Manky Monkey Motors

I have finally started my trike, after a bit of a delay I've finally started.  Well when I say started I've got my original bike - Ural 650, a reliant axle (well thats what the guy who sold it to me said it was) and some steel.

All I need to do now is learn to weld! (or I could just get my mate 'Steve the welder' to do it for me)

I have been reading lots of different posts on this site (I like Triker Petes swinging arm conversion) and have a good idea what it will look like, hard tailed, single seat (might have to put a pillion on cos No 2 son has decided he will look cool being driven to school on a trike).

I will post picture asap and will try and keep posting progress reports as it progress'sss

Good luck with the build buddy, and keep us posted with lots of piccies!!

Clive

sounds good  8) 8) 8)

Hiya Jevi. Aye, we likes piccies to look at. Makes it much easier to nick ideas from you!  ;D

If you go back a few years, you might find the Ural thread I started. It evolved into a VW though.

Right I hope this works this time (4th attempt to post update)

The first pic should show my starting point - 1992 Ural 650.  I've bungied on one half of a set of 3.5 gal fatboy tanks so you can see where I think the tank should sit.

In the second pic I've sat the spare wheel from the wife's car roughly where I think the rear of the trike should be (original bike has a wheelbase of approx 1500mm and I set the spare wheel to give the impression of a 200mm stretch on the back end (I took the 1700mm measurement from Manky's trike jig thread cos I'm not sure if there is a limit on how long a trike can be?)

And now silly question time!  In pic No3 are those sticky out bits rivets and what is the best way to remove them (I could do it old school style with a cold chisel but would like to be slightly subtler)

Hopefully this bloody computer won't have a fit when I press Post!

Hi jevi. grind them down with the angle grinder flush with the casing. then just knock them out with a punch. to get the tubes out is a bit more difficult you will need a press and blow lamp to warm it up. there are threads on here just type axle in the search bar. check out my build again type in. trike build  look for my name best of luck and you already no lots of pictures terry t

Alright, second stupid question

I have gathered the parts for the disc conversion (almost).  A set of ready made mouting brackets (courtesy of 'Flix'), a pair of Nova front discs (£16 + vat the pair from NPA, Leechmere Ind Est, Sunderland), a reliant axle (which is trying to cut my hands to bits as I strip it down - original brake backing plates are having to be cut off) and a set of Mk 2 Golf calipers (courtesy of the son of my local garage owner when he changes the set up on his car - hence the almost)

I have read the threads regarding gringding the corners off the reliant wheel hubs to fit the nova discs and my question is - if I haven't got access to a lathe could I use a hole saw to remove a section of the central hole on the discs or should I try yellow pages for small engineering firms?

Go with the engineering firm mate.
The disc locates & centralises itself on that hole, not on the wheel studs, so it needs to be fairly accurate, otherwise it could run out of true. Also, if you make the discs fit the hub, if you need to change the disc, you'll have to do the job again. Make the hub fit the disc & you'll only have to do the job once as any standard Nova disc will then fit.
Anyone with a small lathe & the knowledge to use it will be able to machine your hubs to suit. If you can't find a local engineer maybe Doc, (Twisted Patience here on the forum), could help.

Thanks MM I'll have a trawl for local engineering fims.  Anyway heres the latest progress report - I have carefully removed the brake drums and backing plates from the axle (pic's 1 & 2) and split the diff to try and get the shafts out.  However after managing to break one of my hub pullers trying to remove the hubs I have resorted to dropping the split axle off at my favourite garage where they will press them off for me.

So hopefully I'll be a bit further on in my next post.

That's a big pile of ...stuff.
You're on your way then Jevi. Welcome to the land of 3.

Got the hubs off (big bang and 'young Gaz' hopping and cursing cos the axle tube when it popped completely missed his steel toecap and got him on the bridge of his foot instead).  Next job is to replace the bearings and seals before rebuilding the axle (also small matter of welding up the nice slice I put into the top of the axle tube when I was cutting off the spring mounts).

I've read Morrag's response to queries over the type of bearings used on reliants and surprise surprise mine aren't metric (RLS 8RS are 'inch') and EBR bearings don't seem to stock them.  Anyone know of any bearing suppliers in the North East?

I've also tried my hand at altering the seat rails (pics to follow) but obviously I didn't get enough penetration (story of my life) on the weld cos while I was dressing up the new rail it fell off!  Note to self 'get a proper welder to do the job'

always gets me too

I always recommend Michaels of Selby in Yorkshire. Their details are in the Links for commercial purposes bit of the forum. They're Reliant specialists. Do fast mail order & should be able to help you.
Seriously, if you're not confident about your welding, take it to someone you trust -it's your bum in the saddle so don't take risks please.  ;)

practice and buy a decent mig

Well I can report a bit more progress.

