Author Topic: Project: ArgoCeptor!  (Read 43634 times)

Offline superfox

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #213 on: June 02, 2019, 05:32:14 PM »
Good idea i keep a broom stick for the t20

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #212 on: June 02, 2019, 04:58:54 PM »
Getting there on the firewall:



Still some work to do making the bits look nice, but its in, it fits and it’s functional.

I still want to do a few things with the shifter. I’ve go the old shift ball on there, but I want to rig up a brake for the driven clutch. Sometimes, there just enough belt drag to rotate the driven clutch, even when the drive clutch is fully disengaged. Shifting with even this light rotation makes it hard to shift and grinds gears. My plan is to use a bicycle rubber stopping caliper to grab the driven clutch and hold it while shifting. A small lever on the shifter lever will actuate it, which means a slight redesign of the shifter lever end in the cockpit. Nothing complicated, probably a “grip” style shifter handle and the cable lever. Something along these lines, although nowhere near as fancy looking:



I’m also tired of looking at that open engine bay, so I’m starting the work on the fiberglass hood...

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #211 on: June 02, 2019, 11:20:25 AM »
 Been taking it easy the last couple days and haven’t touched the Argo.

Thinking I’m going to pick at getting the firewall done today....

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #210 on: May 31, 2019, 08:12:40 AM »
sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you......

I'm admitting defeat with the shift lever. I've tried rods and levers and cables, nothing is working out. Only thing that seems to shift the Argo transmission (at least acceptably) is a lever directly connected to the shift shaft.

So, I'm just going to make a new lever, cut a slot in the firewall and be done with it. I've got better things to do with my life than fighting with a shifter that just....won't..... work....
« Last Edit: May 31, 2019, 08:24:08 AM by SARgo1 »

Offline garretttpe

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #209 on: May 30, 2019, 08:37:29 AM »
Telephlex cables are awesome and can be picked up cheap if you look around, which I am sure you already know.. looking foward to you solution as always

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #208 on: May 30, 2019, 08:25:15 AM »
I've been going through various linkages for the shift mechanism, but it just isn't going to work.

The problem is the Argo transmission needs such a wide arc to shift fully from reverse to high gear that there's just not enough room to make the linkage fit and have the shifter not protruding into the driver/passenger leg/knee space.

The alternative is multiple rods and bellcranks to make it work and that just gets needlessly complex and introduces more places for "slop" and looseness. Not a feeling of quality to say the least.

So I think I'll look at a push/pull cable shift mechanism. That give me the option of putting the shifter nearly anywhere I want it. For example, I could even put it on the left side of the seat if I need to.

My back is pretty messed up today (as well as my shoulder) so I'll probably limit myself to just designing it until everything calms down a bit.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2019, 08:31:56 AM by SARgo1 »

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #207 on: May 26, 2019, 05:00:24 PM »
I can’t believe it took me nearly the whole day to make this one plate on the firewall:



That stupid diamond plate did NOT want to form at all.

Now I have to decide what I want to do for the shifter. I could just re-cut the horizontal slot and put the stock shifter rod back on, but that just seems so much like a “cop out” after all the other custom work I’ve done....

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #206 on: May 26, 2019, 06:33:13 AM »
Working on the firewall:



I was planning to a completely new firewall out of diamond plate aluminum, but I think I'm going to do a combination of the original firewall and aluminum pieces.

Basically, I decided I don't want aluminum edges rubbing against the plastic tub walls and possibly wearing them away or thinning them over time.

Offline superfox

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #205 on: May 25, 2019, 09:57:17 PM »
You always have a lot of detail in your post with lots of pictures love looking at them

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #204 on: May 25, 2019, 12:02:49 PM »
Ok, good news is I found the transmission leak. The drain plug is a pipe thread plug and whoever put it in last time didn’t use teflon tape. I haven’t had it out, as the fluid was full and clear when I bought it.

What was happening is the oil was just slowly wicking it’s way through the thread clearance and  dripping doen onto the power pack tray.

