My next crazy project.

[dartfreak75]

Im sure you guys who follow my posts on here know by now I like to tinker and think outside the box. So today I started a project I have been wanting to do for a couple years now and just keep putting it off. Sorry It got dark on me and I didn't get any pictures so you will just have to visualize what I'm saying until I get some pics. Anyways so what im doing is a gas powered bicycle. I know I can just buy a kit for a hundred bucks but where is the fun in that? Instead im using an old push mower engine off a push mower I got for free. The push mower was free because it "didn't run" I got it running in about 5 mins and actually mowed with it for a couple years until the deck cracked now the blades hit the deck. So im doing a vertical to horizontal shaft conversion. And I know someone will ask why, well why not? Lol it's fun and challenging. The two hurdles are fuel and oil the fuel is easy just make a bracket and turn the carb sideways. The oil is a little trickier. There are alot of youtube videos and stuff showing oil mods by adding splashers and cutting for the crank and cam journals but one thing I noticed when I tore mine apart was there is no way of getting oil to the top of the motor simply by adding a splasher to the crank. Especially on a ohv model like mine. There pushrods and the lifters block off the only holes from the front of the engine (now the top of the engine) so my idea was to run an electric oil pump from the sump to the top of the engine. The trouble im having is I cannot find a small electric oil pump. The only oil pumps I can find are the recovery pumps ment for oil changes and such. And I don't think they would hold up to the heat of the oil with the engine running. Any ideas or sources on some cheap oil pumps?

 

[George Jets]

How about mounting an external pulsing fuel pump that's made to pump diesel fuel.

Plumb in your lines from the sump area of the engine now turned sideways. Then pump the oil up to the top end.

Run with some thin straight weight 10w oil, easy to pump.

 

[dartfreak75]

How about mounting an external pulsing fuel pump that's made to pump diesel fuel.

Plumb in your lines from the sump area of the engine now turned sideways. Then pump the oil up to the top end.

View attachment 1715809707
View attachment 1715809708

Run with some thin straight weight 10w oil, easy to pump.

That is exactly what I am considering. But I don't think they are rated for that kind of heat!? That pump on the top is the exact one I was looking at. I have a fuel pump like the one on the bottom to transfer fuel from jugs I could try it and see. If it burns up im only out of 12 bucks lol. Then the second problem. How to power it? Its a bike there's not alot of room for a battery. I was thinking about trying those 23a 12 volt batteries and a custom box to wire it up. I don't know if it would be enough watts tho. Here is what I'm looking at now. I could give it a try.

 

[dartfreak75]

I just had a crazy thought @George Jets I wonder if I threaded a 1/4 barb fitting into the bottom of the crank case and then another into the top of the valve cover and connected them with a rubber fuel line if the crankcase pressure would be enough to circulate the oil to the top of the engine thru the hose? That would be ideal. No batteries no pump. That maybe worth exploring.

 

[George Jets]

Here you go @dartfreak75

Some good humor here, add a pinch of Crazy, making use of free things . . all the better.
Just as you are thinking. Can use a tin dipper, oil slinger same as the horizontal engines use and you are good to go.

Especially like the "Formula 1 Starter" at the end.

How to make your vertical shaft lawnmower horizontal:
(15 min. vid)

 

[George Jets]

Your Choice, lots of ways to get it done.

Good Luck, like the way you think . . .

 

[dartfreak75]

Yea I think I will start with the slinger and run it and see what happens im gonna enlarge the oil holes to the head and see if im getting enough oil to the rockers if not ill go from there better to start simple and then trouble shoot. I'll make my own slinger out of some sheet metal I have plenty of scrap from the rusty ram project. Lol

 

[George Jets]

Yea I think I will start with the slinger and run it and see what happens im gonna enlarge the oil holes to the head and see if im getting enough oil to the rockers if not ill go from there better to start simple and then trouble shoot. I'll make my own slinger out of some sheet metal I have plenty of scrap from the rusty ram project. Lol

No rockers on that lawn mower engine, it's a flat head.

The valves sit down in the block deck. So the oil sliger will sling up enough oil just fine to lube the valve guides just above the cam.

 

[dartfreak75]

No rockers on that lawn mower engine, it's a flat head.

The valves sit down in the block deck. So the oil sliger will sling up enough oil just fine to lube the valve guides just above the cam.

I got a ohv engine it has rockers its a 450e briggs
I wish I has some pictures ill get some in the morning

 

[George Jets]

Here is a 450e:

Turn it 45° and then sling the oil up the push rod tubes to the overhead rockers. (it probably slings it up there by design already being overhead valves.)

Not fighting gravity so much.

Then you make up a 45° new carb manifold to keep the carb running level.

Then you are good to go.

 

[George Jets]

Here is a 6.5 hp Predator from Harbor Freight. Laid over at 45°

Only $150.00 ready to go. Lol . .

Oiling, Gas Tank, Carburation on the Free vertical shaft engine to figure it out and all the fun that goes along with it.

☆☆☆☆☆

 

[dartfreak75]

Here is a 6.5 hp Predator from Harbor Freight. Laid over at 45°

View attachment 1715810248

Only $150.00 ready to go. Lol . .

