Helmet Day

Today, I decided to open up Dad's helmet bag.  I had not noticed it tucked in the corner until a couple weeks ago.  It is the red, white, and blue striped bag.  It probably has not been opened since Dad's last race in the 1970s.

Dad always put several things in the helmet for safe keeping.  The box-thing is the engine temp gauge.

get rid of fog

get rid of the scratches 

extra hinge parts

 Apparently the early full-face helmets were not designed or padded to protect the top of the head or the mouth area. But it's better than an open face helmet.

 I remember Dad working on this at the workbench on William Drive. Today the white is yellowed, the blue is more green-ish, and the red is somewhat red.  Got to have the duct tape!

yea..... better with the shield down.

Still accurate even if it is not hooked up to the engine.  Yes, it was a tick under 100º today.

Here is one of Dad's Indy Kart Club shirts.  That is a real embroidered patch about a foot across.  The front has a small one on the pocket. This was from the early 1970s and apparently was worn when he flagged.    I do not remember these at all. I now have three shirts...hmmmm... enough for a pit crew.

This orange one is his shirt from the mid-1980s.  I have photos of Dad wearing this for the Broad Ripple street races.  That was the last race I attended until last year at Putnam Park.

BONUS!  Muffin likes IndyCar!

____________________________________________________

this photo is for a vintage forum 

To-Do List

Brake safety tether (KISS)

Replace pin with bolt with locking nut/cotter pin

Buy gasoline (which grade?)  sunoco or shell premium (called Hi-test in past)

Mix gasoline and oil  (20:1 or 16:1) (10-12oz Burris castor:1gal gas)  Shell & Stihl oil (add stabilizer for end of day flush)

Clutch oil --  old Hartman oil should work

Review first start procedure ( 1-2oz. fuel mix in carb and .5-1oz through plug hole to cylinder):  idle for 10 minutes until warmed up on horses/stand; repeat 3 times; re-torque head bolts)

Remove engine swing mount to fix rubber gasket

Place fixed swing mount

Place locking collar on Swing mount on axle (use punch to tighten then set screw)

Place engine on swing mount

Tighten engine mounting bolts to torque limit (loc-tite)

Attach clutch to PTO side (half-moon key, clutch housing and ring, shoes, gasket, cover, tighten pulley         bolt, hex bolts with loc-tite, fill with oil)

Align sprocket/oiler to drive sprocket (oiler not allowed.  put lube on sprocket)

Fill oiler at track(~70weight gear oil)(holds enough for one hour of racing)

Connect throttle cable to carb; attach to frame with zip-ties

Connect brake tubing to frame with zip-ties

Put on pipe (torque wrench)

Battery to starter and test (Check correct direction!!)

New belt?

Put on fuel line ( need a loop?)

Add gas/oil mix

Open the fuel valve

Set carb needles per manual before start

After start, set carb needles per manual

Buy new tires (Dunlop SL4) and tubes

Balance tires

Put on tires

Balance frame with a scale under each tire (what then?  tire pressure?   frame?)

Put temp gauge on spark plug (gauge is in helmet bag.  where is the plug end?)

Buy strong rod bolts (Bonbright)

Set clutch at high rpm

Inventory all kart parts and tools

New boxes for parts

catalog what tools are needed

table for pits

tent for pits

Start wiki of info

EAR PLUGS



and much much more

Engine-back-on Day

With the engine finally getting spark, cranking it over will be in the near future. That means I need fluids... lots of fluids: gas, oil for the gas, oil for the oiler, oil for the clutch.  I stopped by Rapid Racing Kart Shop in Clermont, IN, for supplies and chat with Greg Wright.  Got some fuel line and 2-cycle oil.  I asked for some advise and he gave the best answer for that moment: don't start the engine without a load on it.  Get the kart together as if going out on-track, then start it.  Perfect!  I had thought of the load issue, but that confirmed it.  Well worth going a few miles out of the way.  

Once getting down to Dad's it was time to look around the barn and figure out the next step.   Brakes.

I took John Copeland's great advise on filling the brake lines, since you can't bleed them like brakes on a car: Set calipers lower than the master cylinder; Open the master cylinder; Remove a nipple from the caliper; Squeeze in the brake fluid; Watch the bubble move up the brake line to the master cylinder; Watch the bubbles and fluid spray out all over the seat.  IT WORKS! 

Set the rear of the kart on ground 

I took this nipple out and used this bottle of fluid

Next was tires and wheels.  Dad and I had only talked tires in general terms.  Consensus from the vintage community is to buy new for anything but show.   While at Greg's, I had asked him about tires.  Like many have suggested, he said to get SL3 tire.  He said one brand was hard to mount, so I asked for some hints for mounting onto two-piece wheels.  DING DING DING!  a ha!   Two piece wheels are simple!  Just place in the tires and bolt together.  I had not thought through it.

So I took one tire and added air to about 30lbs and cleaned it up with gasoline.  As with the rest of the kart, I decided to take the wheel apart so I would understand the structure and how to work on it.

