Basket case? First 4stroke build

Obsessed biker

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I once asked my dad what it meant in a classified ad that said "basket case." Since we were looking at motorcycles, he said its when a whole or parts of a whole bike had been disassembled but never reassembled. The parts are then gathered into a basket and handed to the buyer "as is." I don't know if this quite fits that definition, but this project reminds me of that idea of having to work through everything. I did complete my first 2 stroke build which turned out pretty well with a few visits here. Also had my share of kinks to work out over about 5 gal of use when I worked out a swap with someone who'd aquired a partially assembled 4 stroke schwinn cruiser.

Here is the current status of the build that I hope to finish. I see some things are the same as the 2 stroke, but the 4 seems like a different animal and any assistance would be much appreciated.

91205


You can see it's an older model single speed Schwinn Delmar. I'm told the previous owner started the project maybe 5 or 6 yrs ago but got frustrated and gave up, so it could be newer or older. Apparently some of the steps were done in the wrong order, although he did get it onto the mounting plate and into the frame. But it appears crooked especially when looking at the drive sprocket alignment compared to the rag joint sprocket which appears was installed adequately.

91206


91207


It did come with a box of remaining items such as the gas tank, throttle, cables, hoses, chain and even came with a 2 stroke carb and muffler. I have many questions, but to start, does anyone know what version of engines and mounts were used around that time? Or even better, does anyone recognize what i have? Have the mounts been updated or changed? It is a Huashang and the belt cover says Ghost Racer, but i dont know if it's 49 or 53cc. I hope it's the non restricted version, but how do I tell without a lot of disassembling?

91208


There was play in the rear hub, but I made some adjustments and i think it's fixed, but i wasn't there when the sprocket was installed. I don't know if correct adjustments created other problems with the coaster brake or arm. Regardless, it seems like the adjustments need to be just right for a coaster brake to work properly. That makes me skeptical to use it if riding 30 yards throws the adjustments off. I'm not opposed to removing the coaster brake function if need be and adding a hand brake.

The next issue is the belt drive (the belt was broke when I got it). Can anyone tell me if it's a 4g or 7g? What are the differences? I got a new belt which is a 15mm HTD 575-5M. I'm thinking the first belt broke because the pulleys are slightly out of alignment. The larger one sticks out a little farther and would cause the edge of the belt to rub the outer edge of the smaller pulley. I don't know if this is normal, because it is only very slightly off. Theoretically the belt would fit, but would in my mind cause the edge of the belt to rub the guide edge of the smaller pulley. Something else i noticed is it's missing two bottom bolts below the smaller pulley. I'd love to see how one is correctly mounted and hopefully duplicate.

91209


Sorry for the long winded explanation. But i figured more background would help get better answers.


Some remaining questions I have are..

How do you identify if it's a 142f or 144f?

What tranny is this? 4g? 7g?
Is this what needs to be switched to the Grubee g4 I read somewhere here about because the stock wears out quickly? Or is it just the clutch some were talking about?

Was this belt drive assembled wrong for the belt pulleys to not line up?

Are there axle tugs to fit my (mostly) horizontal dropouts that have the open end toward the front instead of the rear like bmx bikes have?

Are there jackshaft kits available for these Huashang 4 strokes? I've searched, but only found 2 strokes have the readily available kits.

Thumbs up if you've read all this way. đź‘Ť Thanks!
 
The engine mount is probably not bad only out of alignment, I would try loosening the mounts and adjusting the engine.
 
The engine mount is probably not bad only out of alignment, I would try loosening the mounts and adjusting the engine.

I thought of that, but the only youtube vid I'd seen for 4 stroke builds shows step by step from beginning. I'm wondering if it'd be better to just remove it and try to pick up the steps where i can.
 
I see the belt is missing, where is the sprocket to drive the rear wheel? Might just be the pics. Nice ride once you get her going.
 
