1972 Rat Project!

[viclioce]

Well I’ve started another!

The 2 bike purchase yielded a Womat bobbed frame with a Ceriani front end, powder coated Super Rat Motor & Pipe, with alloy 18/21” rims & new tires!

The second bike is a 1972 Super Rat 93B!almost all there, although not everything is in great shape. The motor was stuck. Not badly, just bad enough not to kick over. Tore the motor out of the bike by way of removing the pipe.

Some DPO drilled a hole through the exhaust manifold and end of the header pipe and then put a stove bolt through it with a square nut on the bolt! And the header pipe is pretty roached out. (See rusty pic)

The motor came apart OK. But it has a roached .030 piston in it, and, the piston was an Art Ace 100 2 ring piston. (DAMNED Previous owner). It also has one broken fin, left side. So I’m on the hunt for a smaller over sized Rat cylinder, either Std or .010 which can be bored & ported for reed valve.

I’ve already removed, cleaned & rebuilt the carb to stock specs, including a 220 main jet, 30 pilot jet, a 4E1 jet needle and a 2.0 slide, per Terry’s Library specs. (Pics below) Rebuilt the SR coil today as well. Thank you Kelly!!!

Cases, shifter, clutch cover, cylinder head, intake manifold, all will be going out for vapor blasting. Need to sort thru my Ace 100 shifter cases and find the best one, so I can mail them off.

Tomorrow’s job is pick a shifter cover, pack up components for shipping, and finish stripping down the roller.

Bruce mailed ne a missing kick stand & spring & the lower chain guide today. Should arrive before Friday!

More to come! Victor

[viclioce]

Talked with Terry this evening. He has a Super Rat cylinder which is used but still std bore & already ported for reed valve! He will have Hodaka Dave clean it up and fit a piston to it for me! Nice! I’m going from .030 worn & rusted with a large broken fin off left side of the cylinder, to a std bore with no broken fins and a new piston, reed valve ready. He said he just needs Dave to clean up the port edges. Gotta love Hodaka-Parts.com! Thank you Terry!!!!!!!!!! Victor

[viclioce]

External motor parts all ready to ship out for vapor blasting.

Hopefully I’ll get to the frame later today after shipping. Victor

[taber hodaka]

What a lucky find. What numbers range are the frames and engines? Clarence

[viclioce]

Ace pipe from Tether arrived today. Already took it to my welder friend to make the correct version of my 93B pipe! I hated the idea of cutting it up as it was in fairly good condition! Victor

[viclioce]

As a side note here, I’m looking for a decent Super Rat tank. I can deal with rust easier than I can deal with dents. Mine has too many dents!!! Victor

[dirty_rat]

Don't think of them as dents, think of them as well earned "Battle Scars".

[viclioce]

Albert. This bike is for a buyer. Just trying to get it looking as good as possible. I have a DS tank coming from Bruce. I may use that tank. Just trying to be accurate, since I’m selling it. Victor

[viclioce]

Preview: Re: Looking for a Rat Tank...
I spent good time today polishing up the Ace Tank for the Super Rat. Buffed it doenceith Mother’s metal & chrome polish. Wet rubbed the little bit of putting it had with aluminum foil & water. Now it has 2 coats of Simichrome on it and the fenders! Here’s some pics! Victor

[matt glascock]

Nice. Maybe you've come up with the perfect Hodie toaster/fender dope.

[viclioce]

First, especially for the fenders, since they are stainless & not chrome, I clean fenders with Bar Keepers Friend! That stuff really works well on the fenders because it is for cleaning & polishing stainless steel for commercial kitchens.

I’ve posted before & after pics before, so here’s just one example. All I did was wash off the dirt and then clean/polish with the Bar Keepers! This was my CW rear fender.

But try it some time. Take a dull Hodaka stainless steel fender and wet it and clean it with Bar Keepers Friend. You’ll be amazed at how well it works! Victor

[viclioce]

Good news!!!.

1. All my parts arrived from Terry!!!

2.My motor parts arrived back today from Nexus!

3. Front forks completely disassembled, cleaned, seals replaced, both sets of O rings replaced, new dust boots on and forks completely reassembled & installed on steering head!

Tomorrow, MOTOR BUILD!!! (Oh and new fork oil! I’m out right now!)

[viclioce]

Motor build today! I also got some 20w fork oil so I can fill the forks & call them done! Pics to follow!!! It’s 1:45. Let’s see if I can finish by 4:00!

Oh and Happy Halloween! Victor

[viclioce]

Good day! Rat bottom end assembled. Top end would be done too, but someone forgot to put the piston in the box! Well, if all goes well it will be here Wednesday!

Time for Trick or Treat! I need to put new points & condenser on the stator, tomorrow.

Happy Halloween! Victor

[viclioce]

Update! I built one of Kelly’s shock disassembly tools & broke down an extra shock for spare parts!

I had one shock with a broken cap, and another with the plastic insert covering the shock shaft which was broken into pieces.

Used the tool to pull the donor shock apart and then pulled the original Rat shocks apart, one at a time to replace the damaged shock parts and clean the shocks a bit more with 0000 steel wool. I think they turned out nice!

Here’s a pic of the tool, as well as the broken shock cap and pics of everything back together and back on the frame! Victor

[viclioce]

Well, not much going on this past week. My wife & I were diagnosed with Covid-19! Our granddaughter-in-law to be contracted it at work & brought it home to most of us. So I’ve been hold up in my easy chair since diagnosed on Monday. The bike project came to a halt. But we are starting to feel better now.

Thankfully, for me it’s been like a nasty head cold with a dry cough, but my wife had taken it a little harder with cough, fever, chills & body aches. The difference has been it’s like a flu which hangs on for 10-14 days. But thankfully, neither of us have experienced any breathing difficulties. Victor

[givergas]

sorry to hear that victor, hope you and the wife get better soon...albert

[viclioce]

Thanks Albert. It looks like we are nearing the end of the woods! Victor

[viclioce]

Well I’m doing better but I had to put my wife in the hospital today, They determined she has Covid Pneumonia, and started her on steroids & an anti-viral medication. Looks like I got her in just in time! Please keep my wife Lydia in your prayers. Victor

[viclioce]

Feeling a lot better today! So I got back out into the garage! I got a lot accomplished too!

Removed the tank & installed the coil assembly! Mounted the front & rear wheels (with the old tires still on), mounted the lower chain guide, found a kickstand which worked, test fitted & painted it, dropped the motor into the frame, installed the new kill switch, mounted the air box and applied the Super Rat stickers to the air box, & remounted the tank! Even mounted the air cleaner joint! I used a brand new Wombat 94 air cleaner joint & it almost lines up perfectly since I have the reed valve intake on this Rat!

I also decided to use some DIA-COMPE perches & levers,. I’m repainting the perches black so they look nicer! And I’ll steel wool the chrome levers!

But, all in all, I put in about a 7 hour day in the garage today! Victor

[matt glascock]

Wow!! Nice Victor. Glad you're on the mend. Prayers for your wife.

[viclioce]

Thanks Matt! Talked to her again last night. They said she will be released tomorrow afternoon after her last anti-viral treatment!!! Yeay!!! Guess that means I need to finish cleaning the house. I want it all tidied up before she comes home so she’s not tempted to do anything! Victor

[matt glascock]

Good call! I'm glad you are both doing better! Scary stuff.

[viclioce]

Still waiting for parts. Got an email today that they shipped! Fingers crossed for Thursday or maybe Friday. Usually only takes 2 days in the mail to me from Terry!!! Victor

[viclioce]

Parts...Parts...I need parts!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone out in Hodaka Land!!! Victor