My New Harley Buggy

[Dabble Inn]

Thanks, yes I have spent a lot of time on that site lately. In fact I've got about $90 worth of preliminary misc parts last week and have a bunch more ready 'in my cart' right now, crank & clutch bearings/seals etc. But there's no crankshaft available....


Even checked Ebay today and did find a lot of rusty junked out bottom and top ends of various years all from the same seller, The problem with that is ya can't tell what kind of shape the cranks are in and if they're even savable going by the pics and it's a no return policy. Plus they aren't cheap, Prices range from $200 to $450 plus $50ish shipping. I'm not willing to risk that much $$$ for what could be just as much junk as what I already have lol.......

I'll keep looking for a little while longer before I give up

[raydhd]

Don't you need the 6 spline crank which he has ?

[Dabble Inn]

Yes it is the 6 spline, OMG you actually found it on there? I will go back and look again, Thanks


EDIT:
Well yes, I found a 'good used' one on there for $249. Wish they had a new one but I will indeed give them a call about it, Maybe there's still hope for this old gal. Thank You

I see in your signature you put a 440 Suzuki snowmobile engine in an 82, do you happen to have a thread on that build? Or maybe some pics? I know where there's an old 340 Polaris engine just sitting there rotting away, Don't remember if it's a FC or liquid though

[raydhd]

Don't forget that is the whole unit including the crank pin ,bearings , and connecting rod. That is a whole lot of hard to find parts. My snowmobile engine build is in the sled section of big blocks.

[Lochlin]

Crazy thought but if you are going to replace that crank anyway it may be worth a try......

The "fan base" (similar placement to the flywheel on your cart) on one of my 85s has somewhat of a built-in key that keeps it in place via a keyway on the crank. It broke off and the crank end just spun without turning the fan (it took a few overheats for me to realize I had an issue). As a fix, I placed a glob of weld where the broken key was then filed it it the shape of the original. It worked great.

Can something similar work for your cart? What I mean is to weld the damaged crank and smooth it with a file. You'll have to figure out a way to get a new keyway cut but I would think some delicate work with a drill press would do it. I dunno. Just throwing stuff out there.

You may want to call these guys as well:

https://golfcartcare.com/

I have never needed them but they advertise being a rebuilder of HD cart motors. They may have a crank. Heck, for the money you might be better off sending them your motor and allowing them to completely redo it for you.

[Dabble Inn]

Originally Posted by raydhd

Don't forget that is the whole unit including the crank pin ,bearings , and connecting rod. That is a whole lot of hard to find parts. My snowmobile engine build is in the sled section of big blocks.

Well, good try but they're site is wrong. They do NOT have one after all, but they took my info and will put out an APB for one, UGHHH!!

Gee I didn't know we had a sled section on here, I'll search for your conversion

[mikeasis]

Originally Posted by Dabble Inn

Update #3

Well, things got worse. The clutch has issues that can be overcome with parts still available but worst of all the taper on the crank where the inner sheave of the clutch lives is trash, There is no keyway left but instead just an area of wore down gone-ness where is used to be. Crankshaft end play is about .035", I was going to split the case and install new crank bearings/seals and add some shims to get it back to specs of .001" to .005". Not sure what to do now as I can't find a replacement crankshaft, Anyone know where one might be available?

Perhaps it's time to start looking for a snowmobile engine to save it or just part it out to get my investment back

Call Todd Cutchins @ 608-988-0110. He specializes in these old Harley carts and has a yard full of them

[Dabble Inn]

Originally Posted by Lochlin

Crazy thought but if you are going to replace that crank anyway it may be worth a try......

The "fan base" (similar placement to the flywheel on your cart) on one of my 85s has somewhat of a built-in key that keeps it in place via a keyway on the crank. It broke off and the crank end just spun without turning the fan (it took a few overheats for me to realize I had an issue). As a fix, I placed a glob of weld where the broken key was then filed it it the shape of the original. It worked great.

Can something similar work for your cart? What I mean is to weld the damaged crank and smooth it with a file. You'll have to figure out a way to get a new keyway cut but I would think some delicate work with a drill press would do it. I dunno. Just throwing stuff out there.

You may want to call these guys as well:

https://golfcartcare.com/

I have never needed them but they advertise being a rebuilder of HD cart motors. They may have a crank. Heck, for the money you might be better off sending them your motor and allowing them to completely redo it for you.

