Artic Cat Climber minibike.

[katoranger]

Weld has faced off with the border guards and got this thing on the truck.



Let the project begin. Two of my girls and I have already started working on the engine for this machine with the 4-H small engine group. My garden tiller is now a pile of parts.

The plan is to show it this July at the county fair.

[katoranger]

The engine donar. 3.5HP Tecumseh. Almost the same as the minibike would have had originally. Carb needs a rebuild and the fuel tank has a hole. I think we will need to route the exhaust out the back and find a tank that will fit on the frame.

[katoranger]

One of these should work nice.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Go-Kart-Torq...item4d2e1a8d8d

[SpudRider]

Thanks for sharing another great Kato project with us, Allen. Of course, we need the mandatory photographs of Buford supervising the project, et cetera.

P.S. Is wrenching on an engine compatible with painted fingernails?

[katoranger]

Buford would like the heated garage we were working in.

[katoranger]

I figured someone would catch the nails. Buford gets his done too.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katoranger

I figured someone would catch the nails. Buford gets his done too.

I didn't know Buford was that kind of guy.

[katoranger]

He's a city cat. Just now getting use to country life.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by katoranger

The engine donar. 3.5HP Tecumseh. Almost the same as the minibike would have had originally. Carb needs a rebuild and the fuel tank has a hole. I think we will need to route the exhaust out the back and find a tank that will fit on the frame.

I'm geeking out over this project! I hope it arrives safely.

Thanks for the pics. I'm not familiar with Tecumseh utility engines like I am with Briggs. I see that the exhaust is on the same side as the output shaft, but I can't tell if it's pipe thread, gasket mount or both (like an old Briggs).

I see the four mounting holes around the output shaft that will accept the TAV. The Briggs I used on the last mini I built didn't have those holes, so I swapped a later case cover on. I never did install a TAV, but at least the option is there for the new owner.

I'm totally willing to help fabricate an intake tube that will work with a small Mikuni, so you can easily connect to a standard dirt bike twist throttle.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katoranger

He's a city cat. Just now getting use to country life.

Okay.

[Weldangrind]

Ok, I scrolled further down, and I see the muffler is bolted on. Is there also a female thread inside the exhaust port? If so, you could screw a pipe thread elbow in, which would point the exhaust to the rear. I recommend brass or stainless, so it doesn't require paint.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Is wrenching on an engine compatible with painted fingernails?

Don't judge! If Kato wants pretty nails, leave him be.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by katoranger

One of these should work nice.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Go-Kart-Torq...item4d2e1a8d8d

That's a good deal, and it addresses the need for a cover at the same time. You might need to limit the throttle, though. Those things provide some serious speed on tiny wheels.

[katoranger]

I think we will scrap the TAV and stick to a centrifugal clutch. Much cheaper. This needs to stay low buck.

I am hoping that we can use some pipe to make an exhaust.

If I can repair the carb we will stay with it otherwise I am going to to put a small mikuni on.

[Weldangrind]

If it's anything like a Briggs, the carb is mounted on the tank and requires a vacuum fuel pump. If the Tecumseh is the same, you might not be able to use a frame mounted gas tank with the original carb.

Perhaps you can find a replacement tank, or repair the original. The mini I built had room in the frame for a Briggs with a stock tank and carb. The difficulty comes in figuring out how to adapt a twist throttle to a rotary linkage.