The FrankenBrick Smart BMW build

[bf109v7]

No, I was talking about this one.
http://www.ural-zentrale.de/en/silent-b ... k-absorber
I dont have this one here, I have only the one with metall outside. But this one should do your job perfect, the rubber is vulcanised to the steel bush. The steel bush has a 10,x mm hole. Outside it might be to big, but you can cut it to your size.
About M7 Screws. I love them. They have nearly the stength of M8, with a lot less weight. I used to be a automotive desing engineer, and on all things I had my hands on you will find M7 srews. I know that they are not so commen, but they are DIN standard.
Alex

[coachgeo]

having searched about rubber bushings before; discovered that those which claim to be not susceptible to degradation from oil and/or fuels etc. are Very expensive compared to those who claim to have lesser protection. That may be the cost difference you're seeing in the BMW ones. Course it could just be because of the "BMW" name as well. Hard to tell..

oh and it occurred to me you may not have opposite end bushings because there was an inherent flex on the opposite end of where the OEM bushings location is thus negating the need. Or they wanted a greater degree of motion/flex on one end and fixed; yet bushed on opposite end. Seen many body, tranny etc. mounts done this way (fixed with bush on one end and seemingly solid on opposite) on flexy Frames/Chassis. (Unimog for example)

[bf109v7]

The price of an automotive spare part has only little to do with the actual value. It is more the transport and stockkeeping cost. I know of a part I designed wich costed 2,83 Euro to make it, and 86,45 as a spare part.
Alex

[touchwoodsden]

having searched about rubber bushings before; discovered that those which claim to be not susceptible to degradation from oil and/or fuels etc. are Very expensive compared to those who claim to have lesser protection. That may be the cost difference you're seeing in the BMW ones. Course it could just be because of the "BMW" name as well. Hard to tell..

oh and it occurred to me you may not have opposite end bushings because there was an inherent flex on the opposite end of where the OEM bushings location is thus negating the need. Or they wanted a greater degree of motion/flex on one end and fixed; yet bushed on opposite end. Seen many body, tranny etc. mounts done this way (fixed with bush on one end and seemingly solid on opposite) on flexy Frames/Chassis. (Unimog for example)

Evidently its only the faired K100s which have rubber front mounts. The naked ones are solid

[touchwoodsden]

Engine wiring 95% complete. Have to connect glow plug relay and earths and battery and throttle leads (need to suss wiring for fly by wire yet), then connect inlet pipe from turbo to manifold, fuel and pump and tank and starter button and it is ready to make a noise...I hope. Next week sometime I hope as am busy till end of weekend...oh forgot, and also make up throttle cables (Push pull) from VFR twist grip (cant be doing with those paddles for BMW indicators) and Aprilia FBW throttle position sensor.
edit...oh yes and oil and fuel!

[touchwoodsden]

