I'm now on holidays, so that means a lot of spare time in dads shed to build something. After racking my head for something to build, I thought of a go-kart. After looking through the shed I found vertical shafted mower. My question is does anybody know of how you can make a go-cart using a vertical shafted mower? Please help!

-- Cam Pilch (pilcher4@hotmail.com), December 02, 2003

Answers

I am currently trying to build my own go-kart. I was on the internet looking for plans and came across the same question that you are asking. Most almost everyone had said no. but then again my grandmas riding mower has a vertical shaft engine in it and it uses an array of belts and pulleys to drive a vertically mounted differential input shaft. So my guess is that if you could find an old riding mower that had a vertical shaft engine you could probably use it.

Good luck, Ryan Del Rossi

-- Ryan Del Rossi (Deadlycobra20002000@yahoo.com), December 12, 2003.

some older mowers have a belt to the trans then a chain to the rear axel u could put a engine on that and just run the chain

-- nick (nickd118@cs.com), January 06, 2004.

Its a vertical shaft so you can turn it on its side only if its a two stroke engine but u might have to relocate the gas tank to aviod spilling. If its a 4 stroke you would have to rotate the carb by 90 degrees, reloacte gas tank, extend fuel cabbles, and some other stuff not worth it. If you really want to use a 4 stroke try to find one with a horizontal shaft.

-- k (gt3g3w@fgae.com), January 23, 2004.

You can put a full twist in a V belt in order to change the direction of rotation. How about a partial twist to change from vert. to horiz.?

-- Kevin B (kabrame@yahoo.com), January 28, 2004.

I am doing the same thing with an old lawn mower. Its like a 80's model rear engine. Im just gonna add a centrifigal cluch to the ouput shaft of the engine. It is allready keyed. Eliminate the trasmission and run a belt from cluch to axle with a half twist. There are many ways to do this just depands on how many pullys you want and how long you want your belt to be. You could also just use the transmission that came with the mower. Just leave it in high gear, keep good gear loob in it and go. If you want it faster you can mess with the input/output gears/pullys, smaller larger till you hit your desired speed/power. I like I said am just gonna eliminate the trans. If you are useing a lawn mower chassi as I am ensure you upgrade berrings, hubs and all parts needing loob. Mowers were designed to go about 6mph you cart can have unlimited potential depending on engine and gearing.

-- Douglas Wittenborn (wittenborndm@2mawcp.usmc.mil), March 31, 2004.

booooooooooooooooooooring

-- wdwgegfruruhujjhfh00 (askzjajhhsq@hotmail.com), May 14, 2004.

If you can find an old mongomery ward 10hp or an old snapper they have a gear box that changes the vertical belt drive to a horizontal chain drive for the rear axle. The only problem with the mongomery ward is that they are only a one speed gear box. The snappers are a rare piece and are hard to find but they have a full gear box.

-- chuck schatz (ctcl@myshorelink.com), November 10, 2004.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........squiz

-- suck my squiz (shirleyp@AOL.com), November 20, 2004.