Almost ancient new member

foggybottom

New Member
Local time
10:22 PM
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
5
Location
Redding, California
Yeah 77 years, but can still fog a mirror most mornings.
It's apparent that there is a lot experience in this group and I'm hoping to take advantage of it. I've spent a lot of time putting things together. Motorcycles, boats, ATV's, even a from scratch air plane. Have an electric powered tadpole trike,but as I get older, a better hill climber sounds desirable.
So I've gathered a 50cc Honda,a 4-G drive, and am trying to decide which bike to mount the machinery on. Have a mountain bike, an almost new aluminum frame Trek, and an old steel framed Schwinn. Now that I have it, I have some questions about the 4-G drive. Primarily why the Honda crankshaft which is 15.8mm in diameter has some how become 5/8 of an inch. That causes the fit between clutch rotor and crankshaft to have .003 inches of play. Centrifugal clutch rotors should fit the crankshaft better than a fall on-fall off fit. Solutions and or comment
would be appreciated. Even if it's a "don't worry about it"
 
Never to old to enjoy our hobby! Just got to be careful and respect the fact that nature slows our reaction time down a little and need to be more defensive!

As far as your clutch goes? I think you are saying there is slop in the shaft in relation to where the female part of the clutch slips onto it. Am I correct?

From my experience there is usually a key that locks the two into sync w/ eachother and a bolt (on top of both) that keeps them from moving away from eachother.

From what your telling me, there shouldn't be a problem, if the way I describe things is correct. You need to remember, stuff ain't made the way it used to be. Nobody takes pride in their work anymore except the people who do things at home!
 
By the way, I'm sorry, Welcome to the board!

If the key is built in and not removable/replaceable, I'd give it a wrap of tefflon thread tape to take the slop out of it, maybe several wraps.

If the slop returns; don't know if your clutch would allow for a coating of braze (brass) on the I.D. of the keyway?

Stay tunned because these guy's are pretty sharp here! They'll beg to see pictures of that tadpole!
 
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Sure, but then you get a shaft not centered in the opening. Much better to wrap a piece of shimstock in place - the shaft then stays centered.
 
The 4 G drive kit comes with a Huasheng and is the same as a Honda. Maybe get the right one form one of them like Bicycle-engines.com. also staton-inc has parts for Honda. That is were I got my clutch shoes for my Honda.
WELCOM me 69 and will have my first build of this area done this winter......Curt ..... Did one when I was 16
 
What's the shim stock made of? Could silver tape used for HVAC be used?

Just trying to help him out, maybe learn something.

The stock you speak of must be soft metal to be that ductile. Must have a lot of tin in it?
 
What's the shim stock made of? Could silver tape used for HVAC be used?

Just trying to help him out, maybe learn something.

The stock you speak of must be soft metal to be that ductile. Must have a lot of tin in it?
Good quality shim stock is typically brass, or sheet bronze. Mostly the sheet bronze is seen in thicker applications. It comes in various thicknesses, everything from thinner than paper up to about .08 inches, and is very flexible while having good wear characteristics. Shimming is fine, for seating a bearing race or such centered in an opening. If there is going to be significant rotational friction, it is better to turn the shaft smooth and round, undersized, and use oil impregnated bronze than brass.

I doubt that HVAC tape would stand up to the loads at all. Flap tape might, but that stuff is EXPENSIVE. It's really not a good idea to have an adhesive in that joint, usually.
 
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I've been known to cut up a perfectly good set of feeler guages to get a specific sized shim upon occasion. :sick:
 
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