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Stigian

Honda FiveTrax Quad.. V Twin engine swap

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Stigian

This is one of those builds that wasn't planned, it just sort of happened!

Monday evening just as I was locking up the workshop I had a quick chat with Nigel's son Karl.... 5 mins later I had bought a Honda FourTrax quad with engine issues...

 

After a lot of faffing about Tuesday the quad was dragged out from it's hiding place under a pile of racing mower parts and put on my bench.. It could of gone easier as the quad would only roll backwards but we got there in the end.

 

Honda FTX4.jpg

 

 

The offending engine, it looks quite small for a 250cc..

 

Honda FTX5.jpg

 

 

To make it easier to get around the quad a chopped a foot of the bottom of the bench legs and Nigel welded these massive caster wheels on.. The bench is now easy to move, turn around or even push outside should I feel the urge to work in the sun :D

 

Honda FTX6.jpg

 

 

The plan???   

Well, I needed somewhere to put the spare CX500 engine I have :D

 

Honda FTX2.jpg

 

Honda FTX3.jpg

 

 

It hasn't taken long to tear into this project, the bodywork soon came off..

 

Honda FTX7.jpg

 

 

With the aid of a Nigel, a Rex and a scaffold board the V twin was soon on the bench to see how much work is ahead.

 

Honda FTX8.jpg

 

 

Hhmmm, it looks quite a bit bigger than the original 230cc lump!

 

Honda FTX9.jpg

 

 

So... Out come the small engine followed by a few slices to the frame.

 

Honda FTX10.jpg

 

 

The quad now looks very "Mad Max" with the parts roughly piled in place :D

 

Honda FTX11.jpg

 

Honda FTX12.jpg

 

 

Sorry for the blurred photo, with the wheel under the engine swapped for a small trolley I could prop the parts at more of the correct height.

 

Honda FTX13.jpg

 

 

The bottom two tubes need to be level to line things up..  The engine will hang a bit lower than the original but not by much..

 

Honda FTX14.jpg

 

 

Now this is where Honda had thought ahead for me and decided it would be a good idea if their quad engine had the same splines on the gearbox as a CX500 bike engine :D

Thank you Honda for making life easy for me :thumbs:

 

Honda FTX15.jpg

 

 

A quick silly photo with one of the first WN exhausts bolted on :D

 

Honda FTX16.jpg

 

 

Honda put the quad exhaust can about here, but as I have two cylinders and two of these cans it makes sense to put one each side :D

 

Honda FTX17.jpg

 

 

And of course with every build comes videos.. So here's the first... Enjoy :thumbs:

 

 

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SylvanLakeWH

Very cool!

 

Think it will go fast enough? :auto-layrubber:

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russellmc301

i wish i just had those kind of engines laying around:text-bravo:

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Stigian
On 11/06/2016 at 11:50 AM, SylvanLakeWH said:

Very cool!

 

Think it will go fast enough? :auto-layrubber:

 

I will find out and let you know :D

 

 

On 11/06/2016 at 0:04 PM, russellmc301 said:

i wish i just had those kind of engines laying around:text-bravo:

 

I bought the engine as a development engine for project Why Not, but being an earlier engine it wouldn't be a straight forward swap by any means..

 

 

Progress on this build has been a lot slower than it should of been, but now I have a direction to go in things should speed up..   But first...

 

With the help of Nigel and his bloody heavy pipe bender new longer and stronger bit's of tube were shaped for the lower rails.. Not welded on in these photo's.

 

Honda FTX18.jpg

 

Honda FTX19.jpg

 

 

Up until Monday I didn't really know which direction this build was going in....   Get the engine in, get it driving, I hadn't though any further ahead than that really..

 

Then out of interest I plonked on a Honda Silverwing fuel tank (yes it's from the very same bike that donated the engine to Why Not) just to have a look..

The quad started to look very mean with more than a hint of "Mad Max" about it..   So the tank was quickly hit with Mat black paint and the Honda MadTrax was born :D

 

Honda FTX21.jpg

 

Honda FTX22.jpg

 

Honda FTX23.jpg

 

Honda FTX24.jpg

 

 

Of course this has now created a lot of extra work, but it will be worth it :thumbs:

The big lamp may or may not be staying... I quite like the look of it but others say it's too big.. We shall see :D

 

With the fuel tank braced in the right place I could make a start on rebuilding the frame.. This may sound a strange way of doing it, but I want the frame to be a feature and not hidden away under bodywork.

 

Honda FTX26.jpg

 

Honda FTX27.jpg

 

 

Every cut and join in the frame has some nice thick steel bar inside to make sure it's all strong enough when welded up.. Everything is only tack welded at the mo as I've run out of Mig wire.

 

Honda FTX28.jpg

 

 

I like the "double down pipe" look, the o/s was easy..

 

Honda FTX29.jpg

 


If your thinking the n/s looks a bit close to the carb then you would be right!

 

Honda FTX30.jpg

 


It's so close that I had to notch the inside of the pipe to give enough space to get a fuel pipe on the carbs!

 

Honda FTX31.jpg

 

 

Putting some strength back in the front, roll on Monday when my welding wire should arrive and I can zap all the tubes fully together..

 

Honda FTX32.jpg

 

 

 

Well, early Monday morning my welding wire turned which was very nice of it.. Tacking tubes together with a Arc welder has not been fun..

 

As it happened Mig welding was not fun for long!!    A word of warning chaps, always wear gloves when welding even more so if your welding something galvanized!

 

Why??

