Tri- Rod project

#1
I would have had no idea what kind of trike this was if it wasn't for this website. Its in pretty good shape considering its age ,and I'm really looking forward to restoring it.It had a a 5hp B&S on it when I went to look at it, does anyone know if that is about size engine for this trike.
 

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#2
Nothing wrong with a 5 HP Briggs for a power plant, but what one picture shows that your Trike is missing a major component and that is a Torque Converter to maximize the power of that engine and to compensate for the extra weight that all trikes have in common. Question does your frame have the Jack shaft parts still there ? Add some more pictures of that area to show the jack shaft and the brakes and this will add to the amount of help we can provide you to get this fine machine running again.
Steve
 
#4
Thats good to know by using the B&S or even going with the Habor freight will save alot of money. The jackshaft and driven pulley are still on the trike but not in the best of shape. I will post some pictures of it.
 
#7
Here's a 74 Tri-Rod I just picked up yesterday. clean and solid, but help me out with this TC driven pulley. It looks like it's locked in place, so it isn't doing any ratio changes at all. Do I just need to buy a new driven? The driver seems to work fine, it idles without moving and it does get up and move, just would be a lot better if it shifted. 74 Tri-Rod 12222014.jpg 74 Tri-Rod with HF Greyhound 6.5.jpg Tri-Rod Driven pulley.jpg
 
#8
Yeah,that driven unit is put back together wrong (it looks like) . That spring is not to be on the outside like that.
If you google "comet torque converter" you'll find a ton of info on reassembling,cleaning ect. Heck even if you search on here you'll find some
Really nice trike...looks great !
 
#9
Thanks for the compliment.
I knocked the roll pin out of the jackshaft. As I pulled pieces of the driven off, it was all chewed up so I ordered one off of eBay. Should make it run like it is supposed to. The guy I bought it from even threw in the original Briggs 5hp (with no compression) if I wanted to go original. Not likely.
The fog lights up front aren't hooked up, and since this engine doesn't have a charging coil, are just for looks. I think I'll take the bottom one off and consider fabbing up a battery box to have the option of running the other one if I get caught out at night.

Haven't had a trike since I got rid of the T555 that my dad bought new back in the 60s. I like this one a lot.
 
#12
OK, this might not be the right place to ask, but how do you get band brakes to work? The ones on the TriRod were the black woven fabric and the drums were highly polished and it didn't stop at all. So I bought the "bonded brake lining material" bands, knocked the high shine off the drums with some abrasives. Put it together with improved stops for the cables, and still - NOTHING. It is as if it has NO brakes. I had a T555 years ago, same brakes, old and original, and squealed like crazy, but POW it would lock up either wheel whenever you wanted.
 
#13
OK, this might not be the right place to ask, but how do you get band brakes to work? The ones on the TriRod were the black woven fabric and the drums were highly polished and it didn't stop at all. So I bought the "bonded brake lining material" bands, knocked the high shine off the drums with some abrasives. Put it together with improved stops for the cables, and still - NOTHING. It is as if it has NO brakes. I had a T555 years ago, same brakes, old and original, and squealed like crazy, but POW it would lock up either wheel whenever you wanted.
You have to really take up the slack in the cable. Also the knobbies tend to lock up easier than tires with more rubber meeting the road? And I don't know about you but I'm a little bigger now so the trikes don't stop like they used to. Recently I have seen drums placed back to back and double brake bands used.Tacked together with pins. But I would go hydraulic disc if possible.
 
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