EA81 into trike VW automatic

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:02 pm

Thanks D generate

Tonight I attached two Panthers (Jaguars) to my front forks. All I need is a little chrome paint on the mounts.

And that's enough bling for Tweety.....

The bad news is that it looks like I have an engine oil leak in the rear main seal. Had put a new one in when installing the adapter plate but.....

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:07 pm

Tweety wrote:
The bad news is that it looks like I have an engine oil leak in the rear main seal. Had put a new one in when installing the adapter plate but.....

I was going to say make sure it's not the oil pump leaking and oil flowing back to the rear of the engine but then remembered you have the "front" pulley facing the rear so oil can't really be blown backwards like it was on my engine

Might pay to check anyway just in case gravity could pull the drip back.

Nice bit of bling by the way

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:08 pm

Thanks SB

got under it a few times now to clean it thoroughly and definately no oil coming from the oil pump area. Also had tighened up the sump bolts (not too much) etc. The oil you would think came form the vW transaxle area because that is where it drips down from. A rear main seal is suspect but it doesnt seem to drip from the auto flex plate. Could be the seal from the tranaxle.

Either way it'll be getting fixed by the old mechanic I bought the ea81 engine off at Wodonga. Nice honest bloke....and he loved the trike. Be the easiest motor extraction of all time.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:57 pm

I'm happy to say that since my last post on this thread I had degreased all of the lower engine and transaxle and have not had a drop of oil on that area since. I'm now certain that the sump bolts were too loose and fixed the issue after tightening them.

When I checked the engine before installation I was wary not to tighten them. I have in the past, due to my lack of knowledge on other engines, over tightened sump bolts to squeeze the gasket to an early death.

For those interested I attended a 3 day tour over the mountains recently and obtained a healthy 32 mpg and 29mpg. .8.8l/100km and 10.3L/100kms Not bad from an automatic mobile wind sock!!

Engine oil use is very minimal. About half cup every 2-3000kms. Its running very well and is reliable. Have replaced the Toyota MR2 radiator with an Alfa sud original. much smaller but just as efficient.

New side headlights. Note the panther (jaguar) on the forks

d_generate · Post by **d_generate** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 2:31 am

Be careful you don't become a magpie, it's a common disease amongst men over 50 lol.

Look at that winch of fury hanging off the chrome.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 3:17 pm

Well still havent had a drop of oil drip from under the trike. great!!

Rode to Frankston and return yesterday total about 450kms. less than one tank of fuel (46 litres 450kms 50 litre tank). never possible with the VW 1916 engine to get over 380kms usually 340. And yesterday I had a bad northerly headwind about 30kph.

So about 29 mpg or 10.3 L/100km. A massive improvement but there's more...

Tweety, against that headwind wanted to CRUISE on 120 kph. Now, the mating of the engine to the 3 speed vW auto isnt perfect. there are long hills that it will slow down some, but those are 5% of all hills. If I desired I could kickdown at say 90kph and maintain that speed or even faster for the length of the hill but why rush? With an EJ20 this is where the real difference would be and acceleration etc. But I'm happy.

And that sweet little ea81 start first pop every cold morning, hasnt got a choke, three squirsts of the throttle is all and will idle there straight away, a testiment to its health.

I have a long term plan. To buy a second VW auto (they are scarce now) and a second ea81 to do up. Might even suck out some info from the flyboys as to mods. and that cam grind will come.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:58 pm

No pictures but caught up with a local trike to find it is home made 25 years ago, no fibreglass - all steel based on VN diff on cart springs, VN V6 and auto box, even uses VN fuel door, VN gauges, VN shift selector, VN headlight switch, a square tyre on front like round but square flat tread so has a damper left and right to stop low speed shimmy. Weighs - get this - 1000kgs !! Tows an 800kg trailer and is registered as a three wheeled car three seater, two rear passengers get lap seat belts so no helmet required, driver needs helmet, so no seat belt supplied !

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:38 am

Interesting.
Early home made trikes had part from cars. My white wall front tyres is a hot rod tyre- 600/16 cross ply. is much better than a M/C tyres for grip and wear and if the front wheel is slim (mine is 3 inches) the car tyre crowns in the middle which is perfect for cornering grip. M/C tyres can last as little at 8000kms a fraction of the car tyre. But is bigger circumference having to raise the front guard but the look is better in my view.

ADR's were that trikes had to be under 450kgms UNLESS they went into another category which ahd to incude anti pollution, seat belts etc. Thats why most had VW engines and alloy frames making the cost much higher than it would be. A lot of people couldnt understand why they cost so much. No the weight limit is abolished up to 1000kgms and a flood of imports is coming. Touroz trikes (Ford focus engine) and Boom Mustang trikes are here and have recently passed aDR's with mods.

http://www.touroztrikes.com.au

We have a V6 Holden powered trike owned by our President of the National 3 wheelers club. Its made by a small trike mob called Cam trikes in Melb. Scorpian Trikes make theres with a suzuki swift 1.3 engine but only in manual as the auto did take them over the 450 kg limit.