Following Mr monkey's advice, Ive found a small enginering company a bit further round on the trading estate where I work who have agreed to machine my hubs for the princley sum of £20 (dropped them off dinner time today will get them back tea time tomorrow - good eh?)

Things to do next - chase up the brake calipers (current owner is waiting for some new flexi hoses for his Mk 4 calipers before he changes them [due in next 5 days - fingers crossed]) try to find the breather hole in the axle tube and decide if I need to weld it up or not?)

Things I must do - weld up the gash I cut in the axle tube when removing brackets (I think its visible in the attached pic?)

Anyway onwards and upwards!

Well done mate, sorry I couldn't help with the hubs.

Thanks Doc

Best laid plans and all that, walked into the engineering works and the guy I saw wasn't there but his boss was!  Didn't know if he knew the guy was doing the job for me so didn't want to drop him in by asking if the parts were ready.

Will try to call over my "lunch break" tomorrow and see if I can catch the guy I saw first time around.

Fingers crossed I'll have my turned down hubs AND my brake calipers by the end of the week.  Then I might have a bit more progress to report (with pics hopefully)

OOP's forgot to ask if anyone knows of a bearing outlet in the North East that might have RLS 8RS (inch) bearings.  I tried the people Manky told me about and was quoted £45 for a pair of bearings and oil seals (Being a tight git I thought I'd try someone else)

Try here...http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p42051/LJ12RS+Imperial+Rubber+Sealed+Deep+Groove+Ball+Bearing+1x2-1/4x5/8+inch/product_info.html


Are your old drum parts looking for a new home?

following the MMM disc conversion, you must bin them

Thanks T Bone I'll give them a try.

And the drum brake parts?????

Sorry T Bone didn't read your reply properly.  If you look back at the pics I posted earlier, that pile of crap on the floor is the remains of the drum brake backing plates and hubs (not sure if I kept the hubs but the rest got skipped).  The hubs were in a pisspoor condition (one side was so rusted it took quite a bit of heat, WD40, 3in1 and a length of scaffold pole on the socket extension to get it to turn), the other end wasn't so bad (it turned but again wasn't in a very good condition).

Called at the enginnering firm this lunchtime to find I didn't need to worry about dropping the bloke in it with his boss however the chap I needed to see is on holiday till next Monday and the hubs havn't been touched. - Ah well

Hurrah!  Got my turned down hubs today, I welded up the hole in the axle tube on Sunday so now all I need is matey boy at the
garage to fit his new calipers and Im ready to plough on.

Daft question time again - If I'm getting the axle powder coated should I send the fully assembled  (but suitably masked) axle  or should I break it down to the componant parts?

Check with your coater Jevi. Mine prefer parts to be stripped right down, but others may mask them themselves.
Don't forget to drill a new breather hole in your axle tube by the way.

I've only welded up the gash I cut in the tube.  I have'nt seen a breather hole any where on the tubes but they are pretty rusted (so I'll probably find it when I get them blasted)

'T Bone' came up with the goods again.  I ordered 2 new bearings from 'Simply Bearings Ltd last night at about 18:00 and they turned up this morning!  How's that for service!  Hopefully when Ive got a few things like the holidays out of the way I can get on with the job again.

Ive seen 'Morrags' link regarding how to identify the oil seals (Gaco IND 49516) but when I type that into the Simply Bearings site the search comes up blank.  There is an ebay shop 'Reliantparts' advertising a pair for £10 + £2.50 postage but he uses the reliant part number to id them, are they all the same?

Sorry for not posting any updates for some time but currently I need to empty my garage before I can get anywhere near the bike.  I've totally stripped away the swinging arm and drive unit and tack welded a new seat mounting plate in place (pics asap). My latest problem is I've now got my brake calipers but no carriers/hangers (?)

MkII Golf's appear to be like hens teeth in this neighbourhood - are there any other doner's which use the same carriers/hangers (passat?, audi?)

Should have thought about it earlier and done a search on the site.  I now know very ealy passat and audiA4's share the same brake carriers as the MkII golf.   So guese where I'm spending the next couple of weekends (unless I can talk my favourite garage into searching for them?)

Sorry Jevi -wasn't ignoring your request for info, just missed it. Mr Toad seems quite clued up on what will fit, (he's worked in the motor recovery/repair trade for many a long year). Good luck with the search.  ;)