Cracked bolt...what to do?!

Motosportz, Yes it's total loss due to no generator or alternator (or the blanket term of 'charging system'). It takes next to nothing to run an ignition system. Think about your car: If you alternator takes a crap you can drive the car up to 2 hours and thats with the battery running the engine computer, AC blower, radio, headlights, tail lights, dash lights, etc. All I'm running is a coil and ignition module.

As of now I have a super small powersport battery ratchet strapped under the back fender. It fits absolutely perfectly. I rode her around again today after changing the timing up a bit. Still kicks back 2 or 3 times when starting but then fires right up like a bat out of hell. Also due to the timing being off the powerband is pretty narrow and in the middle rpm range it seems. All fixable with repetitive adjustment.

rajobigguy, I appreciate the comment! I guess I fit the 'creative' mold you mentioned. haha

Anyways here's some more media fresh off the camera for ya'll to feast your eyes and ears upon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gj6te4GG0I

Great Job

When I replaced my XT 500 engine in my Cheney/Yamaha with a SR 500 engine did I use a Runtronic ignition system for R/C model glowplug engines since flywheel and original ignition details was missing.

A couple of Yamaha 650 engines are also using the Runtronic ignition system while racing in the vintage sidecar cross series.

The reason why I choosed this system was because of the current consumption and the size.
Well, the price was not to bad. 1500SEK (~$210) for a complete system.
Just put in a couple of rechargable AA batteries beside the airfilter and you are good to go, for hours if you have a 12V supply.

I noticed that the system works best with a plug without internal resistor, currently using NGK B8EG and it works great.

There's only one thing I miss, the mass of the flywheel.
it hurts when the high comp bigbored beast is kicking back

The narrow powerband may be down to a lack of flywheel effect as previously mentioned by another member possibly the second downfall, the other being a lack of charging system (long enduros)

I'm still impressed

True, Crankpin, the flywheel most likely does have an impact on the powerband, however I can tell the timing is off a hair. It seems like you'll be cruising at mid rpm and if you go balls to the wall in the throttle it will bog and never pick itself up off the ground unless you back out the throttle and ease back in it, then it will haul. Almost like its loading out the plug (but it's not).

Bryll, I am using an NGK B8ES. I have a BR8ES (resistor plug) as well in the garage that I used in it for a bit as well. No difference, probably due to the high energy ignition packing a lightening bolt amount of power LOL.

Ill get that timing tab worked out a tiny more if possible, then put all my electronics in a project box from radioshack and waterproof it with a silicone seal, then this mug is going in the woods! :-)

Here's more info about the Runtronic ignition at JE Performance.

The fourstroker is actually running better without the flywheel, when started that is.
She can be a real pain in the ass (sorry) to start.
But while up and running is the response on the trottle good.
Well, She needs a little higher revs compared to the engine with the flywheel, but from midrange and up is the new one a killer.
Almost like a two stroker.

Sounds like it might be rich to me!

*shouldn't* be the case, crankpin. She ran great before this whole all-out operation. It's definitely revvier in neutral without the flywheel, just not in gear.(read: under load)

This seems like a subject for MythBusters. Hah

I've stay away from this one because I thought someone else would mention that the Husky crank assemblies are pressed together. This includes the center shafts. I believe John Lefever of Vintage husky has these shaft ends in his stock for the early 80s bikes. You would still have to breakdown the bottom end, but the existing crank can be rebuilt, if you're interested.

Regards,
PC

I appreciate the resourceful comment. Not to be conceited but Im probably the most resourceful 21 year old dude I know of.

Also, you have a great idea about using the flywheel, except that I cut it in to a bazillion pieces with an air grinder to get it off. Same thing with the magnetic pickup underneath(as a side effect on this part not on purpose).

Right now I have that crank tapped with standard clockwise-tightening threads. I actually found a washer in my toolbox with the same outside diameter which i vise-gripped to the crank while i drilled in the center of the crank and afterwards tapped the hole. I used zinc coated 10.9 hex head bolts from work and slid my timing point on it and cranked her down. Once I get the timing right I will red-loctite the bolt and call it quits. (wishful thinking probably). Hell, for good measure, I could just pull out my stick welder and tack weld the bolt to the end of the crank. Then all it would take is a sharp jab from a screwdriver or chisel with the assistance of a hammer to knock that tack-weld off if you need to adjust something.

All that is on the other side of the bridge which I have not crossed yet. I am not satisfied enough with the performance of the engine to button the bike up just yet. Im wondering if I can hook up a timing light and possibly make marks on the crank with a protractor for degree marks. Ill have to mull that over during my next hot shower. haha!

Just wanted to give ya'll an update, I haven't had much time to work on the bike since my last post until the past week or so.

