Weed eater engine conversion

Discussion in 'DIY Marinizing' started by Ward, Jun 2, 2003.

  1. John O`Neal
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 85
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 29
    Location: Lenexa Ks.

    John O`Neal Junior Member

  2. wac m trac m
    Joined: Jun 2008
    Posts: 75
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Texas

    wac m trac m Junior Member

    Very nice John, I think I looked at that moter...does it have a clutch. The one I saw like that didn't. I was looking at Subaru Robins engines they seem pretty lite. Here a link to the 35 pound 7hp
    http://www.robinamerica.com/pspecs.aspx?pid=9

    It's tempting to just buy one of these though. But then I couldn't say "I MADE THIS"
    http://www.utahmarshmotors.com/Home_Page.html


    I really wish someone would get on here and let me know how much better a 7hp would do on a Stealth type boat. I guess I'm gonna just have to do it myself though. Turn4fun hasn't responded.
     
  3. Rustybolt
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Illinois

    Rustybolt New Member

    How much horsepower?

    I've been following this for awhile and found a lot of the solutions ingenious. But my problem is I want to get my 17 foot Old Town canoe back upstream.
    Figure 550 lbs total weight and a current flow of say 2 to 4 mph. This river,(the Fox) is very shallow.
    My original idea was to make a go devil out of a snow blower engine, but I like the idea of a self contained brush cutter.
    Any thoughts?
     
  4. John O`Neal
    Joined: Sep 2007
    Posts: 85
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 29
    Location: Lenexa Ks.

    John O`Neal Junior Member

    Rusty; I can give you this info. to help make your decision. The brush cutter conversion that I built, will push my 13 ft. 6" four rivers layout loaded to 400+ lbs. easily. I can`t help but believe that the narrower canoe would be much easier to push through the water than a 50 " wide layout. One additional + to the brush cutter conversion it only weighs about 20 lbs. Just my 2 cents.
     
  5. Rustybolt
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Illinois

    Rustybolt New Member

    John. Thank you very much! I'll look into that as my first try. I really don't much care how fast it goes as long as I don't have to paddle upstream.LOL.
     
  6. Orphanedcowboy
    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posts: 49
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 18
    Location: Fort Worth

    Orphanedcowboy Junior Member

    I have been exploring electric clutches for the bigger motors, I found 2 that would work for the direct drive style longtails, and several 1000 for the short shaft models, with everything from single belt drive to cogged belt drive. The problem is cost, from $79 to $460.

    If there are any measurements needed, just drop me a line, if I don't have it, I can drive up to Cabela's and get it for you.

    Hope 2009 is prosperous for everyone. Darryle
     
  7. wac m trac m
    Joined: Jun 2008
    Posts: 75
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Texas

    wac m trac m Junior Member

    I use mine in the Blanco river here in TX. It a real shallow river. There are deep pools here and there but lots of shollow runs in between. My weed eater longtail works great and because it's so lite it's nice when you do have to pick up and drag to the next pool or port over a dam. I hog hunt the river by drifting quitely downstream. Then moter back upstream to my truck. I threw a 150pound sow and a 90 pound doe in my steath 2000 a month ago and still made it back against the current. We are in a drought so the water is real slow though.
     
  8. Mark Wo
    Joined: Dec 2007
    Posts: 143
    Likes: 5, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 56
    Location: Minnesota

    Mark Wo Senior Member

    Hey RustyBolt

    You will be very happy with the brushcutter motor to push that canoe back upstream. Go back a few pages and look at the pic John posted of me using my Duropower unit for the first time. I got 6.2 mph which is hull speed.

    I put mine on a 65 lb Hoefgen duck boat which is very simialr to a canoe but wider and not as tall. Boat is 15' long and I use it for the exact same purpose you are going to use your's - getting back upstream after a long day of hunting. This combo has allowed me to hunt areas I would never have hunted previously due to it being too much trouble to back to the truck after the hunt. The small streams I hunted this year are very shallow, rocky and the current in some places is very fast. The boat with me, my gear and the motor easily got back upstream. Couple of places I needed to get out and pull the boat but it was nothing like before. When I did have to get out of the boat, it was certainly nice to have the clutch on the motor as I could keep it running while pulling the boat. Big difference verses having that prop spinning all the time.

