My 03 Wombat lives!!..well maybe soon.

[dcooke007]

Well may be not quite ready to take a spin yet. Completed the engine and installed it in the frame today. The plan is to address all the mechanicals and sell the bike to fund another project. This is an unmolested 03 with title. Will make a perfect candidate for a full restoration. Will post more as project continues and, with Paul's consent, list it in the for sale section when ready.

Danny Cooke

[hodakamax]

Checked it out! Your usual cool work I see. Really nice engine!

Max

[dcooke007]

Ok, now it is official. Started the 03 yesterday and put 12 miles on the bike. Mostly heat cool cycles and tuning. Engine is bone stock except for .020 bore, and a set of Rich's carbon fiber reeds. I did drill the oil feed passage for the left crank bearing in case pre-mix was later desired. Running on the oil pump right now with 32 to 1 pre-mix in the tank for break in. Bike was very rich at idle, 1/8 and mid-range. Stock carb settings are 45 pilot, 2.0 slide cut out and middle needle clip. Changed pilot to 35, lower needle one notch and filed slide cut out. Ran much better but still just a little blubber when throttle barely moved. Ran clean with more throttle. Air screw turned out 2 1/2 turns so still need to go leaner on the pilot jet. Hoping that will clear things up. That was all I was able to accomplish.

The 03 wombat doesn't get a lot of attention but it is a very torquey engine and a lot of fun to ride.

Danny Cooke

[dcooke007]

Ok so here are pictures of the bike. Everything works as it should and a bit more tuning to do. Going to go to a different reed and see how the bike responds.

Danny Cooke

[viclioce]

Looks great Danny! Wish I could come out there and get it from you! What I'd really like is the 175!!! LOL!!! ; D Victor

[dcooke007]

Vic,
I will get to the 175 one day.

So today I fit some dual stage reeds and re-tuned. Installed the original 45 pilot jet and retuned from there. Still rich at idle and just above but not as rich as with the carbon fiber reeds. Dropped pilot back to 35 and adjusted air screw. Test drove and engine ran very well with just a hint of four stroking just off idle. Clean at all other throttle positions. Ran the bike a few miles at 55 mph and still had a little throttle left with stock gearing. Air screw was still a little further out than desired. Will keep the dual stage reeds and drop pilot jet to 30. May have to go richer on the main jet with the pilot jet reduction.

Bike is now listed in the for sale section and final tuning to be completed over the next few days.

Danny Cooke

[viclioce]

Great job Danny! I can almost hear the excitement in your voice! ; D Victor

[motovate]

Danny - why do you think the difference in reeds - carbon vs steel/plastic?? Dual Stage made a difference in 4 stroking??? Just curious.

LBM

[dcooke007]

Danny - why do you think the difference in reeds - carbon vs steel/plastic?? Dual Stage made a difference in 4 stroking??? Just curious.

LBM

It was just observation. Changed to the 2 stage reeds and mixture was not as rich at and just off idle....with no other changes. To be fair, some tuning was required with the two stage reeds just not as much. The two stage reeds worked well all across the power band. The carbon fiber ones just seem to like mid to top end operation better.

The two stage reeds I used are not factory Hodaka reeds. May be the correct term might be dual stage.

Danny Cooke

[motovate]

Thanks. Good points. Again just curious what are the dual stage reeds made out of? Last I thought too much about reeds they were steel and the trick thing to do was replace them with plastic or maybe it was fiberglass - the idea being if the steel broke it lunched the engine and the others wouldn't?

LBM

[dcooke007]

Thanks. Good points. Again just curious what are the dual stage reeds made out of? Last I thought too much about reeds they were steel and the trick thing to do was replace them with plastic or maybe it was fiberglass - the idea being if the steel broke it lunched the engine and the others wouldn't?

LBM

The dual stage reeds I used appear to be similar to fiber glass. You can see the fiber material in the resin binder. The material looks similar to the stock Hodaka reeds. I have seen dual stage reeds that were a combination of the fiber glass style and carbon fiber. Some are all carbon fiber.