Well a rather nasty evil big blob of molten weld decided to jump and land on my wedding ring where it most unkindly burnt a hole through it and at the same time super-heated the top half of the ring to a very "ouch" sort of temperature!

 

Honda FTX33.jpg

 

 

Getting the ring off was interesting to say the least, it's always been a very tight fit but still turned, but once my finger started swelling!!    With the help of Google, a good chap by the name of Matt, and a length of fine string we managed to get the ring off without having to cut it!   

This was quite bad timing as it was our 9th wedding anniversary yesterday!

 

Honda FTX34.jpg

 

 

For those of you (Hi Nigel) who are saying I shouldn't wear the ring in the workshop, I've never taken it off as it doesn't/didn't really come off without a big fight!

 

And now onto something tubular..  The quad frame.. A lot of new tube work has gone in to add strength and also give it a bit of style..

 

Honda FTX35.jpg

 

Honda FTX42.jpg

 

 

While my Mig welder did an "ok" job of welding the frame up, it did seam to be lacking oomph and not powerful enough to do a good job.

So Nigel the good chap he is suggested we drag he's welder through and give it a whirl...     Strong welds??   Ooooo yeah baby :D:thumbs:

 

Honda FTX36.jpg

 

Honda FTX37.jpg

 

 

This was one of those corners with a lot of steel bar showing.. It now be filled with weld :D

 

Honda FTX38.jpg

 

 

So thanks for the use of your welder mate, I now feel a lot happier about riding the quad :lol:

 

A blurred view of the other side..

 

Honda FTX39.jpg

 

 

The rear or the frame is getting a re-shape to to keep the curved theme of the frame going, here's the first part of it.. 3 tubes all with slight bends to get them fitting under the seat lip. When the seat if clamped down only the bottom half of the tube will be showing.

 

Honda FTX40.jpg

 

 

I just love this view from the back, the tank makes it look so meaty and MadMaxy :D

 

Honda FTX41.jpg

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JimD

It's starting to take shape nicely Ian. Will the body panels be fitted back on or do you have something else planned? :)

 

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Stigian
On 06/07/2016 at 8:25 PM, JimD said:

It's starting to take shape nicely Ian. Will the body panels be fitted back on or do you have something else planned? :)

 

 

Thanks Jim, the original body panels wouldn't fit back on now, which is not a problem as I do have something interesting planned bodywork wise :D

 

Load more progress for ya all in this update..

 

The new bit of the rear frame has been sorted, I think your agree that "kick up" gives MadTrax an aggressive mean sort of look :D

 

Honda FTX43.jpg

 

Honda FTX44.jpg

 

 

Of course as soon as the frame had enough strength put back in to take the weight of a person.. I just had to have a seat :D

 

Honda FTX45.jpg

 

Honda FTX47.jpg

 

Honda FTX48.jpg

 

 

You know the saying of "A bad workman always blames he's tools".. Well in this case I can rightly blame my small Mig welder..

With the aid of a new welding mask and Nigel's 30+ year old heavy duty Mig I produced the best welds I have ever done :D This is the start of the lower rear engine mounts..

 

Honda FTX49.jpg

 

Honda FTX50.jpg

 

 

A couple of rear upper engine mounts..

 

Honda FTX54.jpg

 

Honda FTX55.jpg

 

 

MadTrax can now hold it's own weight up including engine :D

 

Honda FTX51.jpg

 

Honda FTX52.jpg

 

 

The Honda MadTrax now has a backbone.. Sorry about the rubbish photo, my phone camera is starting to have problems now it's getting on a bit.

 

Honda FTX56.jpg

 

 

I'm sure all you bike folk know what these bit's of small tube are for..

 

Honda FTX57.jpg

 

 

These are old mounting rubber from a Ford P100 pick-up. After a bit of trimming..

 

Honda FTX58.jpg

 

 

They were perfect for mounting the fuel tank in the normal bike kinda way.

 

Honda FTX60.jpg

 

 

With some cutting, shaping, welding and adding a captive nut the rear tank mount was made.

 

Honda FTX61.jpg

 

 

The top engine mount taking shape, I just need to find a couple more bolts.

 

Honda FTX62.jpg

 

Honda FTX63.jpg

 

 

To finish off here's the latest MadTrax video.. Enjoy :thumbs:

 

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Stigian

Morning/afternoon/evening all, quite a MadTrax update for you..

 

A couple of extra tubes have gone in the frame just in front of the fuel tank. They partly add some extra strength to the back bone, but also divert the eyes from the engine mount under the tank.

 

Honda FTX67.jpg

 

 

We have been thinking about what to do about the exhaust and the lack of space to fit one in!

There is no space to run any pipes on the N/S without legs getting burnt, there isn't that much more space on the O/S but there is space to make some.. er... space :D

 

Anyway, to make the new system I needed to get some more pipe.. As the steel place is just over the road the GT came in handy :D

 

Honda FTX64.jpg

 

 

Where's the best place to start an exhaust system?  I trimmed down WN's 1st system till they were just stubbys sticking out the front of the engine (see the first photo) and then went straight to the back for a bit of exhaust box work.. 

 

To make them fit under the seat they needed a little trimming in length, so 2 1/2 inches came out.

 

Honda FTX65.jpg

 

 

Both cans welded up and welded together. They will go a tad more forward so just the pipes are sticking out the back..

 

Honda FTX66.jpg

 

 

Working out where and how to run the exhaust has been rather fun and a bit taxing on the ol brain cells..

