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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Anyone have the lowdown on the V4 motorcycle powered challenge entry?

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Oct. 17, 2008 9:04 a.m. bluej HalfDork

exST165 wrote:

Josh, do you have my extension cord? I think I forgot to pick it up on Saturday. If you have it can you bring it to next year's Challenge?

Thanks, Thomas

Hey Tom, I'm a little fuzzy on packing up due to the lack of sleep, but i'm pretty sure we have it. Drop me a PM with your address and I'll send it back your way soonest!

as an update, i rebuilt the starter, figured out fuel issues and fixed the megasquirt that now has a base tune in it. she's ready to fire up. unfortunately, i need to put any car work on hold for a little while as I just got laid off from work and am going to be moving in to a new place with a friend to save some money. this means i need to clean up the explosion of car and bike parts all over my 2 bedroom duplex.

i'll update this thread when i've updated my build diary page documenting the whole shebang, but job searching is coming first. speaking of which, time to get off here and go see about getting an interview.
Oct. 17, 2008 9:29 a.m. Spinout007 New Reader

Damn dude that sucks, sorry to hear about the job. Good luck finding the next one, and remember E36 M3 happens for a reason.
Oct. 17, 2008 10:59 p.m. exST165 New Reader

Josh, don't worry about shipping it to me, just bring it next year! (I really don't feel like paying customs and duty on something that I already paid 15% sales tax on!)

:) Thomas
Oct. 19, 2008 7:26 a.m. bluej HalfDork

exST165 wrote:

Josh, don't worry about shipping it to me, just bring it next year! (I really don't feel like paying customs and duty on something that I already paid 15% sales tax on!)

:) Thomas

ahhh. good point! thanks again, Thomas!
Oct. 19, 2008 4:48 p.m. DMSentra New Reader

sides that, ^^^ it sounds like a bit of incentive type reasoning is behind it.. :)
Oct. 20, 2008 7:35 a.m. aussiesmg HalfDork

Bluej you are a legend, I failed in the eleventh hour and didn't make the trek, now after hearing about your efforts I hang my head in shame. More power to you both.
Oct. 21, 2008 8:44 p.m. exST165 New Reader

DMSentra wrote:

sides that, ^^^ it sounds like a bit of incentive type reasoning is behind it.. :)

Heck of an excuse to go to the $2009 Challenge "but dear, I need to get my extension cord!"

:)
Oct. 21, 2008 9:23 p.m. bluej HalfDork

you canadians are a crazy bunch. wouldn't surprise me if it worked!
Oct. 22, 2008 6:11 a.m. 914Driver Dork

So what was the V-4? How was it aligned, driveshafted etc. Enquiring minds want to know.

Dragging a car 1200 miles and never leaving the parking lot, been there. Glad you had a good time.

Dan
Oct. 22, 2008 11:17 a.m. bluej HalfDork

ok, quick and dirty.

1.1l honda v4 motor known as the v65 out of an 83 magna parts bike. corolla is an 82 sr5 coupe(~1750lbs curb weight i believe, hard to verify). bike motor is shaft driven but turns the "wrong way". rear diff was flipped in the axle to accomodate the reversed direction. car driveshaft is two piece. front section was lengthed and plated at the end. bike driveshaft has u-joint immediately after output shaft and was cut just after there and another plate welded on. two plates are bolted together to finish driveshaft. the motor is tucked back up as close the firewall as possible and offset to the passenger side so that the driveshaft fits just inside the transmission tunnel. also helps balance out driver weight/fuel tank cross weights.

for mounting, the lower frame sections of the bike were retained and mounted to the front cross member of the car via some square tubing sized to provide a little clearance between the bottom of the pan and the cross member. the bike motor re-uses the original four lower mounting points. hydraulic clutch plumbed from stock master cylinder. shifted via junked outboard throttle with push/pull cables. wasn't quite working at the challenge but i know the bracketry now that it needs to work. megasquirt with throttles/injectors from an 04 zx10r for efi to replaced solid fused carbs/airbox that came on the bike got screwed a bit on the parts bike. was $250 delivered but didn't "run" like advertised and needed the heads rebuilt. this is what really screwed up getting it all done in time for the challenge. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/topic//upvote/ it's ready to fire up now, but i'm putting it on hold untill i find a new, non-layoff, job/place to live.
Oct. 22, 2008 12:07 p.m. Mowog New Reader

I had thought about doing this with a Midget but the final ratio would have to something like 2.73 to do much good. What axle ratio did you use? I have the Excel spreadsheet with the V65 (multiple) ratios plugged in if anyone wants to play with it.

