Martin, sweetheart that he is, traded me some stuff and I now have a 1 speed Avanti engine. I ripped into it tonight to get the crank out and made an interesting discovery. The 1 speed Avantis have a different internal ratio than either of the 1 speed Garelli engines. Holy Crap. Vertical engine standard for internal gear box reduction on a Garelli is 14 x 39. The Avanti counts 20 x 33. Not only that, but the main and output shafts are totally different. Garelli used a tapered press-fit driven gear for their 1 speed while Avanti went with a shimmed and modified version of the 2 speed shaft to fit their keyed and friction-fit gear. My mind is blown. This is the first cool thing Avanti has ever done. Pics, because it happened:
Garelli Monza on the left, Avanti 1 speed to the right.
And now, for the setback. You were expecting that, right? Of course you were; you’ve been reading my blog after all. As I was pulling my Monza cases apart, to prep for the new crank install, the bearing that I peened into place removed itself. I’m going to fucking start over and cut another case. I don’t feel comfortable with this case. I plan to go fast on this build, I don’t need bearings spinning.
Lastly, just to gloat, as a single dude living alone, I can do this to my kitchen floor. (I can also put engine parts in my dishwasher. Being a bachelor rules.)
You’ve probably found this out already, but dishwashers don’t fully expel all their water. There is probably at least a gallon or two of nicely blended water/oil/fuel/grime mix waiting to be poured all over the next load of dishes you put in there.
Comment by trickMETRIC — December 15, 2009 @ 10:24 pm