Weed eater engine conversion

[wac m trac m]

Thanks John, I took the boat out this morning and it ran great. I think I want to raise it a bit so it's easier to steer. I looked on the turn for fun website but couldn't find to part about the trollingmoter mount that you mentioned earlier. I found a replacment moterguide one for 60 bucks but I know theres got to be a cheaper way. I'm going to hit a garage sale in my hood today.
Looks pretty cut and dry...just clamp it on. What is the screw in the back for?

[*Ender*]

John-

I did not get nearly as involved as you with the muffler, but the result was pleasing none the less. The pictures pretty much tell the story with the two exceptions:
1- Ensure the outlet location leaves enough meat in the plastic muffler cover maintain its strength.
2- Secure nuts w/ integrated metal lock washes to the interior with krazy glue to aid in assembly of new outlet.

[John O`Neal]

Wac m ; The small thumb type screw locks the motor in the mounted position when tightened. If you loosen it you can lift the motor out of the trolling mtr. mount and the mount will stay on the boat. The star shaped knob adjusts in or out to set the max depth the prop runs at.
The motor mount designed by Turn 4 fun aka Ripped -off can be found earlier in this thread . In his post he outlines construction methods and provides a material list. I am constantly on the lookout for old trolling motors . They not only provide a source for mtr. mounts but often have usable props. I bought an old Shakespear Trollmaster 624 for $15 sat. It had a 5 1/2" composite prop and a good mount. Got lucky to find it so cheap.

[lasportsman10]

Originally Posted by Joshua C.

Hey man,
Just built a boat around high performance weed wacker engines. uses two 25.4cc 2cycle gas engines(3.5 HP each) and mini jet drives (I ould only get 1/3 throttle and about 12 mph out of my old canoe before air was forced into the jets and they would cavitate, wrong hull shape). MANY other mods to be put on the web later as I am 4 days away from the maiden voyage/christaining.

HINT to use an el cheapo gas engine you will need a clutched model (more torque ) and you will need to mount your engine in the boat through the hull and use a "stuffing tube filled with grease" or figure out a way to seal the shaft or the rotating flex shaft will draw water up the pipe and all over you and your boat/engine. So far as the prop is concerned I started out using a 2.9" RC boat prop (I think it was called a prather 275) and with a single 30cc john deere with a clutch I was able to go faster than paddling with 2 people and gear in the boat!!

Belive me I have been wasting $ on this project for 3 years and KNOW what I am talking about!!! The el cheapo engine can be done if you follow my advice and for about $250 smackers using NEW equip. a good tuned/muffled pipe to keep the racket down will cost ya though.

Feel free to contact me degreeoff1@yahoo.com

good luck

do you have any pics of the boats or motors? if so email me at mporche10@cox.net

[ben2go]

Here is my plan.Please advise me if there is something wrong or can be improved.I have a 30cc Homelite with a curved shaft.My idea is to build an out board.I wanna eliminate the curved shaft(ebay for extra $$$),build a straight shaft with a gear head off of a straight shaft weed trimmer.May be able to use the lower shaft and gear head off a trimmer made for attachments.I wanna cut and use the line shield as an anticavitation plate.I am doubtful about this working.I like the idea mentioned earlier about using copper pipe and fittings to get the exhaust in the water.Noise is a concern in my area.One place I will be is a private lake.1 question I do have have, is there a edger or other gear head that will provide some gear reduction?I haven't found a clear anwser to this question.My thoughts on the edger maybe having a gear reduction is due to additional torque needed to spin a blade.Any ideas or suggestions?I plan to do this soon if I am able to finish building my Jon boat.

[John O`Neal]

Ben; What you are desiring to do is quite feasible. Turn 4 fun aka Ripped -off (try a Google search) has a step by step tutorial on how to build a out board style unit using a 2 piece straight shaft boom. A pic of his motor can be seen in a entry earlier in this thread posted by Orphan cowboy. Caveman has a picture of a copper, underwater exit, exhaust system, also earlier in the thread.

[wac m trac m]

I found a decent moter on the duropower website. If you go to the website and look under engines. You can find a 51.7cc moter for 119.00 and 20 bucks for shipping. You just buying the power head.Thats a great deal. I wonder if it comes with that nice metel cowling where it attaches to the drive tube like on Johns moter..or a clutch? You may have to buy the brushcutter to get them but then you gotta pay 70 more dollers for shipping..ugh.

[wac m trac m]

Heres a link to it.

http://www.duropower.com/item.asp?PID=86&FID=3&level=1

[wac m trac m]

Theres also a nice looking 4cycle for a decent price in there. I wish I knew if they have a clutch. John do you know if you can get parts forthese engines pretty easy?

By the way Ender, looks like you have something cool there. Lets see the whole set up.

[John O`Neal]

Wac m ; The motor you are looking at comes with the clutch shoes on the motor. I doubt it has the clutch drum. Duropower has the parts you reference in a drive shaft kit unit. I don`t know the cost. The engine you ask about is probably the easiest engine of this type to get all kind of parts for . The Chinese must be building millions of them and importing them all to the U.S.A. I have seen them sell for as little as $99 with free shipping.
Note of interest; You will see this engine often listed as 49cc by the Internet vendors and scooter manufacturers . They are actually the same eng. as the 52cc . If a scooter has a motor less than 50cc it doesn`t require a license in most states. So everyone lists them at 49cc.

Ender; Nice job on moving the muffler outlet, looks like a factory job.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by John O`Neal

Ben; What you are desiring to do is quite feasible. Turn 4 fun aka Ripped -off (try a Google search) has a step by step tutorial on how to build a out board style unit using a 2 piece straight shaft boom. A pic of his motor can be seen in a entry earlier in this thread posted by Orphan cowboy. Caveman has a picture of a copper, underwater exit, exhaust system, also earlier in the thread.

