Don't have any 302 GMC engines in your "replaced by an LS engine" pile, do you Evan? Or even a 270? My 228 runs great, but is pretty gutless. If it ever comes time for major work, I'd like to replace it with something that would climb some of the hills around Fredericksburg without causing a traffic jam.
Hello all, just checking in. The last 15 post-retirement months have been a blur. How builders can turn a house in 90 days escapes me. Of course, they don't build what I am building either. Covid has essentially been a non-issue. No subcontractor that has worked onsite has donned a mask, and not one has even mentioned the pandemic. They just show up, work and go home. I don't know anybody personally who has HAD it. But, I don't get out much.
Good to hear folks are still out and about, life is to be ENJOYED ! it's a precious gift you'll never receive again so try not to waste it . Racing Pigeons, very cool . There's a club for them not far from SWMBO'S house . I like my little dogs long ago I had rattle snakes, they're interesting pets but not much fun . Don't be too impressed by my knowledge, I don't know 1/10th of what many others know, I just muddle along and try to keep it fun . I like riding Motocycles , have since the 1960's I guess, up fixing one to ride always makes the riding seem better some how . I've had more old Motos than I can remember, two Harley - Davidsons, my ex L.A.P.D. 1965 FL PanHead 1200, I had to take that one down to the frame and rebuild it from ground up, I wish I had any photos . When I lived in Guatemala Centro America I bought a 1937 EL KnuckleHead, that's the 61" engine one, the frame was broken in three places and other issues yet it still ran, I took it apart and found another frame, rebuilt it from the ground up, a nice bike it was too . Basically I was born to wrench, I began as a very young child, my parents hated how I'd take anything to bits and sometimes manage to reassemble it too . Oops ~ gotta go my sweet is going to the doctor's office .
Wow indeed . 1920's manufacturing and I wonder how accurate the specs are . The delivery vehicle is a modified HONDA CB100 Motocycle probably made by ATLAS HONDA, less than a Tuk-Tuk even . I used to work with a guy from India, he was a Machinist and on the side bought container fulls of used machinery and shipped it to India where it was resold . India is indeed a fascinating country ~ if you can find it the side walk dentist clip on you tube is eye opening. Not everything in India is hand made but a lot is because they have so many people ~ I have seen very good products right beside crap that's worthless . -Nate LIVE in the world as it is, WORK to make the world as it should be Steve wrote: How they make a crankshaft in India....unbelievable. Wow! These people are industrious, clever, hard working and ingenious. Equipment looks like vintage WWII, no computers, every station makes their own measurements and calculations, no safety equipment, bare feet, no goggles, no face masks (no OSHA), machine shop is a chaotic mess, basic hand tools. Building looks pre-industrial revolution. Packaging is all hand made and the delivery vehicle is classic (hysterical). Worth the watch, even if you skip some segments. Production of Crankshafts in Factory Complete Process || Machining 3 Cylinder Engine Crankshaft Production of Crankshafts in Factory Complete Process || Machining 3 Cyl... NOTE : I have been told this is more likely Pakistan than India .
And the hunt goes on..... In post #37 if you look you can see a round black dot inside the headlamp, last night in England I found the correct factory bulb holder that fits in it, as soon as I get this part I'll hunt up an appropriate LED bulb and have a parking / city light . Meanwhilst I've been hard at work on Tom's big old 1979 Dodge D200 crew cab service bed truck ~ every year the Vintage Japanese Motocycle Club Of Los Angeles takes a Moto trip out there, because we're dedicated Enthusiasts (or simply stupid) we actually ride 30 + year old mostly Japanese Motocycles there and back . I got the truck running well, it breezed through the A.Q.M.D.'s annual exhaust emissions test but the tank vapor recovery system failed, I *think* I now have that covered apart from one unobtanuim part : a 2' long hose that's just under 1/4" ID on one end and 3/8" ID on the other end . In decades gone past I could easily buy a little metal adapter nipple that had different end sizes, no can't find for love nor money . This beast has a 360C.I. V8 engine and 727 slushbox tranny, it's GVW is over 3,200 pounds so is considered 'heavy duty' by the state, I'm pretty sure if I can find some way to replace the dry rotted hose we're home free .
We're headed to Death Valley October 23rd so I need to get this done . Maybe I'll look at the dead AC next .
Neat thread Nate. I really like your bad motor scooter! You should have the moderators change the title though. If folks are like me, anything Covid related I avoid like.. well... the Plague. Only reason I even looked at the thread was you authored it... and knowing your past demeanor I figured it wouldn't be another "beat the masses into submission" lecture. We've been working on home renovations. Not my favorite pastime, but what the heck. Installing some hardwood flooring that is made from recycled horse fencing and old barns. Lot's of character, and more work to install than standard hardwood flooring. But it's oh so cool... well we think so anyways. It has some gnarly knot holes... which we filled with clear epoxy. You can look down into them and see the wood grain.
Wow ! that floor is fantastic . In the 1960's they'd take the sides off old barns and hang them inside pizza places, this is so much better .
This is a recent picture of my grand daughter and grand son, Penny and Maxx . Maxx will be 3 next month . I'm also trying to add a newer, better picture of my little Tiddler Moto, it's not a scooter, it's a Motocycle, there's a significant difference . I've finally found the correct New Old Stock carby in Pakistan and installed it so now it runs perfectly like any Honda should so I've been addressing the cosmetics and vanity items . The headlight was dim and had rusty chrome so I hunted up a European spec. headlight, made in Japan with a new chrome ring and "city light" (parking bulb inside the headlight proper) . New front fender and other bits and bobs, still more to go and so far every bit of it is N.O.S. Honda factory stock sourced from long forgotten stocks world wide ~ they're always thrilled to get rid of worthless old obsolete stocks . I asked the moderators to change the title, see what happens . FWIW, the correct Kei-Hin PD27 carby has the correct #105 main jet too....
