Hey Deac and Shoes, ChainSaw?

rgvkid · #1 10-21-2008, 02:35 PM

K, Im having a tuff time with my drive roller. I just want to make sure that on your guys setups, do you have to diengage the engine every time you come to a stop? Im racking my brain on how i can use the clutch somehow but its not setup the same as the small engines with the 4 bolts around the clutch like in the friction drive kits being sold.

Deacon, I know you have explained this before but i just want to make sure im clear before i do any welding. On My saw the clutch is screwed on directly to the shaft which is about 5/16 not 3/8. There is no nut locking it in, it locks itself in by being reversed thread. The Peg i have is 3/8 and if i take the clutch out and slide it over the shaft there is play so im afraid that when i weld it, it might end up off center and vibrate.

Shoes, I saw your setup up with the pulley system. When you engage the drive, is there a spring to put the roller pressure against the tire.

I apologize for so many questions, its just been more work then i expected being the first one. I would love to figure out how to be able to use a clutch because on my commute there are alot of lights.

Thanks Guys, ill be working on it today so i will post any changes.

deacon · #2 10-21-2008, 02:53 PM

Okay your clutch is the nut. The 3/8 peg fits some of the ryobi engines. I thought it fit all the ones with a clutch but I could be wrong. It could be just the old ones.

If your peg is steel you are going to need to get the clutch assembly nut welded to the end of it. That way you can run the old clutch assembly threaded part back on and you have a drive wheel.

If you had the weed whacker that didn't come with a clutch you could use the adapter that bolts onto the drive shaft as a nut inside a pipe nipple end cap.

When you take your clutch assembly apart there will be a butterfly nut as part of the assembly that is what you need to have welded to your peg. I just bought a welder I will be able to do that soon I hope. That is once I get some experience.

Also on a weedwacker the threads are not backwards but on a chainsaw they are. On a chainsaw the nut that gones onto the drive shave can be anything. My poulan chainsaw has an 11mm reverse thread. It is the same nut that is used on the head of a echo trimmer. On the craftsman which is also a poulan it is 8mm reverse but the threads are weird or so they tell me at the fastener store. they didnt have it.

What engine are you using anyway.

Shoes uses a spring and turnbuckle to tension her engine.

By the way the clutch assembly comes apart to get that butterfly nut thing going.

rgvkid · #3 10-21-2008, 06:13 PM

Okay thanks Deac. This is where im at, I went to a Lawn mower shop, King Bolt Supply and a Go ped shop and no one could figure out or had the thread size on the Shaft. I wanted to find a few nuts so I can change roller sizes rather then welding the cluth to the roller i have. Im posting pics of what I have.

My Poulan is Model # 2055LE 2.0CI 42CC.

On your setups, without using the clutch, do you have to engage and disengage the roller onto the tire everytime you stop the bike? Im concerned because there are alot of lights on my commute home.

deacon · #4 10-21-2008, 06:24 PM

Either disengage before you get to the light or you are going to choke it down and have to restart it. It isnt that much trouble once you do it a time or to. figure you are going to make half of them so you will only have to do it half the time. I just engage mine and roll up to the light. Then pedal a couple of times and start moving again.

Okay I had a very knowledgeable lady tell me it my small one was 8mm 100 thead size and reverse threaded. Now I can't swear to it cause I can't find that size nut anywhere. I didn't really look all that hard to be honest.

I also have an 11mm reverse threaded poulan that wasn't all that hard to match up.

Now i am told that the 42 is also a 5/16 very fine thread reverse nut. I can't swear to either one. I have a bunch of nuts I bought to try and haven't found one that fit yet. I do have one i haven't tried yet though. If I ever remove the drive again I will check that one is an 8mm 125 thread reverse. I think I already had one of those but it was worth a try.

rgvkid · #5 10-21-2008, 06:35 PM

Well the guys at King Bolt Supply pretty much have every nut and bolt you can think of and they couldn't figure it out. I guess the only way will have to be taking the clutch apart and welding the peg to it. I just hope i can get it centered so its not lop sided causing vibration.

I went to the goped shop and searched through the scrap bins. There are alot of the clutch setups for the small engines they use like the Motor bicycle kits they sell with the 4 bolt flange with the clutch plate mounted to it. But the shafts on those engines have a female end so the roller is bolted right into it.

deacon · #6 10-21-2008, 06:45 PM

I wondered about the goped setup thanks for the information.

I frankly don't have any other ideas about the clutch situation. The way I center mine is I run a quarter inch bolt through the peg then through the clutch butterfly. I put a nut and washer on the end of the 1/4 bolt then I tighten it down and check it and adjust it as centered on the peg as I can then have it welded. I guess when I start welding my own I will have to be even more careful.

but yes to much out of center and they will shake apart. I think I'm going to go back to weed eater engines. These chainsaws have the juice but they are also a pain in the butt to build with.

rgvkid · #7 10-21-2008, 07:00 PM

Yah, Its a bit more work then I expected. But then again its the first one. Im a welder by trade so be careful when you weld the nut on the peg. If there is too much heat on one side it might warp or be pulled to that side when it cools down. Better to start with about three tacks, let cool for a bit, then weld between the tacks. Make sure you sand all the coating off both the nut and peg so that you see shiny metal before welding to take off any oil or coatings. Any impurities in the weld and you will have a bad weld with popping and bubbles. I use a flap disk sander on my 4 1/2 angle grinder to clean before welding. You can get an angle grinder at Harbor Freaight for $18 which will do the job and is a great shop tool. If you are using Flux Core, no gas, I would suggest doing more then one bead because the flux will be more likely to crack with vibration. If you have a mig welder then practice the right speed, to gas, to volts on some scrap first. Practice makes perfect.

Thanks Deac

comfortableshoes · #8 10-21-2008, 08:12 PM

like Deacon said I use a spring and turnbuckle on mine fr tension...I can't add anything to the discussion about chainsaws as I've never used one for anything but cutting wood and that was many years ago as a kid, and boy did my Dad have a fit. I cut the tree down alright though. (little stihl saw with a less than 1 foot bar.. I swear it looked like a toy... Or at least I thought so at 12. have I mentioned that I did a lot of crazy things as a kid taking Dad's chainsaw to build a fort in the woods was only one of the many...)

deacon · #9 10-21-2008, 09:19 PM

Tom boy, lol/////

I'm going to do a lot of practice welding before I try to do the nut thing. It is a rod arc welder that should be here in a few days. My neighbor who has done my welding promised to give me a few tips and I plan to read a lot. Just like here.

rgvkid · #10 10-21-2008, 10:14 PM

ARC WELDER! Well your gonna have to do alot of practice. Those are usually for structural stuff. You might have a hard time with such small pieces. Can you return it or exchange it? They are cheap but hard to use and to get right. You might be better off with a small 110 Mig welder. You can usually find good used mig welders on craigslist for a decent price. or even Harbor Freight cheapos are decent as long as you don't do continous long welds because they might shut down and then you have to wait a bit to reset. But then again when you are a good arc welder your most likely a great Mig welder.

I would definitely look into a Mig or see if you can practice with someones before using the ARC. I built a full caged Baja Race Truck on a 110 Lincoln and i have yet to breack a bead. And i have pics of it flying about 6' in the air and landing like its on a mattress.

I rigged something up useing the clutch and peg. I found the matching clutch online priced at $5 so I was to afraid to weld on the one i have. I'll let you know how it turns out asap.