Yea I seen all of those.I went to strip the old Homelite and realized it's a 25cc.I guess my old Ryobi was the 30cc one.I let someone talk me into locking out the clutch on it instead of replacing the drum and shoes.Got into some deep grass and blew $250 to find a property pin.When I was using it in knee high grass, in a drainage ditch,I hit the property pin wide open,and tossed the rod and crankshaft through the engine case.I was angry for weeks over that.So I bought the Homelite for nothing at Lowe's.







I had another idea Scary ain't it.I thought about obtaining a non running 1 to 7hp outboard or complete foot.Then stuff my 3.5hp Briggs N Stratton on top of it.I have a spare push mower that's willing to donate it's heart.Ahhhh!Gotta do something soon.I will be ordering my epoxy and paint for my Jon/Punt.In 2 weeks I hope to be doing a little pre fall bass and crappie fishing with my 2 sons.

[Big Mark]

Hello,

I just signed in, after finding this forum on Google. I've been interested in the idea of converting a weed eater motor to an outboard for some time, I guess ever since I came across an item on Ebay which advertised a do-it-yourself set of plans to convert a typical 25cc weed eater into an 8.8 hp outboard. I purchased the plans from a seller who went by the name of Masterplans, and have since received and reviewed them, and to be quite honest it all seems very interesting. But, thus far I haven't yet given it a try. I have no way of knowing if these plans are legit or not, so I'm following this forum closely to see what other information I can obtain.

I do have a few questions though, I'm just curious.

1) I wonder why someone would even try to convert a weed eater motor into an outboard if you can find so many used 1.2 - 5 hp motors on Ebay for a good price, i.e. Eska, Tanaka, etc. I just recently purchased a used (very good condition) Eska 2 hp motor for $100.00, and it should push my 14ft. inflatable pontoon boat just fine. These are all great little, light weight motors, many with Tecumseh power heads, that burn little gas. Is there a reason why you don't refer to these types of motors?

2) If one wanted to convert a motor wouldn't it make more sense to purchase a motor like one of these http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...t_engines.html or http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...l_engines.html. You can find some very lightweight Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh motors for not much money. Wouldn't these motors be more suitable for this type of work? Some, I know, weigh more than weed eater motors and cost more, but wouldn't they still work? Here's a 2 hp Tecumseh that weighs only 7 lbs. http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...gines2002.html

Anyway, thanks for all your posts. I look forward to visiting this forum. While my Eska should work fine, I'm always open to new ideas, especially if it gives me the excuse to work on a new project.

Regards,

Big Mark

[Guest625101138]

Originally Posted by Big Mark

Hello,

I just signed in, after finding this forum on Google. I've been interested in the idea of converting a weed eater motor to an outboard for some time, I guess ever since I came across an item on Ebay which advertised a do-it-yourself set of plans to convert a typical 25cc weed eater into an 8.8 hp outboard. I purchased the plans from a seller who went by the name of Masterplans, and have since received and reviewed them, and to be quite honest it all seems very interesting. But, thus far I haven't yet given it a try. I have no way of knowing if these plans are legit or not, so I'm following this forum closely to see what other information I can obtain.

I do have a few questions though, I'm just curious.

1) I wonder why someone would even try to convert a weed eater motor into an outboard if you can find so many used 1.2 - 5 hp motors on Ebay for a good price, i.e. Eska, Tanaka, etc. I just recently purchased a used (very good condition) Eska 2 hp motor for $100.00, and it should push my 14ft. inflatable pontoon boat just fine. These are all great little, light weight motors, many with Tecumseh power heads, that burn little gas. Is there a reason why you don't refer to these types of motors?

2) If one wanted to convert a motor wouldn't it make more sense to purchase a motor like one of these http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...t_engines.html or http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...l_engines.html. You can find some very lightweight Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh motors for not much money. Wouldn't these motors be more suitable for this type of work? Some, I know, weigh more than weed eater motors and cost more, but wouldn't they still work? Here's a 2 hp Tecumseh that weighs only 7 lbs. http://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/...gines2002.html

Anyway, thanks for all your posts. I look forward to visiting this forum. While my Eska should work fine, I'm always open to new ideas, especially if it gives me the excuse to work on a new project.

Regards,

Big Mark

Mark
The fellow that offered the plans has posted on this thread. If you go back you will see the notion of getting 8.8HP out of a 25cc weed eater engine is nonsense. Maybe somewhere between 1 to 2HP.

I think the popularity of weed eater engines is their availability and the fact that there is already some sort of extended shaft mounted to the motor. You can go down to the local hardware or maybe even have one that is sitting in the back shed doing nothing. Buying a stand-alone motor takes more effort unless you are a regular internet shopper.

Getting the best from any motor is a matter of prop selection and then matching it to the motor. A big slow revving prop with 20:1 gearing could pull a tonne slowly. A 3" prop could push a large model boat at maybe 50mph. A small diameter shrouded prop will do better than an unshrouded prop of the same diameter if high thrust is required.

Rick W

[ben2go]

I am hoping to pick up a Gamefisher outboard with a bad power head and replace the power head with a Briggs N Stratton 3.5hp vertical shaft push mower engine.The lakes in my area just recently banned 2 stroke engines and they're inspecting engines before they enter the ramp area.

[redtech]

ben2go, about the lake that banned 2 stroke, what lake and what technology of two strokes were banned, for some two strokes are cleaner than a four stroke
being from CA i've found even the tahoe region engine bans to be a joke at times
example:new technology two strokes only if not on a sail boat (still running a 1976 six horse johnson when i go there no complaints)