Warrior Modifications Update:
I got quite close to a ride yesterday. Took the modified Warrior for a test. The recent modifications did not let me down but some of the electrics, who's wiring had been disturbed, did. I did not have enough time to remedy the problems so rode a two wheeler instead - ugh!
After trying to "paste" my version of the Hilgo mid drive transmission from eLecTricks to my Warrior for testing and proving, I had to stop, reinvent the wheel and try from a different direction. Rather than installing the mid drive within the otherwise spare rear end bottom bracket, I had to make a new bracket to mount it immediately above the empty bottom bracket. It was too difficult to maintain unimpeded rotation and the chain angle was too great. The final version worked fine.
The mounting bracket and gear selector slider for my version of the Hilgo transmission as installed on my Warrior for testing.
The gear selection slider also came in for modification. Its derailleur wheel had to be moved towards the front of the trike to avoid interference.
Here is the slider essentially as installed. The two screws with lock nuts in the centre are used to limit the side-to-side movement. The screws contact the bridge piece that holds the standard derailleur adjusters used for cable tension optimisation.
The front chain tensioner is essentially as was intended for eLecTricks but I had to make up a mounting bracket.
The front chain tensioner. Driven from the right of the image, the tensioner consists of two large derailleur wheels and it pivots as required around the 8mm bolt used as a mounting shaft. I am not completely happy about the spring and would prefer a coiled spring around the shaft - when I find one.
A mid drive gear selector was required and I had to come up with something. It looks worde in the image than it really is. I will look for something to cap over the ugly bits soon.
The gear selector uses a single length of cable coming from one end of the slider, through a sheath to a sheath clearance nut welded to a backing plate, around what is rotated by the selector lever (held in place with a couple of tabs that will be crimped against the cable, and returns to the other end of the gear selector slider. Rotate the le ver clockwise to go faster and counter clockwise to go slower.
So, there you have a brief description. Believe me, it will all look much more beauterer when painted.
How did it all go? The trike seemed to want to go. With the drive to the rear wheel roughly equal to the rear cassette gear 4, I ended up with two lower gears and 2 higher gears from the 5-speed cassette. I didn't have much time to get too acquainted with it all but that should happen this week after I address the electrical issues. All in all, the Warrior felt like a totally different trike to ride, sort of going from the somewhat mechanical feel of a manual transmission to the smoothness of an automatic. The only problem was that the shift lever in its current position does not provide visible feedback regarding its relative position status. There is limited places where it could be mounted but, excusing the unintentional pun, it can be shifted.
What has all this resulted in? I am now a fan of the Hilgo type transmission, as rough as it is in this incarnation. So much so that I am seriously considering designing my own eLecTricks suspended rear end so that the transmission inclusion can be a little more streamlined. All in all, a somewhat long but satisfying exercise. After the electrical remedies, I think I should look at the steel wheel idea I mentioned elsewhere to get it out of my system if it doesn't work and get back into eLecTricks construction.
Thanks for looking at this diatribe.