Frustrations and Confusions

Mobius · #1 08-01-2008, 10:08 PM

Okay so Ive been pouring over threads and trying to find info so that I can be ready as soon as I get my weed whacker motor, but I have some questions and concerns.

First, I have a set of BMX pegs I would like to attach and use as a drive wheel. will these work okay???

Next, Ive read both good and bad about the weed whacker motors. In one thread they are said to work well but in another it says that they dont pull well with any kind of load. Im pretty sure Im getting a 26cc motor and I weigh 285 lbs. There are a few hills around here but nothing too serious.

How well will this thing perform for me?

Also, I read that the hole in the driveshaft on the weed whacker motors is square, how would I attach my bicycle drive wheel to this to work?

Im sorry if this is answered better in another thread I jsut keep finding conflicting information so any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

Unsolved Rubix · #2 08-02-2008, 12:59 AM

#1 Yes they will work. You will want to go with the smallest diameter ones you have to help with hills and to get the most out of the motor.

#2 It should do you alright. You will have to gear it right with the smaller diameter peg. You will have to do some pedaling on hills but you will notice a big diffence in the amount of work is needed.

#3 The square ended shaft unbolts and you will find yourself with a good ol' bolt you just pop your peg on it and then find yourself a counter nut of the same size tighten it up good and you will be on your way.

Mobius · #3 08-02-2008, 02:53 AM

Thank you very much Rubix, I have been thinking about all these things constantly and really just want to be able to get started on this baby.

Another thing, do you have to use a throttle or will it just idle happily at whatever speed you pedal it up to? I read somewhere that someone jsut pedaled it up to speed and it chugged along.

suggestions?

deacon · #4 08-02-2008, 06:21 AM

Each of the whackers I pulled had different types of shafts. Some long some short some 3/8 od some 5/16 od but you could get them all back to a threaded shaft if you took enough parts off it.

The larger the engine the more pull you have. I heard the best description of how the smaller ones work. It says it is like riding a tandem bike where the back guy always pedals. You can get a pretty good speed up and the more speed you have going into the hill the less you have to pedal.

I can go up some pretty good hills with my 31cc and hardly pedal at all. I can always remains seated when i pedal up a hill.

I agree the smaller the wheel the better it will climb. The larger the wheel the more speed it will do. However I am using a wheel about an inch in diameter on the 31cc and have not been able to open it up yet. Nothing around here is straight and flat enough to let it wind up without skipping. The 20mph on the straight I get is plenty fast for an old man.

When you get your engine if you can fit your peg let me know I have some other easy fixes for the short shaft and long shaft ones. For instance if you have the long shave but 5/16 you simply slide your peg on it and then go to the hardware store and pick up a 5/16 fine thread nut and a few washers then tighten it down. Works like a champ.

For a short 5/18 in shaft you just get a 3/4 galvanized pipe nipple from the plumbing dept and a galvanized end cap drill a hole in th end cap. use the 5/16 nut and lock washer to tighten the end cap down, then screw the pipe nipple into the end cap. A three dollar solution at the most.

Mobius · #5 08-02-2008, 11:18 AM

The BMX pegs I have are 1.5" in diameter. should I look to find something smaller, and what about the throttle?

Unsolved Rubix · #6 08-02-2008, 01:16 PM

1.5 is what I have and depending on the hills it may be ok. I would go for 1 inch.

deacon · #7 08-02-2008, 05:52 PM

the throttle will be a cable leading to a trigger. You should keep the cable once you get it off the trigger. You can marry it to a brake cable to make throttle from the handle bars. When you get ready to go if it the end is a tiny little L shaped metal piece it is pretty easy to do. just get a small piece of metal you can find them laying around you house I am sure. Drill a hole in one end for a nut and bolt any size will do... Then a tiny little hole for the L end of the cable. When you attach a brake cable to the bolt. You will have a married cable and a throttle.