How to Make a Go-Cart Motor From a Lawnmower

When building a go-cart, finding the right engine can be difficult. However, if you have an old lawnmower engine sitting around, that can be converted to work as a means to power your go-cart. Some forms of lawnmower engines don’t work for go-carts, such as the kind that mows from the bottom of the lawnmower, so using an engine from a riding lawnmower works best. The steps to converting the engine appear simple, but they can actually be quite complicated and take some time to accomplish, so be sure to leave yourself enough time to do the job properly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Welding equipment
• Lawnmower engine
• Go-cart
• Wheels
• Axle
• Metal plate
• Safety equipment
• Work space
• Several hours of time
• Helmet
• Elbow and knee pads for test drives

Getting Started

1. Take the motor out of the lawnmower. Pay attention to how it is attached to the lawnmower because you will have to assemble it in a similar way to get it to work for your go-cart.

2. Weld the metal plate to the vertical shaft of the motor. Be very careful when handling welding tools. If you are not an adult, get one to do the welding for you.

3. Place a third wheel on the back axle of the go-cart. Place the engine in such a way that the metal plate will have contact with the third wheel at all times. This is what will move your go-cart forward, so it all needs to be very stable.

4. Mount the motor to the go-cart in such a way that it is easily moved around the wheel to create a variable transmission. Make sure the wheel is not in the very center of the plate, but rather more towards the edges while still retaining full contact.

5. Test your go-cart very carefully. If you have attached something improperly, it can create huge safety concerns for all involved. Be sure to start out driving at slower speeds before building up to the faster ones. Get someone to watch the test run in case something goes wrong and a crash happens.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not know a lot about engines and go-carts, be sure to consult the advice of someone who does. See if they will help guide you through the process.
• If you are unsure what kind of lawnmower engine will work, ask a car mechanic or other knowledgeable person.
• Bring a friend along to watch for safety concerns.
• Use all of the recommended equipment for this project
• Never operate welding equipment without dark safety glasses, long sleeves and pants, and heavy gloves.
• Never operate engines in closed spaces as this can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Children should be supervised at all times when completing this project as well as when operating the go-cart.