88 Blazer Trike

[rrunner]

Just tap on the eagles head and you can see my current ride.

 

[Fowler]

Just tap on the eagles head and you can see my current ride.

I like it!

 

[Fowler]

did some more work on the trike yesterday.

Need to finish up the welding today adding some gussets and braces here and there.

Sorry the low quality of the picture. The camera on my phone sucks

I left plenty of room around the engine on purpose.

My first trike (http://3fowlers.com/firsttrike.html ) did not have very much room and it was hard to work on at times. Also I am thinking of making a fold down hood like on old truck (not sure on that though)

 

[LarryA]

reply

bob..looking good....like your neck/engine bay bracing/dash mounting....nice combination of structure!

please take a front/rear pic if possible thanks, larry

 

[Fowler]

bob..looking good....like your neck/engine bay bracing/dash mounting....nice combination of structure!

please take a front/rear pic if possible thanks, larry

from left frame to right frame is 22 1/4

So I should be 11 1/8 center

Im a little off but not much

Measuring with my my homemade plumb bob

I also took measurements from different points on the frame to the top and bottom of the neck



Neck is just tacked in for I can adjust it one way or another if needed



I split a 2x2 square tube down the center, 1 on each side.

I was going to use a full 2x2 but it took up to much room in the center open spot.

 

[Gorilla]

Starting to take shape.

 

[LarryA]

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Bob...liking what you have done so far!

one more ? if i may.....will your feet go outside of the hinged hood, or is there room for your feet between the dash uprights?? curious! larry

 

[Fowler]

Bob...liking what you have done so far!

one more ? if i may.....will your feet go outside of the hinged hood, or is there room for your feet between the dash uprights?? curious! larry

outside the hood (if I even make a hood)

This shows about where my feet would go, this is a old pic so you have to approximate on the new pic with the dash uprights

I had to make the dash narrow on the bottom just for my legs would not rub against the dash uprights

 

[peteg59]

For what its worth, it looks cool with the engine in full view, IMO.:clapping:

I would see how much heat gets thrown onto you before hiding the mill from view, if that's your reason for a hood?

I'm sure you've already thought about this, but depending on how you engineer the cooling system, it might run a bit hotter with the mill in an enclosure...:Shrug:

 

[Fowler]

For what its worth, it looks cool with the engine in full view, IMO.:clapping:

I would see how much heat gets thrown onto you before hiding the mill from view, if that's your reason for a hood?

I'm sure you've already thought about this, but depending on how you engineer the cooling system, it might run a bit hotter with the mill in an enclosure...:Shrug:

To be honest the reason I was thinking of a hood was I thought it would look good. I was not thinking about the cooling of it.

I want to to look like a truck/trike

As far as the cooling I have a large radiator in back and have room for a smaller one in front if needed. Will connect them in series if I have both. I have seen this done and it seem to work well.

Got other stuff to do the next couple days but once I get time I am going to check the neck alignment again and weld it in place. Right now its just tacked in.

 

[rrunner]

Don't think you'll have cooling issues. My v8 has a rear mount radiator and is good at keeping the motor cool. My next build will have radiator up front, single seat, and a small truck box on the rear. Build is pending on parts acquisition.

 

[Fowler]

Don't think you'll have cooling issues. My v8 has a rear mount radiator and is good at keeping the motor cool. My next build will have radiator up front, single seat, and a small truck box on the rear. Build is pending on parts acquisition.

My radiator will be lower than my engine.

On my first trike (back in the 80s/90s) it had a serge tank.

Basically water flow was from engine to radiator to surge tank back to engine

Was thinking of doing the same on this trike.

How is your cooling ran, Where to you fill it?

 

[Fowler]

Last week I was getting off the trike and caught my leg on the seat.

I did not realize until the next day that I hurt myself.

I must have pulled a muscle in my hip because I have not been able to walk since Friday Morning.(no Friday night boxing last week)

It is getting better. I can at least put own pants on now.

Having a Jacuzzi is really helping with the recovery

Did not go to the doctor. I could go to VA but that has always been such a pain and they will just give me more drugs. I don't want more drugs.

So work on the trike and the other projects I have has been put on hold.

 

[LarryA]

A pro bull rider was once asked, what was the most important ability of some one in his business.......he replied, the ability to heal fast.

Heal fast Bob.

 

[rrunner]

My current trike with radiator in rear is a pain, to get the air out of the system I have to raise the rear high enough to get radiator neck above engine level. Run it and add coolant until it's full.

 

[Fowler]

My current trike with radiator in rear is a pain, to get the air out of the system I have to raise the rear high enough to get radiator neck above engine level. Run it and add coolant until it's full.

That's why I am adding the tank. It will be the highest point in the cooling system.

 

[LarryA]

did the same thing........a little more coolant capacity, plus surface area of tank gets rid of some heat also. Needed the tank for expansion area too.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Have y'all tried this? It is a spill free and burp funnel kit

We used these in the shop on the Imports, They were ALWAYS a pain to burp the air out of

I believe Harbor Freight has one similar now for a good price

 

[Fowler]

So I am up and walking around now.

I hope to work on the neck alignment this weekend

It at 35 degrees so that's good

It is only tacked welded to right now so I can make room to adjust it

I have the 2 adjustments I am concerned about drawn below

I ran a plumb bob down the center of the neck and that tells me the bottom of the neck is real close

Need to figure out if the top is center also.

Any tips on neck alignment?

