My senior project

[Moparman1539]

I wanted to share this because this does pertain to offroading, and i want some input.

Ok, well i sat here for about a half hour and typed all this stuff up, was posting pictures and everything, and somethign happened my internet closed down, and i and had to start all over again. But this time its going to be short and sweet....darn

Ok, so for my senior project in high school. I decided to rebuild my go-kart. Its a Yerf-dog Spiderbox 3206. It has been sitting in my shed for about a year and a half. So there is rust, and everything is beat. The motor was blown up thats why we parked it.

So i decided to do this with a short list i wanted to do to it.

1. Bigger motor, More power!
2. More suspension travel, sit higher off the ground.
3. Beef everything up that seems to break a lot.
4. new paint, its scratched EVERYWHERE.

I knew i was goign into this about to learn new things, spend a lot of time and money on it to. But now i'm ALMOST done, and it has payed off, i cant wait to ride it!!!

So i started with this.

Nothing major but i needs alot of work to be where i want it.

So the first thing i needed to do was find a motor i could transplant into this beast. And threw some friends i found this. It's an older engine, but it WILL do the job.

Its an old bombardier 350cc 2-stroke, 2-cylinder snowmobile engine, running with a CVT clutch system.

 

[Moparman1539]

right off the bat we knew the cage around the moor area had to come off. And it had to be raised up to compensate for the larger and taller motor. Also i was planning on using a new axle i had lying around so it had to be moved and lengthened. Here i learned welding, and fabrication skills. So we got to work, figure out the angle in which i had to mount the motor and rear axle, and how long i had to make it.

A little ironic, but old on right new on left.

We cut the frame and welded new supports, and mounted the new rear axle, and mounted it to the buggy and sat the motor on to where it needed to be and at what angle everything has to be set at.

And now we got to work welding brakents and making and mounting the motor mounts to the rear swing arm.

 

[Moparman1539]

In school in our machine shop i set to work making spacer and adapter hubs for the rear axle to accept the tires and wheels.

and now i'm running out of time so i'm going to skip a little.

We got the front fixed, and got the back shocks and motor mounted and almost completed, and i got my new tires!!!
In the front i used 11" shocks, and in the back i used 16.25" shocks

Thats all i have for now, and i will continue to update it as i go along, or after i get some feedback. I am very very happy with the progress i got so far and cant WAIT to go riding.

Rite now i need:

Exhaust made
New front ball joints
Throttle and brake cables hooked up to the pedals
And new paint, and i should be good to go.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

~(V)opar

 

[y_a_m_a_h_a_2005]

Looks VARY good. Nice choice on the engine...Too bad you were not closer, I have a 900cc CBR engine sitting here that would be awesome in a go kart.

Watch you when your running that engine in the summer(not sure how hot it gets there) but it will over heat pretty easy in some cases.

Wish my school did a Senior project...(I might transfer because of it) But we have this notebook BS! that we do....


Mopar FTW!!!! :D

 

[deanR]

I would take off the sheet metal around the engine so that it can get more air to the cooling fins and not overheat.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Looks like a fun project. :cool:

 

[Moparman1539]

yamaha, wow, i really wish you lived closer, but a 900cc engine would be insane lol. Well see if it overheats i have to change something, but ill keep it the way it is now, and hope for the best. If it does overheat ill try and take the sheet metal off like DeanR and hopefully that my fix it. But its still cold out. Senior projects are weird, you have to do anything you want. Which is kinda nice, but yo have to present them in front of a school and then write a 3 page report on it... it kinda sucks.

Thanks rich, its been a lot of fun, i got to machine a couple custom parts, and learn to weld. And enjoyed making almost the whole thing... (i hated the steering alignment though, it argued with me...)

ill post more pics later

 

[2strokerfun]

I would take off the sheet metal around the engine so that it can get more air to the cooling fins and not overheat.

I'm not familiar with this engine, but that sheet metal is often used as baffling to direct the airflow over the cylinders/heads to maximize cooling. Take it off and you'll often achieve the opposite effect, creating an engine that overheats more rather than cools more. I realize it looks like it would prevent cooling, but it doesn't. Look under the cowling of a small aircraft and you'll be amazed out how they completely cover up the cooling fins on the cylinders to make sure air flows over all four or six of the cylinders before exiting out the bottom at the back of the cylinders.
Very cool project. Keep us updated. I love watching projects develop.

 

[Patman]

I sure wish more HS kids had a chance to do projects like this! Looks like you are doing a fine job.

 

[dirt bike dave]

I'm not familiar with this engine, but that sheet metal is often used as baffling to direct the airflow over the cylinders/heads to maximize cooling. Take it off and you'll often achieve the opposite effect, creating an engine that overheats more rather than cools more. .

x2. FWIW, it looks like there is a fan that blows air under the sheet metal. I'll bet that fan and the motor's shrouding are very important when the vehicle is stopped or going slow and the motor is running.

 

[y_a_m_a_h_a_2005]

My project is a car atm (its going in my portfolio for my actual senior project)


Its nothing big, just minor customization, and about 3 grand into the stereo, engine, lights, body panels, leather seats, and a cb/pa system (just got about half the wires put in) I might make my engine go in a go cart, or a geo metro or something off the wall.

Cheers to ya!

 

[y_a_m_a_h_a_2005]

Btw, if it doesn't stay cool enough, try and put fins on it to direct the air to the engine. Up in Alaska where I used to live, we had mini sand rails that we used to go places with, all they had was a snow mobile engine (usually the one out of our current sleds).

 

[2strokerfun]

My project is a car atm

I wish I had an atm in my car. No more going to the bank!