Update. Some of this may duplicate previous posts but, that’s the way it is.
I have spent the last few evenings getting the paint off the BMW K 100 fuel tank. Underneath, it is beautiful alloy (they all are). It is in remarkably good condition underneath although it has the regular few pin holes in the bottom which have been sealed by a previous owner. On my K 100 outfit, I cut the area out and had a patch welded in but on this one, I’m just going to leave the repair. Paint stripper is absolutely useless now and therefore, I had a large polyethylene tray in which I put half a gallon of cellulose thinners. I lay the tank on its side overnight and in the morning, the paint literally fell off. I did that over successive nights until the paint was gone although underneath was a problem and what I did with that was cover it in thinners soaked rags and covered it in a polythene bag so they didn’t dry out.
I can get it polished I think there are about 30 quid by a local guy who does polishing (he doesn’t do anything else) but in any event, it’s going to be cheaper than having it painted.
All the engine mountings are made and I’m soon going to be playing with how to fit the radiator.
I spent quite a lot of time deciding where the hardware was to go, ECU, injector driver, glow plug relay, main heavy duty relay, fuse box, and all the rest of the relays and having moved around a few times, I think I’ve now sorted it. I am using an Aprilia fly by wire throttle sensor which is located just in front of the battery (I am using the original BMW batteries are now) and 2 x Vespa throttle cables slightly modified to push/pull the rotor. I’m going to rubber amount the sensor to protect it from vibration although I don’t know how sensitive they are.
I have a little bit more welding of brackets to do on the frame but at the moment, as I have cellulose thinners all over the place, the welding is going to have to wait until Wednesday. Once I have the radiator brackets in place, and all the other various brackets in place, I can then get the frame powder coated.
All the exhaust manifold and turbo and its associated bracketry and oil feed and drain are done.
The wiring of the engine is virtually finished although I haven’t had it running yet. I haven’t tried to be honest.
I am not using BMW switchgear because I really don’t like those BMW paddle indicator switches so I have Honda VFR ones which are going to be much easier to wire up.
I did a favour for a guy who makes exhausts and he is going to make it for me, such as it is. There is not much to it.
In anticipation of getting it started within the next week or so, I decided to fill it with oil. I have stock only a small amount in of semisynthetic before I realised that it was motorcycle oil! It won’t make much difference for the quantity that was in. Of course, this is not just not a motorcycle engine, but a car engine, it is a diesel car engine that so the oil will be car diesel engine oil! Small point but easily overlooked.
I tried everywhere to get the connectors for the Aprilia fly by wire sensor and even emailed Magnetti Marelli ( the ignorant pieces of sh*t) who didn’t even bother replying. So, I removed half of the shroud which would have taken the connector, soldered the wires in place and covered them with glue filled heat shrink. To give some strain relief, I used a zip tie and a P clip.

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As I said, the unit is located just in front of the battery (which is in its original battery position) and therefore needs extremely long throttle cables. 2 Vespa throttle cables needed the outer shortening by about 100 mm and then with the right length. I made up my own cable nipples from a length of brass bar which I happen to have lying around. I have made a lot of cables over the years and have actually become a dab hand at it. The 2 secrets are firstly, use decent flux and I use acid-based Bakers Fluid, and secondly, to make sure that you spread the end of the wires to stop them pulling back through the hole, before you solder. Simples.
Here is a photograph awaiting a little bit of fettling
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[mark_in_manchester]

I hate making nipples. The last time I did one I ran out of hands whilst holding blow lamp, solder, cable...and needing to keep the cable clean and off the bench, held it momentarily between my teeth / lips. I had forgotten for a moment that I had already heated it up, but luckily that memory soon returned.



I also had a funny moment when the nipple fell off the end of my home-made clutch cable, the diesel engine failed to stall, and I found myself taking off into a junction at a not entirely appropriate moment. After that I splashed out on a Venhill kit for 'high stress' (in all senses) applications. So far this, and my other remaining nipples, are intact.

Have you tried 'spirits of salts' (25% hydrochloric acid) as a soldering flux? Apparently an old-fashioned method, and surprisingly available (by post!) from ebay.

[touchwoodsden]

I hate making nipples. The last time I did one I ran out of hands whilst holding blow lamp, solder, cable...and needing to keep the cable clean and off the bench, held it momentarily between my teeth / lips. I had forgotten for a moment that I had already heated it up, but luckily that memory soon returned.



I also had a funny moment when the nipple fell off the end of my home-made clutch cable, the diesel engine failed to stall, and I found myself taking off into a junction at a not entirely appropriate moment. After that I splashed out on a Venhill kit for 'high stress' (in all senses) applications. So far this, and my other remaining nipples, are intact.

Have you tried 'spirits of salts' (25% hydrochloric acid) as a soldering flux? Apparently an old-fashioned method, and surprisingly available (by post!) from ebay.