    If you live anywhere near St. Paul, MN and want to try one out prior to building your own, you are most welcome to come voer and see what I've got.

    Mark
     
  9. ripped off
    Joined: Sep 2006
    Posts: 18
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: midwest

    ripped off Junior Member

    John,

    Looks like you are off to a good start on the 6.5 HP. One of these days we may have to get together, I'm just on the other side of the metro from you. Heres a motor I recently built from the same engine you are working with.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    You are really gonna like the extra power but I gotta warn ya, you'll probably never build a smaller one again :D

    Heres a trio of mud motors I've built.
    On the left is my original 5 HP Honda, middle is my 2.8 HP Lifan (Honda clone), and on the right is the new 6.5 Lifan.

    [​IMG]

    My first one was built before I had a metal lathe so I used stepped tubing to make the bearing housing and it has a simple sealed bearing pressed in. On the second one I machined the bearing housing and it uses a sealed bearing held in place with a retaining ring. On the newest one I designed a different bearing setup and machined a housing for it. This one not only handles the radial load, but also addresses thrust load. There is absolutely zero thrust load on the engine which translates into smoother running and less HP loss.
     
  10. goat
    Joined: Jan 2009
    Posts: 1
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Georgia

    goat New Member

    ripped off - nice looking long tails... does the u-joint cause any vibration or other drive problems?
    i'm currently working on a short tail version and the biggest hurdle is how to angle the drive. been trying to decide between dual cv joints or bevel gears to achieve about a 75 degree angled drive. anyone have a good source for either?
     
  11. wac m trac m
    Joined: Jun 2008
    Posts: 75
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Texas

    wac m trac m Junior Member

    I noticed the sticker on the front of the last one says Muskrat Mud moters. Is that your name?
     
  12. ripped off
    Joined: Sep 2006
    Posts: 18
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: midwest

    ripped off Junior Member

    Just something I was playing with. Waaayy back when I was thinking about selling my weedwacker motors, I chose the name Muskrat Layout Motors I never had the capital to go into business so never did anything with the name. After I painted the recoil cover on this motor it looked like it was missing something to me so I just printed out a sticker for fun.
     
  13. ben2go
    Joined: Jul 2008
    Posts: 187
    Likes: 4, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 13
    Location: Upstate, South Carolina,USA

    ben2go Boat Builder Wanna Be

    Sweet mud motors.I'm thinking of doing a Briggs n Stratton 3.5HP classic push mower engine on an outboard lower unit.They have ban 2 strokes here and any engine 5HP and above has to be titled.So my easy way out is to use my old unused push mower engine and my old 5HP Gamefisher without the power head.I was thinking of using a 4 stroke string trimmer or brush cutter,but I don't think they will provide enough grunt to push my jon boat loaded.My budget shot to hell for the next few months,again.The Ms. ran my car with the check engine light on.So now the kids have to walk thru crack town to school.Sorry for the rant.Still a little P.O.'d about it.Happened earlier tonight. :mad:
     
  14. jdbuckshot
    Joined: Jan 2008
    Posts: 4
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: missiouri

    jdbuckshot New Member

    Nice build

    IM currently building a longtail with a 5 hp honda off a pressure washer, schould have it all wrapped up but the prop tonight if i get my U-joint in from mcmaster carr, i'll try to get some pics up. How is everyone going about hooking the throttle up? im going to have to figure the govener out on that pressure washer motor, because its set up on a high idle. any one got any pointers?


    Thanks

    JD
     

  15. ben2go
    Joined: Jul 2008
    Posts: 187
    Likes: 4, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 13
    Location: Upstate, South Carolina,USA

    ben2go Boat Builder Wanna Be

    You could salvage a bicycle brake lever and cable to make a throttle control.That's what we do on modified lawn tractors for racing.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.