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Very nice indeed! High school projects, priceless, access to fabrication equipment? Fond memories, and jealousy of 89er's shop!!!!! Better roll cage, suspension seats, and a good 5 point harness! Hah, that cbr engine, should haul some major butt! Snowmobile engine and clutch setup, much better. Now you had to remind me to get busy on my senior citizen project: http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=168751

 

[Ol'89r]

Now you had to remind me to get busy on my senior citizen project: ]

Senior citizen project! :laugh: Now, that there's funny. :rotfl:

Nice job Moparman. I must warn you though, you are creating a monster. Not the buggy but you.

Simple little projects like this one usually result in a life of endless searches through piles of parts and stacks of catalogues. You will spend your free time searching for and acquiring tools that you really don't need and really can't afford. You will argue with your future wife over things like building a new house where the garage is twice as big as the house. You will hear things like, "I'm never going to be able to park my car in there." Or, "Are you ever coming in tonight?" Or, "You can't build that, the neighbors will complain." Or,"Are you freakin nuts?"

But, this is how it starts. This is how you learn. This is where most gearheads come from. A simple little innocent project.

Just thought I should warn you. ;)

 

[_JOE_]

Lookin' good Tyler. :cool: You gonna bring that thing out to the Dunes when it's done? I wanna see it go! :ride:

 

[helio lucas]

Senior citizen project! :laugh: Now, that there's funny. :rotfl:

Nice job Moparman. I must warn you though, you are creating a monster. Not the buggy but you.

Simple little projects like this one usually result in a life of endless searches through piles of parts and stacks of catalogues. You will spend your free time searching for and acquiring tools that you really don't need and really can't afford. You will argue with your future wife over things like building a new house where the garage is twice as big as the house. You will hear things like, "I'm never going to be able to park my car in there." Or, "Are you ever coming in tonight?" Or, "You can't build that, the neighbors will complain." Or,"Are you freakin nuts?"

But, this is how it starts. This is how you learn. This is where most gearheads come from. A simple little innocent project.

Just thought I should warn you. ;)

holly ...... i would be happier if you don´t tell me this... it already start!!!! :ohmy:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Yes Helio, you are obviously on this list also!

 

[helio lucas]

yesterday i made a cake... that counts?

nice buggy, with two seats will double the fun.. especially if you ride with a girl :ride:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

yesterday i made a cake... that counts?

nice buggy, with two seats will double the fun.. especially if you ride with a girl :ride:

Creativity comes in many different forms, I like homemade pie! BUT, I would rather be working on a bike! Or something to satisfy my need for speed, or another near death experience?

 

[_JOE_]

When you become a craftsman of any sort it tends to take over your life. Look at woodworkers. I have a couple uncles and a few friends who build stuff with wood as a hobby. They all own a chit load of tools and spend countless hours in the shop but that's what they're passionate about. Some of the stuff they make is pretty darn impressive, kinda like a custom buggy with a big engine. ;)

 

[Moparman1539]

Thanks for the reply's i really appreciate them. And Its almost d day, i have 2 days to get it done, and the whole thing is tore apart and the paint is drying. The motor still needs work, and i couldn't get the exhaust made. (he fell through on his promise, but i have a straight pipe on it) the teachers grading it won't know any better... (hopefully) And i can put it in my future plans. i have everything else ready to go. I cant wait to ride it, ill upload pictures later, but my phone is being stupid so i cant get them now.

And i love doing this, it makes me feel good. Thanks for the warning ol'89r. But its so much fun. But having a due date kinda makes it not fun if you know what i mean.

and that project looks bad ass whenfoxforks-ruled. ill be reading that post.

And you bet your ass it will be at the dunes joe. Ill be having fun on it, and my new dirt bike i should be getting really soon (CANT WAIT!!! 18th birthday, its not going to be giving to me though, i still have to pay most, but i dont care) I do want to go with you to the dunes this summer.

Ill have some pictures up hopefully soon.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Slap 2 KX pipes on it.

 

[Moparman1539]

Sorry i haven't updated, but i have been pretty busy.

But i had it pretty much finished up for the presentation at our school for my senior project. I needed an exhaust. Thats it, and i had someone willing to do it for me, but he fell through so i just put a crappy straight pipe on it for now until i can get a real one made.

It had it running and the clutch works, BUT i broke the carburetor boot going from the carb to the motor. It was almost riped completely in half. I need to find a new rubber piece, and need to make some kind of brace for the carburetor to help support it.

I CANT WAIT!!!!

So now for some pictures.

My dads friend let me and my cousin work in his shop with ever tool i would ever need.

What i needed to do here was install new upper ball joints (welded in) Had to get my crappy exhaust to stay on, The brake and throttle cables run, and the new rear tires and the hubs made installed.

Here are the hubs i made in my vo-tech class, not the best but they will get the job done. But they still need work, they weigh ALOT!

i get the back end of the go-kart ready to install the hubs then the tires.

 

[Moparman1539]

i finished up all the stuff and i could have ridden it, but i needed to clean it up and paint it. so i took it to my dads house. Me and my cousin got it ALL tore apart and ready to be painted and cleaned up. Took us an hour to do. We then took it to the car wash where we took everything out and put them on the ground and gave all the pieced a good thorough wash. I went to the store with the intentions to buy black paint for the secondary color, and a different red for the main color. But unfortunately i didn't have enough money, so i only got the black. :( I then sanded all the rust on the bottom of the main frame and painted them with a primer to cover up the bare metal. (nobody sees the bottom anyways)

And i hung up all the pieces there were to be painted black from wire from the roof.

and painted them black!!

went inside feeling light headed and dizy from pained and let it dry for 17 hours.