LOL.
A friend of mine was talking to me at the weekend and asking whether I had ever had the experience of hot glue from a glue gun on my hand. He said that hot jam was almost as bad but not quite. Bugger me in the shed that night, I got hot glue on me for the first time in many years. Of course, when you take it off, it takes the skin with it. Bloody hell, it stays hot for a long time. No good for cables of course!

I have heard of Spirit of Salts which I think is what Baker's Fluid is.
I bought some other expensive fluxes from Ebay, one for stainless steel and one for aluminium. Yes, you can actually solder aluminium using this flux. I haven't got a clue what's in it. You need more heat than normal but yes, I soldered the end of a copper cable onto a sheet of aluminium. I haven't a clue what I'm going to use it for yet.

When soldering nipples onto the end of cables, I clamp the cable loosely in the vice. The nipple then does not drop down the cable. It also allows me to hammer the end into the countersink with a tiny hammer. Finally, the vice jaws stops the heat travelling up the cable. I have done cables for years and I actually find it quite satisfying. I made my own nipple in field in Southern Ireland a few years ago. It made 3 or 4 page article for Real Classic magazine which earned me 1 years free subs.

For joining two electrical wires together I recently bought one of those "spare pair of hands" gizmos which has 2 small crocodile clips poking up in the air and looks like a pair of crab's claws. I had one for years and never used it and I haven't got a clue what happened to it but, for soldering 2 wires together its recently proved absolutely invaluable when wiring the ECU.

[mark_in_manchester]

I use one of those for electrical work - and as an increasingly middle-aged git, I also need a big angle-poise magnifying glass with a couple of bulbs next to it to illuminate the work piece. And this for 'normal' components - I haven't a hope with surface-mount stuff. I liked your soldering job above - that heat-shrink tube is great stuff, and beats its fore-runner, stretchy rubber 'Hellerman' sleeves. These came with special pliers which fit inside the tube to stretch it, with three expanding prongs, named after the same manufacturer but often referred to as 'Honeymoon pliers'

[touchwoodsden]

I use one of those for electrical work - and as an increasingly middle-aged git, I also need a big angle-poise magnifying glass with a couple of bulbs next to it to illuminate the work piece. And this for 'normal' components - I haven't a hope with surface-mount stuff. I liked your soldering job above - that heat-shrink tube is great stuff, and beats its fore-runner, stretchy rubber 'Hellerman' sleeves. These came with special pliers which fit inside the tube to stretch it, with three expanding prongs, named after the same manufacturer but often referred to as 'Honeymoon pliers'

Bloody Hell, Hellerman sleeves and those three-pronged pliers. That really is a blast from the past. In 1970s I worked for the firm as a mechanical design engineer doing refinery relief valves and tele-metering. I remember the electronics (more electrical/relays in those days) guys using those little rubber sleeves. Of course, they eventually perished and fell off. I guess that's why they drop making the rubber sleeves and started making mayonnaise!

I have the angle poise magnifier on my desk and on the bench, I have bolted an angle poise lamp right over the top of the vice. I also have those cheap reading glasses everywhere because, although I'm fine reading a book, for really close work and extremely fine detail (instructions on packets and jars!) I have to put reading glasses on. However I am lucky that it's only for really fine detail that I need them. If I try to look around with reading glasses on, I am virtually blind! I do need specs for distance but only a slight correction to stop me squinting. Generally, I don't wear glasses all day except when driving or sometimes watching the television.

Back onto motorcycles, I have a variety of different soldering irons and I recently invested in an 80 W one (second hand from the Bay of e) which is great for soldering heavy wires when the tiny blowtorch would be too much.

PS: Sometimes, a piece of sleeving is not quite big enough and I stretch it ever so slightly using a pair of circlip plers. I have often thought about those Hellerman expanding tools to do the same job.

[Stuart]

I'll have you know I still use 'honeymoon' pliers
But heat shrink Sleeving is was to go these days.