First thing you gotta do is get the engine to sit level. Not just side to side, but front to back as well. You may have to grind the mount some to do it. That's really important to get the engine to run properly. There's some side to side adjustment in the bracket so you should be able to align the chain without too much hassle.

The belt drive should mount flush to the engine, no gap. Could be simple installation error, could be a clearance issue inside the clutch. Take it apart and see.

With the clutch bell on the outside, I think you have a straight-shaft engine, which takes a different clutch than the typical tapered-shaft 142. Not a big deal, just make sure you get the right parts because they are not interchangeable.

I know for a fact that you're gonna be cussing the guy who built it the first time. I do that all the time, and the first guy was me.
 
I see the belt is missing, where is the sprocket to drive the rear wheel? Might just be the pics. Nice ride once you get her going.
It's on the inner side of the large pulley of the tranny. Sorry, to photograph it, the angle id have to have been at wouldn't have really shown how tilted it is. I do like the color and style though. It looks like the dude never rode the bike, just got it for the project.
 
First thing you gotta do is get the engine to sit level. Not just side to side, but front to back as well. You may have to grind the mount some to do it. That's really important to get the engine to run properly. There's some side to side adjustment in the bracket so you should be able to align the chain without too much hassle.

The belt drive should mount flush to the engine, no gap. Could be simple installation error, could be a clearance issue inside the clutch. Take it apart and see.

With the clutch bell on the outside, I think you have a straight-shaft engine, which takes a different clutch than the typical tapered-shaft 142. Not a big deal, just make sure you get the right parts because they are not interchangeable.

I know for a fact that you're gonna be cussing the guy who built it the first time. I do that all the time, and the first guy was me.

Thanks OBH, the install video i saw shows getting the mounting plate level before putting the engine on. I think removing it and picking up the steps will be the way to go. Same as your suggestion to take the belt drive apart. So the straight shaft is on older models? I've seen a few other pics now, but am i correct to say the engines that are red on the right are the 142 and the black ones are 144? Or is color just an option?
 
The flywheel cover color is just an option. I've seen them in red, yellow, green, and black over the past 10 years.

You may have nothing but trouble with that mount on that frame. It will require grinding out the bottom of the front mounting block in order to get it to sit at an angle that will let you mount the plate on it level. My brother and I experienced the same issue with that type of mount, and so did the person who mounted your engine - that's why it's mounted so cock-eyed. Alternatively, you could replace the mount, or tack on a couple bars of angle iron to use as a mount instead. Angle iron will let you mount the engine lower, as well.

How do you identify if it's a 142f or 144f?

You have the straight shaft Huasheng, they are 142F. Basically a copy of the Honda GXH50.

What tranny is this? 4g? 7g?

I do not think that is a real Grubee 4G, but some kind of copy. Your trans plate is an unmachined casting, judging from the back side of the plate. I have never seen a 7G in person, but that could be what you have.

Was this belt drive assembled wrong for the belt pulleys to not line up?

Possibly. The rear pulley can be removed and shimmed to bring it out a bit to help line it up.

Are there axle tugs to fit my (mostly) horizontal dropouts that have the open end toward the front instead of the rear like bmx bikes have?

Those are semi-horizontal front-facing dropouts. There's a couple chain tugs that work for that application, such as these.

Are there jackshaft kits available for these Huashang 4 strokes? I've searched, but only found 2 strokes have the readily available kits.

SickBikeParts sells a 4-stroke shift kit that can be made to work with your engine and trans combo. I did that back in 2010. The obstacle you might run into is the box muffler hitting the cantilever bars because the engine would be mounted farther forward. You'd need a different exhaust and also a different rear wheel. Coaster brakes don't work with shift kits.

I recommend a Sturmey 3-speed hub or the like with a strong rear brake. I've used X-RD3 and X-RD5 on my setup, and the integral drum brake itself isn't quite enough for my taste. I run 2 brakes on each wheel (Sturmey drums + V-brakes). You'd definitely need a front brake for your bike and the easiest way to go about that is to install a better fork with a mount for V-brake or even disc.
 
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