 

Due to the engine being off-set to the left there's no space to run any pipes without legs getting burnt, so up the right side it has to go..

After all the curves in the frame I wanted a more industrial look to the exhaust, so I bought some rather big pipe :D

 

Honda FTX69.jpg

 

 

Space on the right side is rather tight so to stop a leg getting fried or the right hand carb getting hot the pipe had to go through the frame! Thanks to Nigel's boy Karl who found me this rather big steel fitting which was welded into the frame..

It should be strong enough :lol:

 

Honda FTX70.jpg

 

 

I'm not quite sure how the down pipes will tie into the big tube yet, but I'm working on it.

 

Honda FTX71.jpg

Working out how to get the down pipes into the big pipe without having any pipes in front of the radiator and making sure the down pipes are the same length has been fun!

 

It's still work in progress but it's heading in the right direction :)

 

Honda FTX72.jpg

 

Honda FTX73.jpg

 

Honda FTX74.jpg

 

 

The down pipes almost look like part of the chassis/frame from the front, but it may just be a slightly blurred photo that's creating the illusion :lol:

 

Honda FTX75.jpg

 

 

If you were looking at the down pipe into big pipe photo's and were thinking the gas flow would be quite poor, you would be thinking right..
Which is why I made this.

 

Honda FTX79.jpg

 

Honda FTX81.jpg

 

 

Not perfect but it should help the gasses flow in the right direction now :)

 

Honda FTX80.jpg

 

 

Getting the down pipes from the engine to the 2 into 1 thingy was interesting, lot's of measuring, bending, welding and trimming a few mm's of here and there until it all fitted together..

 

Honda FTX82.jpg

 

Honda FTX83.jpg

 

Honda FTX84.jpg

 

 

The exhaust system is split into 3 parts so I can actually get it in and out of the frame.. Here's the front part on the bench getting fully welded up..

 

Honda FTX88.jpg

 

 

A couple of little holes like this to fill or it will be louder than I think it's going to be... Quite loud I'm guessing :lol:

 

Honda FTX89.jpg

 

 

The rear section with the two shortened silencer boxes and some 1 into 2 pipework..

 

Honda FTX90.jpg

 

 

Here's the completed system, me thinks it looks quite mad :D

 

Honda FTX91.jpg

 

Honda FTX92.jpg

 

Honda FTX93.jpg

 

 

It's about time for another video, so here it is.. Enjoy :thumbs:

 

 

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stevasaurus

UNBELIEVABLE IAN !!!  A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.  :handgestures-thumbupright: 

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Pullstart

Well Ian, if you do happen to loose a couple horse powers with that exhaust, I bet there will be plenty still on tap to move that machine through the pebbles!

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Stigian
On 07/08/2016 at 6:12 PM, stevasaurus said:

UNBELIEVABLE IAN !!!  A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.  :handgestures-thumbupright: 

 

Thanks Steve, it will certainly be a ride on the wild side.. Or ride on the back side should she throw me off the back :lol:

 

 

On 09/08/2016 at 1:53 AM, pullstart said:

Well Ian, if you do happen to loose a couple horse powers with that exhaust, I bet there will be plenty still on tap to move that machine through the pebbles!

 

Hi Kevin, I expect the exhaust will of lost me a few hp but not enough to worry about in the grand scheme of things.. I can't imagine there being a lack of forward momentum :D

 

Sorry I have been a bit quiet of late. I finally hit the point of "burnt out" and just didn't have any energy or enthusiasm for being in the workshop, forums or anything really....

The good news is we have just been on a much needed holiday, our first in 9 years...

It's been a hell of a year for all sorts of reasons so it was nice to get "away from it all", kick back and relax, and re-charge the batteries so to speak.. They needed it!

 

Update time..

 

The fuel tank gained a couple of these strange looking brackets.

 

Honda FTX94.jpg

 

 

If your wondering what they are for, they hold the front of the seat down.

 

Honda FTX95.jpg

 

 

The rear of the seat has a couple of plastic spikes/pointy bits which fit into the rubbers.. I found a couple of washers which were the right size inside but too small on the outside..

 

Honda FTX96.jpg

 

 

So I cut a hole in some plate..

 

Honda FTX97.jpg

 

 

Dropped the washer in..

 

Honda FTX98.jpg

 

 

Then zapped it up..

 

Honda FTX99.jpg

 

 

Tack welded in place.. They will get fully zapped up when I pull the quad apart to finish all the welding..

 

Honda FTX102.jpg

 

Honda FTX103.jpg

 

 

Next on the hit list was to tweak the frame so the engine could be removed.. So out came the hacksaw :D

 

Honda FTX101.jpg

 

 

Now you see it..

 

Honda FTX104.jpg

 

 

Now you don't..

 

Honda FTX105.jpg

 

 

It's back again..

 

Honda FTX106.jpg

 

 

But this time with a notched joint..

 

Honda FTX107.jpg

 

 

To stop the bolt crushing the tube some half moon steel bar was welded in place..  When I cap the ends it will also fill the gaps you can see in the photo above..

 

Honda FTX108.jpg

 

Honda FTX109.jpg

 

 

Taa daa, a removable member :)

 

Honda FTX112.jpg

 

 

A close up of the joins that only need a little tidying up.

 

Honda FTX110.jpg

 

Honda FTX111.jpg

The plan was to get MadTrax off the bench so I could have a seat to feel how she felt at ground level, the pull the engine out so the frame could be fully welded in the places the engine wouldn't let me reach...