 

[vwbug72501]

https://www.chopsource.com/frame-jig-neck-cones-1018-mild-steel.html

Couple of cones like these and a 3 ft length of threaded rod will allow you to precisely locate the neck geometry. Leave the cones and rods in while you weld up the neck so you can see any distortion or movement while applying welding heat. Weld up in a rotating pattern a little at a time so it doesn't warp.

 

[stacebg]

So I am up and walking around now.

I hope to work on the neck alignment this weekend

It at 35 degrees so that's good

It is only tacked welded to right now so I can make room to adjust it

I have the 2 adjustments I am concerned about drawn below

I ran a plumb bob down the center of the neck and that tells me the bottom of the neck is real close

Need to figure out if the top is center also.

Any tips on neck alignment?

View attachment 54307

long as the neck is perpendicular to the ground you should be fine.... if the whole neck is of center a tad i doubt you will even notice it... my honda subaru trike was of set about an inch or so.... never know it

 

[Fowler]

long as the neck is perpendicular to the ground you should be fine.... if the whole neck is of center a tad i doubt you will even notice it... my honda subaru trike was of set about an inch or so.... never know it

As it sits now it is off center by about 1/8 inch.

But am looking at how I can make sure it is perpendicular

I like Tom's idea of the cones and a long rod.

A while ago someone else suggested a 1 inch pipe through the bearings to the ground. I tried that with a wooden dowel but did not make the proper adjustments before I broke the dowel. (cant find the right size metal pipe)

Im going to think about this more and gather more ideas before I do anything.

Got to clean the shop today to get ready for Boxing tonight.

 

[Fowler]

so I put the wooden dowel back in

See the pics below

Does this mean I am lined up correctly?

 

[vwbug72501]

Bob,

That looks good so far. Is the dimension from the rear tire contact point to the dowel rod contact point on the floor on each side the same? With the dowel rod perpendicular as you show it tells you that your frame is symmetrically triangulated and should ride good.

The reason I suggested the cones is that they are self centering in the neck bore and then the bearings aren't subjected to the welding heat.

The frame builders use a frame jig for several reasons, the most obvious being speed and repeatability. By clamping the neck and frame tubes in a rigid jig they can control the stresses in the frame until the welding is complete and the parts are cooled and fixed in place. Have you ever cut a frame apart and had the ends of the tubes "spring"apart? This is welding stresses trapped in the frame.

Without a jig the neck will move around as you weld. For example, when you weld the right side of the neck and gussets the rod will probably move to the left due to the heating of the right side components and the associated expansion. This might be a little or a lot. I had an old school welder show me how much a tube could move around while welding up a dune buggy frame. He was welding up a roll cage and the 3 ft long end of the tube would move a full 1/2 to 3/4 inch out of position as he welded. He would watch the tube and weld on the other side to bring it back into alignment. He wanted to minimize the residual static stresses in the frame.

If you mark the floor for the dowel rod triangulated contact point and keep an eye on it while welding you shouldn't get any surprises.

All that being said, I've seen some home built trikes that looked like they were parked on the side of a hill when they were in a level parking lot and they rode just fine. Part of the "fun" of riding a home built trike is going down the road knowing intimately the condition of all the welds and components! :AGGHH:

 

[TerraCraft]

Awesome Stuff! Keep the photos coming of progress

 

[Fowler]

Bob,

That looks good so far. Is the dimension from the rear tire contact point to the dowel rod contact point on the floor on each side the same? With the dowel rod perpendicular as you show it tells you that your frame is symmetrically triangulated and should ride good.

If you mark the floor for the dowel rod triangulated contact point and keep an eye on it while welding you shouldn't get any surprises.

The dimension from the rear to the top center point on the dowel is the same. The dowel is not long enough to reach the ground. But I when I measure from the bottom of the dowel It measures the same on each side also

I cant find a dowel long enough to reach the floor around here. I may buy another one and join them together

I also measured from the top and bottom of the dowel to other fixed points and they are the same on each side.

I also ran a string around the back tires straight past the front like we did back in the day to do a front wheel alignment

I then measured from side to side, The dowel measured in the center

But when I look at it it does not look straight. Part of that is that my seat is not bolted down in the background so that makes it look crooked (need nuts for it). I am headed out in a little to get the nuts

Thanks for the input guys. Keep it coming. I what to get this part right.

 

[stacebg]

as vwbug said it will move when you weld but dont worry about not having the jig....before do you any welding it needs to be tacked good from both sides and alternate the tacks... dont tack all one side first

its the same as if it was in the jig... if you welded all one side first the jig couldnt hold it

another thing you can do.. if you cant find a dowel long enough... if you have someone to mark the floor for you... if you have a hole in you triple tree stem you can sight down through the hole and have some mark the floor where u see the floor down through the hole 4 marks r l front and rear.. stand above the neck a ways gives a smaller view.. . you would be surprised how accurate this is..i have use this method all the time for finding that spot on the ground when figuring for trail... more accurate than holding a bar against the neck

if u have no hole in the stem looking through the bearings works too need to have someone hold lower bearing in



hole you can figure that out

 

[vwbug72501]

How about one of those laser levels or laser pointers? Be like a cat chasing red dot.

 

[Fowler]

How about one of those laser levels or laser pointers? Be like a cat chasing red dot.

I tried one of those but I made my own

I don't think it was very actuate

Basically a cat toy super glued to a square

 

[Fowler]

Awesome Stuff! Keep the photos coming of progress

The progress is slow

I was out of a job for some time and did not have the $$$

Now that money is not as tight (although we are playing catch up now) I do not have as much time

I will be a slow project but that is Ok with me

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,My turn to box Got to go