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w00p · (This post was last modified: 03-23-2005 05:44 AM by w00p.)

So, because my grandmother has moved from her house into a small appartement (hip operation, house was way too big, even before the new hip) she had some stuff she\'d never need anymore.
Like her lawnmower... It was a 5HP Briggs & Stratton Quantum XTS 50.

Doing a little research about it, I realised it has quite a pwnage engine...
It didn\'t work but I took about 20 mins of free time to debug it, and got it running. Apparently, theres a throttle valve (edit: after some more research it appears to be the choke valve, part of the carb... explains alot) between the carb and the block itself. I had to keep it open while starting the engine, and let it go freely in a few seconds or the engine just puffs a bit and comes to a complete stop again. Tongue

The engine runs fine apart from the starting problems, and since nobody needs 2 lawnmowers, one has to go.
We\'re keeping the honda 5hp since its a self-propelled and the B&S... well, isn\'t.

So I have a fairly decent engine to play around with, and now, I have a challenge for you people:
Help me decide what to do with it. Smile

Stuff I have access to: welding, drilling, etc
Stuff I don\'t have access to: TIG welding (so no aluminium frame Sad

), funds over 200€
So keep it cost effective and do-able! Tongue

What features must it have?
-Light frame
-Not too expensive, so don\'t come around with something like a mini kitcar or something...
-1 or 2 seats
-must be manouvreable
-not to be equipped with reverse or neutral (though neutral should be quite handy...)
-it should be able to handle light offroading. (just a bit of driving on a bumpy grass field)
-more than 2 wheels, unless you add funds so I can build something with adequate materials and precision. Tongue

Suggestions, concept drawings, all are welcome! Big Grin

Lets see how good you all are as designers.

The_Punisher · 03-23-2005, 06:18 AM

I do houses. This is out of my league.

izzybob7 · (This post was last modified: 03-23-2005 04:26 PM by izzybob7.)

Quote:I do houses. This is out of my league.

damn woodys dont know nuttin but how to pound on wood Tongue

im a welder/fabricator and ive made bout 4-5 mini-choppers that run best with a B&S 5hp. ive got some blueprints for a few designs, all hard tail, straight chain, hard seat. and i can actually hook ya up with some kick arse parts like polished aluminum forks, stainless rims. and a racing rear caliper kit. all in all bout 700 fer the parts i listed and hook ya up with the tubing u need fer the frame for like $20. and if u want to mod it out a bit i can hook ua up with a nos set and the head and carb you need for it. but those are bout 450 on top of it.

but if u want to go cheap i could hook ya up with a go-cart kit fer like $100. thats including blueprints tubing, wheels, rear axel, and steering assembly. prettymuch everything besides seats and motor.

btw what kind of welder do you have? (mig, stick, plasma? miller, Lincoln, hobart?) oh and tig isnt the only way to weld aluminum Tongue

w00p · 03-24-2005, 02:49 AM

Well, its the most efficient I hear.
I have access to a stick welder on a farm...
That means the electrode sticks are bought in packages of 100, are opened and stay open for like a week... Tongue

Not extremely high quality welding there, but hey, its better than making a cart out of wood. Wink

I have been thinking and the most likely concept would be a sort of trike, simply because of its do-ability.

Thanks alot for your suggestions, izzy, but since you live in the US, I\'m afraid I\'ll be paying more on shipping and taxes than for the packets themselves...

w00p · (This post was last modified: 03-24-2005 08:52 AM by w00p.)

Oh, right, before I forget, one of my bigger problems regarding this project will be related to the throttle...
Could someone explain me, basicly, how a throttle works and what would be the best way to implement it, since ATM you only have low rev (turtle icon), high rev (car icon) and coke rev, wich is very, very loud... Tongue

Anyway, hope to hear something about this soon.
Its been on my mind the last fey days and I think I sleep less now. Sad

K, j/k, but still... Wink

izzybob7 · 03-24-2005, 10:10 AM

a trottle controls howmuch air is let into the carb and there fore howmuch fule is being burn and how much power is put out. that the general gyst of it, but these days with the newer engines it both controls how much fules and air is being put into the engine, more complicated stuff im afraid Sad

w00p · (This post was last modified: 03-24-2005 06:58 PM by w00p.)

Doesn\'t that mean there\'ll be unburned fuel in the exhaust?
A wee little bit worried since theres some bycicle/lawnmower/moped shop in my area thats doing a total sale because the owner is going to retire, and there are exhausts for 125CC 2stroke moped engines, I take it it\'ll fit and perform nice on the 180CC 4stroke B&S???

The exhaust is practically a steal... Less than 10€! Tongue

I might take a 1337 steering bar too, I have seen chopper-ish steering bars there for less than 5€! Big Grin

The guy also has a few lawnmower engines just stalled out in the shop, not accompanied with a blade, scoop, anything that actually makes it a lawnmower, .... Wink

K, thanks again for the info izzy!
I now have an excuse to buy one of those tiny tiny tiny K&N air filters just so I can implement some sort of air resistance valve.

Edit:
Thinking for a sec... those newer \"more modern\" throttles you told me about, that limit both fuel and air intake BEFORE the carb. Wouldn\'t it be more logic to just put one valve after the carb, before the intake of the engine block. Or would that get the carb cluttered with excessive misture that can\'t get away fast enough or something like that?

Edit2: Ooh, I found an awesome design.
It needs some adjustment, but I think its gonna be something like it.
Thinking of putting the rear wheel further away and fitting the engine between me and the wheel, to keep the power loss via chain-drive minimal. I also think I\'ll try and find something to protect my feet so I don\'t break them if I accidently smash into something. Big Grin

(offcourse, think away the pedals...)

=D.C.L.I=Everest · 03-24-2005, 09:09 PM

Hmm I would\'ve guessed you\'d had it thought out the other way when you figured you\'d make a trike... Why not have 2 wheels in the back, and one in the front? That way you can put the engine above the hind wheel axis, behind the seat... Well that\'s just how I\'d do it Smile

I attached a quick sketch for a design, made in Paint obviously Tongue

But I think you\'ll know what I mean Wink

w00p · 03-24-2005, 10:44 PM

Yeah, I had it thought out the other way around, but once I saw this on the net, I started thinking.
Imagine you\'re driving moderately fast on a sandy road, try to turn sharp because of something, lets take a cute littwe bunnywabbit to get you all sympathised... Tongue

I\'m more afraid of losing the turn and landing in field 5M lower, but hey. Wink

I think the 2-wheel front would be way safer, and allow me to have enough space to install decent brakes.

Another reason why I picked the 2-wheel front was because I don\'t look forward to finding a decent way to get both rear wheels propelled by the engine without warping any shafts, and as we all know from when we were kids and had those little go-karts, if one of the rear wheels is propelled and the other one isn\'t, you\'ll make little circles if you push the pedals too hard. Wink

And excuse me, don\'t wanna be a wiseass, but I don\'t think a little red cross would be a smart idea... Tongue

=D.C.L.I=Everest · 03-24-2005, 11:51 PM

Why not? It\'s brilliant! You\'d be seated on the top, and the wheels will be situated on the bottom! It\'s the most original fun vehicle you\'ll ever have seen! And, it\'s red! What more would you want?

Wise-ass Tongue

Apparently attachments don\'t work... :404:

Either way, to me it seems awkward to have one hind wheel, the engine in front of it, and then the seat... Wouldn\'t it make your vehicle unnecesarily long?