A true DIY electric start......

[mckutzy]

OK guys I know this has been beaten almost to death and so on... about the starters and how to do on the cheap and easy......
I think I at least found a contender.....

Bear with me for a few posts, I have a few pics to post in the first part...then we can discus this....

I had found This forum in some random google linkup, I forget what I was looking for at the time... but anyways its from Turkey I think(couldnt translate the language)... (I forgot to BM the link) these guys showing off there gokarts and other motorized contraptions.... Some interesting Ideas...

This one guy shows his buggy with a transmission and some mods to it.... AND HIS STARTER....

He takes apart a recoil housing, removes the mainspring, removes the sheave part that coils the start rope off of the hub it spins on, and uses the pawl hub.
Then attaches a sprocket to the hub, re-mounts it to the recoil housing and replaces the pawl bracket/screw.
The thing spins on its own with no binding.....
Then he mounts it to the motor with a section cut out, for a chain to pass through...... Couples it with what looks like a small starter motor.....

Now well have seen a few race guys use a drill or other electric motors in some other means to start it.... non are haveing the recoil either mounted or able to replace it if needed.....

Heres an idea that'll work for sure.....

 

[mckutzy]

So I have decided to try this and see how it works..
I went to the princess and got a recoil housing for $14 on sale...(could have probably bought a broken one from the lawnmower shop for half that or less... I didnt care)

Dissassembled and removed the sheave off of the hub.
I had to sand the hub to remove the lip that normally contains the recoil spring,( you have to remember the central portion is what the hub spins on, so dont remove that).It goes quickly as its soft material.... so lightly take it down......

I had a 30t, #35 chain sprocket handy, so I layed out the bolt holes and drilled them on the ejector pin marks of the hub.
The hub material is a glass filled PBT material... so its fairly easy to work with.... Cuts almost like oak or other hard woods....

Got some 1/4"-20 countersink Allen screws, 3/4" long. (Amazingly I didnt need to counter sink the head any, they cleared fine.)

Screwed the sprocket to the hub and re bolted the pawl plate on....
Make sure you hook the pawls the right way with the springs...

 

[mckutzy]

So this will be the part One of this (well call it a tutorial) DIY starter....

As how the starter will actually start.... Im getting a used cordless drill from a friend. an old cheap china drill that runs off of 12v... Ill also get a motorcycle/utility or a security light power battery.... what ever I can find really..... to use that as the power source...
If my buddy come through, hopefully Ill get it this weekend...
When I get the drill, Ill cut the housing for the chain clearance. Just didnt get to it yet.

Remote the start switch and build a bracket for drill body.... Ill also use a 10t/#35 little sprocket I have.... making a 3:1 ratio for the start chain. Ill put it on a bolt w/nut, in the chuck. I can change the ratio easily aswell if necessary...

Here's the last of the pics.....
Hope full this will spur a few others(and Ideas of the same) to do the same, but none the less Id felt Id share a cool thing I found and am trying out....

What do ya think?

 

[landuse]

Hmmm....interesting

 

[MrC.]

I like what your doin there, Very clean install.
I had a thought while looking at this.
Looking at my Golf Cart, why couldn't you use a starter motor with a directional sprocket from a bicycle and chain to an out board sprocket on the crankshaft.
When the starter is engaged it would turn the engine and crank it, once you let off the button the starter motor would stop but the chain from the crank would continue to spin. Yes I understand the chain would run all the time with the engine but the only loss in horse power would be from turning that chain, I guess you could reverse the idea and have the directional sprocket on the engine and it would work just the same with no loss, the reason I said it the other way first is I don't know how hard it would be to attach a direction sprocket to the engine. I guess steal all of the Golf Cart pieces and let the starter/generator charge the battery as well and have lights, sound system and A/C.
Just a thought.
MrC.

 

[mckutzy]

There wouldnt be much for the clutch to hold onto...
Dont golf carts have an extended(or extension) crank to accommodate a pulley for an alternator? and already have electric start?

 

[MrC.]

Mine does, Its a Yamaha G19 I have been clock at 27mph with it, stock engine with a jet and custom intake.
MrC.

 

[mckutzy]

Care to share a pic...

So does it have a shaft extension?

 

[MrC.]

Not mine but same setup,
starter has a pulley that goes to another pulley between the variable clutch and engine. it turns while the engine is running to charge the battery.
MrC.

 

[mckutzy]

This doesn't explain on the starting...
Most of the golf carts I've seen(if not all, on the Internet aswell) are the big block verity/clones w/starter...
I don't see how this helps...

 

[MrC.]

Do you see the goldish pulley. Thats the starter and the generator.
See the belt going to the engine?
They make extended crankshaft or you could make a 1 inch adapter and use 1 inch tv's and pulleys.
mrc.

 

[MrC.]

Heres mine the belt rides on a pulley made into the venerable clutch
MrC.

 

[mckutzy]

Well thank you... However.. with the spirit of this build is to have a really interesting way of getting a job done with what I had, and with little amount to spend...

I also could have used the other recoil starter I had off of another motor I have that isnt working right now..... but I bought a new one instead, for $14(likewise could have probably bought a used broken one for half or less)......

If I had money(which I dont, currently im laid off) I would have bought the new pro point electric start 6.5hp clone from the princess or one of the big block varients and did the above....(the big blocks....as per its use on this bike IDK if id have space as the motor/starter/CVT is significantly larger)

And this thread would be a moot point......Hence the use of the drill motor....As they are free....

Also... I think I found a cheap battery for not too much aswell.

 

[MrC.]

Hey dont take offense
I like the way your doing it. If I had more money I'd have alot stuff too.
I was just making a suggestion to another alternative way to do it.
thats all.

Carry on.
MrC.

 

[mckutzy]

Non taken....Maybe im just not understanding you correctly....

Have thought of using the crank to tie in the starter.. but then the clutch dont sit well on the shaft as its not fully supported...