Putting together a friction drive/drive wheel

FatManChan · #1 (**permalink**) 05-23-2009, 09:05 PM

How would I go about mounting a wheel on a chainsaw engine so that I can run my bike through a friction drive? What type of wheel should I use? Thanks for the help in advance

deacon · #2 (**permalink**) 05-24-2009, 06:50 AM

It would depend on a lot of things. For instance do you want to keep your clutch. How many tools to you have an access to. What kind of chainsaw motor do you have,. pictures of the motor and clutch assembly would be good.

I mounted a wheel on the drive shaft of a 42cc poulan and it worked fine for a while then it broke the drive shaft off from the vibrations. Since those experiments I have come to the conclusion that you need to build a friction drive unit which would connect to the engine with a chain. Then just weld a sprocket over the sprocket that is on the clutch bell. That's what I would do it I were going to do it today.

If you had access to the parts you could use a pulley and belt system as well. I never had those laying around so I never experimented with that.

I think I would use the smallest E scooter rear wheel, complete with sprocket assembly, as the drive. They make an e scooter that kids stand on. Then I would weld a scooter sprocket to the clutch sprocket on the chainsaw and mount all of it to the bike.

You can also remove the clutch and use the cutch parts to hold a friction drive wheel directly to the drive shaft. That's how I did mine. If you go friction attached directly to the engine ONLY RUN SMOOTH TIRES. Vibrations kill those engines. I know from experience.

moped9013x · #3 (**permalink**) 05-28-2009, 02:05 PM

well it all depend specificaly what make and model of a chain saw you use. remember that the engine spins in the oposite direction than say a weed eater engine so you will have tio mount it on the right side of your bike if you were looking at it from behind. i am currently bulding a bike and am decideing what engine to use. i know that for the drive weal or spindal i want to use a peg from a bmx bike. im not so sure how to hook it up but its as simmple as a bolt some lock tight and if things get sketchy j.b weld is always a good thing to have around.