Email me at dgable@vac-con.com if anyone wants to use my homemade ratio calculator.
Oct. 22, 2008 12:21 p.m. bluej HalfDork

with the bike ratios combined with the stock toyota axle and the tires I am running, i calculated it to be a 6th speed redline of 10krpm at ~136 mph. on most of the locost boards they mentioned looking for a top speed of about that to be perfect so i'm pretty happy with it.

forgot to mention, i have a few ideas for engineering in reverse, but those will wait till it goes forward under it's own power.
Oct. 22, 2008 12:44 p.m. Mowog New Reader

Please keep us posted on your progress. The reverse is interesting. If my figures are correct, with 155/70/13 tires (21.5" diameter) it would take a 3.5 final drive to get 135@10K.
Oct. 22, 2008 1:01 p.m. bluej HalfDork

225/45/15 r6's and iirc about a 3.6 rear.
Oct. 22, 2008 1:07 p.m. Mowog New Reader

I'd sure like to see some photos some time. I think you have a great idea.
Oct. 22, 2008 2:22 p.m. bluej HalfDork

ask and yea shall receive..

i don't have many pictures of the engine mounted with intake setup but there are some floating around in other people's challenge picture collections. just ignore the rediculous wiring, that's getting fixed next.

parts bike:

random state park in west virginia where we camped towing down the car from nh:

half hour after we were supposed to have left for the challenge:

re-attaching driveshaft in challenge parking lot:

at one point friday night we had 3 people inside the car, two reaching in through the trunk and a couple-ish more futzing about under the hood:

going back a bit, me "adding lightness" :

buttoning back up the heads (yes, that's my living room):

modified driveshaft and engine bay pre-bike motor:

my friend Josh demonstrating lightweight tub:

discussing engine mounting strategy with friends. Josh with beer in hand overseeing as usual and Tim next to me in the dreads. sidenote: Tim is very good at making stuff as well. I can weld pretty well but he is the best person i've met who isn't a professional welder, so I cut, prepped and placed everything for him to do the crucial welds like engine mounts and driveshaft bits. he also works weekends making fiberglass intakes for 300mp jet turbine cigarette boats. He's planning to come next year with an aircooled bug:
Oct. 22, 2008 3:43 p.m. Mental UltraDork

bluej wrote: ...i don't have many pictures of the engine mounted with intake setup but there are some floating around in other people's challenge picture collections...

I also thought you guys had a great attitude. Looking forward to seeing you guys next year.
Oct. 22, 2008 5:55 p.m. bluej HalfDork

Mental wrote:

I also thought you guys had a great attitude. Looking forward to seeing you guys next year.

thanks man, you too!
Dec. 21, 2008 12:43 a.m. Nashco SuperDork

Any update on this thing?

Bryce
Dec. 21, 2008 6:48 a.m. bluej HalfDork

In reply to Nashco:

well, not really. lots of little things to fix before it'd be legal for an autocross. unfortunately since i got laid off two weeks after the challenge, i had to move in with my girlfriend for a few months, my father had open heart surgery a couple weeks ago, and i've been working three jobs I just haven't had much time.

there is an event with my local group the last weekend of january/first of february that I hope to make if I don't get tickets to the 24 of daytona for christmas or my birthday. If I do get tickets, they have an event pretty much every month. don't worry, there'll be pics and vids as soon as she's ready.
Dec. 21, 2008 8:28 a.m. AngryCorvair Dork

bluej wrote:

and Tim next to me in the dreads <> He's planning to come next year with an aircooled bug

no way! i'd never expect someone with dreds to have an ACVW or vice versa.
Jan. 8, 2009 5:12 p.m. Nashco SuperDork

bluej wrote:

don't worry, there'll be pics and vids as soon as she's ready.

Oh, I'm excited to see the pics/video when it's driving...but I was mostly asking to see if it was running so I could get my megastim back.

Bryce
Jan. 9, 2009 9:12 a.m. bluej HalfDork

Nashco wrote:

bluej wrote:

don't worry, there'll be pics and vids as soon as she's ready.

Oh, I'm excited to see the pics/video when it's driving...but I was mostly asking to see if it was running so I could get my megastim back.

Bryce

doh! sorry! ok, it's sitting on the shelf next to me. adding that to today's to-do list!
March 19, 2009 1:54 a.m. Nashco SuperDork

bluej wrote:

Nashco wrote:

bluej wrote:

don't worry, there'll be pics and vids as soon as she's ready.

Oh, I'm excited to see the pics/video when it's driving...but I was mostly asking to see if it was running so I could get my megastim back.

Bryce

doh! sorry! ok, it's sitting on the shelf next to me. adding that to today's to-do list!

Really though...I'd really like to get my stim back. Anybody know how to track down Josh? Not responding to emails and now my latest project is on hold because I tried to do him a favor.

Bryce
March 19, 2009 6:06 a.m. SVreX UberDork

Call GRM. They've got his phone #.

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