[touchwoodsden]

Just a few words to relieve the boredom.
The battery was going to have quite a lot of connections going onto it and motorcycle battery terminals are not particularly big. I had a couple of cables going into one connection but there was still quite a few:
1. main power feed to the starter motor body
2. main power feed to the alternator
3. main power feed to the glow plug relay
4. main power feed to the 100 amp relay which powers everything except the starter body
I posted a question about connecting the alternator main power feed to the starter motor main power feed lug and I was told that many cars are wired like this and this wasn’t a problem. Therefore, it removes connection 2 above.
Things are really tight in the area behind the engine above and in front of the battery with everything that has to go in there and I think the battery is going to be a bit of a bugger to get in and out. Therefore, if I can make connecting it is quick and easy as possible, that can only be a good thing. I therefore decided to put a battery isolator on the side of the frame so they will only be one connection from the battery to the isolator and all the other connections will be on the other side will be a lot more accessible. From a safety point of view, it also makes good sense.
At the moment, I’m playing around with brackets and keep welding bits on and then cutting them off because I’m deciding where all the various relays are going to go.
I have made a mounting plate for the Fly by wire Throttle Position Sensor which fits on top of the gearbox on three rubber bobbins and I will post a picture up when I have my camera to hand. I just can’t satisfy myself position positions of all the electromechanical bits and the electronic bits are as neat as they could be.

[Eddy Wane]

Sign of old age when you send the same post twice.

Edit by Dan J: sorted and "bugger" post deleted!

[touchwoodsden]

I spend a little time in the garage tonight. Problems with work so things have been a little slow lately.
I have stripped all the paint off the fuel tank. (Not tonight, I did it over a period of nights) As anyone who has a BMW K 100 will know, the fuel tank is made from very good quality aluminium. It does perforate the bottom however because water settles out and the acid in the water will pinhole the bottom. Therefore, many K100 tanks have been repaired along the bottom edge adjacent to the seam. My other K 100 had a big repair which I wasn’t happy with so I could to chunk out and my mate welded strips of aluminium in. This tank has also been repaired, but the size of the repair is so small that I’m going to leave it. In addition, it is right underneath and you can’t see it.
The tank had 4 layers of paint. Two topcoats and two primer. It did not want to come off. I tried NitroMors which, thanks to the eco-brigade is about much use in stripping paint is farting on it. What I did therefore was put cellulose thinners into a tray and lay the tank on its side and leave it overnight. The following day, the paint peeled off. I did that with each part of the tank over successive nights until it was virtually clean. Some areas eluded me and I eventually found some paint stripper on the Internet which is purportedly 10 times stronger than Nitromors. Well, it certainly is stronger at least, it’s stronger than the current stuff and to be honest, it’s probably the same as the old stuff. It removed the last stubborn bits in minutes. I now have 4.99 L of the stuff left in case I ever have to do another stripping job!
The last thing I’m going to do before I put the bike on the road is to drain the tank of fuel, take it to the polishers and then, when it is all nice and shiny, stick it back on the bike.
There is a brilliant guy not far from me (Chester) who I could not recommend highly enough, who does polishing. He doesn’t do plating or anything like that, just polishing. I don’t mind polishing small things and I have all the equipment to do it on a small scale but the bigger items such as wheel rims or engine covers or fuel tank (!) they go off to Jonathan in Chester. I have never yet been disappointed with how much he is charged.
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This photograph is the aluminium plate which I have mounted on rubber bobbins which takes the Aprilia fly by wire throttle sensor
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here it is fitted onto the plate. I have since cleaned up the burnt area around the painted engine to gearbox adapter housing.
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I managed to get hold of a brand-new old-style Mini radiator from the Bay of E for 20 quid plus a quid carriage. I like these because they are old-fashioned copper and brass and I can solder them. Lots of aluminium radiators are available welding aluminium is not that easy for me. I can get it done but it does mean I have to go to see my mate and get his full-time aluminium welder to do it. He does a fantastic job but I don’t like to pester him. Soldering copper and brass is easy for me.
Anyway, I’ve had a play around and got the radiator into what I think is a reasonable position. The Mini radiator is easy to mount because it has steel sides with tapped holes in which can take nice flat mounting plates. The nice flat mounting plates can then be used to make a whole load of bracketry.
The top radiator mounting goes to a couple of brackets which I welded onto the frame (here’s one I prepared earlier!) And the bottom ones go to the engine mounting on the right-hand side (sitting on the bike) and the left-hand side, to a not welded onto the frame down tube.
I have not quite finished the tubing of the radiator because I need a piece of 22 mm plumbing pipe to go across the top to bring the top right hand inlet/outlet over to the left. However I am really pleased with the result and even the original hoses fit because, as you will be aware if you read my much earlier post, I turned around the water pump outlet which makes the piping much easier to deal with. In fact, I have been able to use the original hoses. One of them has a slight kink and might need an internal spring or piece of tube but otherwise, I am really pleased with the plumbing.
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This kind of engine and what goes around it is never going to look pretty but then again, that is probably half of the charm.
The timing side of the old British singles and twins was always the pretty side (if it can be described as pretty) and the drive side was always the ugly side. In my opinion, this one is going to be no different.
I made a plate to fit the battery isolator and now just have to decide where put it.
DSC04527
Regarding the wiring, I am not struggling with what wire goes where. That is easy enough. I’m struggling with cramming it in to the space under the seat.
Unfortunately, I have not made the wiring to the ECU and IDU long enough to fit those units under the seat hump and I think that ultimately, I may have to extended all (deep joy!) to do so. Don’t get me wrong, I can get everything in around the battery along with the relays and fuses, the problem is getting to the battery and the connections of the relays and everything else with so little space. I guess I have never worked on modern cars where you need fingers which are 18 inches long and 10 mm diameter.

