Poor Lurch - Engine making horrible noises!

[AustHaflinger]

Some did have a third wheel at the back, notably Morgans.

Yes a much safer option.

[heinkeljb]

The Invacar had a sliding side door which opened the whole of the interior. The User would then place their wheelchair right next to the seat and would have to "maneuver" themselves from their wheelchairs into the driving seat. Then reach out and collapse their wheelchair before manhandling it in beside them and sliding the door shut.

Three wheeler are a development of the motorcycle and sidecar which was one step up from a motorcycle which was one step up from a bicycle after the war. Motorcycle and sidecar meant you could take your children with you once you got married (motorcycle was fine for courting - just).
Three wheelers like the Isetta, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, Bond A,B,C &D and a host of others meant a roof over your head with motorcycle running costs. Could be driven with your motorcycle licence (as long as the three wheeler did not have a reverse gear) and purchase tax was a lot less than for a four wheel car.
A lot of the Isettas and Heinkels had a plate bolted on the the gear lever gate to prevent selection of reverse. This gave rise to the standing joke about the bubble car owner driving in to their garage and not being able to get out because of the front opening door being up against the end of the garage!

John

[AustHaflinger]

What is the status of your original engine - back in or still using the "borrowed" engine?

[heinkeljb]

Just goes to show, human brain are very selective about what they do! I had forgotten that this post left things with Lurch on a "borrowed" engine and the "original" (only original to me purchasing Lurch) engine in bits!

Well, Lurch is still running on the 700cc engine - I have managed to buy it. The original engine has been rebuilt with another crank shaft and obviously various other new bits like rings etc. I was going to collect it on my way home from the last Haflinger meeting I went to. Unfortunately, that was the meeting when the rear hub decided to destroy itself! That meant I used the RAC recovery system to get Lurch recovered al the way home in one journey. So did not stop and collect the engine.
Then, before I could start repairing the damage, my Dad died and I went to South Africa for two weeks for the funeral and associated stuff. Came back and ran into all the issues of not having the correct backplate in my spares and getting another which was also cracked! Finally got a good one and have now just finished the repairs.

I am in two minds as to whether to leave the bigger engine in, or to swap the "original" engine back in. The original engine has a hand stamped engine number from PM WARD - The Haflinger importers, from 1983, so must have been one of the last "factory" refurbished engines produced. Doesn't say much for quality control as the crank had been reground. I would have expected it to have had a new original spec crank, but that was not the case.

The bigger engine obviously has a bit more torque and a bit more power - So I think given the effort involved in swapping the engines over, I shall leave the current engine in and wrap up the Original engine and put it away.

This actually brings up a new thread which I will post up in a moment.

John

[AustHaflinger]

Yes I agree - use the engine you have in it now and keep the other as a spare.