weed eater drive shaft

[kidgambit]

I got a craftman weed for another weed eater bike. But the shaft is super short. Plus there are starter dawgs. That one give me about a 1 1/2 space. What can i use for a spindle and how do i keep the spindle on with such a small shaft. Please help asap

 

[a_dam]

I've been working on my shaft all night. I wouldn't say "the shaft is super short"; I'd like to think it is average. But it's time to put away the porn and start fixing my bike.

Seriously though, here's my "Crapsman" weedeater. My motor shaft is threaded 5/16 x 24. I use homemade drive rollers that fit on 5/8 shafts, so I just need a piece of 5/8 shaft (steel, brass, aluminum) about 3 inches long and drill and tap it with 5/16 x 24 threads. Just make sure it's bored perfectly aligned (parallel). No problem if you have a metal lathe. I wish!

Another method is to drill and fit a piece of metal tubing over the existing square-holed "stub" that it comes with. A 29/64 drill bit gives just about a perfect fit that you press on with a vice. Again, you have to bore it out perfectly or your shaft will wobble and you don't want people saying you have a wobbly shaft.

I have a skinny-tire bike, so a 3-inch shaft is plenty long for a drive roller and an outboard bearing. I highly recommend supporting the end of the shaft with a bearing.

 

[a_dam]

Oh yeah. The starter pawls aren't needed so if they screw out, do it. Otherwise grind them off with an angle grinder. Not really necessary, but I would do it. Just do everything neat to keep the flywheel balanced.

 

[kidgambit]

Here is a diagram of what i did to mount a peg. Would like your input.

 

[a_dam]

That looks like it might work good. That "coupler" you're showing- is it the square-holed thing that comes on the weedeater tapped for a bolt, or is it a female-threaded deal? If so, where did you get it? I might try that.

Just make sure your peg is about one inch to 1 1/8 inch diameter.

 

[kidgambit]

Its a female coupler you use to connect 2 pieces of threaded rod together. U can get them at homedepot next to the threaded rods.

 

[a_dam]

I've been looking for days for a 5/16 x 24 coupling nut. I'm out in the boonies, so there's 2 little "local" hardware stores near me (less than 10 miles). No luck. The main stores (Lowes, Menards, Ace, Blains) are about 20 miles away. I called them all and nobody has the fine-thread (24), just the coarse (18). The Farm & Fleet guy said he had one, so I went there and it was the coarse-thread. Idiot!

A couple of the guys on the phone said they could order them, but they both would only sell them in quantity, and I'd end up spending about 20 bucks to get more than I could use.

Just gonna have to do things the hard way.

BTW, kidgambit.
Are you sure you didn't just screw a coarse nut onto a fine shaft?

 

[kidgambit]

I scrapped that coupler idea. Idk how to make a spindle work. I might scrap this engine and use a different one