Each wheel has 5 bolts, each requiring two sockets to loosen...and each one takes awhile.  I was almost done removing the 5th bolt when... BOOOOOM!   The nut and bolt popped apart and the wheel had popped apart about 2".  I was confused and thought the head stripped off the bolt.  I finally realized the pressure was too high in the inner-tube and had forced the halves apart.  The tube was good after 40 years!  But then a pensive, quiet squeal started... the wheel had cut the tube.  So now I have a sample for getting new tubes.

here are the two halves

Notice the bolt holes alternate in shape.  One concave and the next convex in order to interlock with the other side.  The far right side hole is the only flush hole.  I call it the "master" since it needs to correspond with the other wheel.

this is with the halves not inter-locking

this is locking... everything flush

I want to test out the other tires and tubes by putting in 20lbs of air each.  Next time I go down I will check the air and see if there are leaks.

I also cleaned each one in gasoline and dried them with the compressed air.  This blew nearly all the silver paint off the wheels, and revealing the original red paint.  This created thousands of small silver metallic paint slivers to fly around the barn.

the poor, deflated inner-tube.  

Then I finished up the engine by tightening up all bolts to torque tolerances.  Here is the finished engine with  the exhaust post/saw dust protector attached.

Engine back on the kart.  Bolted, but not tightened down. 

at lower left is the Lumello Oilmatic.  But I don't remember whether it was tight on the axle or floating... eeekkkk
The chain sprocket is attached to it.

This picture is missing something.
There should be a locking collar on the right side of the engine lord mount to keep it in place.  

There are a few more things to do before trying to start it:

•get front engine mount rubber gasket fixed and collar set and tight

•place the half-moon key on crank and put on the clutch...tight tight tight!

•set and tighten the last collar on the engine axle mount

•place chain oiler in correct position and tighten to axle

•check everything for tightness

•put on the chain (connect the chain links).  allow 1/2" of slack

•tighten the bottom engine bolts

•put on tires

•clean and check fuel valve.  put on new fuel hose

•pre-oil the engine with gas/oil mix in carb and in cylinder

•check on anything number of other things

•CRANK IT UP!

and then new tires, a helmet.... as Dad said, "there's always more."

Here is something cool!  This is Dad's Indianapolis Kart Club membership card.
I am assuming he received this around 1965 or before.

And God said, "Let there be Spark!"

After rebuilding the engine in the last post, I have spent the last two weeks working on the timing.  That is a job that should take about 20-30 minutes for a novice.

I don't know many times I have found top-dead-center, then 27º before-top-dead-center, checked for the break in continuity at 27º btdc, put the flywheel on... then tried for a spark.  

NOTHING!

Over and over.. tear down, set points, flywheel on, try for spark.  NOTHING!

I have been in a trouble-shooting email conversation with Rick Chapman in Ohio looking for answers.  About 10 emails from each of us describing the problem and restating the correct procedures.  And of course there are the alternate procedures on the karting forums from Steve O'hara and others.  

Still NOTHING!   

I worked on it for over an hour yesterday and finally took a walk to pray about it.  Yes, that should have been first.  I just was so frustrated and felt like screaming.

Rick had suggested there may be a short somewhere.  OK... But I am a total novice at electrical stuff.  But I love schematics, so I drew up this of the ignition system:

I was looking for the short so the diagram shows the two "sides" to complete the circuit. One is the condenser side(dotted lines); the other the block side(slash lines).  I did this just before going off to bed (I only dreamed about it a little).

Today I bought a new points file... and filed the @#$% out of the points. And rebuilt the points, timing, coil, etc.

NOTHING!

aaaaaaggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I did scream a little.  I felt like have been banging my head against the wall for two weeks.

With everything put together, I used a drill to turn over the crank to test for a spark.  NOTHING!  Then there was....

BANG!  TINGLE-TINGLE-TINGLE-TINGLE!   My pinky finger that I was holding the spark wire with got shocked!  That was a surprise.   But there was a spark.  So I did it again.  TINGLE-TINGLE-TINGLE-TINGLE.  Crap!  That means a the current is getting to the shroud... so there is a short somewhere.  

I left my schematic beside my bed this morning, so I turned to go get it to try to find the short.  

BANG! (this was in my brain, this time)   In my minds eye I saw the area schematic at the spark plug.  THE SPARK PLUG NEEDS TO BE TOUCHING THE BLOCK  to complete the circuit!  I was getting shocked because I WAS THE BLOCK carrying the current.

So I pressed the spark plug to the shroud... and... BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL, HOT SPARKS!

I sort of remember Sonny Gerber showing me that, but it was over shadowed by an old prank he told me about.  (I will not discuss it here.  I will show you if you mess around the engine)

Now I feel so dumb!  or at least ignorant.   But I did learn a lot about setting the timing...over and over and over.  

Now I can move on to putting the engine on the frame and trying to fire it off.

Rebuild

Due to the huge pressure leak the engine had to be torn down. I thought it would be fun to record the process.  Below are links to two time-lapse videos of the process. One frame was taken every second then compiled into movies running at 24 frames per second. 

There was one major hang-up.  I made a huge mistake.  

