Replacing hoot gearbox with skyhawk gearbox

dougsr.874

Active Member
Local time
3:34 PM
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
570
First, stay far away from the Hoot gearbox, they are junk...I purchased a Skyhawk complete gearbox from Bicycyle-Engines.com.....I was assured it was a direct replacement....Well IT's NOT...Biggest problem is that the rear final drive gear sticks farther out of the box that the Hoot...so the chain will not line up & the bike seat post is even too close....The only solution I can come up with is to move the engine farther outboard but the engine mounting plate appears to be too narrow for that...I beleive if I redrill the mounting plate the outside holes would be in the middle of the vertical side of the plate...unless someone here knows better I will have to go to a machine shop and have a metal plate cut to fit over the existing mounting plate and try to bolt it down....I would appreciate any advice.....
 
You may find that it might be cheaper to purchase one of the Grubee mounting plates from bicycle-engines I believe they sell for $50.00 and are a bit wider than the one offered with the kits that came with the Hoot gearbox. http://www.bicycle-engines.com/vframe-mounting-plate-p-105.html The Grubee mount is also adjustable for overall length. I know that here in socal shop time to have someone modify your existing mount could easily exceed $50.00

ocscully
 
Last edited:
I agree with oscully. In defense of those who have talked about the swap, when people said it will "bolt up"- they were talking about the gearbox to the engine, not what it would take to line the chain up.
 
Back
Top