Thanks steptoe

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:27 am

Just like to anounce that Tweety last W/end won National 3 wheelers "BEST TRIKE".

The best voted out of a couple of dozen on show at Echuca (our AGM location).

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:16 am

GOOD WORK MATE! You and Tweety deserve it!

Really I can't tell others how good this trike is in the flesh - photos look awesome but really they don't do it justice!

I now find myself checking out trikes to the point that I pretty much chased one down yesterday in the main street of benders only to find that was a "bike trike" - motor bike with an independent 2 wheel rear end hanging off the rear. It wasn't quite the same faïence (correct word??) if any compared to Tweety

Cheers

Bennie

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:35 pm

The National 3 Wheeler Club is mostly based in Victoria. Our AGM was in Echuca and the Ulysses club has their AGM this coming weekend in Mildura. That's why so amny trikes are on the road especially around Bendigo.

Bike trikes are common because older riders trike their motorcycle. I agree that they dont have the laid back "chopper" appeal to me but are very common in the USA.

It is great winning a couple of awards. a shelf in the shed will be set aside.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:25 pm

Have moved the radiator to the front, its better place.

Took 3 days but all ready for start up tomorrow.

The pedal (one large pedal for brake only - auto) was too narrow to pass the sides of the alfa radiator so built a detachable pedal extension. Will get the chrome Harley pegs on there soon.

The brake lever has adjustment to suit short and long legged riders. So it was moved forward to its max setting to allow room for the radiator. Tight squeeze. Other options included making a pedal on the ladder bars hinged on the bottom. But this was less work. The front radiator hoses both sides are Datsun 200B lower radiator hose.

This is the engine bay now with heaps of room forward of the engine. mmm scuba LPG tanks ,,, the mind never stops.

The expansion tank was moved from high up (access only after roof lowered and body raised) to the far corner and much lower as the raidiator is far lower also. can fill easily now. Stainless steel pipe used to hook up the coolant to the front.

test ride tomorrow.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:38 pm

Awesome work mate!

What's the weight on the front wheel now? It wouldn't be much more would it?

Cheers

Bennie

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:04 pm

Well, I had the two M/C radiators on the front and the water in them but have to admit the large one filled with water....maybe 10kgms heavier.

The front end was 55 kgms downforce, say now 65kgms. Will make it harder to lift the fornt wheel. We did that at Echuca at lights against a Harley trike. Tweety blew him away! haha

I think with that new front tyre and all its grip compared to the M/C tyre a bit more weight wont matter. It isnt that critical. But will find out tomorrow.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:29 pm

Tweety wrote:I think with that new front tyre and all its grip compared to the M/C tyre a bit more weight wont matter. It isnt that critical. But will find out tomorrow.

And if you're going to pursue the SC idea you'll probably be glad about that extra weight up front!

Glad to hear you've been using her for some fun too

Even though cruising is still simply awesome!

Cheers

Bennie

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:00 pm

Test run. My temp alarm is a Hoard Instruments unit locatred in the original temp sedner hole. It goes off at 95C. I have a 82C stat. Thermo fans go on at 90C and is digiatally adjusted.

Start up and quickly realsied that I MUST fill the S/S tubes and radiaotr with water before I begin. Or an air pocket wont allow the water pump to circulate the coolant.

Having done that the alarm went off. The head was 95C (obviously) but on the other side of the stat the water temp was 78C. So prior to the stat opening the head gets hot enough to set that alarm off. Remedy- to take out a rivet I had in the stat so a one eighth hole allows coolant to circulate enough so the alarm wont go off. restart and it went off by only a few seconds.

otherwide ok. once moving the temp remained around 78-82C. fans set at 88 now. all good except that alarm which is essential but will be annoying in the early morning.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:27 pm

I posted the above on the aussieveedub forum. A good answer came back.

The air has less ease of escaping when filling up the cooling system. The expansion tank is now at the far rear and the radiator at the front with heater hose conenction. That's ok but as far as air escape is concerned it is less efficient.

The answer seems to eb a second air bleed valve. Already have one on the top of the radiator. I think a T fitting on the alarm sender switch (original temp sender location) with a bleeder will do the job.

off to enzed tomorrow.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:23 pm

Saw this today and thought of you Tweety

Stopped in front of me at lights, apologies for the poor phone quality pic. Looks like the same body as yours, if you can't see the blue plate says "2OLDFARTS"

Wasn't the real plate though I don't think and it had NT written on it. Real SA plate is tiny and down below (blacked out)

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:07 pm

That's a Bon trike Sliverbullet. Bon trikes were pioneers in the VW trike world around 15 years ago. Good trike though. Panther and Oz trikes kind of superseded them.

There are a lot around at the moment. Lakes Entrance was the venue for the NSW/Qld based united trikers club and Echuca the venue for the National three wheelers club. Along with Mildura last w/end for the national Ulysses club AGM.

We had the roof off ours for a few hours alst week and we felt naked and wasnt the same. each to their own but the roof stays.