from bouncing around. heavy duty-er stap in the near future.

mounted front brake calipers and ran brake hoses. mounting bolts were too long. will get shorter ones tomorrow.

bolted motor to frame, connected enough wires to hear the motor turn over. beautiful.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Looking awesome- nice work!

 

[mysteryboy28]

made a bracket for the speedo/tacho, welded it to the steering shaft so that the speedo/tacho will be visible through the steering wheel. made the wire stop plate for the throttle cable and welded it near the gas pedal. went to Lowes and got the correct size bolts for the front brake calipers. Mounted those. Tightened the brake hoses down. Still gotta get the rear brake line, but the banjo bolt ends came in the mail. Just a matter of getting the line, bending it to shape, and flaring the ends - and connect it all together!

spent the bulk of the evening hooking up the various engine components. got it to the point where i thought it would fire up - no go. after a while of plugging this and unplugging that and replugging those - it started! such a sweet sound. my patch job on the muffler sounded good too! quieter than i expected (quieter than my personal buggy!).

got a nice scolding from my wife yesterday about me coming in the bedroom at 6 in the morning, blaring the bright computer monitor, blaring the bright 46" tv and chomping on cereal - all when she's super tired from a hard week of school and dealing with kids. so long story short, i will be posting pics later in the afternoon/evening from here on out.