EZEERIDER'S MT2W class KA-POWELL Phantom 13

ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#1
#1
I'm Steve...... I'm starting out with a crusty, rusty, froze up Powell Phantom that I picked up this summer real cheap. This thing is missing all the brake parts, the engine, the seat, the throttle and the clutch so its just too much work trying to restore it.... its pitted pretty bad too. The steel sides of the wheels were half rusted away, I had to cut the tires off the rims, several bolts broke off in the aluminum sides, which are also corroded pretty bad. The bearings and suspension were all rusted tight. I was told this thing had been sitting out behind the barn for the last 30 years, and from the looks of it, I believe him. What it looked like when I got it. I have a 5hp Tec and a 4hp Briggs here, and a brand new Predator 212 as well, but I also have this electric start, 13 hp, 420cc Predator that I was meaning to put on my Dune Cat. It's just been sitting there in the corner begging to be put on something with wheels. This thing was way too big to go in the frame, but the more I looked at it, the more I thought I could make it work. I yanked the gas tank, exhaust and the air filter and damn if it didn't slide in there. I modified the backing plate on a Chinese knock-off TAV and shaved a few fins on the cylinder and it fits real nice. I blasted the frame, wheels, swingarm, axles, and seat plate and shot some self etching primer on all of it. I have tried and tried to get these rusty forks apart, but its still not happening. I think I'll just de-rust the forks by electrolysis. I haven't thought much about the direction of this build..... just going the hot rod route, I guess..... huge engine in a light frame and I'm sure I'll pretty it up a bit. Well, here's my pile.

 
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firemarshal71

firemarshal71

#4
#4
very cool. Always wondered what the big predator would look like in a bike.

... and cool picture by the way, reminds me of something the old art teacher would put together for a still-art assignment.
 
ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#7
#7
The problem with being an imaginative, creative, resourceful guy is that you have the ability to see what things COULD be.... ya know... with a little work. Well, that leads to hanging onto stuff that 90% of the public would throw away, but not only that, but it also leads to picking up things that other people have already thrown away...... like metal studs, lumber, garage doors, windows, lawn mowers, mini bikes, motorcycles, cars.... you name it. I DO end up using this stuff eventually, but in the mean time it clutters up every damn place that has a roof on it and several that don't. Its a good thing I live way out in the sticks, cuz between me and my neighbor, this place makes Sanford & Sons place look like the White House compared to us. The point I'm tryin to make is I ended up spending most of the weekend cleaning up my mini bike shed, building shelves, running electric out there, patching the roof, and doing something about heat. But while all this was going on, I decided to try that electrolysis rust removal process on my Powells forks and handlebars.

I filled a 20 gallon tub with water and 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, ran the positive lead of the battery charger to some metal studs around the perimeter of the tub and connected the negative lead to the forks. I set the charger on 55 amp START setting and plugged it in. Lots of bubbles. This actually works pretty well. Left the forks and handlebars in there all day, occasionally scraping the rusty crap off the studs and checking the progress.
It gets a pretty nasty looking rust scum on the top, but I just stirred it all up every hour or so.

I guess I blew it by not taking before and after pics of the parts. I'll get around to it later. This process took off every bit of the rust, but sadly, my parts were rusted all the way through the chrome and started pitting the metal. It looks like the forks are getting painted.... the handlebars might be passable.

By noon I had everything done in the shed and figured I'd mess with the Powell. I sat down on it with that huge engine in there and realized theres not gonna be a lot of room for my feet. I can get a little room by using an inch thick aluminum motor plate under the engine. I need one anyway because the front motor mount holes on the engine completely miss the frame. I spaced it up an inch and that helped a lot, but I could tell that my carb sticking out like that was going to keep me from being able to hit the brakes. I'm not using the stock air box and with a foam filter on there, its gonna be even more in the way. So I figured what I need is a curved manifold to aim the carb back and away from my leg. I searched the net and couldn't find one anywhere for the 420cc Predator, but I did see pix of a few home made manifolds. I started looking around for some curved tubing with an ID of 1.25", then I remembered some old stainless grab rails I demo-ed out of a bathroom at work.

I did some measuring, made a gasket template, got out my angle grinder and cut off disc and went at it.

I mocked it all up, taped it together, for now, made sure the carb bowl was level, and that there would be clearance for a filter and for my leg. I think its going to work.

I would have welded it up, but this stuff is thin, and it needs a real thin fillet weld around the outside because the bolt holes are so close to the tubing. All I have is a flux core mig, and the last time I tried welding something this thin, I burnt right thru it. I need to find a good welder with a tig to weld this up for me. Then I'll polish it up, make a carb mount and then try to figure out what I'm going to do about the linkage. Anyone got any ideas?

 
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Stangrcr1

Stangrcr1

New Member
#8
#8
Nice!

I am building a similar intake myself for my GX390. And I plan on turning it back too. Thanks for the idea on the tubing.
 
ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#9
#9
Well, it looks like motorcycle projects and construction projects have stolen most of my time this month, but I have been collecting parts, bought a few needed tools, and have mocked up the engine in the frame and the back wheel I want to use.



I could modify my existing swingarm to run this wide back tire, but I may want to rebuilt this thing in close to stock form sometime in the future, so I am making no changes to the original parts that can't be returned to stock. So I will be making a new swingarm from scratch. I bought some 1/4"x1 1/2" steel and a Harbor Freight Compact Floor Bender. I have real motorcycle projects taking my time this weekend so fabrication will have to wait til next week.



I don't know where you guys find the time.
 
ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#12
#12
Ok, I've been busy as hell with all kind of projects. My 4x4 Van, a new Softail I picked up cheap, my knucklehead trike, putting an addition onto my shop, wiring up lights and building shop doors......everything except working on mini-bikes. Well, tonight, the Powell spoke to me. It told me, in no uncertain terms, that it didn't really feel like being a minibike.... it thought it could be something much more. And I agreed, so with a little scrounging around my parts piles, this is what I came up with.
Hey, am I allowed to change my class from OPEN to MORE THAN THREE WHEELS?

 
ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#14
#14
I believe its a gear driven diff. Thats a hardened cut gear on the outside of the center section. It also has two round machined surfaces with o-rings on either side of the side plates that lead me to believe that this diff was made to run inside a case. If I could find a belt that would run in those teeth with out self-destructing, I would try it. But the plan for now is to bolt a sprocket to it and run it like that. Its got the same sprocket bolt pattern as a Peerless differential and I believe thats who made this one.



Don't worry, thats not how the axle plates are going to be mounted....... this is just a mock up.
 
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ezeerider

ezeerider

Member
#18
#18
Clayon said:
:thumbsup: Looks great. :detective: Is that a astro rim half on the engine shround where the recoil should go?
Click to expand...
Yeah..... that idea may not make it to the final version.
It just depends on how much it affects airflow into the shroud.
Gonna run it without it first, take temperature readings, then install it,
and take more readings and see if the engine stays cool.
I just think it would look cool spinning there while its running.
It was a perfect fit, and hopefully I won't be needing the pull starter.

A sneak preview of the forks I am building for the trike.
 
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