No Hodaka's I know of had steel reeds. I have worked on some boat engines that had steel reeds though. I would not want one of those to go through my engine. As far as I know metal reeds are a thing of the past and when replaced I always upgraded to a fiber type reed.

Danny Cooke

[racerclam]

I would attribute the richer low speed to reed pedal sensitivity. My carbon fiber reeds will allow a stronger signal to the carb which can pull more fuel in . They are more reactive having more tip area as well as light tension , and being lighter weight will be more effective at upper rpm with out having to have extra tension. Calibrate carb as necessary.
Rich

[Kels]

I would attribute the richer low speed to reed pedal sensitivity. My carbon fiber reeds will allow a stronger signal to the carb which can pull more fuel in . They are more reactive having more tip area as well as light tension , and being lighter weight will be more effective at upper rpm with out having to have extra tension. Calibrate carb as necessary.
Rich

Rich, would you mind explaining why the lighter reed will be more effective at the higher RPM?

[motovate]

Very interesting -thanks to both Danny and Rich for the info.

LBM

[DGardner]

I have a set of Rich's carbon reeds that he set up for me. I also have a set of the duel stage reeds and have run both on the dyno with a open manifold. and a stock 03 manifold with the stuffer. The duel stage run's better down low and through the mid range, both reeds performer about the same on top. If it was me I would run the duel stage with the stock manifold.

[Modracer70]

Ok, what brand/part # for the 2 stage reeds, and what was the difference at WOT? Did either increase torque figures, and at what RPM?
Thanks, Dave

[Kels]

For top end performance you generally will want a STIFFER petal NOT a lighter one like recommended earlier. Lighter petals are more prone to reed flutter..

For low/mid end performance a lighter reed petal is preferred..

This is why the Boyesen dual stage design works well. You get the best of both in terms of petal effectiveness.

DGardner tested on the dyno the different reeds and posted his findings above.

[DGardner]

I need to say up front that the engine we tried the reeds on is not a race engine and has not been run over 8500 RPM. So I can't say how the reed's that Rich sales will work over 8500 RPM. Danny Cooke told me about a Husky 125 reed from Boyesen that is almost a bolt in for the hodaka, #613 is the part number. Like I said before I have a reed block and reeds that Rich set up for me. I have run them with a 98 manifold and a 03 manifold. I have ran the stock reed's in the stock reed block and the Boyesen reed's. I have found out that the Boyesen reed's in the stock reed block with the stock 03 manifold worked best for my engine. I'm going to run what we find runs the best and if the stock manifold and reed block with Boyesen's runs best I will run it. If Rich's Reeds ran the best I would run them. Be honest about the RPM you run your engine at and you may find the stock parts work very well.

[bchappy]

Wonder exactly what has to be done to the Boyesen reed #613 to fit the stock Hodaka reed cage? Want to share that Danny?

[dirty_rat]

I believe that the 613 reeds are just a little too wide, and have to be sanded down to fit properly. From what I have been told, it's not much that needs to be sanded off, just a few tenths of a millimeter. I have a a couple of sets, just haven't measured them up yet.

[dcooke007]

Wonder exactly what has to be done to the Boyesen reed #613 to fit the stock Hodaka reed cage? Want to share that Danny?

bchappy,
The bottom reed is a little wider and needs to be trimmed. Also, center to center distance between the screw holes is sometimes a little short. I start by installing the lower reed, center and take note of the amount of material that needs to be removed. I use a smooth cut file to trim the reed petal and radius the tip edge. I think there are three different size chain saw files and I use the smallest to slightly elongate the screw holes if needed. The Boyesen reeds come with a rev plate and I use that instead of the factory Hodaka reed stops. Just work carefully, center both reeds properly and some adjustment is possible relating to length wise reed positioning.

I looked for a picture I could post but I must have deleted it.

Danny Cooke

[dcooke007]

Bike went to a new home in New Hampshire today.

Danny Cooke

[bchappy]

Thanks Danny. I may give them a try.