mihkail Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 My friend thinks its possible to run a lawn mower engine without the balde attached. I told him its not possible because a mower engine is designed to have the blade balance it out and keep it running. correct? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest drteming Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 You can run a mower engine without the blade. Did so back in junior high power shop when we took apart a 2 cycle (LawnBoy) and 4 cycle engine (Briggs and Stratton)--if I remember correctly--and put it back together. Dang! That was 23 years ago! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDMF Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 The engine and blade are balanced seperately so it cam be run without it.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_bowtie Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 yep...true... Â but I wouldnt rev the engine very high without some kind of load on the engine... Â it's not going to hurt to run it without...these thing will take alot of abuse before they scatter... Â I had several engines on my old yard-cart... my favorite was a high winding 5 horsepower pushing about 10 horse...sent the rod thru the block a few times...Thank god for JB-Weld.... Â Last one on the cart was a 11horse Honda...88mph on a yard cart with no suspension can be scary... but loads of fun... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoken Joe Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 88mph on a yard cart with no suspension can be scary   Scary or deadly oh well at least it is not a ATI- you think a sportbike is dangerous ATV's maim 15-20 times as many if not more.  Yea they rarly design a small engine for just one task so it needs to be able to run on its own. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_w95482 Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 I would think it would be okay, as most, if not every lawn mower engine has a governor to keep the engine speed low (12,000 rpm lawn mower would be fun but would probably levitate ). The nice commercial-level mowers have a clutch between the engine and blade, and they only seem to rev slightly higher with it disengaged. I'm not sure how much different the motor on those are compared to regular mowers. Â As for the balancing part, I would assume that's what part of the flywheel's purpose is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_bowtie Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 Scary or deadly oh well at least it is not a ATI- you think a sportbike is dangerous ATV's maim 15-20 times as many if not more. Â Yea they rarly design a small engine for just one task so it needs to be able to run on its own. Â Yea... these things can be bad... Â When I was younger (20's)... me and my little brother used to really have alot of fun with these... there was a industrial work place that was empty on the weekends (paved roads) that we used to test these things out on... I used to run the cart along side a moving vehical to test the speed of the cart... Â We also would race these carts all over, jump them, ramp them and flip em' around.... we wore NO protective gear...nothing... Â Once we were going about 60mph and the front tire of one of the carts came off... we didnt know it till it passed us up and went sailing by progressively faster than we.... the tire it a curb and went airborn (a 6in tire and rim) hitting a mailbox post and totally smashing it.... I mean it blasted it to the point it wasnt usable.... Â Luckily no one got hurt that time... Â Next time my brother had my cart (mine was scary fast) and they were doing dirt trials.... my brother got fearless and decided to ramp a dirt hill at loard knows how fast... He hit the hill wrong and fliped the cart and thru him into the hill and the cart landing on him... he got 3 broken ribs and alot of bruses out of that one.... Â That didnt stop us... we went faster and faster...My favorite thing to do was slide the cart into a water hole after a good rain spewing a water wall as high and as far as I could.... this was pretty fun till I hit a water hole at about 35mph sideways and finding a parking curb in it... I fliped 13 times in the cart... walked away unhurt...(no roll bar either) I just got the wind knocked out of me real good... Â Heck we used to race these things accross town and all around and even the cops couldnt catch us...(not to smart) Â The last time we ran the carts is just after I got my engine back from the shop...it was pushing 13hp and was running pretty good... me and my brother were camping at the family farm and riding some trails and mowing grass... Â There is a half mile two-track that goes back to the camp site that has a creek running behind it... we would run full bore down the track and before the creek hit a hard left circling a large tree... we had been doing this all weekend plus running thru the fields... Â The next morning I got up early and was cutting grass and was met by my brother on the front of the trial...he was ready to ride... well he raced off as I headed back on the mower... When I got back there was a crowd of people huddled around... when I got to the huddle my brother was laying there not moving much... Â Appearently the tree we were making a hard left around had a ground hog that decided he needed another entrance to his home.... Â Word is my brother hit that hole going around the tree... he was going pretty fast...we could go around the tree like sprint cars at insane speeds... Â Anyhow when he hit the hole the cart flipped and his leg got caught in the steering and coudnt get loose... he ended up flipping with the cart and possibly bouncing off the tree? I know he slammed to the ground and the cart slammed on top of him upside down... Â The cart had a steel gas tank mounted behind the top of the seat... this tank hit him in the head so hard it smashed the tank almost completely flat... Â When I got there my brother was acting very goofy...very confused and just out of it... he started ridding himself of all fluids... man I was freaked... Â I just seen him like 1 minute before that... Â Bad thing was we were 20 miles from anywhere close to home... my buddy ran him down to the local fire department and they radio'd for help... Â On the way to the firehouse he went out...And I headed for the hospital...I beat the ambulance there by 5 minutes... Â After 2 hours in intensive care I learned he sheared all the receptors in his brain (the things that hold the brain afloat in your skull) and the doctors say if they could keep the swelling down he's probably be okay but would have some damage but not knowing how much.... Â After 4 days we learned he would be fine... but lost pretty much all his short term memory... for a long time after that you just couldnt carry on a concersation with him anymore...still to this day he still isnt quite the same...he'll drift off... Â After a year after the accident he pulled the mangled cart out of the shed and put a new tank on it... when he started it up he nearly fainted... even when he sat on the cart he was shaking very badly... Â I gave my cart away shortly after the accident...I figure if this could happen to him it could happen to me.... or worse one of my kids (the whole crew of them).... shortly after that... he built another cart and 2 days after completion he sold both of them and hasnt touched anything since.... Â So be carefull no matter what you ride...I still ride bike but not near like I used to.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihkail Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 its funny you guys talk about go karts, i have one of the kind you are talking about. (im 15 and i wont have my liscense until april so its like my car right now) How did you get one to go 88mph? it must have had one long gear on it. I just ordered a 48 tooth sprocket for mine (60 tooth right now) im hoping to do about 50mph on it. Â My friend was also thinking of using a mower engine for a go kart, thats why i was asking if it would work. He says all you need to do is flip the gas tank and carburetor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clawhammer Posted December 5, 2006 Posted December 5, 2006 ive got a 5hp honda engine from an old generator . can any 1 post some usefull links on go-kart building thanks in advance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihkail Posted December 6, 2006 Posted December 6, 2006 right now i have a 5hp tecumseh, (model OHH50) with no governor or muffler. it has 195cc, and from what ive seen thats a lot for a small kart like mine with only 5ph, and it has good torque. Â i think i have a leaky gas line or im getting horrible gas milage because i rode it about 3 miles to my friends house and the tank was full when left but empty when i got there and usually it hardly uses any gas since i dont have to stop much going there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihkail Posted December 6, 2006 Posted December 6, 2006 thank god for fuses, i thought i broke my 23 year-old receiver. I was playing thx-worlds deepest bass, and it stopped putting out sound, i think its cause i have a 600watt car sub hooked up to it right now. but anyways there were 3 fuses on the back and i changed those and it still didnt work, so i opened it and luckily there were 3 more hidden in the back under some wiring, i think they were original since they were covered in dust, and one of those was broken, replaced it and now it works again. so im in a good mood Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
asillyboy Posted December 6, 2006 Posted December 6, 2006 You can start a motor w/o a blade or pulley in the case of a rider but it will much more difficult. The blade helps to keep the engine turning believe it or not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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