I had noticed the crank had a little lateral movement.  After investigating it, I found the ball-bearing was floating in its housing.  I had read on the kart forums that Loc-tite would hold it.  Soooo.......

I put some Loc-tite on the housing, getting the drips to go all the way around.  Then put in the crank and ball-bearing, then started putting in the bolts holding on the crankcase cover.... with the cover facing up with bearing below.

After a few minutes of tightening, I turned the crankshaft.  NOPE!  IT WOULD NOT TURN.  

When I turned the crankcase cover over, gravity pulled the Loc-tite INTO THE BALL-BEARINGS.
I had a pretty good freak for several minutes.


It took some time, some heat, some "blaster" solvent, some big ol' wrenches, and some patience... but the bearing was singing again before the rebuild.  Hopefully, it will be OK.  We will see when it finally gets running.


Here are the links to the videos on YouTube: 


Tear-down


Rebuild




Enjoy!

Pressure Test

Yesterday I pressure tested the engine.   The test consists of attaching a couple of specially built pieces to the engine.  One is a thick aluminum plate that goes over the exhaust manifold and has a stem to add air, like on a car or bike tire, except it is stainless steel.  The other is another aluminum plate which attaches where the carb goes and has a pressure gauge attached.  I created seals from a sacrificial bike inner tube.

I got everything tight and put in a few pounds of pressure, not knowing what to expect.   The pressure needle went to 25lbs then fell to 13 in a few seconds.  Then down rapidly from there with a low, slow, whooooshing, sound.  I applied some soapy water to the pressure test seals.... Nope.  I had to pump in air several times until I found the culprit...behind the flywheel.  After removing the flywheel, adding pressure, and moving my ear down to the crank, the sound was as plain as a mare passing gas (thanks for that visual, Randy). It was the crank seal!

Oh, FUI! (that's Latin, you know).  I chuckled a bit and got choked up because I heard and saw Dad crunching his face up, wincing, almost in pain, saying softly, "Dammit, dammit, dammit. Todd, we should have changed those."

But all is not lost.  I conferred with Sonny and Rick Chapman and they kindly pointed me in the right direction. 

What does this mean?  I get to tear the engine down, again, and replace the seals.  I see it as a good practice.  Plus, I will take a look at the lateral play in the crankshaft.

Back on the bicycle....

Yesterday I worked on the kart for the first time since Dad passed away.  It was a good day.  I didn't know what  emotions would flow, but all I could do was smile and work.  So, we have fallen down, now it's time to get back on the bicycle.

I finished up the brakes, except for the tether.  Bleeding them alone was a humorous chore, but I got it done.  But there were still some bubbles.  I found out the secret later from John Copeland after getting the timing done by Sonny Gerber.

There it is.  Still there.

Just documenting how it is put together to compare to pre-restoration images

Just documenting how it is put together to compare to pre-restoration images

There... all done.  NOT!  I bled the brakes as if it was a car, but John Copeland straightened me out.
1. empty the master cylinder and keep cap off
2. set caliper below master cylinder
3. open bleeder at the bottom
4. use bottle of fluid to fill caliper; air will be forced into tubing
5. keep filling so fluid moves up the brake tubing and fills the master cylinder
6. fill up master cylinder and cap off

It's info like that which I will be missing from Dad.

Carb!

Here is the carb taken apart with the original gaskets and parts.
Then cleaned all parts with gas and a good blow of air to dry

the main body with the hi and lo jet holes on the near side

I can't have kart work day without using the grinder brush!

This is the container of small parts from the carb.  DON'T LOOSE THESE!

The old and new carb kit pieces

Hi and Lo needles before...

...all buffed up after "the wheel"

ready to reset the float and needle.

***NOTICE THE LARGE HOLE AT LOWER LEFT***
This is the spot for the duckbill.  When we disassembled it in the fall, it was reduced to a puddle of goo.
Use carb cleaner to remove any trace. 

with float tight, put on the plate with gasket

as you see here, without screws in yet

All done... OOOOOPS.  forgot the duckbill!  take it apart, put in the duckbill, put back together

reed cage.  the reeds were not seating well, so had to be flipped.  Easy... but the screw on the right is stripped.
Big screw driver... no
pressure... no

deeper slot with hacksaw... YES

reed cage, reed, reed support, screws

hi lo needles in place.  make sure the washer is soft.  I put on in from the spare engine but it was hard and crispy

points ready to be set

I drove up to John Copeland's Fox Valley Kart Shop in Lafayette, IN.  Sonny Gerber showed me how to do the  timing.  Sonny is the MAN!  He has rebuilt over 30,000 Macs!  THANK YOU!!  I won't give away the tricks.

timing wheel. Dad's will work, but it needs to be able to lock down.

no need for a special tool.  just use a screw driver as a piston stop.

 

after not getting continuity, Sonny had to file down the points .. a few times.

Finally, it worked and to provided a nice spark

 

checking for continuity

with timing done, time for the flywheel. the nut needs to be TIGHT!  use of power tool is good to do first tightening, then us a good wrench to finalize by hand.

Sonny suggests the modern Autolite 411 spark plug

then put the coil on... and it's done!