[touchwoodsden]

I had a little bit of “play day” today.
I decided I was going to have a little bit of a tidy up in the workshop and finish off the top pipe of the radiator which needed moving from the right-hand side to the left-hand side.
They were my jobs for the day. I haven’t done much of a tidy up in the shed but I have moved a few things around.
However, I’m really pleased with the radiator. I needed some 22 mm pipe to move the top outlet of the Classic Mini Radiator from the right-hand side to the left. I had plenty of 28 mm and plenty of 15 mm but no 22 mm. Hence, off to B&Q to buy some. 2 m was about 12 quid (B&Q convenient) which was a bit of a bummer considering I only needed about 200 mm.
I had already chopped off most of the outlet tube and a 22 mm elbow was a beautiful fit up the inside. I put a slight dogleg in the pipe and soldered it to the header tank and then, another elbow and half a straight fitting on the other end finish the job. I am mindful, when doing anything with a copper and brass radiator that if you heat it too much, it falls apart. Therefore, I covered everything I didn’t want to overheat in a water -soaked cloth. I also used a couple of Mole Grips as heat sinks. So, there were no mishaps.

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I was so pleased with the job at the top of the radiator I decided to move the bottom pipe so that it came straight out instead of at an angle outwards. Another good result. In an ideal world the bottom one should have sloped downward slightly but, I have simply decided to leave it as it is because it’s a good joint and I don’t want to bugger it up purely for the sake of about 5° which can be taken up with the rubber hose.

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I wasn’t particularly happy with the bends of the fuel hose which at one place does a U bend. I also don’t like the idea of any undue stress on the outlets welded into the aluminium tank. I therefore decided to put some elbows in the fuel line and not being able to find any which were cheap enough, or neat, I decided to make my own. The fittings on the Mercedes Smart injector pump are 8 mm so I figured the 8 mm plumbing pipe and elbows would fit the job. Obviously, the fuel system is pressurised so to make sure that the hose does not pop off (it will have a small pipe clip) I wound a bit of electrical wire around the end of the short stub and soldered it on. I made 10 of these and I’m quite pleased with them. It wasn’t actually on today’s agenda because I didn’t make them today, I made them one evening in the week.

