All the wires are routed but only temporarily in place with wire ties. If the shake-down ride works out I'm pulling it all apart for paint. I'll run the wires through loom then.
Hooked the throttle up and tried to bleed the back brakes. I can bleed the line by putting it in a cup of fluid but I get nothing out of the bleeder on the caliper. Something must be choked up in the caliper. I'll pull the caliper later.
I took it for a ride. The belt seems to be slipping more than it should. I double checked the distance between the primary & secondary and it is dead on. The belts are old, could they be stretched???
Other than that it ran great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oniV9...KgX0Pe19bKAq7A
Update - I took the buggy out for a ride. On a completely flat stretch I got it up to 51 mph. I think with a little more road I Might have been able to squeeze a few more mph out of it. At speed she ran great. The problem is I have nothing at the bottom end. It is slow to take off and even coming up the ramp into my garage it seemed strained (high rpms before it would climb the ramp). I swear I think I can smell the belt slipping. The top of the belt is even with the top of the rear pulley. The snowmobile I pulled the engine from AND the identical snowmobile I kept both have 11 1/4" center shaft to center shaft. That is what I have in the buggy. Since I had it 50mph plus could the FNR box be geared too high? I really don't need much over 35 mph for the riding I do but I need lots of low-end for mountain trails. If it is the gearing in the FNR box has anyone ever changed it?
Pulled things back apart this evening.
I like Nekk's idea about using the existing upper sprocket as a hub for a new, smaller sprocket and going to a single chain. There's not much room around that shaft to keep a stock setup and smaller sprocket.
If I kept the same setup you can see the sprocket couldn't get much smaller and keep the same retainer setup
That sprocket has a larger bore than I thought it did
What I am thinking about is cutting off the inner sprocket of the dual setup, getting a smaller sprocket (10 ~ 12 tooth) and welding that to the remaining sprocket half. There will be two sprockets on the shaft of different sizes but I will only be using the smaller one. The larger (original) would only be there to bolt the retaining clip to (to keep everything in place). In theory I think this should work. I did a little searching on-line but haven't found a 10T 530 sprocket with an 1 3/4" bore but I'll bet there's one out there
Keeping the FNR box I think the best I can do is an 11 tooth. Even that is a maybe. I ordered an 11 and 12 plate sprocket last night. My plan is to take them to the machine shop along with the original double sprocket. I will have them cut off the inner sprocket (from the original double) and machine down the hub that used to be between the two sprockets. The bore of the existing sprocket is 1.75. I'll have him machine the outside of the hub down to 2.25 overall. This will give me .25 hub thickness. I will then have him bore the plate sprocket to fit that hub and weld it. One of the original sprockets (outside) will still be on the splined hub and will be used to bolt the retaining clip to. The reason I can't go any smaller using this setup is a 12t sprocket has an od of 2.7". I can't make the hub any thinner than .25 or it won't last. That only leaves about 1/2 inch for sprocket teeth.
The calculator I used shows a 12/40 combo is 3.3:1 and a 12/50 combo is 4.1:1.
My current setup is 16/31 and 1.94:1. Even though I would like more either of the above combos generate quite an improvement. I just found a 60t sprocket online. It has an od of 12.3 inches. When I get home I will measure the clearance I have and if it will fit I may go ahead and get it. A 12/60 combo would get me to 5:1.
I'll let everyone know how it goes.
Back to work on the buggy this evening. Got tired of waiting for the sprockets I ordered to be delivered so I stopped by Tractor Supply. I picked up a 12t #50 sprocket. 12t is the smallest I'm going to be able to get on there. I clamped the retainer ring to the sprocket as a guide and used a file to cut out all the slots for the splined shaft.
It just starts on the shaft now
I'm going to add spacers between the gearbox and the sprocket, put a little heat on the sprocket and push it on. I'll grind down the retaining ring a bit, put it on and then just tack it in two places. There will not be enough of the ring for bolts but if I make the tacks small I can grind them off if I need to.
After all that I'll mount the axle sprocket and be ready to try again.
I wanted an interference fit to make sure it stays put. If they would have had one on the shelf at TS last night I would have bought a 50t sprocket for the axle.
My original ratio was 1.94:1. Here are the possible combinations I will have to work with:
12t up top and 40t below - 3.33:1 with a 41.9% boost in torque
12t up top and 50t below - 4.17:1 with a 53% boost in torque
12t up top and 60t below - 5.00:1 with a 61% boost in torque
The 40t is on it's way and I haven't bought the other ones yet. I measured my clearances and any of the three will fit.
The more I think about it I am going to use a snap ring on both sides of the sprocket. It will be cleaner than putting a spacer between the sprocket and the FNR box, I won't have to worry about something rubbing against the shaft seal AND I can cut the groove with a grinder (no more file work )
Just a little bit of buggy time this evening. Found out why I couldn't get the rear brake to bleed. The rod from the pedal to the master cylinder for the rear brake had backed out. Adjusted it in and I have back brakes again.
