hammerhead twister (re)build

Status
Not open for further replies.

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
maybe.. I've dumped a micro ton of money into it it seems. I need to get some grass and pavement friendly(er) tires, as well as a set of decent trail rears. Then there's the small matter of converting it to EFI and turbocharging it...

I've got the spare engine on the bench now to figure out the basic EFI stuff (linkages, sensors, fuel supply and functionality, that sort of stuff), I'll probably start on that in a couple of weeks.. it's going to be busy this week leading up to the annual south east turbobricks meet that I host (I gotta tidy up the wiring on the race car, tweak the nitrous launch settings a bit, and maybe shuffle a new transmission into the tow wagon since I smoked it saturday... whoopssiieeee).

I did get a few minutes in on the buggy last night, just put the CVT cover back on, muffler back on (doubt it made any difference, but I'll check and see just for baseline purposes), hooked the oil cooler up to the engine (it was looped when I bought it, left that alone while I was trying to get other stuff sorted out), changed the oil, basic stuff. Needs a bigger battery and I do need the high torque starter that I ordered the other day, be nice if that got here today.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
....and unhooked the oil cooler again. this time I just went ahead and took the whole thing off the buggy for now.

the guy I got the engine from apparently drilled out and re-tapped the oil cooler bosses on the case for NPT, and my banjo bolts don't snug up quite as well as I thought they did. this is a bit aggravating, but it does simplify the oil feed for the turbo (an fittings and a tee off of one, done). I suppose the question becomes do I bother with the OE oil cooler at this point, or do I put a better unit on there along with a remote filter that I can actually get filters for at the parts store?

Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this.

I did test drive it before noticing the healthy leak, it doesn't feel like it lost anything up top with the muffler in place, but 4-5mph is hard to feel, and my gps speedo wasn't co-operating last night either (signs.. everything is poopin' on me, time to go inside and sit on the couch ;) )
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
re-checked the top speed with the muffler installed today, still 45mph. stroker motor tows the trailer around the yard better than the old motor.

now I'm just waiting for the high torque starter, and a free weekend to work up the initial FI setup.
 

gman3850

Member
Messages
405
Reaction score
4
Location
gilbert az
Make sure to put a nylock but on the chain tensioner. Mine had one but was old and came loose today and went over a hill and busted the whole rear mount of the engine.
 

OzFab

Well-known member
Messages
15,615
Reaction score
68
Location
Warwick Qld, Australia
re-checked the top speed with the muffler installed today, still 45mph. stroker motor tows the trailer around the yard better than the old motor.

That's the way engines work: If the max RPM is the same as it was before the rebuild, top speed will be the same. Basically, all you achieved was an increase in torque...
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
the delta being tested there was whether or not the muffler was restricting it. obviously not. It didn't change torque output either, it just made it more pleasant to drive :-D

It has way more top end than it did before the rebuild.. actually it's got more power everywhere... it's got more power than after the rebuild as well.. with the stock 150cc engine being fresh, it would top out at around 32-34mph. dropping the stroker gy on there bumped it up to 40-41mph with 10g rollers and a 2000rpm spring in the back. Swapping to 12g sliders and a 1500rpm spring (and clutch springs) gave up nothing on the low end and stacked on another couple mph. All of this was tested via gps.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
got the rollover monkey off my back this weekend, overconfidence in equipment and skill can be a comically humbling thing. Good news: only slight tweaking to the top of the roll cage, and a bruised left wrist. Oh, and the aforementioned pride thing.. anyway, I came bee-bopping up the driveway at a good clip and attempted to transition into a high(er) speed slide/donut in the yard. instead I found myself sitting in the yard, and the kart rolling away to my left.

So, lesson noted, the safety equipment I've been putting off will be the next things done (because you've always got time later to get a helmet until you need it, then it's too late).

The kart inexplicably died sunday (it ran fine after the rollover, didn't die or anything like that, in fact my buddies continued having fun while I iced my wrist and nursed my bruised ego), I'm hoping it's only a ground issue, because the starter stopped turning the engine over as fast as it had been. it's got compression, fuel, etc, and the carb hadn't re-junked up. Plug wasn't fouled either.

Started working on the FI stuff as well, broke apart the throttle bodies, took the choke flap out, linkage is next. looks like the OD on them is the same as the OD on the carb I'm using, so that'll make a couple of things easier.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
I been wife'd! (and tapped for a bachelor's party for a friend, and put in the OT grinder at work). Progress has all but stopped, but I have a daily reminder I get to walk by in the mornings and evenings.

I did get an atv fuel pump setup (hopefully low amps, it's a small little dog), that nicely enough came in its own little surge tank/swirl chamber. I'll simply need to put a different fitting on the fuel tank itself and mount this thing.

I also snuck in a few minutes on the linkages for the throttle body. I need to allocate a day or two for fab and JY connector runs, and it should run (maybe with or without adequate charging, but I'll take my wins where I can get them at this point. 2.5 months left until baby girl arrives and the screws are getting tightened down on free time already!)
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
pretty sure I isolated my no-start to power and grounds being old and insufficient, corrected that, sprayed the carb up with wd-40, and it sounded like it wanted to run but the starter reduction gear (or more specifically, sprag in it) sounds like it's moved on to another world. on the upside, I can drill and tap the oil return now, as well as fab up the crank sensor mount, on the downside, it means slightly invasive surgery.