 

Well that was the plan..

 

Off the bench she came..

 

Honda FTX113.jpg

 

Honda FTX114.jpg

 

 

As you can see from the above photo's there is something missing from the front end to balance it out looks wise.

Nigel and I had been wondering what could be done to even it out until I dug out the big army type spot lamp, gave it a very quick coat of black and hung it off the front with a bit of welding wire...

 

Yep, just the ticket and about the right size compared to the fuel tank :D  :D:thumbs:

 

Honda FTX115.jpg

 

Honda FTX118.jpg

 

Honda FTX117.jpg

 

 

This bracket used to hold the front bodywork/bull bar but not only was it not needed it also looked ugly!

 

Honda FTX119.jpg

 

 

So it was cut out and replaced by some more steel tube.. That looks better :thumbs:

 

Honda FTX123.jpg

 

 

The front two tubes were left open from the factory which didn't look right, so I extended them down into a point.. Much better.. The welds will be ground down when MadTrax  goes back up on the bench.

 

Honda FTX120.jpg

 

 

The big lamp was mounted using a bracket at the top which bolts onto the head stock.

 

Honda FTX121.jpg

 

 

And a smaller one at the bottom which will look better with a little trimming to shape.

 

Honda FTX122.jpg

 

 

The first of two video's for this update.  Enjoy :thumbs:

 

 

Edited by Stigian

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Stigian

An expansion/overflow tank was needed, the trouble was there was not the space to fit a battery and the original CX expansion tank.. So I made my own :D
Yep, it's one of those paraffin engine cleaning things with the handle cut off that that you plug into an airline.. I have had it for 12 odd years and never used it, so I found a use for it :D
Water in at the top, breather/overflow pipe on the right and with a bit of clear pipe put between the two things at the front I will be able to see the water level..
 

Honda FTX125.jpg

 

 

A battery box/tray was needed so I quickly knocked this one up..

 

Honda FTX126.jpg

 

 

The next morning I looked at it and thought it was just too small... Battery tray 2.0 is much better but it will have to wait until MT is back on the bench and I don't have to get on my knees to fit it in the gap between the swing arm and carbs.

 

Honda FTX130.jpg

 

Honda FTX131.jpg

 

 

The time has come that I have been dreading... Sorting out this mess of a wiring loom and finding space to mount the coils, regulator etc.. Wish me luck!

 

Honda FTX129.jpg

 

Honda FTX128.jpg

 

Honda FTX127.jpg

 

 

And here's the second video which includes variable speed grinding and a time lapse battery box build.. :D

 

 

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elcamino/wheelhorse

Ian as always your photos and video are like taking a class on the right way to build a one of a kind machine. I can hardly wait for the next installment from across the pond. I know that you have probably thought of your next project before you have finished this project. 

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Stigian
On 25/09/2016 at 0:36 AM, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

Ian as always your photos and video are like taking a class on the right way to build a one of a kind machine. I can hardly wait for the next installment from across the pond. I know that you have probably thought of your next project before you have finished this project. 

 

Thanks Jim, very kind words indeed :thumbs:

No new video update yet, but I do have a few photo's of the latest work..

My next project...... HHmm...   I do have an idea you might say... It would make "Why Not" seam like a hair dryer in a hurricane :D

 

The coils, regulator etc have been mounted under the gas tank, you might say space was tight!    Photo's to come when I remember to take some :hide:

To make enough space to get the ignition barrel in the right place and to stop my thumbs being crushed between the bar and the gas tank I made this handle bar riser thing...
I must remember to get a photo of it in place!

 

Honda%20FTX136_zpsc59giywk.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX135_zpsh3h9qjds.jpg

 

 

While in the handle bar area I thought I should have a look at getting a rev counter, temp gauge and a couple of warning lights mounted.

 

Honda%20FTX138_zpsmu6cwdpd.jpg

 

 

With a bit of trimming of the mounting plate the temp gauge shrunk a bit in size.

 

Honda%20FTX139_zpsymyh1ges.jpg

 

 

Some thick-ish flat steel was needed so I decided it was time the last remaining part of my first Mig welder found a use.. I do have plans for the louvers :D

 

Honda%20FTX137_zpsvdnsa016.jpg

 

 

Not a bad fit..

 

Honda20FTX140_zpswfz81hxq.jpg

 

 

The plan was to mount the temp gauge in a box, I even started to mark out the sheet to do so..

 

Honda20FTX141_zps4cfqkzsl.jpg

 

 

Then Nigel asked if I had thought of fitting the gauges in tube?
Not a bad idea I though and went of the search for a couple of big enough bit's of steel tube..
It was at that point that I found a pair of Gutbrod headlamps that have a rather nice shape to them.

 

Honda%20FTX142_zpsbnj6aawp.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX143_zps8qzs2mki.jpg

 

 

Who would of thought a Honda rev counter would be such a good fit in a Gutbrod headlamp!!!
I just need to make them a bit longer :D

 

Honda%20FTX144_zpshmzecumh.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX145_zpstdrylyrg.jpg

 

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elcamino/wheelhorse

As always I wait for the finished product. Your new project would not happen to be taking at motor out of a DB 9 and fitting it in an old Mini Cooper or a gas turbine from a helicopter being fit into a :wh: D-250. Just something to think about.

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Stigian
On 28/09/2016 at 9:29 PM, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

As always I wait for the finished product. Your new project would not happen to be taking at motor out of a DB 9 and fitting it in an old Mini Cooper or a gas turbine from a helicopter being fit into a :wh: D-250. Just something to think about.