Yep been on that site quite a bit too, now waiting for a call back. I thought about trying to repair this one like you say, either with weld or maybe marine Tex or JB weld or whatever. I wish my issue was on the fan side as it would be a lot less of a load, and filing/drilling weld sounds hard.

EDIT;
I heard back from them, can get a rebuilt short block for $400 free ship and no core. At least now I have an option

[Dabble Inn]

Originally Posted by mikeasis

Call Todd Cutchins @ 608-988-0110. He specializes in these old Harley carts and has a yard full of them

Wow ok I will do that, Thank you very much.

EDIT;
Just talked to him, very impressive. Think I found the guy, Thanks so much for the info

[Dabble Inn]

Originally Posted by Dabble Inn

Update;
I dug into it today, timing was way advanced and points were way wide so I set-reset-set again and reset again lol. It's on the gnats a$$, set it through the flywheel hole for both forward and reverse and reset the point gap again and again (.021). I'm confident it's where it should be although the factory marks on the points plate and housing are not lined up (about 3/16" advanced), I also checked the timing/points gap with the continuity method through the points open/closed with the marks on the flywheel. It's perfect, good timing mark in both directions when points begin to open.......




I ran it with the rear wheels off the ground and it still runs terrible in forward but much better in reverse, crank feels tight in bearings. Would Could crankshaft seals let it run like that?

Originally Posted by Lochlin

Oh yeah, you have some good ole fashioned mickey mousing going on there. I did a cart like that once. They had that orange gasket maker everywhere...head, carb manifold, read, etc. I guess a previous owner didn't want to take the time to wait for parts to arrive.


Regarding the "runs better in reverse" I don't believe crank seals can cause that. If it's drawing enough fuel in reverse it has to be drawing enough for forward as well. I hate to say this but that's normally a timing thing still. I know you have things spot on but spot on can vary from cart to cart.

I am convinced that one of my 85s can't be timed with points although I know that's not logical. Before I converted it I spent hours and hours trying to get it timed right. It would run ok but not great. I gave up on it. I have a different '85 that timed great in like a minute. I still converted it though.

Another Update;

Finally got all the parts I needed and worked through some of the cobbled up mishaps it suffered in it's previous life, it's got new bearings/seals and re-shimmed the crank to specs. It had .033" of lateral end play lol, now at .003" . It's still on the bench but all back together, I'm now finalizing up some other cobbles on the buggy and hope to get the engine in within a couple days to try it out......

Timing;

I had another cobble surprise with the timing, it was way wrong and would have NEVER been even close without double checking like I did. Upon re-assembly (before I put the fan housing on) I marked the location of the timing peep hole in the fan housing by mounting a needle to the case protruding out over the flywheel marks, was able to check the timing marks on the flywheel easier that way. I started by checking the marks in relation to actual TDC. (Actual TDC was determined using a dial indicator through spark plug hole to top of piston) Actual TDC should have been exactly centered between the two (forward-reverse) timing marks, it was NOT. It was at the forward timing mark instead. Meaning, all that timing effort in the past I did was for nothing. Even though I had it on the gnats a$$ on the forward mark, in reality it was set at TDC or 0* advanced rather than 25* lol. UGHHH!! ......

I know what you're all thinking, but the keyway on the crank and flywheel are both in good condition. So, sometime in it's life maybe either the flywheel has been replaced with another year?? Or perhaps the crank has been too?? Or both?? I can't think of another reason why this would be?? I also can't believe they're all not cookie cutter the same?? Perhaps the years that they had the advance timing (rather than fixed) maybe had marks for TDC instead?? Although that would be putting the reverse mark at 50* retarded, I'm going to chalk it up as fiik!!

I ended up measuring the distance between the two existing marks (50* apart) then divided by 2 (for 25*) and with also using a degree wheel I punched new marks on the flywheel, both at 25* on each side of actual TDC. Then of course the points plate wouldn't rotate far enough in the slots for timing, I don't think it's original either as it's a little rough getting it placed in the fan housing and it has some file marks around the outside of it too. So I drilled holes at the end of the slots and with a rat tail file I extended the slots so it'll rotate far enough. It's now back on the gnats a$$ at absolute 25* advanced. Flippin thing better run LOL, or it's