i just recently got hold of a lawn mower that had been sent to hell but still had a well running motor. its a 4hp briggs and stratton and i just dont know what to do with it. give us any of you ideas on what to strap it to and i'll give you pics as the chosen project comes along. the input from you guys would be great.

P.S. it doesnt have to be r/c that i strap it to ... anything will help.

REALLY big rc truck. think small dune buggy, close to something a small child could ride. minimal steel welded frame, big motor connected to a servo controller for steering...

Is this engine a vertical or horizontal shaft?

1) 12 volt generator used to charge car batteries and run an inverter for house hold use.
2) BIG air boat
3) BIG scale type boat

Your #1 sounds like it might have possibilities. A verticle shaft would make a usable camp power supply. Belt driven, deck mount automotive alternator with a battery and inverter. I think we have all had times we could have used one of these.

On the push mowers, the blade is the flywheel. If you use it for anthing else you'll have to get a cast iron flywheel in exchange for the aluminum one. Mower shops usually have a junkpile of parts. I did.

i would of thought the first thing i would of herd would be something like a gocart. these ideas are great and i thought the flywheel was the big heavy wheel with the magnets for the magneto in it.

anyway the only problem im having at the moment is that if i do put it on something it will need a clutch and i dont know where to get one the right size from any ideas?

oh and its vertical shafted

Horizontal shaft is the easiest way to go for a go cart. When I worked for a Hatteras yacht dealer, we were going to build a 1/5 scale version of a Hatteras 48' sport fish. Using twin 8hp Briggs engines centrifigul clutched to single speed f/n/r lawn tractor transmisions, scale water cooled exhaust, electric start, the 9 yards. Of course like most good ideas, it never made it of the drawing board.

Small motor shop should be able to help you there too. Used for carts, some tillers, etc. The flywheel is aluminum with the magnets in it. It will start if you can crank it fast enough and the flywheel key doesn't shear, It's made of aluminum. Will run very rough from lack of flyweight. If I remember, one brand of clutch was "Max Torque" To go from vertical to horizontal drive, a belt will twist 90 Deg. without to much problem provided it isn't to short. Hope this helps.

cheers every1 im gonna built a gocart because i know where to get hold of 90 degree 10:1 or 7.5:1 gear box

would a centrifical clutch have a flywheel in it?

Afraid the clutch doesn't have a flywheel in it but another method is to put a cast iron pulley on the lower stub shaft, about 10 in. dia. and about 6 lbs. the heavier the wheel, the smoother it will run, and the lower the idle speed, low enough for the clutch to disengage.

Hmmm, 46% helicopter!!!

Ahhhh! Now I know why my minibike is hard to start and won't idle. Hmmm I wonder if the 3.5 horse would turn enough prop to fly a half scale pietenpol. The B&S would just about replicate the balnce of a Model A ford Engine.

Matt Kirk