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Apart from the wiring (deep joy) and the gearbox and final drive gearing changes (still waiting for the bits from Germany) and a couple of small brackets for the main 100amp relay and battery isolator, the frame and all the bits are now ready for the powder coaters. I have the plastics to flat down for painting but no rush with those.

The engine arrived Xmas eve last and I am pleased with progress so far in under 3 months

[klondikekid]

When I plumbed my cooling hoses, I found that hardwall marine hose bends well without pinching, pricey but will work well and will out last the bike.

[touchwoodsden]

When I plumbed my cooling hoses, I found that hardwall marine hose bends well without pinching, pricey but will work well and will out last the bike.

Thank you for the input. I imagine it’s quite difficult to bend and hence would put quite a strain on the inlet and outlet of the radiator and only being soft soldered and thin brass I would be very wary of doing that in the long term. However, notwithstanding that, I have managed to use the existing hoses successfully without putting any strain or bends in the pipe sufficient to cause even a small restriction.
However, I can’t find a supplier in the UK in any event. I guess we just don’t have that many boats over here

[touchwoodsden]

Update: Easter Monday
I bit the bullet today and got everything ready for the powder coaters to take tomorrow. The last couple of brackets are welded on.
Frame and brackets all in gloss black. Footrest hangers and footrests in satin black.
I have used this guy before and he is fantastic. Knows exactly what to mask off without even being told. Unfortunately, even if I say it’s urgent, it’s never quick. However, I would still not use anywhere else. I have used them for many years.
I guess that urgent is probably going to be a month.
Still, it will give me some time to play with other things such as the insides of the gearbox and final drive. Hopefully, the gears will have arrived within the next month which means that when the frame comes back, I can put the whole lot together otherwise, I’m going to be hanging around waiting because there seems little point in putting it all together only to have to remove the gearbox at a later stage. I just want to take it off once more, change the gears, and then put it back together.
I have also decided to get the beautiful alloy tank polished whilst there is a bit of a hiatus. I had an inspiration and that is to cover it in cling film after polishing to keep fingerprints and dirty marks off it.
Watch this space.
Update 2.Easter Monday 1045pm Bugger, forgot to take tyres off wheels and include those for silver. Perhaps powder coaters Wed then

[Mouse]

These are my first choice on hoses.

Fuel hose: I use cotton braided rubber fuel hose on the diesel bike. I've had it on the bike for over a year and had no problems. It is very much more flexible and easier to route than the solid rubber fuel hose sold by your local autofactor and even when in tight bends wont put enough stress at the end to worry about, it also looks the part on a bike compared to the thick walled heavy duty type. In fact it is so soft that I have to buy matching hose clips as cheap jubilee clips are to much for it.
Many ebay shops sell it by the meter just search for "COTTON BRAIDED RUBBER FUEL HOSE"

Water hose: I have used universal 'flexible convoluted radiator hose' for tight bends in cooling hoses where there is risk of kinking or straining. I got a selection way back when Halfords actually sold car spares and stocked a fair selection of universal parts. So I guess look up kit car suppliers now. The hoses pre-made and avaiable in various lengths and diameters and on the ones I have the ends are flat to take pipe clips.
This is a typical example. You can easily tie them in a knot without problems.

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/v ... ible-hoses

Be wary of some silicon hoses as one of the Track owners has had them weep coolant out from mildly chafed areas.

[touchwoodsden]

I thought of using the Cotton Braided fuel hose but as the fuel system runs at about 3 bar, I wasn’t altogether certain that it was strong enough.

I have seen those convoluted water hoses before and I would have considered them had I not been able to utilise the original Mercedes Smart hoses.

