Weed eater engine conversion

i'm building a small childs boat.5 ft long and 3 ft wide.i think if i keep the gear box even with the bottom of the boat and put about 6 inches on it.i think i can get away with running a rc surface piercing prop.the boat is for the 5 to 8 year old's.in this boat a rooster tail is a must.ask any 7 year old and he will tell ya that the boats that shoot a roost go faster lol

 

childs boat in poster board

here where i started.i have taken the cab all the way to the side and put a triangle windshield on it so it will fit 2 little ones.it is just for calm rivers and fishing tanks.1/4 inch ply and put togather with quarter round and a finish stapler and a little epoxy.

 

it's all about drag,hp and weight!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L71_3ArJBGY

 

That scoots along nicely!

Notice how close the prop is to the end of the bent shaft tube? It's less than 3" and it's parallel to the water. If you were to extend the shaft after the gear head, it won't be parallel to the water and it would have to be much longer than 3". That's where I think it would run into stability issues.

Post up some pics of your design!!

Erich

 

well i'm just gona wing it.i think with a weedeater a 40-50 pound kid can get on plane but not much more so stability won't be a issue.i'm trying to get about 8mph out of the rig.i don't want the little guys going much faster than that to keep them out of harms way.i think i can build the whold boat for around 100.00 and it would be a great father son project like the sea fleas of muskoga.

 

Looks like a cool build! I'd have sold my little brother for one when I was 8. Post some pics of your progress!

Erich

 

once the bow rises the prop angle in the water will change on a standard style hull.the rigger in the video won't have any bow rise to speak of.the outriggers are designed to run flat so they just expose half of the prop under the sponson and pretty much done.

 

best time of my life/my dad raced a-b runabouts when he was in high school.he kept his boat.when i was 4 and a half he put a old top tank 5 hp on it and let me drive it.man oh man i was hooked.a few years ago me and my steph son built a minimax.it was a total blast to build.i'm getting the itch to build somthing else.do you look at muskoga sea flea erich?

 

thankyou for all the insight

i have spent many hours looking over the 94 pages of this thread and it helped tremendously. now here is my 2 cents. making the shaft was way simple, attaching to the boat was simple once i figured it out... so here it is. get a caster wheel, take the wheel off. then get a mountain bike stem (gooseneck 7/8" x 1"). a couple of bushings and wahla you have tilt and cast. fashion yourself a bracket to mount it to and youre home free. i am in the last stages of my motor, attaching the handle( having a blacksmith make (2 alum collar shafts welded together) x2 O---O <-like so. then extending the throttle linkage and have him weld a skeg on. he wanted 160 to make the bracket so i made it out of steel. fabricated the bracket today. here it is so far... and the reason i dumped 700 dollars on a layout boat and mud motor 500$ marsh rat (craigslist) 125$ husquvarna 128cd (remanufactured) 15$ steel and 75$ blacksmith fabrication of handle mount lockout plate and skeg

 

three limits allowed in possesion in ca this year.... hunting excursion here i come

 

Nice build!

Keep the pics coming!

Erich

 

Quick question, as I've thought of this as well, but in my state, the motor has to be registered, to do that you need a title, last weed wacker I bought I didn't get a title. Sorry if this has been answered, but this is page 96!

 

Have you tried taking the sales receipt and the serial number to the title office and using it to apply for a title?

 

what prop did u go with beekbuster?i was lucky enough to pick up a cruz-n-carry 1.5 hp outboard at a garage sale.they were built by shindawa.alot of the air cooled outboards for ted williams were made by tanaka.these little motors can still be found on ebay.there is a company in florida selling the converted weedeaters.something like florida outboard.

 

Wavewacker,
In MO you will just need to to show proof of ownership and apply for a title for $7.50. YOu may also need to get it inspected (may take it by the local Hwy Patrol Troop office).
Here is the law in MO Revised Statutes:
New or replacement identification number of motor or vessel--securing of number--penalty.
306.031. 1. If an original, manufacturer's, or other distinguishing number on any outboard motor or vessel has been destroyed, removed, covered, altered, defaced or is otherwise nonexistent, the director of revenue, upon application, payment of seven dollars and fifty cents, proper inspection, and satisfactory proof of ownership by the owner, shall issue a new or replacement identification number plate to be affixed to the outboard motor or vessel. The number plate shall be in the form prescribed by the director of revenue.

2. The owner or the owner's designee shall securely fasten the identification number plate immediately to the outside of the outboard motor or vessel close to the area where the original or manufacturer's identification number plate would typically be. After the identification number plate has been secured to the outboard motor or vessel as required, such number shall be the lawful number of the outboard motor or vessel for the purpose of identification and registration. No person shall destroy, remove, cover, alter or deface such number. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.