Manky's Pop.

[Clive]

I always used to read the write-ups in magazines & wish they'd go into more detail about the builds. So when I started my various projects I set out to show as much info as I possibly could. Not that I'm an expert at all, but if it helps or inspires one person then I've done my job. 

You've done your job then buddy!!!!

I'm inspired all the time, when I come on here and see the work you, and others, push out!! In fact, I'm that inspired I start a welding course (at Night School) on Monday!!!! 

Clive

[Manky Monkey]

Well done mate. I'd been messing about with welders for years, but never 100% certain I was doing it right. Flap & I enrolled on a welding course at our local tech college when we built his trike. A couple of hours, one evening a week. Well worth the money. Taught me a few things I didn't know, but more importantly, gave me the confidence to know I'd been doing it more or less right.
Knowledge is always a good investment. It'll last you a lifetime.

[Clive]

That's exactly what this is! Two hours, one night a week, for ten weeks!!!!

[Manky Monkey]

Sounds like the same course then. We did a little bit of gas welding, then went on to MIG. We were allowed to take in our own MIG units -funny to see everyone comparing welders, like boy racers comparing their cars. Our instructor happened to be a Postie during the day -so he spent the whole course taking the mickey out of Flap & me. If you're building something, the instructors usually don't mind you taking it along -more interesting for them than just welding scrap bits of steel together & you can learn on something you're actually going to keep.
 

[Manky Monkey]

Finally got to spend a little time on the Pop again today after a couple of weeks off due to heavy snow, car problems etc, etc. Hoped to get loads done, just to make it look like we're making progress. Yeah right.
AfghanMan very kindly mailed me the end caps for the tailgate handle he brought me all the way from France recently. Should be a 5 minute job to fit them then.
4 hours later...
I marked & drilled the tailgate frame & tapped the holes to M5, Bolted the caps on -& couldn't turn the handle. It was locked solid. Loosen the cap bolts & it turns fine. Checked the locking bars were running true, filed out the slots in the caps that the bars run through, even cut off the plate the handle bolts too & re-fitted it, twice. No joy.
Took me hours to finally twig that there's a 2mm gap behind the bars where they exit the handle casting. I needed to cut some 2mm shims to go between the end caps & the tailgate frame. Easy to fix once I realised the problem, but that was an entire afternoon wasted. Next I need to make some brackets for the bars to lock into.

[Manky Monkey]

I'm very grateful to AfghanMan for the lock, but I'm guessing the handle & caps came from 2 different assemblies. Like I said, easy to fix, once I found the problem.
Not much building time. Lots of thinking time. I think slow. 

[gazzagood]

coming on know Andy at this rate you'll get it finished before the trike. oh got me temp gauge today thanks for the message. 41 quid know inc 3 pound postage. but looks great.thanks 

 gaz

[Manky Monkey]

That'll be a "Moon" water temperature gauge, same as the one fitted on my trike engine. Gone up a bit in price since I last looked then. Did you fit yours to the thermostat housing like mine, or remotely somewhere?
I've got another week's holiday in February, so hoping to make up for lost trike building time then. Maybe.

[gazzagood]

yes I'm going to fit it to the thermostat housing like yours can't remember know where you got your adaptor from did you say a plumbers merchants.

gaz

[Manky Monkey]

Had it machined in stainless by SaddleBags, but haven't seen him for a while.
You could probably find something suitable at a plumbers merchants though. If I remember right, the 'stat housing mounting hole is bigger than the gauge fitting, so you just need a plug that'll screw into the stat housing, with a threaded hole in the middle to take the gauge. If you get stuck, try Twisted Patience, or any of the other lathe owners, here. Wouldn't be a big job to knock something up if you can figure out the thread sizes.

[gazzagood]

    

[Mr_G]

Sweeeeeet.

[afghanman]

Probably when the bars ere longer and mounted on a wooden window frame it would not have been a problem.
too late now but you could have just kinked the bars a tad!

[Manky Monkey]

Just what I thought Paul. My Pop's not exactly precision engineered & I like the way everything's fettled by hand to fit. Gives it a bit of character! 

[panthershaun]

I actually looked at mine yesterday