Many motorists, especially owners of domestic cars, have experienced all the “joys” of winter operation of their beloved “steeds” firsthand. A particular “pleasure” is bringing the heart—the “fiery engine”—back to life after a frosty night. I own a giant of Russian automaking—the Oka—so all my thoughts and efforts went into developing a system that would Read more…
With the help of articles in the magazine «Modelist-Konstruktor», I built myself a universal power tiller based on a Minsk motorcycle. It turned out to be a good, hard-working mechanical helper. Its basis, of course, is the standard motorcycle frame, shortened (as recommended by the magazine) and fitted with the power unit and a two-stage Read more…
Is such a thing possible? It would seem hard to imagine this elegant, fast motorcycle in the role of a truck. Nevertheless, it handles the role of a heavy hauler admirably, thanks to a reliable and durable engine with good finning and sufficient torque across the entire crankshaft speed range. It should be said that Read more…
Rust is enemy number one of almost any metal. The “red plague” that with enviable persistence and constancy turns hundreds of thousands of tons of sparkling high-grade, high-strength, alloyed steel into heaps of brown powder. A disease for which there are no barriers… But there are remedies for it: galvanic coatings, varnishes and paints, bitumens Read more…
I read in the magazine «Modelist-Konstruktor» No. 12, 1992, A. Tatarnikov’s article «Obedient trailer». It suggested a solution to what at first glance seems a rather ordinary, but on closer look almost unsolvable problem: how to fit a motorcycle with a sidecar with a trailer that would follow it track-for-track? The idea of building a Read more…
Few car owners do not try to improve their consumer qualities. The most extensive field of activity for auto-rationalizers is the power plant. From time to time, publications appear about gaskets, attachments, or additives that increase engine life, optimize fuel consumption, reduce exhaust toxicity… Our Ukrainian reader proposes an aerodynamic attachment for the carburetor. He Read more…
To check the operation of the trailer’s lighting system, two people are needed: the driver turns on the switches and presses the brake pedal, while an assistant monitors whether the signals on the trailer light up correctly. I made a device that allows you to quickly check the operation of the trailer’s electrical equipment alone. Read more…
Sometimes a load lifted by a crane beam or winch (when replacing an engine in a car, for example) needs to be lowered slightly to the side from the suspension point. In this case, an auxiliary balance beam made from a suitable pipe or T-beam may come in handy. An eyelet for the crane hook Read more…
In winter, diesel fuel causes considerable trouble for farmers, as well as other owners of automotive and tractor equipment. At low temperatures, it becomes thick, and the paraffin contained in it crystallizes. This threatens rapid filter clogging and cessation of fuel supply from the tank. As a result, starting diesel engines and operating machines sometimes Read more…
My article on the so-called separate lubrication system for a two-stroke engine was published in “Modelist-Konstruktor” No. 7, 1991. However, I still receive letters from readers interested in additional information about the equipment for it. As the mail analysis showed, practically everyone experiences difficulties when manufacturing parts of the metering device—turned fittings, needle, etc. I Read more…
