06-11-2020, 01:33 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-13-2020, 07:42 PM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 41
Yes, that little mishap on the Cates kart could have gotten me badly hurt or worse even killed, but I survived. Didnt even do any serious damage to myself. At least none that I can remember. Not the first time I have been konked on the head. Glad I was wearing a helmet. Even that one particular helmet. The helmet sure didnt fair so well. Even tho an older one, something like that would have probably been decent to at least start racing with. Well, that polka-dotted paint job would have to go.
It is interesting to see what was used in the helmet as stuffing. I had never really given it any thought until now. Sawdust for stuffing? Hmm, why not. It obviously works or they wouldnt be using in helmets. Sure was a lot of it on me after I wrecked the kart. I could almost taste wood when drinking the pop Steve brought me. It was even hard to first swallow the Orange Crush. Grainy, crunchy and lumpy orange drinks dont suit me too well.
I remember my grandfather tried explaining life to me one afternoon a few years ago. I was there on Saturday with him, helping with the yard work. He told me your life is divided into four parts. But only three of them are important. First you are born. Next part is you live. The third and most important part is getting right with God. You do this soon as you are mature enough to understand its importance. Then you die. This part is has no real importance at all. I ask him why not? He tells me, it is too late to do anything about it and nobody can change it. So make your first three parts of life count.
My grandfather was a very religious man. He was also extremely modest and humble. Everything in his life pointed this way. He had already read the Bible seven times cover to cover. The King James version no less. I have a hard time getting thru the first book. I think it is written on a much higher grade level than for the average 13 year old. It must be written above college level too. Because my oldest brother sure wouldnt be able to understand anything he tried to read from it. He takes everything literally as written. Too much trouble to comprehend so he doesnt bother.
I dont know why my brain drifts out sometimes to remember things like this. I am so wrapped up with working on the Clinton, but as my hands are on auto pilot, my mind is racing somewhere else completely different. This usually gets me thru the day in some classes during school. Let my hand do the writing while my head is speeding around the race track somewhere else.
Chapter 42
Without even realizing something obviously different, I had watched Steve remove the shroud and pull flywheel off crank. WOH there, what the heck is this?? Here, what you missed. Steve looks over at me like I just chewed him out for something. Looking a little tensed up and like he is ready to bite my head off right now.
HEY, fine, and he throws down the tools. You do it then, jerk! Why do you always try to tell me how to do things? I know how to tear engines apart. Not like I havent watched you do it hundreds of times. And I have torn down enough of them by myself to know what I am doing! I am going outside to take a break. I need some air. Someone in here is hogging it all right now.
Steve you idiot, hold on a minute. Look at this here. You dont notice something odd about the flywheel? No not really. It is round and has magnets. Nope its a flywheel. That is all it is. Wait right here, Steve. Go ahead and take the ignition off, but just stay put, Please. Yes sir BOSS! as he salutes me with just a middle finger.
Everything is fine, just chill out ok? Dont go and get your panties all in a wad. Whatever you say, man. So I head to back of the garage where a storage room is, then start digging and pulling things out of the way. I know that box of parts is around here somewhere.
After tipping over several boxes and opening a few others, then find the one I have been searching for. Seems it is always the very last place you look. Just about ripped the box apart dragging it out from under some other boxes full of junk. A few nuts and bolts are falling out leaving a trail as I fast track back to the work bench.
I drop the box down and start pulling out bits and pieces of several old engines. There it is. Lookie here Steve. I hand him a flywheel. Now do you see any difference? Steve snatches the flywheel from my hands still having some attitude from a couple of minutes ago. Then just looks down and stares at it for a moment.
Wow, I sure missed that one completely. Are you saying both of these flywheels are supposed to be the same? Yes! Exactly! Thats what caught my attention. Now that I have engine parts side by side, how did I miss the shroud too?
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=4678]](https://www.vintagekartforum.com/attachment.php?aid=4678)
The flywheel on our newly discovered as modified kart engine has most of the fins removed. There is a clean machine cut finish completely around the circumference, and only about 1/4"tall fins on the face. It also looks like the shroud has been shortened the same amount as what the fins were cut down on flywheel. I never thought about it until seeing this right now. Makes total sense to me. Dont you see Steve?
Oh yea, I see it just fine. There is a butchered up flywheel So what? But what the heck are you making such a big deal about? Maybe you should cut back on the Mountain Dew for rest of the night. You know, just saying...
