Whizzer Disassembled

In anticipation of my 60-day license suspension, as mentioned in the previous post, I've finally begun to fix my 1939 Whizzer Motorbike replica, as it will be the only legal motorized form of transportation available to me come the 19th of May. It's hard to believe that in a state as fucked up as Massachusetts; a state that taxes the shit out of anything and everything, the Whizzer does not have to be registered, titled, or insured, and no excise tax is collected on it.

So anyways, when this thing last ran, it seemed to have stuck a valve. Taking the little access panel off of the top of the lower end to expose the bottom of the valves confirmed this; it was the intake valve that was sticking. Upon finding this out, it was wheeled down to the basement with every intention of having it running in short order. But, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, six years had gone by since the little guy had last run. On a warm day last fall, after soaking the crap out of the valves and cylinder with Marvel's Mystery Oil, which is the greatest stuff ever conceived by man, I got it to putt-putt up the street with the choke wide open and smoking something awful, but the valve still kept hanging up and eventually stuck again once all the Marvel's burnt off. More of it was added and she was once again wheeled down into the basement.

Here it is, wheeled into the workshop portion of the basement with the engine out of it. The exhaust, carburetor, and electronics are all still attached for ease of assembly when it's ready to go back in.

And here's the little 123 cc aluminum air-cooled one cylinder flathead that powers it, on the workbench with the top cover off. An old Hawaiian shirt makes for a festive drop cloth. Now it's time to see what's wrong with it.

Diagnosis: burnt intake valve. Better than what I intially assumed to be a bent one, but not by a whole hell of a lot. See the area in the middle that looks a little rough? That's a burn mark, and the reason the valve was hanging up inside the guide. Time to order a new one, along with a spring, a guide, and new gaskets all around. The mighty Whizzer will run again (hopefully)!