Author Topic: Fl350r rebuild for MO POWA!  (Read 317 times)

Dio

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Fl350r rebuild for MO POWA!
« on: July 28, 2022, 06:59:37 PM »
Hey, guys. I recently acquired a pretty decently running FL350 and am looking to take it apart and rebuild it. It runs well but is very slow to get going. I'd like to tear it all down, repaint it, and build it back to make more power. I'm not an experienced fabricator so would prefer to stick to bolt-ons. I can probably figure some stuff out and have access to some machining and welding tools if I need to use them. So far I'm decided on getting the DG exhaust. That's about all I can find that fits easily. The rest and I've been looking at one of the only retail websites I can find for this buggy online and the prices are offensive. Guy wants like 200 dollars for a U joint or something.  :-[

So, the first thing I'm looking at buying is the carb and I think a 39mm PWK carb would work better than the stock one. https://ebay.to/3BmlJvv. The problem is that I can't just put this on the stock intake manifold. So I need to find a way to get one. I found one online but the guy is charging 200 dollars for a 3d printed part. Which is like a few cents worth of resin and a some steel. I'm not sure how to proceed on this. Anyone know where I can get the stuff to make this thing fit? Any and all tips are greatly appreciated. I've been staring at parts for this thing for hours and am starting to get lost. Thanks in advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSpMnGdg50o This is pretty close to what I'd like to achieve by the time I'm finished.

LiveWire

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Re: Fl350r rebuild for MO POWA!
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2022, 07:23:56 PM »
Be sure to buy the $35 U-joint off eBay that will break and bend your shock rather than the chrome moly heat treated and cryo treated one that will actually hold up.

Just buy yourself a 3D printer. Take all the measurements. Spend a few weeks getting the design just right. Print a prototype, trial fit it. Make the tweaks needed and print new prototypes until it fits right. Also, draw the plate to clamp it to the engine. Find a shop that can laser cut that for you.

Dio

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Re: Fl350r rebuild for MO POWA!
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2022, 09:44:39 PM »
I have access to all of that so all I really need are cad files. Sorry if I offended you. It's just a huge pill to swallow. I've been running the 40 dollar U joints for over a year and haven't noticed anything yet. But I was planning on replacing the shocks at some point anyways. I'm also worried that the manifold you're selling isn't going to fit perfectly. There's another forum out there with a lot of complaints about the fit and finish of the product. But the reviews are also pretty old. Has the design been updated?

LiveWire

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Re: Fl350r rebuild for MO POWA!
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2022, 08:38:32 AM »
I put a significant amount of time into the CAD files for both the version that is 20 years old and the one that is 2 years old. The originals were machined out of aluminum and used a Mikuni adapter flange. It was simply not possible to replicate the shape perfectly due to the space constraints to mount the adapter. The airbox had to be modified to move the carb. I started the new intake based off the CAD file of the original. I added in the carb mount. Once all one piece, it allowed another 10mm of length to blend the transition from a circle to a rectangle. It only got me back to the fit of the original. I printed multiple revisions to get the carb fit perfect. I then printed 3 revisions that were mounted to an engine to check fit with the last left installed. With an unmodified airbox connected all the way to the carb, putting a large screwdriver behind the float bowl and twisting caused an audible snap when the carb seated into the intake. I ran that for a year before listing on the website.

With stock shocks, the suspension barely moves. Install a $1000 pair of shocks and that U-joint will break. It will break one of those shocks. It will also very likely rip the U-joint through the ears of the dog bone or the outer stub. So you will not even have an axle to put the more expensive joints in. It doesn't really matter because too many people have had the same attitude. I can't get those joints anymore. I think we have 2 left. I have multiple people, including other vendors asking me to make replacement axles. I would have to sell for $800 each. People will complain about the price and buy used axles for $350. So there is no incentive to make the investment of both time and money.