Re: [bolger] Re: Lawn Mower Engines?
In a message dated 7/18/00 9:58:47 AM Central Daylight Time,
pvanderw@...writes:
<< It also seems
to me that in the Small Boat Journal article about Thomas Firth
Jones' Pilot Cutter, there was a mention that the engine was air-
cooled, but no further description. >>
Thomas Firth Jones' '"Low-Resistance Boats", pp. 133 - 153, shows two boats
he built - a Wm. Garden "June Bug" and his own "Dr. Buzzhead". Both are
equiped with a 5 hp. horizontal shaft Honda air-cooled 4-stroke with 2:1
reduction gearing and a centrifugal clutch. He gives the weight as 33 lbs.
The built-in reduction gearing and clutch seem to have been the big
attractions. The propellor shaft was connected directly to the engine output
shaft (these are inboard installations). One or the other had to be machined
to mate the metric-dimensioned engine to the anglo-saxon dimensioned
propellor shaft. No details are given.
pvanderw@...writes:
<< It also seems
to me that in the Small Boat Journal article about Thomas Firth
Jones' Pilot Cutter, there was a mention that the engine was air-
cooled, but no further description. >>
Thomas Firth Jones' '"Low-Resistance Boats", pp. 133 - 153, shows two boats
he built - a Wm. Garden "June Bug" and his own "Dr. Buzzhead". Both are
equiped with a 5 hp. horizontal shaft Honda air-cooled 4-stroke with 2:1
reduction gearing and a centrifugal clutch. He gives the weight as 33 lbs.
The built-in reduction gearing and clutch seem to have been the big
attractions. The propellor shaft was connected directly to the engine output
shaft (these are inboard installations). One or the other had to be machined
to mate the metric-dimensioned engine to the anglo-saxon dimensioned
propellor shaft. No details are given.
My Boatbuilder collection only goes back to 1984. I would be
interested in buying somebody's collection back to the beginning
if any body is looking to get rid of an old set.
Any chance of your scanning the article into the files?
andy farquhar wrote:
_ _ _ _ _
% Harrywelshman@...
interested in buying somebody's collection back to the beginning
if any body is looking to get rid of an old set.
Any chance of your scanning the article into the files?
andy farquhar wrote:
>--
>
> The 1976 Winter - Fall edition of Boat Builder Magazine contained an
> article about a small, home-built hydroplane called El Cid. This was
> an 8 ft. hydro powered by a 4 h.p. Briggs and Stratton engine. You
> may be able to recreate the motor from the plans in the article.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Andy Farquhar
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Old school buds here:
>http://click.egroups.com/1/7081/13/_/3457/_/963938225/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Bolger rules!!!
> - no cursing
> - stay on topic
> - use punctuation
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> - add some content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
_ _ _ _ _
% Harrywelshman@...
Dick-
You can't buy a new lawnmower engine separately as cheaply as you can get
one with the lawnmower attached! Buy one of the "big wheel" mowers and you
can use the back wheels to make a boat dolly. <g>
I've thought quite a bit about how to easily use a vertical shaft lawnmower
engine in a boat, but I never would have thought of this guy's solution:
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/00/BoatFest-1.html
And this fellow has ben very happy running his boat with an ancient
1.5 hp horizontal shaft engine. He says he rarely runs the engine much over
idle:
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/98/BoatFest-1.html
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/99/BoatFest-3.html
The main objections to lawnmower engines in boats are noise and vibration.
The old cast iron engines are quieter and smoother, but I have to admit
that the new Briggs & Stratton engines are pretty darn good (at least for
mowing my lawn). They've got electronic ignitions and real carburettors and
starte easily and run pretty smooth. A BIG muffler and an insulated engine
box would probably help the noise problem, and soft mounts would tame at
least some of the vibration. In a hull like the skiffs in the pictures
above you wouldn't be running the engine full speed much anyway. One of
these days...
You can't buy a new lawnmower engine separately as cheaply as you can get
one with the lawnmower attached! Buy one of the "big wheel" mowers and you
can use the back wheels to make a boat dolly. <g>
I've thought quite a bit about how to easily use a vertical shaft lawnmower
engine in a boat, but I never would have thought of this guy's solution:
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/00/BoatFest-1.html
And this fellow has ben very happy running his boat with an ancient
1.5 hp horizontal shaft engine. He says he rarely runs the engine much over
idle:
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/98/BoatFest-1.html
http://www.boat-links.com/DepoeBay/99/BoatFest-3.html
The main objections to lawnmower engines in boats are noise and vibration.
The old cast iron engines are quieter and smoother, but I have to admit
that the new Briggs & Stratton engines are pretty darn good (at least for
mowing my lawn). They've got electronic ignitions and real carburettors and
starte easily and run pretty smooth. A BIG muffler and an insulated engine
box would probably help the noise problem, and soft mounts would tame at
least some of the vibration. In a hull like the skiffs in the pictures
above you wouldn't be running the engine full speed much anyway. One of
these days...
