Yeah, the main thing is sealing a hole that ends up below oil level and adding a dipper to the rod. After that it's just a matter of making or adapting an intake manifold to fit the carb of choice.
We used to use vertical shaft briggs horizontally. The biggest hassle is the big cast in mount. We had one minibike with a big flat plate that allowed them to bolt up easily. We used a regular oil slinger from the vertical shaft engine and a homemade manifold with various carbs. (usually from a Honda xr-75)
The engine doesn't care how it's mounted as long as it gets what it needs and doesn't fall off.
The 3.5hp briggs flatties revved their little brains out vertically and took an amazing amount of teenage male speed abuse. Cheap and numerous were the advantages back then. Horizontal shaft motors cost more back in my childhood when everyone had a minibike or gokart. Verticals were boat anchors.
The engine doesn't care how it's mounted as long as it gets what it needs and doesn't fall off.
The 3.5hp briggs flatties revved their little brains out vertically and took an amazing amount of teenage male speed abuse. Cheap and numerous were the advantages back then. Horizontal shaft motors cost more back in my childhood when everyone had a minibike or gokart. Verticals were boat anchors.
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How did you make the dipper? Did it have a flat surface meeting the oil? I've seen videos where it was done that way. But I have a Lister CS clone and Lister CS service manual, and the service manual specifically states that the dipper must be installed so the edge, not the flat, meets the oil. This is on a 600 rpm engine. Also, splash-lubed engines I have seen that have a dipper cast into the rod caps also have the knife edge meeting the oil.Should we start a pool on how long before tie dipper fails?
Oh wait, I did that already with my Hua Sheng.
So yes, the dipper might fail catastrophically. But I also think it is quite possible that my project will be successful.
Cheap and numerous; yep. I have a few of them, so I might as well experiment with them.
As for the mount, I plan to cut most of it away. Once I do that, it might just fit into a cruiser frame better than the flat bottom of a horizontal Briggs.
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I started building DIY motored bicycles back in the 80's, way before Chinese kits were available. I was inspired by the Whizzer kits from the 30's and later. Using the most available engines, Briggs flat heads, and bikes, Schwinn cantilever, combined with easily and economically obtained moped hubs, tanks, forks and controls, I was able to replicate a Whizzer-like ride. After several successful builds, including most with 5hp motors and one with an 8hp, I had a good stable of transportation choices. I regularly went on the Whiz-In rides throughout the years, going 50 miles or so and found them to be completely reliable.
I was re-energized when the Chinese kits came about and wanted to start building more bikes. I've always been a huge 2-stroke fan while desert racing in the 70's and 80's. I built a half a dozen or so and sold them when you could make a few bucks. After getting some unbalanced motors, and with higher prices, I lost interest. I did learn to balance my own cranks though.
Then I met Neil and wanted to start racing, so I modified one of my old bikes with higher compression. My grandson and I came in 1st and 2nd at Willow Springs, but were obviously in the wrong class because we raced against stock 2 stroke kit bikes. Jeff already had a HF 4 stroke that smoked my bikes but he wasn't signed up for that race.
Since then, I've made a 2-speed automatic transmission for my race bike and recently added variable timing.
Then I decided to make something totally different and put a back pack blower motor in a 24'' Schwinn with a go-kart clutch and homemade jack shaft.
So I don't know where I'd be in this poll because I don't use any of the popular motors. I just know I'm having a ball and don't intend to quit building any time soon.
I was re-energized when the Chinese kits came about and wanted to start building more bikes. I've always been a huge 2-stroke fan while desert racing in the 70's and 80's. I built a half a dozen or so and sold them when you could make a few bucks. After getting some unbalanced motors, and with higher prices, I lost interest. I did learn to balance my own cranks though.
Then I met Neil and wanted to start racing, so I modified one of my old bikes with higher compression. My grandson and I came in 1st and 2nd at Willow Springs, but were obviously in the wrong class because we raced against stock 2 stroke kit bikes. Jeff already had a HF 4 stroke that smoked my bikes but he wasn't signed up for that race.
Since then, I've made a 2-speed automatic transmission for my race bike and recently added variable timing.
Then I decided to make something totally different and put a back pack blower motor in a 24'' Schwinn with a go-kart clutch and homemade jack shaft.
So I don't know where I'd be in this poll because I don't use any of the popular motors. I just know I'm having a ball and don't intend to quit building any time soon.
when i first saw the 2 speed at a distance i thought you had a small roots blower. but closer inspection you showed me the 2 speed. i would never have been able to build something like that, very impressed. dennis
Yeah Dennis, I remember trying to explain it to you. Jeff picked up on it pretty quick when he saw it.
I like my two stroke, but I like four strokes a little more.
But they're not as reliable or long-lasting in my opinion. We all know this, they need more maintenance and they will last, but for the kinds of speeds that I want to stay at (full throttle) for the amount of time I want to ride, I find a four stroke much more reliable. And it uses pump gas, you don't have to carry a bottle of oil to every gas station you stop by.
For this reason my next bike will have a 79cc predator. Admittedly two strokes have impressive power and a small size, that's why I love them. But I don't love having an engine blow up after revving it too high for too long.
Still really want a gp460 though. You can hardly get 16K rpm on a 4stroke. For that reason 2 strokes are great for racing for short periods.
I hate electric. Call me a global warmer, but I truly prefer being able to squirt in some gasoline vs charge your bike overnight or carry an extra battery. As soon as they find a way to recycle most of an electric motor's energy, I will likely not buy one because of cost and the facts mentioned.
But they're not as reliable or long-lasting in my opinion. We all know this, they need more maintenance and they will last, but for the kinds of speeds that I want to stay at (full throttle) for the amount of time I want to ride, I find a four stroke much more reliable. And it uses pump gas, you don't have to carry a bottle of oil to every gas station you stop by.
For this reason my next bike will have a 79cc predator. Admittedly two strokes have impressive power and a small size, that's why I love them. But I don't love having an engine blow up after revving it too high for too long.
Still really want a gp460 though. You can hardly get 16K rpm on a 4stroke. For that reason 2 strokes are great for racing for short periods.
I hate electric. Call me a global warmer, but I truly prefer being able to squirt in some gasoline vs charge your bike overnight or carry an extra battery. As soon as they find a way to recycle most of an electric motor's energy, I will likely not buy one because of cost and the facts mentioned.