I was having trouble with having almost no powerband as I stated above. It would also fall on its face under a high throttle transition like pulling out on a road trying to get up to 50 or 60mph. I was about to give in to one or more of 3 different schools of though until I found my true problem

1) It may be the carb loading up the plug. Even though I had taken it apart and cleaned it and made sure it was working and the jets were tight i took it apart one more time. I sprayed all the parts down and put it all back together-same problem exists.

2) It may be a side effect from no flywheel like was suggested a few posts up in this thread. Nothing I can do about this, but it wouldnt attribute to the fact that it completely bogs out.

3) Maybe my HEI ignition module is not a fast enough microprocessor to process the high rpm spark triggering. It is designed to run off the distributor shaft which rotates the same as the camshaft which rotates half of engine speed. In even the biggest baddest race engines using HEI dont go over 8rpm. That means the distributor/camshaft spins at 4K rpm when the engine is doing 8K. In my adaptation, the HEI is triggered off the crank which IS engine speed. Husky engines (as well as others) can do about 11K rpm. Thats almost 3 times more than the max an HEI module would be used for!!

I was about to settle on the 3rd one, seeing how I am out of spec on the module (or am I? Not sure how quick HEI is, just comparing it to its normal application). I finally did some research on what behavior advancing and retarding timing yields. I read that too much advance will backfire out the carb, too much retard will backfire out the exhaust. I also read that you retard for low end power and advance for high end power.

Taking that info and applying it to my bike, I started it where I had the marker set, and while it was idling I did a few throttle-gooses. I watched and listened closely to the exhaust. I noticed at high rpm it would backfire and the exhaust would bounce out right where the two springs hold it to the manifold. While that is going on you hear it choke a little bit. This is when I came to the conclusion that it is retarded back too much.

I stopped it, advanced it a hair(or what I thought was a hair-the thickness of a flathead screwdriver blade). It kicked back on me about 5 times before I finally overcame it and started it. It wanted to idle very low even with the idle screw turned in all the way. I tried to ride it down the street but when I put it in 1st gear it died. I restarted it, and kept some gas on it when I tapped it down to first and it barely took off. I finally got going and found it had a 'decent' top end but no mid or low.

Back in the garage I made about 6 more adjustments over the next hour or so. I finally found the right setting where it had power all the way up to its limiter with no backfires at all. The strange part is that it is set almost to my original mark I had. My new mark was about the width of a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil off from the original mark I made!! Trial and error is the only way to get this right since there are no timing marks. Also it takes only 2 or 3 turns of the idle screw to make it idle and it idles VERY low without dying. It's amazing! Also it sounds completely different than a magneto ignition, maybe due to the increased power of spark which = no low rpm misses.

Whats cool is I notice no difference in the power due to the loss of the flywheel. It also doesn't want to overrev or anything to that effect. Does anyone know how this engine limits its own rpm even with my ignition system on it? Is it just a limit due to the natural design of the engine where it goes static? I would imagine that would be the case.

Id like to throw something funny out there. I have some country friends (living down south, thats actually the only kind I have) who have 2 or 3 four wheelers, who have asked if I can HEI-ify them. I thought that was pretty funny.

Anyways, everything is all siliconed up and ready to tear up some terrain!! :-)

Quick update: With all this wet weather we've had here in the south, I met up with some buddies and took the bike through some gigantic mud holes and washed out trails today. Rode for about 4 hours. Came back and put a multimeter on the battery-- battery is 12.2 Volts (down from 12.8). The battery has had a total of about 9 hours on it now and has never been on a charger- just had the acid poured in it that it was sold with!

The ignition side-cover on the engine did not leak any muddy water in, which could short out my hall-effect pickup, and the ignition components in my airbox stayed cool and dry! I rode with some friends who had never seen my husky before and they ALL laughed their heads off at my ignition setup - UNTIL I kicked her over ONE TIME and headed off to the puddles! The powerband is from 0 to the Limit, which is amazing- no one particular area.

I love it!!! We adapted a HEI module off of a 4 cyl Pontiac into my friends stock model A Ford, worked great.

Im sure that may have been a tad bit easier, considering what you had to work with compared to what I had to work with. lol! All I had was the thoughts in my head, and a solid crank 'nub' that was flat on the end. I bet that Model A runs pretty decent though! Did yall use a kit or use a bunch of odd parts? I love blasts from the past!

Now, Ive got a new plan on my drawing board: Fuel Injection. I was looking through our Borg-Warner parts guides at work and found a couple fuel injectors that are simple in design and would work how I need them to. The only thing I am running in to in the plans area, is how to trigger it. I was thinking of using the ign module output to the coil to trigger it when the coil fires. However that means the piston is at the top of the cylinder (more or less) and the intake port is covered up [as far as I know]. So Injecting the fuel at that point is useless as it will be blocked off by the piston. I *think* so at least.

If that holds true, Ill need another method of triggering (not sure what), and/or trigger the injection cycle sooner. Thats all still up in the air, and I wont have a chance to mess with it too terribly much until may or june rolls around and things settle down. Ill keep yall posted!