Unfortunately, in order to find it, I had to pull the transmission out completely. The plug is so low on the case that there really wasn’t any visible fluid on it. It’s also nearly impossible to get down in there and see under the power pack, which doubles the trouble finding leaks. That I’m using a (mostly) clear synth gear oil only made it more impossible to see.

Since I had already gone this deep, I tefloned the plug and stood the transmission on so e clean white paper for 2 hours, topped off with gear oil.

Not a drop. Case gasket good, seals tight, drain plug dry.

Now begins the PITA of putting it all back in... oh my achin back.

Let me tell ya; if you’re old or don’t like working at bad angles and bent over things, you don’t want to buy an older Argo that needs some work. You’re not saving any money and you’re probably going to hurt yourself...

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #203 on: May 24, 2019, 07:01:24 PM »
AHA!



And I just happen to have a 6-36VDC hall sensor in my parts bins.

A Hall sensor will be a much more stable and clean signal than trying to take something off the internal coil magneto system.

A quick bracket and the only question is if I will be able to use the flywheel magnets already in the flywheel or have to add my own.

:)
« Last Edit: May 24, 2019, 07:20:23 PM by SARgo1 »

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #202 on: May 24, 2019, 06:58:20 PM »
Well, the Kohler is a magneto and the Tach is a "regular" one. IOW, you can't drive the tach from the magneto. Signal is all wrong. voltage, current, etc, everything.

So I either can't use the tach or have to find a way to get the right signal to the tach from the magneto.

Kohler:



I find some "retail" converters, but they're all 100 bucks or more. That's a little high for what I'm sure is just a few cheap electronic bits.

I run across this on youtube:





Hmmm, maybe......need to think about it a bit more first......not sure if it will work or not.

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #201 on: May 23, 2019, 08:54:57 AM »
Well, rolled the dice and crapped out. I thought maybe someone upstairs would cut me a break, but nope.

I had hoped the small amount of oil I found on the engine tray was just residual, but this morning, fresh gear oil on the tray.

 >:(

So, transmission has to come back out. What a major PITA. It’s connected to nearly everything!

Hopefully, its just the case half gasket and not a shaft seal or (gawd help me) a hairline crack in the case itself...
« Last Edit: May 23, 2019, 01:09:23 PM by SARgo1 »

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #200 on: May 22, 2019, 09:01:27 PM »
Nothing spectacular or pic worthy today. Filled the transmission, filled and bled the brakes with dot5 and carried on with the wiring work...
« Last Edit: May 22, 2019, 09:18:16 PM by SARgo1 »

Offline SARgo1

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Re: Project: ArgoCeptor!
« Reply #199 on: May 21, 2019, 05:37:45 PM »
Hey! Doesn't this look familiar:



That's from the 2019 Aurora model.

What I bought for my 87:



Buy it from Argo? Hundreds of dollars.

Buy it from Ebay? 29.99, shipped.

Sure, the gauge face is different and it's probably got a little different programming for the LCD info, but that one hell of a markup for a made in China generic part.

I’ve got no problems with a company making profit, but fair profit. These assholes in the world today only interested in saueezing 100/200/300 percent profit out of everybody need to be drug out into the street and shot! There’s no honor or integrity in doing business like that, only rampant greed at the expense of your fellow man. Like I said, i have no problem with someone making some profit on something, the world would collapse without profit. But there’s fair profit and then there’s outright thievery! 

People wonder how China got so powerful in manufacturing? These assholes running companies and finding the cheapest, worst sweatshop places to make things as cheaply as possible and mark them up like its made out of gold. Assholes. China is not the problem here, it the North Amercian companies hell bent on driving down thier costs and making unfair profit that drives China’s manufacturing success! We’re doing all this to ourselves!

Friggin' Argo is no better than any of them. Nothing is anything special from those jokers except the body and the transmission and they expect you to pay 30-40 grand for a new one.

Bastards.

Sorry, got off on a rant there...
« Last Edit: May 22, 2019, 09:28:34 AM by SARgo1 »