Oiling, Gas Tank, Carburation on the Free vertical shaft engine to figure it out and all the fun that goes along with it.

☆☆☆☆☆

I have a brand new predator for a different project. Me and the kids are gonna build a go kart from scratch

 

[dartfreak75]

Here is a 450e:

View attachment 1715810245

Turn it 45° and then sling the oil up the push rod tubes to the overhead rockers. (it probably slings it up there by design already being overhead valves.)

Not fighting gravity so much.

Then you make up a 45° new carb manifold to keep the carb running level.

View attachment 1715810246

Then you are good to go.

That is the plan! Your reading my mind

 

[mpgmike]

Not from scratch, but my son & I did a refurbish on a trashed go-kart we picked up for a song; including the Predator engine.

 

[dartfreak75]

Not from scratch, but my son & I did a refurbish on a trashed go-kart we picked up for a song; including the Predator engine.

View attachment 1715810258

Nice I like that. I think that stuff is the coolest. And the best part its affordable. You can get old lawn mowers and scrap metal anywhere for cheap or sometimes free. And just fabricate away. Right now I have nothing in my bike project I got the bike for free and the push mower for free. I will end up having to buy a few things like a twist throttle, centrifugal clutch, sprockets chain etc. I figured it all up and im at about 80 dollars total. I may pimp it out with a 70s style banana seat. Lol

 

[diymirage]

I would leave the engine in its normal position and weld a few of these to the crank

 

[mpgmike]

I would imagine it would be difficult to get reasonable balance; like a driveshaft with all the weights removed (or worse yet, tacked in all the wrong places).

 

[dartfreak75]

As promised here are some pics. I finished tearing the engine down the rest of the way this morning. I found a small crank at top of the case (now the side) looks like the crank smacked into the case somehow. Easy fix tho. I took a ball peen and knocked it back flush and I will clean and jb weld the crack. I also have to jb weld the old governor hole and dipstick hole closed. I can't believe how tiny that piston is its so cute lol. I don't think I have a ring compressor that small. I may have screwed up there I may have to buy a small ring compressor. Im gonna port the head some and lap the valves. I already cleaned them up with a wire wheel. Im gonna run a open header style exhaust and may open the jet up a tiny bit to try and increase flow. I might gain a couple points in hp. Make it a 4.8hp instead of 4.5 lol im working on a 45 degree intake now. This carb is a little different it just snap fits into the intake with a rubber o ring. Im thinking about a 3/4 rubber hose and then modify the bracket to hold it level. The rubber hose fits right over the intake perfectly i just gotta figure out a way to get it attached to the carb.

 

[dartfreak75]

More

 

[George Jets]

OK looks good, helps explain what you got there. Plenty of room there to sling oil up that push rod run at 45 degree mount. Won't take much oil to keep those rockers lubed.

 

[George Jets]

When the SHTF we all may need a different way to get around.

Friction mount main shaft to the rear tire. You will still have brakes with the pedal and chain assembly that came with the bike.

Friction Drives:

Tire to Tire Drives like they use to run the Tilt-A-Whirl ride decks at the county fairs:

Good Times, Keep Thinking . . .

 

[George Jets]

You can make your own small scale ring compressor with a 10" x 3" piece of roof valley tin and 2 worm type hose clamps to fit the size of the piston.

 

[dartfreak75]

You can make your own small scale ring compressor with a 10" x 3" piece of roof valley tin and 2 worm type hose clamps to fit the size of the piston.

I don't know if I have any tin but ill see what I can find im sure I have something. I know I have a buttload of hose clamps lol

 

[diymirage]

When the SHTF we all may need a different way to get around.

Friction mount main shaft to the rear tire. You will still have brakes with the pedal and chain assembly that came with the bike.

View attachment 1715810392

Friction Drives:

View attachment 1715810394

Tire to Tire Drives like they use to run the Tilt-A-Whirl ride decks at the county fairs:

View attachment 1715810393

Good Times, Keep Thinking . . .

Solex has been doing it like that since the 1940s

heck, some people even race em

 

[67Dart273]

"A caution".........

This is my last recument trike

The engine in question is not mounted in this older photo. I had bought a small 4 stroke for it because I figured it would "pull" at lower RPM and be a bit more quiet.

Now this trike is "1 wheel drive" off the chain. The left wheel idles on a shaft. I made a new shaft and modified it so the left wheel is driven by that new shaft and connected an ELECTRIC drive to the left shaft

When I got the 4 stroke I left that all connected, and added a second sprocket to the RIGHT shaft and connected the 4 stroke to that. So now the pedals and 4 stroke drive the right side wheel

The "CAUTION?"

The 4 stroke, even though small and not very powerful, DESTROYED the right hand wheel by stretching the spokes. I am guessing the constant "pounding" by the "put put put" applied a "pulsing" energy which stretched and ruined the spokes.

This all happened in the space of one summer

My advice: Drive the wheel with friction, or find some sort of alloy wheel, etc

Also be aware that (so far as I know) all the commercial bike engines meed a maximum HP/ CC figure for unlicensed operation (at least in some states)

By using a lawn more or other large engine such as this, you might be "in danger" of law enforcement. Check what you are up against in your state.