Recent content by heavy4x4

Hi all, 1) Anyone know what type of oil is recommended in this engine? How much does the crankcase hold? 2) I'm having trouble getting the engine to run reliably. Sometimes it's great, other times it's hell just to keep it going. Where should I have the two screw adjustments? Any...

Hi all, I just put the engine back in my Retek Cheetah 250 that I'm rebuilding. I'm not happy with the throttle setup, to say the least. I don't like how I had to route the cable, it seems to bind a little, and the mess of levers, bars, and springs mounted to the engine seems ridiculous...

Hello, I'm finishing the assembly of my Retek Cheetah 250 build right now. I fired up the engine and it is running really well. Too well, in fact...I can't stop it! The existing wiring has an on/off switch and there are three wires/prongs coming from the engine. It has an "ezee-start...

Next, I cleaned up the fenders, straightened out some kinks and bends, and they too got a new coat of paint. Rolling chassis with fenders. I gave the wheels a black paint job while they were off the bike too. Next, I needed to paint the gas tank to match the bike. I covered...

Hi all, Follow along as I walk you through the rebuild of a 1969 Retek Cheetah. History The bike was originally purchased by my Uncle, brand new in 1969. Retek stands for Recreational Technologies - a company out of Milwaukee, WI. The engine is a 7hp (250cc) Tecumseh. It is an...

Thanks for the advice and the help. I pulled the head off. Cylinder looked great! There was, of course, a bunch of carbon and gunk in the valve area and combustion chamber. I cleaned all of that out really well and did a cheap-man's valve lapping (did it in the engine without taking things...

Anyone have any info on lapping some valves in these engines? -Steve

oldfatguy - thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about valves being a possible cause. I'm pretty handy and know my way around an engine, but I could certainly use any instructions/tips/tricks you have for lapping the valves in this Tecumseh. Thanks in advance for your help, -Steve

Hi all, Have an older H70-130000 Tecumseh engine in a Retek Cheetah. The engine does run, sorta, but the compression is not where I think it probably should be. Mind you the engine is very old. I found a part number online for a set of 0.010" oversize piston rings and am thinking about...

Anyone bend up their own frames for minibikes or fullsize motorcyles? Wondering what you used - bender and steel size/type. I've had some experience building tube-frame vehicles for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Trying to see what's out there for home-owner affordability in tube...

For the welding you'd do on mini-bike projects, I can't tell you how awesome a Lincoln SP-135T would be! I bought mine off eBay brand new probably 5 years ago now and love the thing. I've only been using it with flux-core wire so far, but it comes with all the accessories to be able to hook...

Love the krinkle paint! Quality job w/ attention to detail!

Hi all - new to the site. The internet is a wonderful thing. I wanted to know about my old Tecumseh engine, so I did a Google search and quickly stumbled on this great site! Anyway, my Uncle is turning 59 years old soon. When he was 19, he and his brother bought brand new Retek off-road...