Manky Monkey Motors

A PROP’ER DILEMER

I need help on how to go about making a prop shaft for my Kawasaki GT750 trike project.  A recent feature in 100%Biker magazine doesn’t  give anywhere near enough information for someone who’s as green behind the ears as me.

So, I’m calling on the skills of you lot to help me, if possible.  Firstly, it’s important that I retain the original shaft that comes from the engine, this has a universal joint at one end, and is splined  at the other, and It’s about 10 or 12 inches long, I need this to slot (or be welded) into the cut down prop.

How do I go about this ?

If you can help, please can you give as much detail as possible, coz unfortunately,  I’m on the thick side of brainless .

Any help would be very, VERY appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

Ziggy.

P.S.
Below are some pictures of the “100%Biker” prop to give you some idea of what I need to achieve.

Saw this posted elsewhere & agree with the advice offered there. A couple of steel collars to take up the difference between the bike prop's outside diameter & the car prop's internal one, then drilled & button welded should do the trick. Spoke to SaddleBags today. He's just machined some pedal fittings for me as well as a pair of wheel adaptors for CJ, so he's your man if you need the collars machined.

Hi Ziggy,
have had the same problem with the virago 535 conversion that I'm doing. If you have to use a car prop shaft you could try this. It has worked for me.
I turned a piece of steel to a diameter just slightly larger than the internal diameter of the prop that i'm using (reliant) to make a collar/coupler/insert, call it what you like, about 4 inched long... This was then internally bored to a depth of three inches, to a diameter just slightly smaller than the diameter of the bike prop. The collar was then heated to cause expansion and the bike prop pushed in.
The next step is to measure, measure and measure again to get the length of the prop. Cut down the propshaft that you are going to insert the collar/coupler/insert to the correct length.  Drill 2 holes, at around 1 inch and 3 inches through the prop section that you have cut down, turn it 90 degrees and drill againat 1.5 inches and 3.5 inches.. you will now have 4 pairs of holes at 90 degrees to each other. Heat the propshaft that you have cut down and insert the shaft that you have made up. Button weld the insert/collar/coupler through the holes. Next weld the edge of the shaft to the adge of the collar/coupler/insert. Finally weld the bike prop to the collar/insert/coupler and you have a newly adapted shaft for your trike.
Ive added a pic of the collar/coupler/insert that i made which I hope will be of some help, failing that email me and I'll give you my phone number and we can talk.
regards
Keith
Take care ride safe have fun.

Thanks Andy & keith.

The major hurdle for me is I don't have, or know anyone with a milling machine, I only have a file and an angle grinder. This is why I've been getting so frustrated with the project.

Any help with getting a "collar/coupler/insert" thingie made, would not only be very appreciated, but would be an answer to my prays. That "collar/coupler/insert" looks so simple, but it's way out of my reach because there's nobody near me that is able to do it. There is a engineering firm though, but I'd have to remortgage the house to get it done with them, and then they'd only do it if they had time.

A file & an angle grinder -ahh, I'm not alone then.  ;)
Believe me mate, I know just how frustrating that is! It can take me weeks to produce what others with better equipped workshops can do in minutes.
Have a word with Saddlebags. He's Basingstoke based but I spoke to him yesterday & he's very keen to get involved in custom parts. I'd better not give his employer's name, but he's got the run of their workshops & has machined a set of hub adaptors for CJ & posted them to him in Scotland.
PM him or contact me for his mobile number. 

Hi Ziggy,
where are you based, might be able to help if you are near enough, or even do the job and post the collar to you.
Regards
Keith

Firstly, I have to say, both you (Keith) and Andy have kept my spirits up regards this project, and I really can't thank you both enough. ;) 8) 8)

Keith, unfortunately I'm in S.W. Wales, about 25 miles west of Swansea in fact, so I doubt your anywhere near me, I'm not that lucky :'( But I'd be totally made up if you could make one for me, just let me know your details via PM, or you can e-mail them to me on: ziggytriker@yahoo.co.uk , Then I can send you however much it'll cost, and what parts you need.

Keith, your a star dude, thank you... ;) 8)

Hi Ziggy'
I have emailed my phone number to you  :), you can call me after 9pm, i'm usually in then, and we'll see what we can do for you. I'm sure we can overcome you prob.
Regards
Keith

Thank you so much Keith, your an absolute diamond geezer !  ;).... 8) 8)

Keith, it was damn good speaking to you on the blower tonight, it was just the tonic I needed, and it's completely lifted my spirits up by 100%.

I'll get down the lock up tomorrow, and try and sus out how that drive shaft comes off the GT750 (if anyone else knows how to get it off, It would be very appreciated).

Meanwhile, here are some pics, one of the bike in the state it's at now, and one of the swinging arm before tubes get welded on.

Bobbi, (Biker Gran), runs a GT550 trike. She may be able to help. Check her trike out in the Motors, 3 wheels section, ("Gertie").