Yes, that little mishap on the Cates kart could have gotten me badly hurt or worse even killed, but I survived. Didnt even do any serious damage to myself. At least none that I can remember. Not the first time I have been konked on the head. Glad I was wearing a helmet. Even that one particular helmet. The helmet sure didnt fair so well. Even tho an older one, something like that would have probably been decent to at least start racing with. Well, that polka-dotted paint job would have to go.
It is interesting to see what was used in the helmet as stuffing. I had never really given it any thought until now. Sawdust for stuffing? Hmm, why not. It obviously works or they wouldnt be using in helmets. Sure was a lot of it on me after I wrecked the kart. I could almost taste wood when drinking the pop Steve brought me. It was even hard to first swallow the Orange Crush. Grainy, crunchy and lumpy orange drinks dont suit me too well.
I remember my grandfather tried explaining life to me one afternoon a few years ago. I was there on Saturday with him, helping with the yard work. He told me your life is divided into four parts. But only three of them are important. First you are born. Next part is you live. The third and most important part is getting right with God. You do this soon as you are mature enough to understand its importance. Then you die. This part is has no real importance at all. I ask him why not? He tells me, it is too late to do anything about it and nobody can change it. So make your first three parts of life count.
My grandfather was a very religious man. He was also extremely modest and humble. Everything in his life pointed this way. He had already read the Bible seven times cover to cover. The King James version no less. I have a hard time getting thru the first book. I think it is written on a much higher grade level than for the average 13 year old. It must be written above college level too. Because my oldest brother sure wouldnt be able to understand anything he tried to read from it. He takes everything literally as written. Too much trouble to comprehend so he doesnt bother.
I dont know why my brain drifts out sometimes to remember things like this. I am so wrapped up with working on the Clinton, but as my hands are on auto pilot, my mind is racing somewhere else completely different. This usually gets me thru the day in some classes during school. Let my hand do the writing while my head is speeding around the race track somewhere else.
Chapter 42
Without even realizing something obviously different, I had watched Steve remove the shroud and pull flywheel off crank. WOH there, what the heck is this?? Here, what you missed. Steve looks over at me like I just chewed him out for something. Looking a little tensed up and like he is ready to bite my head off right now.
HEY, fine, and he throws down the tools. You do it then, jerk! Why do you always try to tell me how to do things? I know how to tear engines apart. Not like I havent watched you do it hundreds of times. And I have torn down enough of them by myself to know what I am doing! I am going outside to take a break. I need some air. Someone in here is hogging it all right now.
Steve you idiot, hold on a minute. Look at this here. You dont notice something odd about the flywheel? No not really. It is round and has magnets. Nope its a flywheel. That is all it is. Wait right here, Steve. Go ahead and take the ignition off, but just stay put, Please. Yes sir BOSS! as he salutes me with just a middle finger.
Everything is fine, just chill out ok? Dont go and get your panties all in a wad. Whatever you say, man. So I head to back of the garage where a storage room is, then start digging and pulling things out of the way. I know that box of parts is around here somewhere.
After tipping over several boxes and opening a few others, then find the one I have been searching for. Seems it is always the very last place you look. Just about ripped the box apart dragging it out from under some other boxes full of junk. A few nuts and bolts are falling out leaving a trail as I fast track back to the work bench.
I drop the box down and start pulling out bits and pieces of several old engines. There it is. Lookie here Steve. I hand him a flywheel. Now do you see any difference? Steve snatches the flywheel from my hands still having some attitude from a couple of minutes ago. Then just looks down and stares at it for a moment.
Wow, I sure missed that one completely. Are you saying both of these flywheels are supposed to be the same? Yes! Exactly! Thats what caught my attention. Now that I have engine parts side by side, how did I miss the shroud too?
The flywheel on our newly discovered as modified kart engine has most of the fins removed. There is a clean machine cut finish completely around the circumference, and only about 1/4"tall fins on the face. It also looks like the shroud has been shortened the same amount as what the fins were cut down on flywheel. I never thought about it until seeing this right now. Makes total sense to me. Dont you see Steve?
Oh yea, I see it just fine. There is a butchered up flywheel So what? But what the heck are you making such a big deal about? Maybe you should cut back on the Mountain Dew for rest of the night. You know, just saying...