There is an issue with lawnmower engines - Most are 4 stroke machines that have been designed to run fairly slowly this is difficult to over come.
you will need to devise a clutch and possible a gear box to be useful. Also adequate brakes.
I used a rally plus riding mower with a Briggs and Stratton 18 HP engine. I also published an instructable on how to build a go kart with a horizontal shaft engine.
Smasher 555 is right. Me and a couple of friends were goign to try to make a go kart out of a lawnmower engine, but then you would need some kind of customized differential and that would take too much work, and would also significantly reduce your gear ratio. It would cost less and be much more efficient to buy a horizontal shaft engine.
First you need a horizontal shaft engine. Mount it to a frame with a centripatel clutch on the rear axle with a chain and sprocket on the engine shaft.
My friend and i are making one. we are using my old lawnmower i will post an instrutable as soon as i can. go to www.kartbuilding.net and look at their wooden lawn mower engine idea and that might work....i will keep you all posted
Discussions
Best Answer 10 years ago
There is an issue with lawnmower engines - Most are 4 stroke machines that have been designed to run fairly slowly this is difficult to over come. you will need to devise a clutch and possible a gear box to be useful. Also adequate brakes.
4 years ago
I used a rally plus riding mower with a Briggs and Stratton 18 HP engine. I also published an instructable on how to build a go kart with a horizontal shaft engine.
7 years ago
Smasher 555 is right. Me and a couple of friends were goign to try to make a go kart out of a lawnmower engine, but then you would need some kind of customized differential and that would take too much work, and would also significantly reduce your gear ratio. It would cost less and be much more efficient to buy a horizontal shaft engine.
8 years ago
First you need a horizontal shaft engine. Mount it to a frame with a centripatel clutch on the rear axle with a chain and sprocket on the engine shaft.
8 years ago
Have you tried This?
9 years ago
either hydraulics or a riding mower transmission and step up the drive ratio.
9 years ago
My friend and i are making one. we are using my old lawnmower i will post an instrutable as soon as i can. go to www.kartbuilding.net and look at their wooden lawn mower engine idea and that might work....i will keep you all posted
10 years ago
Some good information here:
http://home.comcast.net/~makeyourowngokart/
L