Early Bug Flea

#61
Engine red paint is almost exactly the same shade as the frame. Thanks for the A400 throttle information! You're a world of knowledge Terry!



I wasn't going to document this here, but Terry (Scramber1) had an interest as well as a few other of the vintage guys who prefer to stay in the background. JTG and James C have been great in providing historical reference and specifications. I thought it prudent to at least share some of the measurements, methods, and history. Health issues prevail. One more go around looks like. Thank you for commenting Eric.



Thanks, I hope it looks as good as you envisioned.



Thanks. I believe that was the same brake used on the Bug Karts. Having the opportunity to restore a bike as old as me is deeply rewarding.



Defiantly does, I’m glad it went to a good home, it would still be sitting in the corner of my garage.

That brake also looks like the same setup on the old Go Kart Mfg. karts and Go Kart Cycles.


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#62
In talking with Scrambler1 who has a lot of knowledge on Clintons, I decided to go with a Tillotson carburetor. The Go Power intake and reeds put the carburetor down on the engine base plate making throttle linkage impossible on a mini bike unless some serious modifications take place.

For those who haven't touched the Tillys, they operate via a pressure pulse from the crankcase. This is why they operate on all axis. So I had to drill a hole into the intake to match the Tilly mounting face. Note #3! That is wrong. #1 is Tilly hole, #2 is matching hole for air that I will fix later, after reassembling the entire system. :)



Drilled it down into the intake, and JB Welded my error above. Note hole is lower, just left of center, real close to the reed petal.



Here is the throttle linkage. I cut down the Tilly throttle rod to fit in the tiny area, and clamped on a tiller arm I had. Drilled that out to accept a GEM 1358 throttle swivel. You should use these instead of bubble gum. Also had to find a replacement spring and dowel for the choke rod detent system. No kidding. These are the tiniest pieces on the planet that will kick your engines ass, when the choke keeps wanting to vibrate closed.

 
#65
Tom Pierson would be happy to see this.
I keep hoping someone will find one, or pieces of one for me!

Good job Dave!
If I wasn't so far away, I would try to talk you into letting me take it for a spin.

terry
 
#70
Dave, Outstanding work on this project. Any progress on the problem of the choke vibrating closed? Again, fine job done on this, SAT
Yes, and thank you. I was able to "dig" out the tiny spring and retention "rod" from an old Tilly. A lot of these carbs came off of chain saws, which used a spring loaded choke and a small cable and panel and no spring and rod.

The spring and rod (by rod, I mean a piece of metal rod maybe 3/16" X 3/16") sit in one of air filter mounting holes, recessed beneath the choke rod. In some cases, the choke rod will not have a flat detent to engage the spring and rod, but it's very easy to index it as required and file it down.
 
#73
Came out great Dave. It’s nice to see a restoration on a Mini Bike you don’t see often or ever! Especially with that Engine. It would be perfect if you would have used a Predator. LOL!
 
#77
Amazing job! How is the acceleration?
I'm still recovering from surgery, and will have more surgery soon. No one else around to ride it. I did run the engine on the Stellar, so giving the final ratio and the better carb on it now, I am sure it will accelerate pretty good.
 
#78
Dave my hat is off to you. This is the first time I have looked at this thread. That is one great find and piece of nostalgia. The amount of info that you know really adds to it. I didn't even know that they had minis like that in the 50s. So that is a way cool project. Being a bit of a history buff makes it even greater.


That ad that you came up with Terry is also way cool, it neat to see an old ad like that especially of a mini.



Thanks guys Roger
 
#79
Dave my hat is off to you. This is the first time I have looked at this thread. That is one great find and piece of nostalgia. The amount of info that you know really adds to it. I didn't even know that they had minis like that in the 50s. So that is a way cool project. Being a bit of a history buff makes it even greater.

That ad that you came up with Terry is also way cool, it neat to see an old ad like that especially of a mini. Roger
Thanks Roger. The historical aspects also appeal to me, and when they meet with my inherent nostalgia it brings me back to simpler times. The artistry in the design is something I can feel when messing with these old bikes is undeniable.

There was one aspect I was remiss on talking about with this bike, and it was the quality of the welds. I have always stated I was a novice. But some of the beads like on the engine plate for example, were tiny, evenly spaced, and beautiful to look at. They far exceeded the craftsmanship I have seen on some mass produced bikes from the 70's. It was unfortunate I had to cut so many.
 
#80
Outstanding work here. It all makes me want to "weld just a little bit better" next time.
Safe travels in the health care and hospital world Dave.
Steve- SAT
 
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