September -
After getting the VIN, I proceeded to go thru the multi-step process of getting a title, registration and finally plates. I studied all the regulations I could find during the VIN process, and had downloaded numerous forms that seemed to pertain to the process.
Since the Ladye M was acquired from a company in the UK, I needed to have documentation to back up the purchase and document the origin of the materials used. Then I had statements and attestations on how the vehicle was constructed and by whom.
The first trip to the DMV took 3 hours and did not result in a satisfactory end. I had all the documentation EXCEPT for a certified weight. WTF - where do you get a certified weight? Well you go to a truck scale at a truck stop out on the highway. So that is what we did - we rented a trailer and took her out to the TA Truck Stop. Steamed her up and drove off the the trailer and up to the scales. I pushed the button and the voice said - "There is not any weight showing - where are you".
It turns out that my little buggy was too light to register. So - after a consultation with the Oracle of Google, it turns out that Landscape Supply Companies have certified scales that read down to 45lbs. Problem solved. The next day - back to DMV, dropped $3K on fees and taxes, and a temporary plate.
Mishap #1 - Watch the gauges.
I have a fuel gauge, I watch the fuel gauge - but the damn sender in the fuel tank got stuck at 3/4 of a tank. I don't know for how long, but on a sunny Saturday morning I fired her up and she died after about 10 minutes and would not restart. I spent the rest of the day, disconnecting the burner, cleaning and testing according to the manual, and then watching 2 hours of videos on how to setup and adjust a Riello burner. The only thing wrong was that there was no fuel in the tank. The good thing is that I now know a lot more about my burner and how it works.
Mishap #2 - Stutter, Stutter, and More Stutter
After the burner/fuel incident, now with a full tank, I took the LadyeM out for an extended series of hill climbs. In my neighborhood and the surrounding area there are a number of hills. Since this is an urban setting we have hills where you can go up over a couple of blocks and then over and down the next street.
I spent about an hour (5miles total) testing the way she drove with starts and stops, steam controls, water levels and basically everything I could think of, all within a mile from my home in case I got in trouble.
I was on the top of the last hill when all of a sudden, she stuttered, badly. By "stutter" I mean that the engine turned over quickly and then grabbed and I started moving again. I was able to get pointed down hill and made it home.
In my driveway I made a few videos while trying to determine the cause:
The difficult thing was to determine what part was slipping. At first I thought it was the small sprocket on the engine crankshaft. The majority opinion from the FB Forums was that the chain was too loose. I focused on the engine, and decided to pull it.
Here is a look at the engine after I pulled it out - the first time -
Looking at the replacement crank, webs, and shaft I have stashed away, I am trying to see where a failure could occur.
Not convinced it is in the engine, I put the engine back in. Adjusted the chain to as tight as I dared, and took her back out on the road. I made it about 6 blocks before she stuttered again. Damn.
Still not seeing anything obvious, I pulled the engine again. Here are some pics of the process getting it in and out. Lots to unhook, and some hidden relationships to handle. I started to murmur my new mantra - "Never put it together if you can not get it apart"
Then the cylinder drains and supporting mounting metal need to come out.
So here is another look - hopefully the last one - at the engine while it is out of the second time. Just to double check and erase my doubts on the engine being the problem.
And a deeper look at the sprocket -
SO - It is not the engine. Now where could it be?
Not the engine, sprocket or chain. Time to move to the back end and look there. First - a look at the differential.
and another -
Now it is time to look at the guts -
Keeping my fingers crossed that the gears are intact -
Well - that is a relief - no damage evident there - time to look at the other end of the axles. Just because I am right handed, I look at the right side first.
Right about now I recall a comment made on the FB Forum that some bolts shearing off caused problems on another owner's Lyka. But ... it did not really sink in -
Digging a little deeper -
And - A Penetrating Glimpse into the Obvious -
And a conclusion - the fix I applied.
Five sheared bolts - to remove - Drill and Easyout extraction.
Then a study in shear strength and where on a bolt it is greatest. Remember - I am an electrical engineer, my mechanical engineering knowledge is all acquired by experience - "If I did not break and fix something, I do not necessarily understand while it is still working"
So I consulted the family mechanical engineer - my daughter - She spent a couple of years at Ford on the big F350, 450 and 550 trucks. Before changing careers to Medical Physics and part time professional driver for the kids.
Here is a document she sent me.
The LadyeM uses Grade 8 equivalent (10.9 and 12.9) metric bolts. The ones that failed were fully threaded 6mm x 40mm long. Looking at the chart above, the closest imperial bolt is a 1/4" x 20. Going over to the far right column you can see that the difference in shear strength between Threads and Shank is considerable.
So the solution is to acquire partially threaded bolts that had a thread-shank transition beyond the interface of the drive adapter setup and the wheel hub. It took a number of tries to get one that accomplished this and still had enough thread to be effective as a clamping force.
Here is a comparison of the two types. I will need to trim the longer bolt back to 40mm but the remaining tread should be enough to grip safely.
The final fix - I reamed out the threads in the existing holes for about 9mm, this gave a close fit around the shank. Then just to be completely over-engineered, I added 5 drive pins to help handle the forces when I tootle along at 10mph.
The left side wheel had none of these issues, but I pulled it off and replaced its bolts (only) as a preventative measure.
Oh - and just to top off my month of October - my permanent license plates cam in the mail.
