Post by ericr on Jan 25, 2020 5:57:27 GMT
Thought I would revive the thread I had on the old board- I can't seem to get the pics in order so story first pics later
A couple years back I picked this well beaten, no engine no hood '71 Elan out of the boneyard of the infamous Ron "Goose" Thomsen one snowless day in late February. $20 was the price, the loopless 1971 skis were kept and swapped with more common later models with the grab handle on them. A some what intact '72 hood was plucked from his pile o hoods in the trees.
The track had good lug and it rolled nice as I surfed it standing on the tunnel while Ron towed me via the four wheeler to the truck. 8) I figured since I had assembled a good running 247 Elan mill out of parts (see a pattern here?) I now had something to drop it on. I deposited it in the shed at mom and dads for a year. A slack build needs a slack timeline. ;D
Initially I was going to drop the engine on it and go, but looking it over I saw the drive sprockets were disintegrating, the bogies falling apart, and some riveted patch repairs done where the belly pan had folded up in the past by someone with no welder. Thus I brought it home (where I live in snowless Georgia near the ocean) to re hab her.
Here is a tear down video- www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg78CK6WZc&t=28s
Once you watch that video, you'll see why I didn't want to just put and engine on and run it! Had to cut the bearing cup and bearing outer race off to get the shaft out.
The next thing was the bogies- Elans run single spring units, I definitely wanted to go heavier. Once again Ron to the rescue, when in MN in the summer of 2018 I was given some bogie sets (he has them stacked like cordwood between the trees from sleds he has parted) in exchange for letting me rake hay and sling bales. I love running an old Johnny popper. 8)
As you can see the tub needed a LOT of patching.
Re worked shafts and bogie sets from an Olympic.
Yes that is Caterpillar yellow, it was free.
I did not waste my time trying to smooth and bondo the welds. If you can see them, roll me back over...
Got er together and found the track had shrunk. I used Oly link plates to remedy that. Found they are 8" long and the Elan plates are 6 3/4. I also found the rear rubber idlers had to be swapped for the harder drivers, even though the track wasn't too tight, it still jumped the rears,
Assembled everything- used a toggle switch for ignition, and an LED headlight on the handle bars. I still intend to extend the bars about 4" longer on the post, to make stand up riding more comfortable.
Polaris seat held on with bungees until I make something better. 72 hood held with tin and pop rivets. Again bungeed down, it lifts off easy.
She is a success... cuts trails in the woods like she should, stock 12 horse might top out at 30 but shes really nice in the tight stuff!
A couple years back I picked this well beaten, no engine no hood '71 Elan out of the boneyard of the infamous Ron "Goose" Thomsen one snowless day in late February. $20 was the price, the loopless 1971 skis were kept and swapped with more common later models with the grab handle on them. A some what intact '72 hood was plucked from his pile o hoods in the trees.
The track had good lug and it rolled nice as I surfed it standing on the tunnel while Ron towed me via the four wheeler to the truck. 8) I figured since I had assembled a good running 247 Elan mill out of parts (see a pattern here?) I now had something to drop it on. I deposited it in the shed at mom and dads for a year. A slack build needs a slack timeline. ;D
Initially I was going to drop the engine on it and go, but looking it over I saw the drive sprockets were disintegrating, the bogies falling apart, and some riveted patch repairs done where the belly pan had folded up in the past by someone with no welder. Thus I brought it home (where I live in snowless Georgia near the ocean) to re hab her.
Here is a tear down video- www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg78CK6WZc&t=28s
Once you watch that video, you'll see why I didn't want to just put and engine on and run it! Had to cut the bearing cup and bearing outer race off to get the shaft out.
The next thing was the bogies- Elans run single spring units, I definitely wanted to go heavier. Once again Ron to the rescue, when in MN in the summer of 2018 I was given some bogie sets (he has them stacked like cordwood between the trees from sleds he has parted) in exchange for letting me rake hay and sling bales. I love running an old Johnny popper. 8)
As you can see the tub needed a LOT of patching.
Re worked shafts and bogie sets from an Olympic.
Yes that is Caterpillar yellow, it was free.
I did not waste my time trying to smooth and bondo the welds. If you can see them, roll me back over...Got er together and found the track had shrunk. I used Oly link plates to remedy that. Found they are 8" long and the Elan plates are 6 3/4. I also found the rear rubber idlers had to be swapped for the harder drivers, even though the track wasn't too tight, it still jumped the rears,
Assembled everything- used a toggle switch for ignition, and an LED headlight on the handle bars. I still intend to extend the bars about 4" longer on the post, to make stand up riding more comfortable.
Polaris seat held on with bungees until I make something better. 72 hood held with tin and pop rivets. Again bungeed down, it lifts off easy.
She is a success... cuts trails in the woods like she should, stock 12 horse might top out at 30 but shes really nice in the tight stuff!
