500cc pushrod bike project

[Paul F]

Hi Jim,

Have been reading your build diary posts from the start and being a CX/GL motor bike enthusiast my self would like to wish you all the best with your build.

You also have many members of the Australian CX500 & CX650 Register - australiancx.asn.au - watching your posts as well to see the final outcome of the motor and mods done.

Good Luck.

[willieworld]

jim        7.B.22   second paragraph       willie buchta

[JimL]

Hi Willy, the filler section to the engine case is a bolt on part of the chain guard.  It comes off so the engine will slide out of the frame, which is what you see in the pic (part unbolted....sitting on a shelf at the moment...two mount studs on the side of the welded chain guard.)  Same reason the left front motor mount is so long...has to remove to get the engine out; very little clearance and can't tip due to low top frame tubes.

Regards, JimL

[JimL]

thanks, Paul F.  I am having fun, whether it succeeds or not!

Tonight I pulled the engine apart, cleaned everything (the engine is brand new...never been run...it was an auction engine from a college program that never used it).  Cam goes off the the grinder on Wednesday.  I took pics of the inside portion of my output shaft coupler...then left the camera sitting at the shop, oops.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow night a couple more pics to show how the inner seal cup works.

Regards, JimL

[oz]

Good to hear its still coming on well,Like you said a few more pics would be good.

Oz

[JimL]

Here's a pic of inside the cases, of the extension shaft/seal cup arrangement.  The seal cup keeps the parts engaged when I'm changing countershaft sprockets, but when the pillow block carrier is installed it pushes the shaft away from the cup.

simple enough.

[JimL]

"Life is what happens to you, while you were busy making other plans."

Good thing to remember, in the middle of a project that gets interupted!  Below are some pics taken tonight.  The bike is finally coming together.  It still needs additional wiring, lower radiator hose (and water pipe modification), a rear fender/tailpiece, inner rear fender, belly pan...and the list goes on.

I hope to start the engine this weekend, if all goes well. I'm thinking I'll need a skate board wheel under the middle of the chain....time will tell.

Regards, JimL

[Beairsto Racing]

Thanks for the update Jim.
Your racer looks great, lots of custom fabrication.
It will be an interesting bike to watch and follow it's progress. Are you planning on attending Speed Week?
-Scott

[sabat]

Looks great, love that seat!

[Dakzila]

Great Project Jim!

Lot's of thought and time involved and the end product looks fantastic....Nice original idea.

Where will you be running this machine?

Good Luck,

Buzz

[oz]

Nice one its looking good are you going to make speedweek jim it looks like its just about ready.
Oz

[nrhs sales]

So where are the cams on this engine.  I see some sources saying it is overhead cams and others it is at the bottom of the V?

[John Noonan]

So where are the cams on this engine.  I see some sources saying it is overhead cams and others it is at the bottom of the V?

Stop changing your post's..

The engine fits in to the Push rod classes and has for several years, I did the pistons for Randy Nelsons multi record setting bike..

[nrhs sales]

John,
I changed it because I got conflicting info on where the cams were located. Sounds like the cams are in the middle between the cylinder bases?  What a crazy engine set-up!!

[JimL]

Thanks for the interest, folks.  The original intent was this year Speedweek, exactly 40 years after my first Speedweek.... anyway, it is unlikely to work out, so it'll have to wait for another opportunity.  One thing I do NOT want to do.... is try out my strange driveline (for the first time) on the salt.  It might throw little broken bits on the ground, and other folks don't need that problem!

About the seat...I found I couldn't get my right hip to agree to the flat, wide seat.  I realized I don't have a problem on my bicycle, so I got a used mountain bike seat from REI ($5) and welded it to a bolt on plate.  It is MUCH easier to bend down flat while getting my feet onto the pegs. 

I must admit, part of the problem came about because I designed the chassis long enough to fit two of these engines (in line).  The current engine can go back, by moving the batteries, reworking the middle vertical tubes, and shortening the chain.  I left enough room between the frame rails, under the seat area, for the rear valve cover.  The photo below shows the extra space for changing "rear" engine position.

A second engine could fit ahead, with the V rotated forward and the crankshafts connected by a large diameter, counter-rotating intermediate gear.  That's the reason the lower frame rails are so wide, with the left lower rail 10mm lower than the right (to get engines in and out while coupled).

If it works out, in the long run, there is a 674cc version of this engine that would be 1348cc when doubled up.  The first step is the baby step...just trying to get it to work at 500cc (and making some power with the experimental cam Webcam made for me).  I hope it turns out to be a good toy to play with in the years to come!

regards, JimL