 

Funny you should mention a motor from a DB9..  I do have my eye on an late 80's (I think) Aston that's been sitting for a long time..

I'd guess the owner wouldn't let it go for anything I can afford, but out of interest I might inquire one day..

 

Making the head lamp bowls 1 1/2 inches longer has been fun, here's the second one after tack welding.

 

Honda%20FTX151_zpsqxlxk4tu.jpg

 

 

And the first one part way through having the welds cleaned up..

 

Honda%20FTX153_zpswtqvfngk.jpg

 

 

As well as a temperature gauge the pod on the right will have a couple of warning lights fitted.. Neutral and low oil.

 

Honda%20FTX154_zpswf0fqpnk.jpg

 

 

A side view.

 

Honda%20FTX155_zpsbxsg06b2.jpg

 

 

Only balanced in place here, but the shape and look of them do make me grin :D

 

Honda%20FTX156_zpsh45vmttm.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX157_zpsdmvskulh.jpg

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Stigian

Afternoon/evening all progress on MadTrax's gauges continues..

 

The temp gauge face plate had all the cut/other marks welded up..

To stop me blowing any holes through with the welder the face plate was clamped to a lump of brass.

 

Honda%20FTX158_zpsdkzyvgnu.jpg

 

 

Thee rear side, you can see where the weld has filled the gap without sticking to the brass plate.

 

Honda%20FTX159_zpspzkrgvwk.jpg

 

 

Once the welds were smoothed a couple of small brackets were welded on which bolt to the temp gauge backing plate.. Quick, easy and does the job a treat.

 

Honda%20FTX160_zpsnnmbfmw2.jpg

 

 

It all started with a cardboard template.

 

Honda20FTX161_zpsyrk7xosv.jpg

 

 

The steel version with 4 captive nuts and two bit's of threaded stud welded on.

 

Honda%20FTX162_zpsfh9zwnnz.jpg

 

 

The threaded rod is for bolting the ignition barrel on.

 

Honda%20FTX163_zpsyvv4revr.jpg

 

 

The gauge pods/bowls gained a flange thingy, only tacked on at the mo..

 

Honda%20FTX167_zpsvsckqrqy.jpg

 

 

To bolt the pods on I needed a M8 thread but with a bolt head smaller than 10mm, so I dug out a few allen key bolts..

 

Honda%20FTX164_zpstrllspuf.jpg

 

 

Clamped one in a drill chuck then put the drill in the vice..

 

Honda%20FTX165_zpstosv79yr.jpg

 

 

With the drill tuned on I fired up the grinder and totally failed to get a good photo of the allen bolt head being ground down to size!

 

Honda%20FTX166_zpspydzhcox.jpg

 

 

A quick test fit, me likes.. :D:thumbs:

 

Honda%20FTX168_zpshpzduzmw.jpg

 

 

 

 

Edited by Stigian
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Stigian

Morning/afternoon/evening (delete according to location) all, it's about time I did another MadTrax update..

But first....   If your wondering why this strange Uk Wheel Horse bloke is building a quad and not a WH, don't worry.... This is only a temporary glitch in the matrix, my next build will be going back to my WH roots  :)

 

Working out how to mount the bracket that the gauge pods bolt onto has been fun!

In the end I made a couple of brackets that use the same bolts as the headlamp.

 

Honda%20FTX170_zpshqofuh0i.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX171_zpsygfgfjww.jpg

 

 

Other than cleaning up a few welds and adding a couple of captive nuts to stop the pod tops from opening, and adding a couple of warning lights the gauges are done.

 

Honda%20FTX172_zps9knz6ghj.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX173_zps8mtvuocg.jpg

 

 

A view from the seat..

 

Honda%20FTX174_zpsr3zl3eym.jpg

 

 

You may of noticed in the above photo that the front brakes have gained a bigger master cylinder.. An upgrade that's needed me thinks..

 

Honda%20FTX175_zpsruuxkeod.jpg

 

 

And of course...

 

 

 

 

Monday MadTrax went back up on the bench to do all those little jobs that I couldn't do on the ground.
Thank you Rob and Nigel for your help.

 

Honda%20FTX176_zpsvgx1kkcn.jpg

 

 

The exhaust system gained a guard to stop any legs from getting burnt..
The system will be heat wrapped also.

 

Honda%20FTX177_zpsmvzdb2fa.jpg

 

 

Recycling time.. This was part of a Wheel Horse cutting deck..

 

Honda%20FTX178_zpssaldxe7f.jpg

 

 

Lot's of chopping and welding later a battery box bracket was born.

 

Honda%20FTX182_zpsuydcfkzp.jpg

 

 

A couple of captive nuts were welded to the bracket so the battery box can be bolted on.

 

Honda%20FTX180_zpsbsuskjn0.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX181_zps0c8lfypw.jpg

 

 

To hold the battery in the box I welded a couple of bike straps together.

 

Honda%20FTX184_zpsjznnb1hl.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX185_zpss7tpyqvz.jpg

 

 

Finally fitted...
Yes the battery does come in and out easy, and no the swing arm does not hit the battery on full compression despite how it looks in the photo :lol: 

 

Honda%20FTX186_zpsnxfu6pa6.jpg

 

The foot peg mounts needed some strengthening.. They won't move now but I will add a bit more strength underneath.

 

Honda%20FTX187_zpsghjtjneu.jpg

 

 

Due to the engine being offset to the left, the frame rails are not the same which meant the left side foot peg stuck out a bit more than the other side..


