Artic Cat Climber minibike.
 

Weld has faced off with the border guards and got this thing on the truck.
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1425005938
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...2&d=1425005938

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.

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.

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

Thanks for sharing another great Kato project with us, Allen. :tup: 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? ;)

Buford would like the heated garage we were working in.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psdzodawes.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...pscxx3raxs.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps1c1aunqw.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psf4bevf23.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psohakrubv.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...pswa8dnnaj.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psd7dgr4lm.jpg

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

:lmao:

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

:hehe:

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

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.

Okay. ;)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

I forgot to mention that those old tires actually held air! I pumped them up to roll it into the shipping facility. I don't think I'd try setting any land speed records with them, but they'll do around the property.

:lol:

The tecumseh has a float style carb with a fuel inlet. I think that I have a tank that will work.

If they hold air we will likely use them.

That's good news. The only remaining issue is the carb linkage for a twist throttle.

That I am sure we can overcome.

I noticed that the original Tecumseh engine has the carb and exhaust reversed.

Certainly. I used the linkage from a Quadrajet carb I had in the scrap pile. After some careful drilling and tapping, I was able to connect the throttle cable. I even used one of the two Quadrajet throttle return springs.

It was the only thing I could think of at the time, because I was trying to get a twist grip throttle to spin a rotary linkage. It worked well.

We will use the stock throttle assembly on the engine. It pulls the governor arm and not the throttle arm. This will retain the governor to keep us from loosing a rod. Also keep our speeds down.

Right, I forgot that you intend to keep the governor. Will you be able to use some sort of return spring?

I think we can make something. I have springs.

Does the stock throttle have a cable, or is the throttle lever simply a part of the governor linkage?

It is just part of the linkage. I think it has a place to install a cable.

Parts
 

Guys, I did some Tecumseh warranty work a few yrs ago for Deep Rock well drilling Mfg. I have a good amount of the parts left over, as they believed in new parts swap over repairs. I even have some NIB parts, carb I think, some short blocks etc. and quite a bit of the stuff brought in (usually clogged carb/bad gas situation.)
Anyways whatever you need, I can check in the warehouse above my shop, see what I can dif up for you, if it helps.
Cost? U pay shipping. N/C, of course. Most of it is either in boxes ready to second box (for protection) and ship out. You may owe me a favor sometimes, or not;).
Let me know what u need and I will look when I can go down there in the next day or two.
MOST tecumseh horizontal engines use a separate carb on a manifold thats below the exhaust outlet (for fire safety). This allows any gravity feed gas situation, day tank, remote tank etc. Also can do a fuel pump (need to regulate it to below 3psi for the floats to not flood, though they say 5psi is OK. I could never consistantly use over 3 PSI and KNOW It wouldn't flood with a fuel pump/non gravity set up.
Hope this helps.
PS How about a pic of the "old girl"? I had a couple when a kid, still have the chipped tooth from my early wheelie NOT learning curve!

Also,
 

Read other pg. The DR app uses a throttle cable. If I can find a carb thats new, the cable attach parts will be in there. I positive there are some manifolds there, and mufflers NIB also. Just make a list for me, please. The tanks also might work with a aluminum cross piece between the frame rails (if like my old Taco mini. (Pic will let me help better). This mani is the swing down type to get it below exhaust (and heat that can Vapor lock it/boil the gas in the bowl, you need to consider with exhaust outlet and radiant from), also.

Thanks for the offer. Right now I am waiting for the frame to arrive. The engine is sitting and waiting for a carb kit. I plan to route the exhaust under the seat and out the back like it would have been originally.

The engine is a 3.5hp.

Probably a non-issues, since the exhaust is on the left side of the head, and the carb is at the rear. Very kind of you to offer parts. :tup:

If it's anything like a Briggs, it will have detents that hold the throttle in specific positions. Perhaps you could file those off for smooth throttle action. You want that throttle to snap shut when your daughter lets go.

These engines have been used for years on mini bikes and go karts. I am sure that a throttle kit exists.

Microsoft paint rendering of the throttle linkage. Should be able to make this work with junk.

It has been done, but I chose not to. I ordered the kit, but I decided that it was junk. I needed to rely on the linkage.

The frame should arrive at Casa del Kato soon.

It might be a candidate for the electrolytic de-rusting process. Do you have a large plastic or fiberglass tank that you can use for that?

Do you have access to a bead blaster for the rims? I bet they would look terrific after some time in the cabinet.

I think I can arrange for some thing to be blasted. We have some blasting that will be done at work. I sure I could slip a couple rims in there.

I was thinking about using electrolysis on the smaller parts and sanding the frame by hand.

That'll be a lot of sanding. I suspect it was outside for a long time before I got a hold of it.

It looks like it should be arriving sometime today.

Last night we worked on the carb. I was able to get the seized float pin out and we discovered a bad float. Brass float was full of gas. Explains the flooding carb. Installed part of the carb kit and will get a new float for next week.

I can see if one of the other guys has sandblasting equipment. I do have a 55 gallon plastic drum with an open top. The frame may fit in there and we can use the electrolysis. Much easier than sanding.