The 2 the Max Project

[socalhodaka]

Thanks Max

[hodakamax]

Nothing like a trip to the sandblaster to re-energize one on the project. Most parts came clean and suspected flaws became readily apparent. The DPO work on the lower front engine mount has me wondering. I wonder how many steps it took to get to get to this point. The chicken or the egg? Which came first, cracking or simulated welding? It looks like I'll have to grind into this a bit further to see where this all ends.

Fortunately, the fork head seems secure with mostly cosmetic damage which all seems repairable. Grind and weld.

Unfortunately, not for me, but my expert welder and metal craftsman Rod Blackburn suffered a heart attack yesterday but seems to be in good hospital hands and scheduled for repairs this morning. Serious business, my really minor stuff can wait.

That's the report, good and bad. Meanwhile I can tidy up the frame with a little cosmetic work and finish preping it for welding repairs. It's also time to re-group as the shop is yet another disaster. How does that happen?

Maxie

[relic]

If this is how your shop looks when its a disaster I'd be banned at the door when its tidy
I certainly won't be posting any photos of mine...
Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying watching your project. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. And hoping your welder friend is back to full health soon.
Ken

[hodakamax]

Hey Ken. Thanks for your comments! I never know whether I'm boring people but it does entertain me conversing with my friends on an almost daily basis. Tomorrow is straighten up the workshop day. I'm good at hiding my messes. I just shovel it all on the non-picture side giving an illusion of a neat and tidy shop. I'm really bad about putting things up after use and work until it all grinds to a halt which is about every three days. I've stepped in and spilled the same tray of parts on the floor two days in a row. Time to re-group!

Maxie

[Joe Ormonde]

Frame cracks are a real bummer ! My brother Frank gave me a 1974 CR 250M minus engine, tank and pipe. I found so many cracks some sections MUST be replaced. When I find a crack , I heat up the area: it shows where the crack starts and stops. Then I drill a hole on both ends, clean it up and weld it. Once you drill the end of the crack, it can`t continue. That 74 Elsinore sure did fly, but it sure seems they had brittle frames. Joe Ormonde.

[givergas]

im hooked to ,watching and reading about your project is like a good book. learning from your expertise and the posts of others. as a first timer tearing down and putting back together this and other post really help keep my head on the prize. other wise the pile in the corner might start looking like a lost cause. carry on please and be brave...albert PS are you sure you found the frame or did the frame find you? hodaka "mojo " you know

[hodakamax]

Again, thanks for the comments gang!

This specimen that I'm trying to save is a strange case indeed. Frame cracking on Hodakas was a rarity in my days as a dealer and racer. This fracturing of the front lower motor mount is a new one to me. Even one of the three main engine bolts being loose can set up quite the vibration and perhaps fracture the mount. Also suspect is the rear mount engine bolt. Earlier I talked about the DPO replacing the internal rear engine alignment dowel with a home made piece that seemed to be made from a small piston pin. The OD was perfect but the ID was too small for the rear engine bolt to pass through. They probably used a smaller bolt which may have not had proper contact on all surfaces and allowed vibration. All guessing at this point and hopefully I'm "back to spec" as we say. One step at a time. Hey, there's plenty of puzzles on this one to keep me entertained

Maxie

[hodakamax]

My, Winter is here and I've been driven inside. There's not too much happening visually but I have been grinding, hammering and sawing for the last few days in prep for some welding repairs. Not at great speed I should add. The fork head was somewhat of a challenge in that the DPO had beaten in the sides of the large angle braces maybe for some kind of clearance of sort. After the braces broke, they got out the farm welder and globbed all this together, kinda, I finally managed to cut out the non-functional welds and coax it all back into place with crow bars and such. Quite the wrestling match I must say. I think I'm in the process of saving it if I'm allowed a teaspoon of Bondo for cosmetic purposes.

Still no report on my welder friend who suffered a heart attack last week. No news is good news hopefully.

Maxie

[Bill2001]

Yeah, Winter has hit here too. Teens the last couple of days and single digits tge next week. Brrŕrr.

Stay warm.

[viclioce]

Max. Get a tube of glazing compound. Easier to work with than bondo. No mixing, squeeze out & use. I have filled pretty deep dents with it. For what you need, just apply with a plastic spreader or spatula and let dry and sand back! Victor

[hodakamax]

Ah, good news! My expert welder and metal crafter Rod Blackburn has been repaired and released and is doing well. Today he even completed the frame repair part of the project. I took the frame to the shop after breakfast along with the camera to show work in progress and Rod's fun shop. Quite the museum inside and out with memorabilia everywhere in the work area.

We certified the frame flight worthy after a small battle with metal contaminants accumulated through the years of outdoor storage, bad welding and petroleum/dirt combos in every pinhole. I still have some cosmetic work to do but it's finally looking safe and sound. Another good job by Rod!

Here's a few shots from the morning adventure.

Maxie

[viclioce]

Zoomed in, and MAN those weld beads look nice!!! He did a great job! Victor

[hodakamax]

Time to give up for the day. Just a first dab of filler to see what this is going to look like. We did have a few inevitable contamination blems and blow outs none of which was Rod's Fault. The dings and waves I couldn't get out of the plates with a hammer look fair on the first coat of filler. All is well!

Maxie

[hodakamax]

I know, grind, fill, sand and prime is not the most exciting post but certainly part of the process. Just a tiny dab of Bondo on each of the fork brace plates and a bit of block sanding whipped them into shape. Even I was surprised. Maybe it's because of what I started with being so gawd awful! Even the welds softened out after multiple coats of primer and it's turned out quite acceptable at least for me at this stage. There's still some minor filing, sanding and glazing putty spots before paint but all is looking well. It also fits in better with the shop decor than the multi-color version. Yay! Yet another milestone.

