What's up?

[kartjockey]

What's up with this hiatus everyone is in?!   I mean...what else is there to do but work on our simplexes!   Right? Everything else comes second!  Rick..do you see a crank in your near future?  Mike Sal  Did you get your ride starting good?  Popcorn guy...I expect a youtube video so we can hear your custom exhaust.  Reese...downhill speed records are ok.

I am currently fixing up a set of shoes for Paul up in Minnesota.  He has agreed to try a thicker shoe material to see if a servi cycle can stop better or not. They  should contact the drum quicker. I guess we will see.

[MrMayor]

Arcing the shoes with a file so that the shoes perfectly match the curve of the drum, (when the brakes are being applied), really helps.

[pd]

LOL ... Everyboby needs a little icecream , once in a while .

As for me , I had to leave my bike in storage until Spring .

I wanted to pick it up this fall , but , it didn't work out that way .
I have a few things I want to 'test' on the bike , after I put them together . This Winter would have been ideal for that .
I might be able to start 'building' without the bike present , but a taylor needs a manikin ...

Pete .

[Mike Sal]

I must confess that I've not touched my bike since I came home from Portland.....I purchased a new ignition coil for it at the meet, but can't figure out where I put it (I remember having it my hand when we unpacked & thinking that I should put it where it belongs before I lose it.....but lost it anyway....).

I've been plugging away at re-working the cosmetics on the Kubelwagen & re-painting the replacement parts on the BMW war bike.....and trying to work on the '55 studebaker that's in the road in the shop as well.....

This weekend I was supposed to have a free weekend, as Sonya & her buddys were going to the covered bridge festivals in Indiana.....then 2 days ago they changed their plans & now the husbands have to go too......
Mike Sal

[Mike Sal]

Regarding brakes.....I'm not sure that thicker material will help.  The brake drum of a Simplex is so thin, the heat from friction may make it expand enough to negate the extra friction material.
Mike Sal

[relic]

Not much going on here...1950 Servi-car restoration, body and paint on a 1969 nova, almost ready to paint this old Murray pedal car...this is just some of my multi-tasking today! Lol!

[kartjockey]

Hmmm...where is Rick  Long Island guys are never bashful!  good thing I froze my popcorn cuz waiting on the popcorn guy could take some time!

Yes Mr. Mayor.  I will be building a fixture to mock up backing plate then put whole assembly in the lathe and turn shoes to just below diameter of drum. Should help to engage quicker and lower on the cam. Maybe it will gain back some of the mechanical advantage this way.  Distance from cam pin to cam contact point of shoes will be sorter thus more leverage.  That is my theory!

[Ricks]

Tom, even I have to work sometimes!  Lol. I spoke to Wayne Tuesday, and he said they had a hiccup in manufacturing, and he is hoping to have it out to me by next week.

I have been riding my bikes a lot lately.  They run so good in the 60 degree dry air we are having now.

BTW Tom, did you see that sportsman compact for sale on eBay?  Also, did you win that 1948 Brochure that was on eBay last week?

[kartjockey]

I have a couple of those brochures so I let it go. Thought about the compact and having you pick it up.  It isn't that far from you. Still may contact the seller.

[kartjockey]

PD...how do you sleep at night without your Simplex by your side! 

[Ricks]

I have a couple of those brochures so I let it go. Thought about the compact and having you pick it up.  It isn't that far from you. Still may contact the seller.

I think it is about 2 hours away.  I may be in that part of the state next Friday shooting sporting clays.

[oil-lamp]

Well I have been working on my bike most every night. Last night I sat with her almost two hours trying to figure out what mods I need to do on the new manifold I got. It's one of those 45deg manifolds that convert from a reg carb to that muluck carb but I'm still using the standard one. The I need to fab a bracket for the jackshaft. Also who will help me push it up the hill for the speed record. I did just see 4 or 5 Elvis riding Chushmans today.

[pd]

" Distance from cam pin to cam contact point of shoes will be sorter thus more leverage.  That is my theory! "

Tom ,
I had to work with what I had .

The talk about transmission shoes brought to mind the fact that my brake adjustment was near totally used .
I had to remove the rear wheel anyway , so I pulled the brake panel for inspection . I found that my brake shoe rocker ends ( as opposed to the pivot ends ) were just aluminum . They had no hard surface to protect against wear , like most more modern shoes have . The brake actuator , where the rocker ends rest while mounted on the panel , had small ridges close to the tips ( likely left from casting ). Those ridges were cutting into the flat surface of the rocker ends of the shoes .
I filed the ridges smooth and made protection 'clips' out of that hard , unforgiving copper pipe that I couldn't bend for my exhaust pipes . That copper is about 3/32" thick , so I ended up with almost an inch more of adjustment on the brake rod .
Hopefully , the copper will save the shoes from too much more abuse .

I can't believe I didn't take any pics while I had the panel and shoes off .

That ^ sounds like it may accomplish the same thing as a tad larger shoe surface . The 'caps' did / do seem to help the bike stop sooner .

And , I don't sleep as easy with my bike so far away . My only consolation is that I know it's in a safe hidyhole .

Pete .

[Sonrisers]

Just got back from Mississippi River vacation. Decided to ride this instead of Simplex. Third pic is my new grandson. One more big popcorn event then thinking about opening an ice cream/popcorn store next spring. Hoping to tinker with the Simplex this winter but will still be very busy.

[oil-lamp]

Cute baby, congratulations.