Chopped..

 

Honda%20FTX188_zps6qameerj.jpg

 

 

Push the ends together..

 

Honda%20FTX189_zpsf6igoxzo.jpg

 

 

And weld it up.. I have welded the joins inside as well.

 

Honda%20FTX190_zpsv8hn9ufv.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX191_zpshonou87x.jpg

 

 

With the foot pegs now sticking out the same amount both sides I needed to think about something to stop me running over my own legs with the rear wheels...

So more recycling, some steel mesh and a mower handle.. The section of small louvers I will use later..

 

Honda%20FTX192_zpsuw6f20dx.jpg

 

 

I needed to bend a couple of slight but long bends in the tube (mower handle now swapped out for a better one which also turned out to be Honda.. In keeping eh :) ).

Running it over with the quad and even my Gt-14 didn't work, so something heavier was needed..

Please note Nigel busy eating to add to the weight :lol:

 

Honda%20FTX193_zpsaq0m097z.jpg

 

 

I'm sure there was a length of tube there a second ago :scratchhead:

 

Honda%20FTX194_zpslisbpkdy.jpg

 

 

I think Nigel's truck did the bending trick :lol:

 

Honda%20FTX195_zpsdspqvy5y.jpg

 

 

As it turned out we decided not to use the long bends in the end and went for something shorter.

 

Honda%20FTX196_zpseg9uvkqq.jpg

 

 

Mostly welded on each side. The photo's do make the angles look a bit strange.. The tube heads towards the wheel before bending up..

 

Honda%20FTX198_zpsm5xspfs9.jpg

 

Honda%20FTX197_zpsnmwfgno1.jpg

 

 

It's hard to tell but I think they both look the same each side..

Once some steel mesh is welded in the feet shouldn't go through.

 

Honda%20FTX199_zpsqicxbsjx.jpg

 

 

And that's this thread up to date again..

 

Other than......

 

 

Edited by Stigian
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Stigian

Afternoon all, a bit more progress for you all.
Both er... foot/leg guards have had an extra bit of tube welded in making sure the shape matched the outer tube.

And one side has been treated to a coating of steel mesh... That should do the trick.

Honda%20FTX201_zpsnlkwfxqi.jpg

Honda%20FTX200_zpsj3dr16pb.jpg


While busy welding the mesh on the left side I thought I could feel my right leg getting warm!
For some reason I forgot to tuck my jeans over my boots this morning, the foam in the tongue had caught alight and was taking my jeans with it!! Oops!

Honda%20FTX203_zps7fp5q9rp.jpg


Fire put out and the mesh welded on..

Honda%20FTX204_zpsu2ho6oza.jpg


With MadTrax on axle stands it was time to start making something heavy..

Honda%20FTX202_zpsssiwryi5.jpg


A engine/sump guard made from some rather thick and heavy diamond plate..
The diamonds are on the other side.
A big thank you to Nigel for offering me the plate to use.

Honda%20FTX205_zps7sncxwnh.jpg


A test fit after cutting it to shape.

Honda%20FTX206_zps7fqe5jks.jpg


The front of the guard needed to be bent up a bit, after cutting it part way through and beating it with a big hammer it was time for some heavy duty welding..
Me like my Murex TradesMig. 8-)

Honda%20FTX207_zpsoi9yhz8v.jpg

Honda%20FTX208_zps2sfwnexo.jpg


Another test fit to test the... er.. fit..

Honda%20FTX209_zpsjiaufnke.jpg


I needed something nice and strong to mount the heavy sump/engine guard to the frame...
So I started slicing up some nice thick angle iron.

Honda%20FTX210_zpsnkx9epds.jpg


Sliced, cleaned up, drilled for a bolt, and a captive nut welded on..

Honda%20FTX224_zpstogm8kau.jpg

Honda%20FTX225_zpshwkxcvsq.jpg


Welded on.

Honda%20FTX211_zpsa0nr9ka4.jpg


Although my welding is getting much better, I just can't get the knack of welding upside down for some reason!!
Which is why the mounts will be fully welded on when I can turn MadTrax on her side..

Honda%20FTX212_zpsmr4s0xiv.jpg


One of the mounts had to go on the side rather than under the frame tube... Nice welding eh

Honda%20FTX213_zpszahoero7.jpg


I think the engine/sump guard is strong enough :D

Honda%20FTX219_zpsxbryvbhh.jpg

You may of noticed a gap between the top of the leg guard thingys and the frame..
Which is why I made a couple of these..

Honda%20FTX214_zpsps1swwgo.jpg


They slot in here..

Honda%20FTX215_zpssgbo3hxm.jpg


Welded in.. That looks a lot better now.

Honda%20FTX216_zpswubx3rat.jpg


I had to find some storage space for a lot of parts, so the "rack sort of thing" under the bench was turned into a big shelf using er.. metal shelves..

Honda%20FTX217_zpsa8b718qn.jpg

Honda%20FTX218_zpszttmbozx.jpg


So why do I need parts storage space?
Well....
This started happening.

Honda%20FTX220_zpsxjlhkcdm.jpg


Followed by even more of the same.

Honda%20FTX221_zpszzpktev6.jpg

Honda%20FTX222_zps40ykffad.jpg


Until finally I had reach this stage by the end of play yesterday.

Honda%20FTX223_zps0lunexbw.jpg


On Monday that last parts will be stripped off, then some serious welding can begin :D
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, comments and questions are always welcome..

