Towers anyone ?

[will350]

When we started this Ebay was the source but after some looking ( and getting burnt) I went looking at the snomo sites on the web .
snowmobileswapmeet.com has lots of stuff daily . The Polaris is an
ec34pl ( I think ) 80-81 TXL Indy . Stock rated at 54-56 HP . All the ec34 Polaris motors have the same stroke so you can do a bunch of "mix and match". I have seen whole sleds for $300-500 . The 354 Rotax is probably a better motor because of the rotary valve and I "think" you can spin them a little more . But these work pretty good .
You can come and watch anytime . Any one who wants to can . I have absolutely NO secrets . These are real simple and straight forward ( and inexpensive )
If you to run my "old motor " at DePue on a runabout , you're more than welcome but I think you better get a Krier . I can't believe how awesome those turn .
Will

[Ron Hill]

Dave Mayer has a Krier runabout, but his DeSilva looked more my speed....I'm basically full of it about racing, but maybe.....we could get J. Michael Kelly to drive it...350 Runabout..got to have a CLUTCH though!!!

E-bay too much BS??? I'll check what you posted...or better yet, you find it, I could finance a couple of motors...I've got a 102 gearcase, I think...right, Bill Boyes???

[will350]

Dave Mayer has a Krier runabout, but his DeSilva looked more my speed....I'm basically full of it about racing, but maybe.....we could get J. Michael Kelly to drive it...350 Runabout..got to have a CLUTCH though!!!

E-bay too much BS??? I'll check what you posted...or better yet, you find it, I could finance a couple of motors...I've got a 102 gearcase, I think...right, Bill Boyes???

Full of it ! ! ? NAWWWW . I can't beleive anyone could be more twitchy
than I was when I went DePue ( or any time I get in one ) . If anyone could pull this off , it would be J. Michael but I think he's going to be real busy with something considerably larger .
Been surfing around trying to find info on small fluid couplers . Think they might have some advantages . May be able to get or make one with high
stall speed and wouldn't have a "hard couple" effect . ( reduced impulse loads on the L/U and crank )
Ebay.......hmmmm Sometimes you really don't know what you're getting and most of the time , when you're driven by the "I want that now"
syndrome , you pay more than it's really worth . I've found that if you're patient , things will come to you . I just found another motor for my truck for $100 , the last one I "really" needed was $450+$175 for parts .
If you're serious about about a couple motors ........ PM me at
will350@eskimo.com and we'll talk about it . That goes for anyone else too .
Going to my "friends" house for a tool abuse session . Should have pics of the finished pieces this eve .
Will

[will350]

These are the finished " ready for assembly " pieces . After some experimentation , we decided to finish cut them on Tom's chop saw .
Four reasons . 1 - The table saw throws chips in your face and ....
when you push it , those little carbide teeth sometimes come off and "in your face " . 2 - The adjustability on chop saw is infinite. 3 - the guard directs all that stuff away from you. 4 - The finish is plenty acceptable for this
I've checked them every way from Sunday and all the measurements check out to as close as I can see ( with 2 pair of glasses ) They're so close to right on and square that assembly will be really easy . Should have the preliminary assembly sometime this week .
Will

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Been looking at Ebay too though everyone here has a treasure trove of those engines from older to newest at the dealer level and they compete for at the public insurance salvage auctions they have here every Wednesday like all the rest too. Get a 1 year old sled back end wiped out for about a grand, sell off the peripherals and pretty much get the engine, pipes, carbs or fuel injection for less than half that. Some of the horsepower of the newer sled liquid cool engines take your breath away with over 100 horsepower out of a 440 - 550 CC 2 stroke. That would sure give a centrifical clutch some workout!

[will350]

Some of the horsepower of the newer sled liquid cool engines take your breath away with over 100 horsepower out of a 440 - 550 CC 2 stroke. That would sure give a centrifical clutch some workout! [/QUOTE]

I've talked to more than one builder who has told me that the Polaris 340 that I'm running will make 103-104 in all out drag set up . Was told by another that 440 Rotaxes can make close to 120 .
Will

[will350]

I found some "extra" time this afternnon to get started on assembly .
Pretty straight forward . Clamp it up to get an idea of how everything lines up . Attatch the foot plate first with 1 fastener( it has to be fairly close to final so take your time with this ) , jockey it around till you get the line up , then drill the other 2 holes to tap size. Tap the foot plate , drill the front plate , bolt it up . It "should" be right on , if not , there's adjustment room there . Attach the side plate to the front plate in 3 places FIRST( mark out all the hole positions ) . After you get that done , clamp the foot plate to the side plate and adjust accordingly .
When it's in position mark the holes and drill the last one ( furthest aft)
with your tap drill , disassemble, drill out the side plate and tap the foot
plate . Reassemble to the line up . Now your ready to drill the rest of the holes with the tap drill to the proper depth . Pull it apart,drill out and tap accordingly . De-burr ( If you want to polish , nows the time ) and assemble with screws or bolts of your choice WITH LOCTITE ( I like to use lock washers too ) Now your ready to do the other side . Pretty simple really .
Will

[will350]

I was going to drill and tap ( lots ) today .......... but....... After I got the first 2 bolts in the other side , I couldn't get it to line up properly . After a considerable amount of checking ( and thinking ) , I found that the front plate has a YEHAWW in it . .020 , or so , right at the lower motor mount holes .
Can't put it together like that. If I did , the line up would wind up twice that far off at the bottom fore and aft . Not a real catastrophy , I'll just take it apart and slide over to my other friends place and press it straight . I'll have to move some of the holes a little but no big deal .
Another one of those little things you take for granted , that a piece of 5/8" plate "will" be flat.
Decided to go with pan head phillips , 3/4"X 1/4-20 , stainless with washers . ( 52 @ $.25 per screw and washer ) . I thought about allen heads
bit the price was double and I know these will be OK .
Guess I'm done for today .
Will

[will350]

I got the front plate straightened up after a bit of trial and error . I'ts as close as I can get it with what I have . My guess is + or - .0025 .
I drilled the thing with the side plates bolted on with 3 bolts per side to the line up with a tap drill , then pull off the sides , drill the side plate holes to 1/4" and tap the holes in the front and foot plate to 1/4" X 20 ( make sure the holes are deep enough for the screws and run a botton tap in them , I made one from a broken one I had ) Now , you're ready to assemble .
Start at the corner and work your way out toward the ends , alternate sides when you do this ! Don't try to do one side first , you'll be bummed out .
Put one in one side then put the coresponding one in the other side .
AND.... Do the Wilford Brimley thing " check your line up and check it often"
like every screw until you get the foot plate screwed on with the same number of scews up the front plate . It is really surprising how much these will "move" during assembly ( Really ) When I put the screws in , I loctite them and run them in to "hand tight " with a screw driver . Then I use my hammer powered impact and take another 1/3-1/4 turn to get them tight .
I think any more than that and you'll start to pull the threads .
It turned out a little closer across the motor than I figured but it'll work .
I'm going to have to do some thinking about the ignition coils and the fuel pump location and I have some "finish" work ( it's not a "beauty queen" but I don't want a wad of "pointy" corners either . )
It'll look better when I get the cylinder back on it . Then the "real fun"
begins . ( carb linkage , pump , ignition , steering bars , etc. )
I suppose that I "should" run down and see Sid Bass and see if my pattern
is going to fit his foot too . ( that would be a good idea )
Will

[7500Blizzard]

the old 440 rotax's made almost 100hp right out of the factory 25 years ago. And can go from there, they also have the ability too be turned with some serious rpm's for long periods of time. The 440 makes it's peak just under 9000 stock and up to 11000 in race form.