Stop Talking And DO IT

by Big Sven
(Sweden)

Now a pensioner with all the time in the world I've been mulling over my misbegotten youth, the wasted opportunities, dreams never fulfilled..

Yes, very sad.

But also fun.

Mistakes are to be learned-from.

We have the technology today to do things impossible 30 years ago. You don't actually have to be an engineer or a top toolmaker to design and make anything today, just buy a computer and a handful of programs, load the result in a 5-axle CNC and press 'go'.

A lot of the components needed to make the modern 2-stroke engine as suggested by Tim Hickox are readily available in the stores, or can be cannibalized from some old mopeds/bikes. Here in Europe we have mopeds with fuel-injection. The same injection systems can be modded to act as oil-pumps for the lubrication.

So why are we talking and doing nothing, we can make the ultimate 2-stroke ourselves! Ok, a slight problem I've noticed when I quit work - no money.

30 years ago I knew guys who worked for HVA, designing and making mx-bikes. One of the major costs and delays in development was ordering castings from the foundry they used. This for development engines, not production. I've always been into pressed-steel engines, would have gotten into in this in the early 70's but the racing took all my time when not working for a living, and, ditto no money, this meant it never happened. You don't need an expensive press, just heat the sheet red-hot and a simple hand-press would do. Using various small bits the molds could be fairly simple ones, ground-out with a Black and Decker (a superior quality English SKILL), but obviously much easier if you have a milling-machine. Casting a concrete mold might be viable. Then weld or braze the bits together, after welding more solid bits in the places for bearings, oil-tight joints, bolts etc. I had intended pressing, and after careful finishing and polishing, brazing the inlet, transfers, and exhaust ports directly onto the port in the liner, thus achieving perfect ports, to then, using the lost cast process, cast the fins around it. But watercooling was the obvious answer. I did broach the idea with mx-friends but was given a raised eyebrow. The watercooling got me laughed at, "Who needs that!"


Some 6-8 years later even the 500's were getting watercooling..

So making an engine is not impossible. For someone WITH a functioning workshop it is very viable indeed. For a small sum of money and a LOT of work.

I have neither workshop or money. And, after 50 years of slave-labour, I'm not into work anymore.

So, come on guys, turn off the television and DO IT!