On Tue, 18 Jul 2000 14:23:18 -0000, Dick wrote:
> Outboards are expensive and as some say, short-lived. Fraser finds
> them fleeting. Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,
> reliable, bolted-down alternative? Sure they'd need to be designed
> in (on the transom?, midship?) with a shaft and transmission. There
> must be reasons why this is not done but I'm not familiar with the
> rationalizations. Can anyone explain why US$125 (my 5 hp. mower cost
> about $170 and has wheels too)for a new lawn mower engine isn't
> better than US$1000 for a new o/b? Don't they like waves? Isn't the
> air as cooling over the water as over the lawn? If the grass catcher
> offends commodores, couldn't it be left off?
--
John <jkohnen@...>
http://www.boat-links.com/
"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a silly proverb.
"Necessity is the mother of futile dodges" is much nearer the truth.
<Alfred North Whitehead>
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, dick@t... wrote:
article about a small, home-built hydroplane called El Cid. This was
an 8 ft. hydro powered by a 4 h.p. Briggs and Stratton engine. You
may be able to recreate the motor from the plans in the article.
Good luck.
Andy Farquhar
> Outboards are expensive and as some say, short-lived. Fraser findsThe 1976 Winter - Fall edition of Boat Builder Magazine contained an
> them fleeting. Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,
> reliable, bolted-down alternative? . . .
article about a small, home-built hydroplane called El Cid. This was
an 8 ft. hydro powered by a 4 h.p. Briggs and Stratton engine. You
may be able to recreate the motor from the plans in the article.
Good luck.
Andy Farquhar
In what book?
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Ryan" <david@...>
To: <bolger@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 10:24 AM
Subject: [bolger] Re: Lawn Mower Engines?
> Reuel Parker has some worthwhile (on paper at least) ideas about this.
>
>
> >>Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,
> >> reliable, bolted-down alternative?
> >
Reuel Parker has some worthwhile (on paper at least) ideas about this.
134 W.26th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 247-0296
>>Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,CRUMBLING EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
>> reliable, bolted-down alternative?
>
>Air-cooled engines are indeed cheaper, and parts are readily
>available. However, they are also noisier and not necessarily long-
>lived or vibration-free.
>
>If you are thinking of putting one in the bilge of a cabin boat, you
>need to look into the proper marine carburetors, etc, so you don't
>blow yourself to Kingdom Come. I think B&S used to offer these
>things, and maybe they still do.
>
>If you have a library with 30 or 40 years of back issues of Popular
>Mechanics and/or Popular Science, (not to mention other hobby
>magazines) you can probably come up with project articles. I remember
>one that used a vertical shaft engine mated to the lower unit of a
>defunct outboard, a sort of saildrive before its time. It also seems
>to me that in the Small Boat Journal article about Thomas Firth
>Jones' Pilot Cutter, there was a mention that the engine was air-
>cooled, but no further description.
>
>Peter
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>Try @Backup FREE and receive 300 points from mypoints.com Install now:
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>
>Bolger rules!!!
>- no cursing
>- stay on topic
>- use punctuation
>- add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
>- add some content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.
134 W.26th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 247-0296
>Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,Air-cooled engines are indeed cheaper, and parts are readily
> reliable, bolted-down alternative?
available. However, they are also noisier and not necessarily long-
lived or vibration-free.
If you are thinking of putting one in the bilge of a cabin boat, you
need to look into the proper marine carburetors, etc, so you don't
blow yourself to Kingdom Come. I think B&S used to offer these
things, and maybe they still do.
If you have a library with 30 or 40 years of back issues of Popular
Mechanics and/or Popular Science, (not to mention other hobby
magazines) you can probably come up with project articles. I remember
one that used a vertical shaft engine mated to the lower unit of a
defunct outboard, a sort of saildrive before its time. It also seems
to me that in the Small Boat Journal article about Thomas Firth
Jones' Pilot Cutter, there was a mention that the engine was air-
cooled, but no further description.
Peter
Outboards are expensive and as some say, short-lived. Fraser finds
them fleeting. Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,
reliable, bolted-down alternative? Sure they'd need to be designed
in (on the transom?, midship?) with a shaft and transmission. There
must be reasons why this is not done but I'm not familiar with the
rationalizations. Can anyone explain why US$125 (my 5 hp. mower cost
about $170 and has wheels too)for a new lawn mower engine isn't
better than US$1000 for a new o/b? Don't they like waves? Isn't the
air as cooling over the water as over the lawn? If the grass catcher
offends commodores, couldn't it be left off?
Dick
them fleeting. Why not use a lawn mower engine as an inexpensive,
reliable, bolted-down alternative? Sure they'd need to be designed
in (on the transom?, midship?) with a shaft and transmission. There
must be reasons why this is not done but I'm not familiar with the
rationalizations. Can anyone explain why US$125 (my 5 hp. mower cost
about $170 and has wheels too)for a new lawn mower engine isn't
better than US$1000 for a new o/b? Don't they like waves? Isn't the
air as cooling over the water as over the lawn? If the grass catcher
offends commodores, couldn't it be left off?
Dick