Maxie

[hodakamax]

A long story here and all is working out well. Back to the previous Day One Project. The reed valve assembly used on it was from one of our fast flat trackers from the past along with a 24mm Mikuni. The Mikuni didn't like the extreme tilt and a stock manifold was modified to reduce the angle as Harry Taylor did in his bulletin on building trial bikes of the time.

The 2 the Max carcass came with a nice tilt GEM reed assembly, just what I needed. Two problems solved at once. The big reed can go back where it belongs on a racing engine. Ya gotta admit the big reed assembly does, if nothing else, look intimidating. Back to the "better to look good!" theme.

One step at a time of course on carb selection. Actually a Amal 32mm could be exchanged with a Mikuni 32mm with spigot adaptor in minutes on the same two bolt pattern. I'll probably start with the Mikuni and have the spigot adapter ordered. If I later get nostalgic the Amal will bolt right on. Some factors are the Amal is twice as much cost as the Mikuni and I'm having a problem finding some of the jetting that would be required for the Amal.

I seriously considered a 34mm carb but without a special manifold and even reed assembly it would probably by beyond the scope of the project at least at this point. I have almost all the 32mm assemblies and it will greatly simplify things.

Onward!

Maxie

[hodakamax]

Ho Ho Ho! Better late than never. Christmas was a bit late at the cycle shop and things have arrived! I've been waiting for this carb adapter to see if it will work on the reed block assembly before running down a carb. Also arriving was an essential part of the plan, the recording GPS speedometer. All looks good. All this will hopefully move me along and provide Winter entertainment.

I've been a little restless worrying about how I was going to get this frame painted in the dead of Winter and I'm already deep in trouble, and rightfully so, for priming the frame in the shop adjoining the house. Bad idea, but the smell didn't last that long but doing that again is out for sure according to my wife. A long time until Spring.

I did run into Rod from the Hot Rod shop this morning and he said I could use his shop Saturday to paint as he would be there working on one of his projects. Yay! This will get things moving along hopefully.

Well that's an optimistic report from here!

Maxie

[hodakamax]

Well, a carb selection has been made and a new Mikuni 32mm ordered. I really wanted a vintage 32mmm Amal concentric but practicality has set in. A new Amal checks in at over $220 plus freight and a currently unavailable jet change for 2-strokes. A new 32mm Mikuni can be had for $82 and free shipping and requiring a $40 adaptor, half price of the Amal with the advantage of reasonable price and available jets and accessories. A fairly easy choice. My plan of a 34mm carb vanished with some measuring of the reed manifold assembly that was not any bigger than 32mm at any point. A new larger reed assembly and porting would be needed for a 2mm gain. All possible, cylinders just bolt on and be used but beyond the scope of the project at least at this time by me and my vintage engine building expertise.

Bruce Young did save me $38 on the normally $112 plus freight Mikuni just by mentioning to me that a company he is a dealer for possibly had them and with free freight via Amazon. A bit complicated finding the link but worth it. Thanks Bruce!

OK, not that exciting but hopefully the many week computer/internet research chase is over with! It all sounded easy at first. I must admit that this part of project part finding is actually quite entertaining.

Reporting again,

Maxie

PS--I did find in all my looking that there appears to be two variations of the VM-32-33. I ordered the one on the bottom that has the lugs above the intake bell machined off and appears to be a slightly different casting . They have the same part number and jetting.

[hodakamax]

It was paint day for the chassis but it was just to darn cold even in the Hot Rod Shop. There'll be better days we decided. I did get the GPS speedometer bracket figured out which entertained me part of the day. The mounting bolts look somewhat clunky and I'll pick up something a bit more hi-tech on the next run to Ace Hardware and Hodaka supply. The spot between the four bolts looks like a good place for a little surface mounted digital tach. I also did some polishing on the pile of aluminum parts I'm generating. I may have created a monster as this polishing seems to be never ending.

Maxie

[hodakamax]

Minor stuff on the project, I am trapped and starting to suffer cabin fever. Off to Ace Hardware ten miles away on darn slick roads for Hodaka fasteners all below zero. I tried everything from socket heads to hex, black, stainless and chrome. The round chrome socket head won hands down with its smaller diameter head and sleek look. Everything else looked extra clunky compared to these. Yikes! almost $3 a bolt, $12 total. Better to look good than to be practical you know. Just what it needed!

Maxie

Ps--the wife got me on the Facebook Hodaka Fan Club where I'm starting to post a bit of the 2 the Max Project. Cool site!

[viclioce]

Yes. Saw your post there! Glad you joined the social media world! Lots more will see what you’re doing & be inspired! Victor

[Bill2001]

The chrome buttonhead bolts look great. It's just money, and you'll be gleaming at those bolts for years.

[hodakamax]

Yeah Bill, $12 for beer and burger never to be seen again. Ya gotta put things in perspective here. Better to look good for sure!

Maxie

[taber hodaka]

It look good Good. I like looking good better than look good. Don't be normal or you will become predictable. ----Clarence

[hodakamax]

My what a big carburetor you have! Wow, at least it meets the requirements of looking good and not being practical. Yay! That's the good news. Bad news: I need to build a new plate between the adaptor and the reed manifold. Not major but even though it goes on the two bolt studs, neither of the nuts will go on. The bolt pattern needs to to be just a few millimeters wider on the plate. Another minor challenge but that's what projects are about.

Maxie

[MTrat]

About how far off of horizontal can a Mikuni be mounted and still function properly?