I am only using silicon hoses from the turbo to the plenum chamber

[touchwoodsden]

I forgot, I have a spare pair of wheels with reasonable paint on. Because this project is running way over budget, (as you might expect) I’m going to use the spare wheels for now and I will get the skanky ones powder coated at some stage in the future. Both sets have really good tyres on.
I dropped the fuel tank off the polishers today and the frame and its bracketry at the Powder Coaters.
Time to tidy the shed.
At some stage, I’m obviously going to have to change the fuel and engine number at DVLA.
I did a little research around the engine to find the engine number and although there are lots of stickers all over it, there is nothing stamped that I could find. So, I did a little more research using Mr Google and discovered that it’s on the engine part of what would be the bell housing around the periphery, stamped horizontal, in line with the starter motor. Well, I couldn’t see it until I got a bright light and looked really hard.
The letters are done in some odd kind of hieroglyphic text which is very difficult to read not only is it very difficult to read, it looks as though it’s been scratched on no deeper than if it had been done by a fingernail.
I will try and take a photograph of it later but I doubt that the camera will pick it up because it is so faint. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not corroded (this engine has only done 49,000 km) it is just very faint from new.

[gilburton]

You'll probably need an engineers report/inspection on headed paper to prove the new engine is as you say.
It used to be the case where you would just send the v5 off with the changes but you will get a letter back asking for a report so if you can get this done and send it all off together you'll save time.
My friendly MOT man did it for free.
It's not an actual mechanical check they just want visual confirmation of the engine change/numbers.
If you have a receipt for the engine it will help.
It usually takes around 3 weeks for the v5 to come back after the report so may take 6 weeks or more if you don't do an engineers report with your initial application so do it ASAP to save time in case there are any hiccups with DVLA.

[Crazymanneil]

I thought of using the Cotton Braided fuel hose but as the fuel system runs at about 3 bar, I wasn’t altogether certain that it was strong enough.

I have seen those convoluted water hoses before and I would have considered them had I not been able to utilise the original Mercedes Smart hoses.

I am only using silicon hoses from the turbo to the plenum chamber

Hey.

Fixed your duplicate posts for you.

The fuel lift system is ok at around 1 bar on the earlier 450 smart engine. Yours looks to be a 451 so might be different. On the 450, if the pressure is too low then a safety valve stops the engine from running. Also be aware that some petrol lift pumps don't like diesel, especially if there is any biodiesel content (e.g. in Germany). I have yet to find a good quality external diesel lift pump so I pick ones that have warranty...

The serial number is a real pain as you say. At least you are looking in the right place. I don't know if the rules changed but when I registered the changes on the bike, the only thing I had to send was the V5. Do you know the details of the car the engine came from? Could you get the engine number that way?

All the best,

Neil

[touchwoodsden]

You'll probably need an engineers report/inspection on headed paper to prove the new engine is as you say.
It used to be the case where you would just send the v5 off with the changes but you will get a letter back asking for a report so if you can get this done and send it all off together you'll save time.
My friendly MOT man did it for free.
It's not an actual mechanical check they just want visual confirmation of the engine change/numbers.
If you have a receipt for the engine it will help.
It usually takes around 3 weeks for the v5 to come back after the report so may take 6 weeks or more if you don't do an engineers report with your initial application so do it ASAP to save time in case there are any hiccups with DVLA.

I have just put a sidecar onto a motorbike and they have asked for form V 627/1 which is a Built-up vehicle report. Because it’s a tricycle, I have to send it along with a weighbridge certificate and an MOT showing that it’s a three wheeler.
They also want a photograph showing the VIN.
They want to know what parts of the original bike were used.
They also ask for any receipts.

For my Smart Diesel conversion, I have the receipt for the engine from the Breakers where I bought it.
I will make sure that when I send the V5 info modification, I will send all the photographs and the report.
Kind regards

[Mouse]

You'll probably need an engineers report/inspection on headed paper to prove the new engine is as you say.
If you have a receipt for the engine it will help.

