[FINALIST] - CraftsmanQuad's CraftsmanQuad Mark II [2019 buildoff entry]

If you want to drive to Pittsburgh I’ll sell you a 14hp vanguard for cheap, and that looks like the same rack I got screwed on from China no mounting holes and there was so much slop in the input I just put it on the shelf and forgot about it

It’s been a bit since I’ve seen my grandpa and with my current class load I might be able to pull it off.

The rack seems pretty Chinsy but there’s no slop in it. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence about longevity but the Polaris rzr rack may be a good future upgrade

Finally got the ol mk2 out of the trailer and hosed off. Took it out for a nice spin around the property. The steering is almost tolerable here in the flats. At haspin it was absolutely unbearable because the choppy ground. The bumpsteer was awful.

Planning on working on it this weekend getting the new steering installed and likely going to paint. I believe I have an engine solution figured out that I will be pursuing next weekend. I’ve got plenty of time to get it done by buildoff standards, and plenty more time to tweak it for haspin

Hard to belive that Vanny is still going. I guess the "Eco Mode" proved surprisingly reliable, haha.

Hopefully you'll get new the steering worked out, looking forward to seeing it!

I'd take 'er apart, clean up the damage, and bang... A true slant single LOL. I think it'd be pretty cool to have the only "slant single" on the forum. If you get rid of the remaining rod parts, seize the piston in one place, delete that side's valve terrain, I'll bet that thing goes for years.

Are you gonna try and fit the body on better? It ain't looking too sturdy...

Yeah more body mounts are definitely needed. And while a slant single would be...different, it just doesn’t have enough power. And the whole reason I went with a vtwin was the sound. But I have the power and sound of a single.

Anyway, old suspension mounts removed and ground down

Well hey, bring the ol slant single with ya to Haspin next year and I might take it off your hands

Haha I think I’m gonna throw a used rod in this one and run it, as long as my engine deal next weekend goes through.

Got it put back together, steering geometry is MUCH improved! And the frame sits level. Basically stock height again. It was cool low, but not the most practical. Now it’s sitting where I like it.

Steering will be for another day, but for now just enjoy the pics haha





The welds kinda look like poop since it was my first time using an arc welder. But they’ll hold and that’s what matters. Ended up finishing with the mig because at the pace I was learning the arc welder, I wouldn’t be done by the end of the buildoff let alone tonight

Nice work CQ! The angle of the control arms looks way better than it did before, might notice an improvement in handling too!

The improvement in handling was the whole reason for the rebuild haha. But steering geometry is leaps and bounds better. Now my tierods are just a touch too long, even with them adjusted all the way in. Has some toe in that I don’t like. Still a vast improvement

Thanks for the compliment AK

Been out working a bit, drove down to Kentucky this weekend and finally got to meet @RichierichOverdrive...he gave me a 16 horse vanguard that also chucked a connecting rod. So I’m making two junk engines into one junk engine haha. I’m pulling the good rod from the engine rich gave me to put in the now famous slant single lmao. I’ll save the block Richie gave me to build up with some go fast goodies.

I really like the look of this thing. Nice and squatted down. Looks fast that way. Can't wait to check it out at haspin 2020! Probably a similar look to what I want to go for with the new simplicity build.

The frame is actually pretty close to stock height, it’s just so dang wide and with the lowered fenders it looks low. Pretty good mix of ground clearance and center of gravity.

I can’t wait for haspin 2020 though. I’m hopeful your new simplicity will be ready for it but I know it’s a pretty ambitious build. Either way will be good to see ya!

Here is a pic of the rod from the slant single. This thing got hot. The crankshaft is discolored from heat, and the bearing surface is plastered with aluminum shavings. I’m gonna polish it up with emery cloth and run some 15-40 diesel oil in it. Hopefully that’s thick enough to take up the loose tolerance and will have enough viscosity to keep the rough surfaces from touching each other.

Neither crank is great, but the one I ran at haspin is significantly worse

Ok...setback. The 16 horse has a smaller bore than the 18 horse I had, so the piston will not fit. The old piston is trashed. I have one good piston in each size. At this point I’m not sure what to do. I could build the engine with hot parts now, but which block should I build? The big bore 18 or the smaller 16 since I know the numbers on it. The 18 horse I have had a 16 horse shroud on it so the ID tag isn’t right. So it makes it tougher to order the right parts.

Any suggestions?

Do the cranks have the same stroke? Is the wristpin size the same?

I think the stroke and wrist pin is the same

Buying performance parts they are usually sold for an 14/16hp 18/20hp sp if you buy them for the hp rating they will work, but if the cranks are scorn and cylinder bores are trashed Dont waste your time with performance parts unless you’re gonna get the bores fixed and the crank to a machine shop. There is no point in spending 300$ish on rods and pistons if it’s not fixed before hand, you’ll be dumping that money down the drain,

I was actually able to polish out the crank by hand with some fine emery cloth. The cast iron is much harder than the aluminum that was stuck to it, and I’ve got a cylinder hone. I’m just not sure if I want to put that kind of money into this thing yet or just buy another stock engine and use these as parts

Just buy another engine that runs really, I’ll look tomorrow and see if I have any 14/16 rod and pistons

Any of either would help really. I can bring some cash to haspin too if ya want. One of each would even give me a spare engine

yea man dont waste good parts on a bandaid engine, just find a parts tractor with the engine your looking for, always seems to be cheaper to get a whole tractor

So wait, are you just running on the edge and fragged these things under normal conditions or did they run out of oil or something? If you just blew them up running too hard....Then heck yeah man, I'm impressed! lol. Only engine I ever blew up so far was a 4hp tecumseh while trying to set the high speed jet.

Guess no holes in the block though? That's lucky. I kinda agree about getting a fresh(er) engine to put performance parts in. If you can anyway. You could still put the stock ones back together just to run as extras. Not that you couldn't use a block you have but it would just be nice to start with a really good one if your gonna spend money on it.

I agree with both of you. But both of these engines had chucked rods before I got them. I did not cause either. Both look to me like oil starvation/dirty oil

Oh so you got them that way. Yeah maybe no one ever changed the oil and they just ran low.