Son's Atlas Project, WOOT Here We GO!!

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YouthGearHead

New Member
#1
#1
We managed to actually get started on it this afternoon with a bang!

Wound up having to buy another Mini, a Manco I think, in order to get a Briggs 5HP. Picked it up this afternoon and by bedtime the pit crew had it off the frame.

We even had time to bolt the little Manco back together for a downhill roller thrill ride or two. Yeah I know, didn't have to pull the axle. Well at the time, with a heightened sense of excitement, we forgot about the master link.

I mentioned newbies right :)

Anyways, couple of hours of great guy time in the garage. Radio on, grease smudges, wrenches and ratchets going, a little spilled gas, and the smell of WD-40 in the air.

We now have an engine for the Atlas. Don't worry about the little Manco, the Atlas came with a 3.5HP Briggs (off frame) that looks like a power plant. We have plans that just might fit another of our mini pit crew members!

Did I mention several hours of no video game chatter...

We'll keep you updated as the mini pit crew performs the magic!!!!

We have albums up. Unfortunatley we robbed the motor off the Manco before giving it it's just review. Though we promise to slot it in when the 3.5 Briggs is mounted. It's kinda growing on us after the downhill freewheel!!!
 
bigrob

bigrob

#5
#5
Cool its great to see a.family build.
I still remember working with my Dad and two brothers on our first minibike lets see , roughly 38 years ago.....
Rob
 
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YouthGearHead

New Member
#7
#7
ROFL, well yes there is the CL Colt. We're having a hard time not driving over there and loading that nostalgic icon right into the pick-up :)

As tempting as it is, I beleive we'll just wave as it passes us by.
 
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YouthGearHead

New Member
#9
#9
How to Best Clean Engine Housing?

We're going to miss this weekend for garage time but for the next step I guess we'll begin with cleaning the Briggs up a bit.

What's the best method/cleaner for getting all the grunge off the engine housing and deep into the tight places? I don't think we want to repaint the whole thing due to a stripping chemical, but neither do we want to spend two weeks with Q-Tips and paper towels. :)

We bought a "little" to mid-size compressor, but obviously that could get really loud when it tweeks on the tight areas. :scared:

The little Manco frame will require the same treatment. Looking back to yester-year, one might take a can of degreaser down to the local car-wash and the mini itself would be clean in a couple dollars of time. Let it bake in the sun and call it done. Though these days some might find error in that methodolgy.

In any event, what would be the best cleaner to remove the grease? Other than gasoline or fuel agent...

Possibly ear protection and the compressor is the only method for the tight spots...
 
Y

YouthGearHead

New Member
#10
#10
Well, now I'm not so sure I placed the Thread in the correct arena. As far as I can tell this Thread references General MiniBike Talk. From what I read on the go-bys this is where I was supposed to ask question as things progressed.

I could easily be wrong, new to the Forum.

Somehow I got bounced to a Thread that said I should ask questions in the General MiniBike Talk and not from where I was, though I thought I was in there already.

Some nasty stuff in there by the way, I understand freedom of speech and am all for it.

Just a thought, my son is 12 and our mini pit crew drips to 9. They all enjoy the replies, pictures, and projects of others as we head down the road on the mini's. I certainly don't want them smacked in the face with unpleasentries, I can get that on the video games. Sort of defeats one of the action items.

So I guess I need to know where exactly I should begin a Thread for questions...
 
buckeye

buckeye

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
I think you are all good. It is your thread.
There can be some caustic replies at times. Most is in fun and some forget their manners.
I have used gunk degreaser and lots of elbow grease. Wire brushes for the tight spaces on a variable speed drill .
And patience. Which with 4 boys,I am sure you have plenty.
There are several threads on engine cleaning and prep for painting.

Feel free to ask away. I am sure folks don't mind and if they do, there is always the ignore option.
Keep the pics comming.
 
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YouthGearHead

New Member
#13
#13
Ah sweet deal. Got a set of brushes, will grab Gunk spray tomorrow.

I'll track down the prep threads. Though learning from ones mistakes drives home the point, i don't want to do keep doing things twice :)

Err, three times to get a winner on the engine :)

Thanks Buckeye
 
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