HOW DO I SPEED UP MY ROBIN

[Redneck]

Hi all,

I have a 1980 850 robin engine in my trike with a robin axel on the back and i am thinking of changing the engine for a better ride. At the mo it is fine for running about the streets on but i do take it down many of swindons long national speed limit dual carriageways and the motorway and it will not handle above 60 in a head wind!

Is this just because of the age of the engine or the engine itself? can any one recomend a suitable engine i could swap out for the robin?

I have been recommended the ford crossfire so far.

Thanks in advance

[kustom]

rover v8

[Manky Monkey]

Hiya Redneck -welcome to the site & when can we have a write-up on your trike?! 
We tend to be a little biased towards Reliants here, but there are bound to be alternatives. Obviously they're all going to involve fabricating new engine mounts, prop shaft flanges, exhausts, pedal linkages, wiring etc.
Hard to see from your avatar, but what size rear wheels are you running? We use 14 or 15 inch rims with low profile tyres. That brings the rolling diameter up to around 24 inches, which gives us good acceleration from 0 to about 70/75, then it flattens out & will gradually wind itself up to a top speed of 85 - 90mph. Maybe it would be less work to swap the rear wheels & mudguards than to rebuild half the trike around a new motor? Anyone got any suggestions for similar sized engines? I guess most big shaft drive bike engines would do the job. Any ideas you lot?

[Redneck]

Cheers Monkey,

I have been speaking to people alot about this and the overall cencus on the job is leave the engine there and do other things and i thiknk this is what i am going to do.

I have had a lot of issues arround the moving parts breaking down on me since i got it last august such as the starter motor, solinoid and alternator all in quick concesion of each other. a motor minded mate said this was likely to be because i took a trike that was never used by its previous owner and was then ridden like crazy from the day i got it, any truth in that and if so should i look to swapping out an engine from a regularly used reliant?

It is interesting what you say about the wheels, the wheels are the alloys from an astra gte so 15 inch, these where already on the trike and i have not had the money as yet to make it "mine".

I have seen some articles on here about increasing power from the engine and i am convinced of sticking with the robin as i do like the individuality of my machine as i role down the roads.

Could we please change this topic to "HOW DO I SPEED UP MY ROBIN"  so i can change my plastic pig in to a chrome road hog!

cheers yall

...since ive not done one custom thing to my trike and it is my first, i will give a write up for you when ive got some of my own sweat in it

[tazet]

Hell and welcome. I've done the name change as requested for you  Glad you are going to stick with the robin. 

[ByzMax]

I would get the engine checked and tuned before you do anything!

Check Compression
Ignition timing points condition/gap etc
Carb mixture and general settings

It will make a world of difference!


It will go like a stabbed rat if all is ok!

 

[Manky Monkey]

Hi Red,
if you've already changed the knackered components, you know the new ones are good, so seems a little pointless swapping the motor & ending up with another bunch of untested stuff. If you're going to spend time & money, wouldn't it be better to stick with what you've got & improve it? I was chatting to Ska Man a little while ago. He'd priced up all the major components of a Reliant engine & reckoned a major rebuild -rings, valves, valve guides, bearings, seals & gaskets, could be had for 200 quid or so.
A silly question- you have got an 850 motor haven't you? Not an early 750 Robin? Would explain the lack of power. Check the engine number on the crankcases. 750s used Zenith carbs & 850s had SUs. Or maybe a 750 axle? 750s have the filler plug mounted directly into the centre of the back of the diff housing. 850s are offset to the left at 45 degrees. Just a thought.

[tbone]

NITRUS.......just another thought 

[Manky Monkey]

 
Toad started working on supercharging a Reliant. Lunatic & PD inheritated it & it's now sat in Loony's workshop, awaiting a bit of looking at. Plenty of simpler mods you can try though, like gas flowing, carburation etc, etc. Personally I'm happy with the standard output & prefer reliability to outright performance.

[Redneck]

NOZ would be off the head, why stop there lets sticka turbo on it too

it is an 850 checked the v5 and every thing and we are running 850

[Manky Monkey]

O.K, in the words of the great Sherlock Holmes then, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".
Mind you, he was cr*p at bike maintenance.
A bog standard Reliant car, loaded up with 2 pensioners, a week's shopping & a small dog, should still be capable of more than 60mph. As a trike, you've thrown away all the bodywork, interior, glass etc, plus the original Reliant front end, which weighs a flippin' ton & replaced it all with a relatively lightweight frame & a couple of seats. Even with the original wheels fitted, it should fly now. I know people who've had standard Reliants & regularly seen 80+ from them. Another stoopid question -you don't weigh 26 stone do you?
Sounds like your motor's in need of a decent service & maybe a compression test.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

drop it out of an aeroplane ?

[ska-man2]

Try changing the needle in the carb to a AAU needle,clean and put some thin oil in dash pot. reset points and plugs.

[Manky Monkey]

Hi Nige, nice to see you back 
Yup, I'd forgotten we changed the needles in most of our trikes from AATs I think to AAUs. Helped the mid-range performance if I remember right. Originally shown to me by Tom Airey, legendary grass track racer & engine tuner, who tuned my last trike on his rolling road in Cheriton, near Winchester.

[toad]

im in swindon if want me to cast my beady eye over ya motor pm me your number and we,ll sort a time. as its already been said it should go alot better than that!