Okay ; Nick the nice Moderator fixed the title, I had no idea it was off putting . So, the Dodge still needs an evaporative control smoke test as there's a small leak in there somewhere, who knows where . Tom, (the fat guy in the edge of the picture who owns the rig) made an appointment to use to have this done tomorrow, I found a DIY make your own smoke tester tool on Poo Toob and he says he wants me to make this tool and teach him how it works and how to use it . First thing : find a glass two quart jar with a metal lid, still looking , I expect to have to buy some bottle full of tomato sauce or pickles and dump the contents . More to come .
Just a filler - pause in the thread... Thought to post another picture on the line used earlier - Hawks and Doves... Should toss in a Youtube video..? Serpents and Doves -- `Santana !`` Might be pushing the "package" LOL.......... Bird I loved and flew for years in Oregon... " Lady"
Time does seem to fly-fly---fly away -smile One of the reasons I sold my near new-off the showroom floor to to speak - 1953 3100 -5 Window Classic Pickup and bought the 53 Suburban was while living in Oregon I had attended an Eagle conference in Klamath Falls and spotted the Burb sitting axel deep in the snow--- Heck with a camper shell I thought --and in the blink of an eye I had overnight sold my pick-up and took a train to Kalmath from Silverton Ore. The next few years when not working a little on the Burb-- Lady and * I * were on the road driving the hills and byways... All over parts of Washington- Idaho-Oregon. With a perch in the back next to her travel box- we would stop along the unplanned drives and I would let her fly -and often call her back before the sun would start to set -- and we slept in the Burb together -- She was very content to sleep in the nice big box-I had made Hawks and Doves --- Raising and coming to know one of the most pigeon killing hawks- a Coopers given to me when I was around 7 years old-- taught me somethings about what I had almost come to hate <... which later led me into Raptor research and a role as a desiginated "free climber"- for a local team of scientist-biologoists -. It's been a fantastic trip--learning always learning something along the way-- Lady went into a Breeding project and the day I transfered her title/lic to the project -I openly wept... ( Still deeply miss her in my life ))))) She would preen my face and tickle my ears -and in the blink of an eye -if spotting something like a rabbit She would Turn into a Full Blown- Wild Machine.. Could ramble on and on......Thanks Nate..
Feel free to ramble on, I used to do so right here..... I really enjoy your picture from back in the dayze . Do what you love ! . I just finished an 8 hour brake job, calipers, cleaning, new pads all 'round and so on, it nearly killed me, I had to spend the entire next day in my recliner but didn't take any acetaminophen until nearly Saturday night . Doing what you love to do gives life meaning .
~ Doing what you love to do gives life meaning ~~~~~~ Amen ! And as for the acetaminophen ? ` Et Tu Brute ``` !
Yeah well ; As a child of the 50's, 60's & 70's I really don't like dope . I hate taking it , in the mid 1970's my stepmother (R.I.P. Martha) tought me to meditate on pain, it works but you must be *very* careful or whatever's causing you the pain can kill you . Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen both work great but they also beat the living crap out of your liver and kidneys, dying of renal failure isn't a thing you'd wish upon anyone . My big brother used to worry because after my two near fatal accidents I'd work until I couldn't then say "that's it ! I'm going home, take a pain pill and a bath then go to sleep" . What I actually did was shower and hit my recliner and meditate but everyone always wants to argue about that so I just say 'take a pain pill' and they leave me alone . Apparently everyone thought I was getting hooked on "Hillbilly Heroin" (Oxycontin) As if . Almost everyone I knew as a child is dead now, because of dope, and alcohol, no thanx . Now I'm old and friends are dropping off due to old age and disease . Can't win for loosing .
Friday update . Another semi busy week . You can see the 'city light' aperture in the picture above, I did find a N.O.S. factory HONDA bulb holder and pig tails *but* they're a wee bit too short for this U.S.A. model bike so yesterday I rode the thing over to Glendale and stopped by my buddy's HONDA Moto dealership, told him I need a 12" long piece of brown wire with a white tracer and hopefully some medium blue wire with black tracer, he shook his head and handed me a pair of dykes and lead me to a dark corner way in the back, Lo ! a pile of old harness' dating back years, I dug through until I found what I needed , now I have to set up and solder and heat shrink the wire extensions, I'll ty to get some pictures when I do . The old Mercedes brake job is fantastic ! I guess the brakes had been loosing efficiency bit by bit, now with two rebuilt front calipers and new pads all 'round and the hydraulic system flushed fully then bleed out, the brake pedal it high and rock hard as it should be and the brakes (vacuum assisted) are touch toe operation again, not bad for a 40 year old base model survivor . Of course, I discovered I want to replace the flex hoses and one tire is nearing it's end of life (? how ? I always change then in pairs or sets) ~ Michelin stopped making this particular size tire I think so mayhap I'll buy a nice pair of FALKENS ~ my son (the racer) hipped me to these, they're *excellent* tires but I have to be careful when ordering as they want to sell low profile tires and I cannot use them . I LOVE JUNKYARDS ! . I knew the front calipers were leaking so whilst I was out looking for other thins I found a 1985 Mercedes W123 that someone had given up on right after doing a full brake job ~ for $40 I got two freshly rebuilt ATE calipers including pads, hardware and anti - rattle springs, I foolishly cut the (brandy new) hoses to use a carrying handles and to prevent any dirt / crud from getting in, oops . I The Motive pressure bleeder, the best $50 I've spent in decades :
Whew ~ for some reason it wants to add TWO copies of each image..... (head scratching) . Bleeding the front calipers : I'm old & weak so I use a nifty factory M-B wheel alignment tool :