To finish up this update, here's the latest video fresh off of MooTube where you can see MadTrax being stripped down and even two of me at the same time...
What more could you want eh :D

 

 

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elcamino/wheelhorse

Just waiting for the next installment. I thought I was the only person who destroyed clothing when playing with tools. 

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Pullstart

It's looking great Ian!  I've been cleaning up my property cutting scrap into a 20 yard dumpster the local scrap yard dropped for me, I'm amazed the torches haven't found my clothes yet...  there's still time so long as the dumpster's still here.

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Stigian
On 22/10/2016 at 9:51 PM, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

Just waiting for the next installment. I thought I was the only person who destroyed clothing when playing with tools. 

 

On 02/11/2016 at 11:36 AM, pullstart said:

It's looking great Ian!  I've been cleaning up my property cutting scrap into a 20 yard dumpster the local scrap yard dropped for me, I'm amazed the torches haven't found my clothes yet...  there's still time so long as the dumpster's still here.

 

I find welding isn't too bad for clothing damage, grinding however........ It's not too kind on shirts :lol:

 

Honda%20FTX226_zpsecddkmup.jpg

 

 

A bit of a large update for you all..

 

The strip down continued..

 

Honda%20FTX229_zpswzwmdlyv.jpg

 

 

Right side A arms and hub.

 

Honda%20FTX228_zpsdqvtftfe.jpg

 

 

Left side and rear shock...    Quite amazingly I have had no problems getting any bolts out, a few were very tight to say the least, I think only 2 small ones have broken and they only held the original bodywork on anyways so they are not needed now.

 

Honda%20FTX227_zpsarvdtpkx.jpg

 

 

Lot's of welding has been happening, you may remember the sump/engine guard mounting brackets that I couldn't weld on upside down..

 

Honda%20FTX231_zpsgydc6hqb.jpg

 

 

Ground back... Ok, this is a different bracket but you get the idea :D

 

Honda%20FTX232_zpsaswchool.jpg

 

 

And fully zapped up.. It ain't gonna move now :D

 

Honda%20FTX233_zpsvdmykn52.jpg

 

 

Speaking of welding, you will now see why I didn't want to get the engine running before fully welding the frame up...   Lot's of bit's to weld that just couldn't be done with the engine in!

 

Honda%20FTX235_zps31kuphtx.jpg

 

 

There has only been two bolts that were a right pain to get out, but that was only because I didn't have the right tool was the swing arm bolts with "big ar$e" 17mm Allen key bolts!

 

Honda%20FTX230_zpsx1uwkbdg.jpg

 

 

But yesterday I was able to borrow the right tool, a 17mm Allen key thingy that fits on a ratchet (Thanks Karl) and after a lot of force that bolts freed up with a loud crack..

Of course the swing arm bearings are shot..

 

Honda%20FTX236_zps2rbazcm5.jpg

 

 

An almost naked frame.. The sump guard is doing a great job of keeping the frame steady on the bench :D

 

Honda%20FTX237_zpsfu6gsz2p.jpg

 

 

To keep the timeline flowing now's a good point to drop in a video..

 

 

 

Here's a very good reason to buy a decent Mig welder...

 

As I've been going round welding up MT's frame there has been the odd weld or three to tidy up...

This was gone with my old MigMate hobby welder, and even though I was welding from underneath it looks horrible and not very strong!

 

Honda FTX238.jpg

 

 

But once it was all ground back and hit with my Murex TradesMig 165 it looked like this :D

So there ya go boys and girls, bin the hobby Mig and get something more trade like but nothing new (Made in China) and cheap... My Murex is at least 20 years old and will outlast me I expect :lol:

 

Honda FTX239.jpg

 

 

A heat shield has been made from some thick ally to stop the exhaust cans from melting the seat..

The rear mounts are just captive nuts welded onto the seat mounting plates..

 

Honda FTX241.jpg

 

 

The fronts were mounting brackets that I think used to hold the bodywork on..  Strong with a threaded hole.. That will do nicely :thumbs:

 

Honda FTX242.jpg

 

 

Slowly the frame is getting weled and cleaned up..

 

Honda FTX243.jpg

 

 

Some more strength was added a the front where new tubes meet old... Yes the square plate is offset, but so are the lower tubes..

 

Honda FTX244.jpg

 

 

 

By this point I was starting to get bored with the "weld, grind, weld, clean off some rust, weld, grind, weld, grind" side of things, so I dug the fuel take out and bolted it in place..

 

Honda FTX245.jpg

 

 

Even with the bars, gauges etc bolted on you could see down inside the tank from the front which really bugged me.. So it had to be covered over but I still wanted some air to blow under the tank..

 

Honda FTX246.jpg

 

 

The last bit of my first (and very rubbish) mig welded came in handy once again, this time donating some louvers.

 

Honda FTX247.jpg

 

 

Some cutting and welding later...

 

Honda FTX248.jpg

 

 

Welded on the tank though a bit of trimming is needed....   The tank will fit in place as it should, you just can't get it on :lol::D

 

Honda FTX249.jpg

 

 

A bit of trimming, re-shaping and carefully grinding back the welds later and the tank fits again.

 

FTX250_zpsgj9wfuic.jpg

 

 

One of those little milestones, the first squirt of paint on this project..

 

FTX251_zpssl00czat.jpg

 

 

An even bigger milestone.. With the frame work finally done it was treated to a couple of coats of the red oxide stuff. The poor light in the workshop made it look like a very dark thin coat!