It's been a couple of years since I did this and my first was rejected because I did not have the above + DVLA asked for proof of engine No when I called them for info. My experience is listed in the last couple of comments on this thread. I did make several calls to the DVLA asking the same questions until I got two similar answers and went with that as advice. The VW specialists I mentioned was the local independent VW customising spares supplier and not an actual workshop or engineers outfit.

https://www.dieselbikeforum.com/view ... =20&t=1830

[gilburton]

"I have just put a sidecar onto a motorbike and they have asked for form V 627/1 which is a Built-up vehicle report. Because it’s a tricycle, I have to send it along with a weighbridge certificate and an MOT showing that it’s a three wheeler."

Bit puzzled by this as a motorcycle/sidecar is not a "trike"??
As far as I am aware the only time it becomes a trike is if you have permanently attached it to the bike eg welded so that it becomes a permanent part of the chassis/frame.
A sidecar is treated as an accessory.
Therefore if you have just bolted a sidecar on it's still a motorcycle and shouldn't need registering as a trike??
Only people you have to tell is your insurance co.
Because it's still registered as a motorcycle the rider/pillion still have to wear a helmet although the sidecar passenger does not.

http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/vehicl ... arlaw.html

[mark_in_manchester]

My MOT man did my DVLA letter - it was very brief, confirmed the frame number and engine number (and type, capacity and manufacturer), said that the modifications had been done using 'appropriate engineering techniques, and to an appropriate standard' and that the bike had not yet been presented for MOT, but were it to be so presented it was in an appropriate condition to pass the test.

I don't know how much of that was necessary, but it worked. I sent this in reply to DVLA who wrote back to me looking for more info when I just sent the V5 back with change of engine no. and fuel type. They took a little convincing that a 993cc diesel engine existed, and the letter helped with this along with a photocopy of the spec page from the engine manual (though they had stated that photocopies would not be accepted...). This was 6 or 7 years ago.

Oh - and I add my surprise regarding your sidecar experience - my MOT man confirms we still get away with sidecar as accessory in the UK, which is unusual for EU situation as a whole.

cheers
Mark

[touchwoodsden]

I think they have gone a bit jobsworth. They want their pieces of paper because the letter I got asking for all these various things was a standard letter, not individually. You have to bear in mind that the majority of people at DVLA don’t know anything about vehicles. The guy that used to inspect kit cars for registration at our local office (before they closed) was presented (by me) with a Marlin kit car. He came out to inspect it and asked what all the running year was. As it happens, it was Marina. He asked if it used the original Marina chassis. Because they awarded Q (which I didn’t want), totting up system, I said, yes of course it did. Clearly, he doesn’t know that the Marina doesn’t have a chassis!

And so, to go back on topic,

I got the fuel tank back from the polishers.
30 quid well spent I think. Cheaper than painting it!

DSC04552

DSC04550

DSC04549

[touchwoodsden]

There are 2 lengths of belt listed for the Smart CDI engine alternator/water.
The shorter belt (by about 15 mm fits the earlier 450 engine and the long about fits the later (post 2009) 451 engine.

The only belt that seems to be available (although 2 are supposed to be listed, I have only ever be able to get the 450 belt which just will not go on the 451 pulleys.

Even with the alternator is tight into the engine as it would go, it still wouldn’t fit. So, I did a little bit of fat with the engine casing is where they were touching and managed to get it to swing in a few millimetres more. It was a close thing but I’ve just managed to get the belt on with the nice amount of tension which I am happy with. It’s a good job because I just couldn’t get it any closer. No photograph I’m afraid quite simply because that isn’t really much to photograph.

6.99 from Motor World. Bargain. They have motor factor depts now. Must try to wangle a discount like I get from Halfords

[gilburton]

Sorry to go on about the sidecar but unless you have informed them you want to change it to "tricycle" no form should have come from them??
Did you mistakenly think it had to be registered as a tricycle?
My advice would be ignore it and inform the ins. co. and just carry on as a motorcycle.

I'm enjoying your "saga" by the way almost like the days of the old original Motorcycle Sport magazine and they used to feature MZ's a lot