Hi Ziggy, no problem, mate, have sent a couple of emails with pics etc of the axle mount that I've made. Hope that this helps too.
Regards
Keith.

The GT prop has a small pin in the cup which mates to the gearbox shaft if you use a small nail to push down the pin in the hole and the cup slides off but be careful the pin is on a spring and will FLY if you don't, I used an old towel rapped over the prop and my hand as I pulled the prop off.

As I have a softtail I put a spring in the sliding spline section to keep the cup pressed up against the gearbox coz that pin made me paranoid, it's so bloody small. But I do have a spare one somewhere in the lockup

One of those little things it's nice to know about before you do the job!

Hi Keith. Just checked out me e-mails, WOW ! that's a real neat way of attaching the axle to the frame, I might even be able to do it myself...lol

Did you use a jig to line the axle straight before attaching the bracket ?

Thanks Keith, your a real star... ;) 8)

Hi TwistedPatience. That's just what I needed to know, thanks so much... ;) 8)  I was down in the lock up today, and while trying to figure out how the bloody thing came off, I happen to have found that tiny hole in the coller, but I didn't have the first clue what it was for, so your information is very appreciated. 8) 8) 8)

Hi Ziggy,
not a real jig, a spirit level and by eye. Bolted the axle brackets to the tube brackets then centralised the swinging arm on the axle. Tack welded the axle brackets. Disconnected the swinging arm brackets and welded both brackets inside and outside. Had to do the lot outside as the wife would'nt let me do it in the house.lol :'(
Hope the line drawing made sense .
Glad to be able to help :).
Glad to see that you got the shaft off the bike, I'll remember the tip from twisted patience for future reference.
Take it easy
Regards
Keith

Gonna share your axle clamp secrets with us then?

Hi mm,
I most certainly will  :) and here they are. I hope that they all attach. Someone has probably already done this, if so ...ok, if not I only to glad to share. Had a prob with an attachment so have posted   two more in the next message.
Regards
Keith

Very tidy. Nice neat welds too!

Hi mm,
Had trouble with attachment, here is the other pic and a line drawing.... hope that you can decipher it. Not the best drawing in the world, but i'm sure that you can figure it out. No offense intended but sketched  this originally for my nearly son in law who is not particularly techy minded.
Regards
Keith

Looking good.

Thanks guys glad you like it, but I can not take credit for all the welding...I just tack things and then have a real welder do the main stuff. Call me a pussy if you like but its a lot safer that way.
Take it easy guys
Regards
Keith

Your avatar looks more of a llama than a pussy to me.

As for fixing the axle to the frame, I've opted for the version you see below, mainly because I can fit the axle to the frame before desiding on it's final position, then I can weld in a roll stop.

Hey hey hey MM,
you nearly recognised it for what it is....excellent effort, but its an alpaca, pretty close though,had some one ask once if i'd photoshopped a picture of a sheep....they don't know there wildlife eh???? I can't even use photo shop.
regards
Keith

Hi Ziggy,
like the look of the mountings too. Maybe i'll use these on the next one that I build. They look a lot easier to make. Nice one mate.
Regards
Keith

Just a minute -I recognise that lumpy welding! That's MINE!
Is anyone actually building anything or just cutting & pasting bits of my previous projects together! I'm losing track but I think that's the frame for Rainbow's GS850 trike, (last year's girlfriend). Nice clear shot of the disc & caliper mounting bracket. Those clamps have a tab added to one side that bolts to a corresponding one on the axle tube to stop it turning or sliding in the clamp by the way.
Just outside Basingstoke on the M3 heading towards Winchester, there's a llama in a field. Thought I was seeing things when I rode past one day & spotted it looking over the hedge!   

Keith.

I managed to get the bike prop off (thanks TP ;)) only to find I hadn't measured it right, and now I have to cut some off that contraption I've made :'( I'm bloody gutted ! ::) :'(

Brock's just emailed me:
"The home of the British alpaca society is in Ogbourne st. George".
-How would he know that? Why would he know that?

Hi MM, who cares..... but thats a pretty obscure thing to know, but useful if you are in to llamas, like llamas....well you know what I mean.
Please note...the pussy is hiding between the baby alpaca and the big alpaca in the background. Nice pic though eh?
Try this link http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php)
regards
Keith

Yeah, lovely. They yours? A more interesting pet than a goldfish -but a bugger to get in the tank.

No not mine....I am a sinner, Brother MM I just cut and pasted them from the net.
A question though...... If you got a llama in a tank could it drive it?
regards
Keith

You caught the Llamas in a net?
I certainly wouldn't get in the way of one driving a tank. They're rubbish at driving.

Yes,  caught them in a net, and gave thenm a pasting, expecting the RSPCA at any time. Took them to the vet and she said they had Llamanitis..... ???
Best that I can do at this time of night........ nighty night

Alpaca it in!
G'night mate.