Also went ahead and ordered a replacement case half for the other engine (that leaks oil out the side of the case because I R dum). Good times.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
picked up a spare (kasea, looks like an older/cheaper version of my hammerhead, practically the same frame and base components) for guests/buddies to ride last night, needed a fuel tank and carb (had spares), runs like a champ. Doesn't stop at all.. master cylinder appears to be trashed, has a bent wheel, and the wrong shock on the passenger side (wreck).

engine does not appear to be original, and the reverse cable is dorked up. but for the price... did a little horse trading with the spare frame I have, and basically ended up with a nearly free second buggy.

hopefully the parts for the hammerhead will be here today or tomorrow, and I can get it back on the proverbial road for some last minute carb performance testing before the FI install. gotta kick this project back into high gear :wai:
 

Attachments

  • 10636016_10102347974811521_8902292193233760407_n.jpg
    10636016_10102347974811521_8902292193233760407_n.jpg
    175.6 KB · Views: 19
  • 10612990_10102347974701741_9087528133737946513_n.jpg
    10612990_10102347974701741_9087528133737946513_n.jpg
    180.6 KB · Views: 19

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
Yay college football!

Boo other engine builders :ack2:

the no-start issue wasn't the one way clutch, it was that wierd 4 tang bolt that holds it down.. wasn't tight and came loose.

replaced it anyway with the upgraded one. Have a carb issue however, will post about that in the engines subforum. I don't carb well, and it's showing.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
carb issue resolved, I set about gathering some kind of performance data... driveway works well, approx 100 yard dash (edge of the concrete to the first maple tree, to provide sufficient braking). After a couple trips it averaged out to 6.5 seconds at around 24mph. Top speed with the carb functioning more correctly takes less time and distance, however that proved to be more difficult to nail down.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
timed it again, different stretch (mailbox post to first turnoff, ~300 yards give or take), down and back a couple times, best was 16.75, worst was around 17.3, average is around 16.9s. don't think the kart was up to top speed, but it was probably up to around 40mph.


and either the one-way clutch broke in the engine, or that stupid special nut found it's way back off, so the engine gets to come BACK out for that repair. loctite and a new nut this time (so probably next weekend for the tentative repair date :/ ).
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
ordered the correct tool and a new nut (lol, it's always those loose nuts), and caught tires on sale REAAALY cheap, so I ordered a set of new rubber. may or may not go on right away (actually got two sets, one for the other buggy as well, since it's tires are falling apart), and a new brake master cylinder to get rid of the spongy non-bleeding nature of the front brakes. Yay, progress, I think..
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
loose nut has been replaced (well, one of them...), new nut locktited down and tagged with the air impact. we'll see how well this turns out. going sensor raiding at the junkyard finally! ordered the 11 pole stator, and then forgot to order a rectifier for it.. ah well, we'll see how this turns out with the 8 pole first.

the new sets of tires look really cool stacked up on the carport, but they also bring to light just how worn out my other tires are lol.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
junk yard was mostly a bust :(
All I really needed was a pigtail for a sensor, reckon I'll just cut the surround off and roll my own.

got the master cylinder installed, sorted out a couple other things, got a new agm for it, now I just need to make what I got work for the FI. discovered that my cdi died last weekend, reckon there's a reason this stuff is $10 ;) Can't wait to ditch all that and run a normal ignition system.


Found some time to go horsing around on the other kart with one of my buddies, all was well until I found a hole in the back 40, extensive suspension repair and steering repair now required :-/ Only one bruised shin (it didn't flip, it just stopped abruptly, and just about tore the steering arm off of the arm. with the steering centered up now, both front wheels are splayed out. oh well). these things are awesome.
 

linuxman51

volvo spaz
Messages
67
Reaction score
0
Location
mont, AL
I need to start making myself take pictures (since this is the show & tell subforum ;) ), the PW has me running ragged with various tasks so when I sneak a few minutes (hours..) to work on stuff I don't think 'hey doofus stop and take a couple shots'. Anyway, I digress.

inbetween replacing fascia and re-attaching the gutters in the court yard, watching Bama dispense a generous beatdown on florida (bye will!), I made some time to repair the spare and install the speed bleeders (not that this by itself was any special task, unscrew/screw/profit).

fixed most of the bent suspension from my own forays as well as what the P.O. attempted to do(hammering, welding, reinforcing), put a correct length shock on the passenger side, replaced tie rod ends and re-did the alignment, and headed out for a test drive. rides much better, need to put the speed bleeders to use though cause the brakes suck. they work, but they suck. fortunately this the spare and not the soon to be turbo'd buggy, but I got some seat time in it as well (air up tires, crank, ride. what more can you ask for?).

I have various child-birth classes this week, and I have the "privilege" of working late thursday night, but hopefully I'll have some time this weekend to take one or the other out down some local dirt roads.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top