 

FTX252_zps19acobe2.jpg

 

 

But the biggest milestone yesterday was getting the frame in it's top coat, a very classy shade of satin black :D

 

FTX253_zpsuj5jgwrq.jpg

 

FTX255_zpsa0xxo5gr.jpg

 

FTX254_zpsuxtnn9ud.jpg

 

 

All I have left to do now is everything else, which is quite a bit :lol:

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Digger 66

Lookin' grrreat so far ! 

I'm curious to see how you're going to duct enough cold air ( around the front suspension ) and toward the radiator to keep that beast from overheating .Especially at idle .

 

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Stigian
On 05/11/2016 at 9:11 AM, Digger 66 said:

Lookin' grrreat so far ! 

I'm curious to see how you're going to duct enough cold air ( around the front suspension ) and toward the radiator to keep that beast from overheating .Especially at idle .

 

 

I think the airflow to the radiator should be fine. If you think about Why Not and the frontage of the hood there isn't really that much air getting to WN's rad.. But she has never shown any signs of getting to hot, the temp gauge has only ever gone a fraction over half way.

 

Morning all, after a short break from MadTrax to build the camera panning jig thingy I'm back on the case now..

 

With the frame painted it's time to start on the smaller parts, starting with these nice crusty A arms..

 

FTX257.jpg

 

 

After thinking for a while I decided the best way to clean the crud off was to use one of these.......

 

FTX258.jpg

 

 

Well, use a Hoover as dust extraction for my blasting cabinet :D

 

FTX259.jpg

 

 

Unfortunately, due to the cabinet beings so small and bad arthritis in my shoulders the pain got too much after just a min's use, so I had to clean the A arms up the old fashioned way with a wire cup brush on the grinder!

The very shot ball joints in the upper A arms came out without to much of a fight..

 

FTX261.jpg 

 

 

The lower ball joints however refuse to come out despite plenty of WD40 and huge amounts of pressure in the vice.. I think I'm going to have to grind the base of the ball joints away and try and bash them up through the A arm rather than down as normally would be done..   I'm sure my 12 ton hydraulic press is going to some in handy :D

 

FTX260.jpg

 

 

Four (mostly) cleaned up A arms waiting a few mods..

 

FTX262.jpg

 

 

With the A arms having quite a bit of rust pitting I don't 100% trust the strength of them especially as they will have to cope with a lot more power and forces.... So template time it was.

 

FTX263.jpg

 

 

Which turned into a couple of these..

 

FTX264.jpg

 

 

One of which fit's in here..

 

FTX265.jpg

 

 

I didn't like the look of the inside straight bit, so something had to be found I could draw around to give a nice gentle curve.:D

You can also see the lip welded to the underside of the strengthening plate to er... Strengthen it :D

 

FTX266.jpg

 

 

Fully welded up and hit with some Red Oxide.... I think they should be strong enough now and will hardly notice after a coat or two of satin black :thumbs:

 

FTX267.jpg

 

FTX268.jpg

 

 

And so onto the lower A arms.......

 

FTX269.jpg

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Stigian

Well the lower arms have had the treatment and are now a lot stronger too..

 

FTX270.jpg

 

 

FTX271.jpg

 

 

FTX273.jpg

FTX272.jpg

 

 

I made a start cleaning the rear axle/swing arm...

Here's just a small amount of the 14 year old mud that was stuck between the diff and the diff guard!

 

FTX274.jpg

 

 

The mess that was the inside of the diff guard..   Me thinks it maybe past it's best!

 

FTX275.jpg

 

 

The bolts holding the diff guard in place were very chewed up and no sockets or spanners would shift them....   Sometimes ye olde tools work best though :thumbs::)

 

FTX277.jpg

 

 

A few parts arrived yesterday... Two upper ball joints, one lower and new swing arm bearings...   Struggling to find a second lower ball joint though!

 

FTX278.jpg

 

 

It's been a shocking few days.. Not just pulling the front shocks apart for cleaning and painting, but it's been shocking to see the state of them!

One shock leaks and has a cracked collar which holds the base of the spring in place, the other does not leak but has the same busted collar.. Oh and the springs are slightly different heights!

 

That would be new shocks needed then!!!

 

FTX279.jpg

 

FTX280.jpg

 

FTX281.jpg

 

FTX282.jpg

 

FTX283.jpg

 

 

Reeling from the state of the shocks I thought I would cheer myself up and have a look at the front brakes and hubs..

The front brakes didn't work but looking at them I'd guess it was more down to air in the system and bad adjustment than knackered brakes..

I will test the cylinders and adjusters before putting them back in..

 

FTX284.jpg

 

 

Of course most parts were covered in mud and surface rust... Not any longer :)

 

FTX285.jpg

 

FTX286.jpg

 

FTX288.jpg

 

 

A few satin black parts about the place :D

 

FTX289.jpg

 

FTX290.jpg

 

FTX291.jpg

 

 

A random rear shock of unknown parentage that Nigel had sitting on a shelf..   If a second one can be found then that might be the front end sorted..

 

FTX292.jpg

 

 

Oh, and a parcel containing 3 large green sheets turned up yesterday..... I'm sure they will come in handy :D

 

FTX293.jpg

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elcamino/wheelhorse

As usual another fun time in your shop. One question since I have a similar problem. Does it take longer to move stuff out of your way than you spend working on a part for your project? :ROTF: I like your drying rack , the last time I used a c clamp on a round pipe , I ended up with a big bump on my head.  Waiting for your next installment.

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