Newb in NC

[NikoBellic]

Hey I'm new around town and would like to contribute to the forum.  I have looked over at Heymow for a while now but since I'm not into racing I didn't register there.  I'm looking for ideas to help me on my projects and also to help anyone whenever I can.  I'm located in Raleigh, NC and work at a Ford dealer.  I'm a master certified engine tech so I know my way around a tool box.  So what's up from NC

[Kaptain krunch]

Whatsup man, welcome to the site. Its been pretty dead around here lately, but i try to check everyday, or every other day. Chris seems to be on fairly often too.

[NikoBellic]

Yeah I noticed that too.  I wonder if it's because of the strict registration requirements?  This is the first forum I have joined that made me wait 3 weeks to approve my account   Oh well I guess the moderators have their reasons.

[Kaptain krunch]

That could be, this is also the first forum i've joined that took a week to activate my account, but its not a big deal, its done manually i think, so that would explain it.

[NikoBellic]

Do you have a ATLM?  I'm working on a frankenstein of a Power Wheels Silverado and riding mower.  It will have a Foote 3 sp transaxle and a 5 hp B&S vertical under the hood.  Instead of charging batteries under the hood you check the oil and add gas!  The frame is going to be scratch built.  I'm designing the clutch to have to constantly press the pedal to engage it.  What do you think?

[Kaptain krunch]

Ever since i saw my first gas powerwheels i've always wanted to make a small jeep or corvette, i just have too many projects going on. It sounds pretty cool though. I'm in the middle of building my mower, its a wheelhorse i got for $10. Its over in the build section under "my first mower build", i started off with a murray frame but when i got the wheel horse i completely changed plans, so thats why im not done yet.

As for the clutch, i would have it normal car style where you have to press the clutch to disengage, i think it would be a little messy having to hold down two pedals.

[NikoBellic]

Well I was going to use a lawn mower style throttle so there will be one pedal.  I want the clutch to release when the pedal is released just in case it gets away from him or he forgets to put it in neutral.  I'm planning on it being able to do wheelies and don't want him to accidently fall of the back and the truck keep going.

[Kaptain krunch]

Oh, are you making it for your son? If so, then that style clutch pedal would make sense.

[NikoBellic]

Yeah I prob should have mentioned that.  He is 6 and stripped out the plastic gearboxes in the power wheel.  Plus I have had these plans in my head ever since I found this vid http://extrememowers.com/VideosOtherPowerWheels.html

[Kaptain krunch]

Yea, i'd say the style of clutch pedal you mentioned would be best if he's only 6. Have you considered just using a centrifugal clutch going to the transmission? that way he wont have to shift or use a clutch.

I saw the same video you linked before, it looked very cool. If i were to do it i would use a sled or motorcycle engine though, imagine what a ride that would be 

[NikoBellic]

I thought of that but those clutches are $50 and I'm trying to build this cheap.  I have 3 riding lawnmowers I can get parts from.  Also a centrifugal clutch won't allow wheelies.

[Kaptain krunch]

True, haha i shouldn't be talking anyways, im in the process of getting a different engine going for my go kart (8hp wisconsin robin), and when i do im ditching the cent. clutch and using a belt tensioner style one.

[Chris]

Welcome to the site. Registrations are approved manually (by me), and they're not approved until an email is sent back from your email address to the one listed under the registration requirements - which is why it took so long for your account to get approved. We get a bunch of SPAM registrations and kiddies that like to troll the board, so we have to keep short leash on the registrations.

For your go kart/power wheels/mower hybrid thing you have going on. Like Kaptin Krunch said, you might be better off going with a centrifugal clutch. If you really want ti to do wheelies, a centrifugal clutch will allow this, but it's more based on the engine and style of clutch. If you run a small cent clutch (like from a go-kart) you probably will burn the belt before you wheelie it if you have a weak engine (my girlfriend's son's go kart burns the belt when it gets stuck, but it'll also do a wheelie from a stand still with any weight on the back).

Think of it like this; go karts, snowmobiles, golf carts, 4-wheelers and other vehicles that have the "push the gas and just go" drive system use primary and secondary centrifugal clutches. It's also much easier to govern these types of drive systems. Now I've done wheelies in go karts, almost flipped my 440 TNT when I first got it (that thing has some REAL power that I wasn't expecting!), did some awesome wheel stands in my old 3-wheeled 1972 E-Z-Go golf cart, and have ridden on two wheels on my friend's Polaris 4-wheeler in the past. All using centrifugal clutches, but decently powered engines.

You put a primary/secondary centrifugal clutch off a golf cart, and at least an 8HP engine, and I'm sure it'll do some awesome wheelies (you are going to put a roll cage and wheelie bar on there, right? )

[Kaptain krunch]

Chris, those centrifugal clutches your thinking of are actually torque converters, or CVTs, centrifugal clutches are much worse than torque converters.

Thats a cent clutch, inside the clutch are shoes, which when the engine revs move out and engage with the housing. Its just steel on steel, and they slip a lot and normally you wont be able to pull a wheelie with one.

Torque converters are what you have on your kart, and what you see on sleds and golf karts. they grab much better than cent clutches.

[Chris]

The CVT system is still a pair of centrifugal clutches, just a different type...

http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=1033&location_id=542





http://science.howstuffworks.com/snowmobile1.htm

[Kaptain krunch]

Right, and a better, more expensive type at that. They both use centrifugal forces, just in a different way. A comet TAV for a go kart, or a powerwheels, is going to cost around $140.

[NikoBellic]

I'm familiar with the Comet TAV my go-kart needs one instead of the centrifugal that's on it.  I'm having some clearance problems with my power wheel setup so I may have to use a centrifugal clutch.  I want to use the lawn mower setup because I can engage it at full throttle, I have 3 riders I can get parts off of, I can change the engine pulley size for different speeds to suit driving skill.  I used to have a ATLM of sorts that I modified.  My dad got it for me when I was 13. Don't remember the brand but the frame was yellow and it had a 5hp Tecumseh with a 3 speed and a chain going to the rear axle.  It had solid front wheels and 6in rear tires.  It had the push to engage clutch setup and I used to ride wheelies for about 5 ft.  Then I swapped the trans pulley and it would do prob 10-15 mph.  Ahh the memories.....

[Chris]

You know, a hydrostatic might be a good option for you. I think Boleans garden tractors have a pedal that you push on the top to go forward, the more you push the faster it goes, and you push on the bottom to go backwards. Not sire if it was Boleans or some other brand...

[Kaptain krunch]

Yup, we have a bolens with the pedal style hydro, very cool system. Would make a nice mini monster truck, not fast but would be fun.

While were on the hydro subject, i've always had the dream of making a small tracked vehicle, with small sled tracks, and dual hydro transmissions from a zero turn mower. That would be the craziest machine ever.

[NikoBellic]

That would be nice to go with a hydro but the problem is I don't have one.  I'm building this using parts I already have.  It will look like a mini monster truck.  I mocked everything up last night and the bottom of the PW body is about a foot off the ground. As soon as I get some pics I'll start a build thread, but progress will be pretty slow due to I only work on it a few hrs per week.