I need some advice and/or ideas on my build.

lostinbaja

lostinbaja

Member
#1
#1
I have been working on an old Manco TrailCat. The frame has been cleaned up and painted the engine is a completely stock 3 1/2hp Tec side popper. My problem is that the air cleaner housing hits the rear fender unless the engine is completely forward in the adjusting slots. With the engine all the way up in the slots I still wouldn't be able to service the air filter. Here are a couple pictures of the engine and air cleaner.





I'm open to ideas and suggestions.
Thanks for the help.
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#2
#2
If you flip the filter housing 180 degrees where the base mounts at the carb, do you get clearance? If not, you'll need to go to one of the earlier small types, or the oval. (Google it and you'll see several examples) That back of the carbs where they mount is pretty much standard.
 
lostinbaja

lostinbaja

Member
#3
#3
Since I took the pic I have turned the base 180 deg. and have basically the same issue. I was looking at the "Jacks Small Engine " website and noticed that Tecumseh made a 90deg. elbow for the end of the carb that would mount the air cleaner I have, vertically. It's since been discontinued and I have no part number to search for. I have also been thinking of trying to find a newer style flat paper filter housing.

Tec Air Filter Comp.gif
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
your manifold is too long, its the type for rear tank application (edger engine style) so its almost an inch longer to clear the fuel tank. if you get the longer governor arm and shorter standard intake it will put the carb where it would have been on the bike originally and clear the fender.

can see the intake that bike would have used originally in this photo, I can get a close up shot if needed when I get back into town.

 
lostinbaja

lostinbaja

Member
#6
#6
Does anyone make an aftermarket air filter that might fit this application? I installed the short manifold as suggested and my filter still doesn't fit between the carb and the filter. I must have welded the fender bracket in a little too high. I would post a picture but it won't let me.
Any advice on the filter?
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
lostinbaja said:
Does anyone make an aftermarket air filter that might fit this application? I installed the short manifold as suggested and my filter still doesn't fit between the carb and the filter. I must have welded the fender bracket in a little too high. I would post a picture but it won't let me.
Any advice on the filter?
Click to expand...
check with "Not so mini bike" to see if he has any of the small 2 stroke air cleaners left he got in a parts buy recently. We traded some stuff and I took one I got from him and modified it to fit a standard carb by elongating the mount hole. The guy that bought it had the same problem with an Arco chopper that he had modded by raising the fender to fit a larger tire and said it fit great.

Heres the one I modded: Tecumseh Power Products Air Filter Customized Vintage Mini Bike Kart Clinton | eBay

Here was the pic the buyer sent me after it was installed:
 

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markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
:thumbsup: Glad he had some still. Don't know of anything that much shorter than that those unless you make something yourself, hope it works for you!
 
lostinbaja

lostinbaja

Member
#10
#10
I finally found a filter to fit within the confines of the fender. I bought an aftermarket Doodlebug air filter kit off Ebay for $10.00 and with a little time on the mill (to fit the adapter to the carb) and it fit like it was made for it.


It's not a vintage Tecumseh like I wanted but it looks FAST
 
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jeep2003

jeep2003

#11
#11
markus said:
check with "Not so mini bike" to see if he has any of the small 2 stroke air cleaners left he got in a parts buy recently. We traded some stuff and I took one I got from him and modified it to fit a standard carb by elongating the mount hole. The guy that bought it had the same problem with an Arco chopper that he had modded by raising the fender to fit a larger tire and said it fit great.

Heres the one I modded: Tecumseh Power Products Air Filter Customized Vintage Mini Bike Kart Clinton | eBay

Here was the pic the buyer sent me after it was installed:
Click to expand...
Im making one like that for my mini mower out of a tecumseh float bowl.
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
lostinbaja said:
I finally found a filter to fit within the confines of the fender. I bought an aftermarket Doodlebug air filter kit off Ebay for $10.00 and with a little time on the mill (to fit the adapter to the carb) and it fit like it was made for it.


It's not a vintage Tecumseh like I wanted but it looks FAST
Click to expand...
came out good :thumbsup: I went really ghetto on one I did for a liitle 3.5 I made to look like a bigger "star" racing engine......I used a 1 3/4" metal fuel cap for the air cleaner mount (Its all I could find the part bin :anon.sml:) Not as stout as the one like you got by ANY means! Be neat if they had one to fit, or be close enough to mod, that had the slide choke plate built in like for the pocket bikes. Could then get rid of that huge obstruction of a choke that the tec carb uses!

 
jeep2003

jeep2003

#14
#14
Heres a float bowl filter lostinbaja. As you can see the hardest part about it is making the little bracket to screw the screen on with. put a piece of filter foam in and youre good to go




 
jeep2003

jeep2003

#16
#16
yeah im sure it is but that one was just for a little 50cc engine so its ok. if it were a bigger engine id make that bump come out alot more and skinny up the bracket
 
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