Why is a vertical shaft lawnmower engine bad for a go kart, and can it be adjusted to work?
Biker asked:
I want to build a go kart this summer but don’ have enough for a new engine. All I have is a vertical shaft lawnmower engine. People say that it won’t work. Why? What can I do to make it work?
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I want to build a go kart this summer but don’ have enough for a new engine. All I have is a vertical shaft lawnmower engine. People say that it won’t work. Why? What can I do to make it work?
February 28th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Because the shaft is facing the wrong direction. Either you have to put the engine on its side which its not designed for or you need to add some kind of ring and pinion gear to make a 90 degree bend. emiller1998
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:38 pm
How do you plan to get power to the wheels from that vertical shaft?
(You cant turn that motor on it’s side y’know, and you can’t lead a
drive chain around a corner.) Irv S
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:56 am
It’s really not gonna work. The shaft needs to come out the side if the engine in order for the centrifical clutch to hook up to. You can probably find a cheap 5hp engine on craigslist pretty cheap fastbike25
March 5th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
The lubrication system is not designed to work if you turn it so the shaft is horizontal. The engine will starve for oil and burn up. Also the flywheel is an all aluminum one and the weight of the blade is counted on to provide the proper flywheel effect to keep the engine running smoothly. A horizontal engine has a cast iron flywheel. doane_nut