when to draw the line ??

[Rapini]

History: Barn find early 70's Arctic Cat Whisker with Sach's engine. Was able to clean her up enough and did 2 laps with it then it stopped running. Pulled engine off minibike opened her up on my workbench cylinder head damage cracked ring. Was able to source new cylinder head with rings but now (months later) missing a few bearings (cylindrical rods) etc. Also the starter pull assembly spring broke too.

Question: cut my losses and replace engine ? If so do I try my old 70's ariens snowblower engine 4hp or purchase a new Princess Auto (in Canada ) small engine ?

Let me know your thoughts ...

 

[RobertC]

Dude...IMO...if you have a motor like that, that is that close to complete...and it sounds like you have the knowledge...source the parts needed to get it running again.

Either way though, enjoy it.

 

[Fantic Freddy]

Find a Sachs, they're out there...it's worth the time. Lots of moped sites on the internet sell parts.

 

[Ding Ding]

I would try to do whatever it takes to retain the sachs 2 stroke. I've seen many Arctic Cat bikes that were converted to a 4 cycle by adding a motor plate to the frame. Those bikes then become misfits and lose their desirability.

 

[Havasu Dave]

I would try to do whatever it takes to retain the sachs 2 stroke. I've seen many Arctic Cat bikes that were converted to a 4 cycle by adding a motor plate to the frame. Those bikes then become misfits and lose their desirability.

Yep. I don't have any feelings on these particular bikes one way, or the other from a nostalgic standpoint.

However with the wrong engine on it, it's just another pit bike. I've never understood the point of getting a vintage frame, then patting oneself on the back because they "rescued" something with a late model engine, just to make it go.

With mini's, it's never "too far."

 

[kwt1957]

I feel your pain. My fix-up winds up being a 1970 Fox Sundowner. I fancied trying to put it back to as close to original as possible. I needed an engine, tank & pipe at a minimum. The group put me in touch with an RL Fragoman (minibikeman1@gmail.com) who apparently purchased assets of Fox Corp when they ceased operations. He had everything but Sachs engine & offered that I'd be looking at $500 for a runner & it would in all likelyhood be missing or have a broken recoil starter....that'd be another $300. He gently suggested that I get it together however & enjoy it. I'm following his advice & having a blast. I am keeping from altering the frame in hopes that someday I may come across a Sachs engine & it coincide with my having some coin in my pocket. Good Luck & have fun.

 

[Racer]

1 Go ahead and re engine it

2 KEEP the old engine.


3 Either slowly rebuild old engine because you enjoy doing it

OR

Keep it for the next owner

 

[KB2ROCKET]

life is short we all have different feelings about how things should be built I for one would rather complete something rather then spending the rest of my life looking for some vintage part and when you finally get it then you cant ride it hard because its so rare
so just decide what your values are and enjoy your hobby
.
I had a Heathkit boonie bike and I turned it into a tractor trike some people told me "You killed a boonie bike"
but none of them complained when I sold off all the parts from it that I no longer needed

 

[ArcticMinibike]

What do you need? I have a pile of Saxonette engines. These come up for sale all the time. You used to be able to get parts bottom ends for $50 minus the recoil. The spring can be sourced as well for less than $40. If you have the recoil, you have 99% of the engine. This engine is so simple to rebuild a child could do it. I would not modify the frame, you're too close.