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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Any idea how hard it would be to add a megasquirt to a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower?

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March 1, 2010 6:54 p.m. digdug18 Reader

I am buying a new lawn mower, or used one for that matter. I'm trying to find something with a honda motor, but most of the ones in my price range come with a briggs and stratton motor. Has anyone added a megasquirt to a 4 stroke 2 cyclinder lawnmower engine?

I dunno what I'll end up doing with this, I'm thinking pimping it out with chromed rims and under carriage lighting for the point of it. And perhaps a turbo, or just bigger engine. And like I said its all for the point of it, for the sake of a project...

Andrew
March 1, 2010 7:41 p.m. mistanfo Dork

Wow, that's almost a spam-bot worthy post. Oddly, it is perhaps TOO off the wall for a bot to have created though. Can't help you otherwise.
March 1, 2010 7:47 p.m. autoxrs New Reader

If you add some slicks you'll cut the grass faster.
March 1, 2010 8:13 p.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

Someone on the board here has a MS'ed lawn mower. On the 2 cylinder ones, it would probably be pretty easy as I think they have a real electrical system. You'll need about 6 amps or so.
March 1, 2010 8:17 p.m. Raze HalfDork

MIcroSquirt (for motorcylces) should do ya, be cheaper, and simpler. I actually really like this idea...
March 1, 2010 8:24 p.m. leigerreign New Reader

This is gonna be AWESOME!
March 1, 2010 8:25 p.m. jwdmotorsports Dork

Only on this forum.............
March 1, 2010 8:29 p.m. njansenv Reader

Having done it, it was more difficult than it sounds. We did it for a SAE Supermileage event a number of years back. At the time, it was VERY hard to find a small enough injector and high pressure fuel pump. With more fuel injected scooters etc out there today (not to mention, MS is WAY more developed), it's probably an easier task now.

Nathan
March 1, 2010 8:41 p.m. slantvaliant HalfDork

Flatheads forever!
March 1, 2010 8:54 p.m. 96DXCivic HalfDork

Wow and this is why I love this forum. If you do it, you need to show it off on this forum.
March 1, 2010 9:11 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork

You just want an excuse.

"Honey, I can't mow the lawn. I haven't finished the fuel maps!"
March 1, 2010 9:14 p.m. JoeyM Reader

96DXCivic wrote: Wow and this is why I love this forum.
Because they'll encourage *ANYTHING*?
March 1, 2010 9:24 p.m. hamburglar New Reader

Yes, I think this is an awesome idea. Pics or it didn't happen. I'm sure some megasquirt gurus on here can help you out.
March 1, 2010 9:25 p.m. P71 SuperDork

Think it would work on a 1-Cyl? The carb on my go-kart is still giving me fits so...
March 1, 2010 9:32 p.m. njansenv Reader

slantvaliant wrote:

Flatheads forever!

Actually, we used a pushrod arrangement to create a 2V ohv setup.
March 1, 2010 9:44 p.m. Paul_VR6 Reader

I have been wanting to do this, I just haven't found a good excuse.
March 1, 2010 11:08 p.m. digdug18 Reader

Well, i already have a machinist friend set up to make some free bling bling spinner ghetto rims for whatever I buy, so a little chrome and away we go.

I'm leaning towards THIS !

It's a single cyclinder cub cadet 20hp kohler engine. Micro squirt does sound like the way to go, though I'm assuming I would totally need to make a manifold, i'll have to hit up the bike section next time i'm at the u pull it and see what I can find. Then again a turbo could be fun as well, although I doubt I could find one small enough to fit it, but imagine the sound of the blow off valve at the end of a cut, lol. It might kill the hydro tranny though, lol.

And why would you need a good excuse to upgrade a mower to a EFI? Any excuse works for me. If you want an excuse, how about getting a better mpg? or perhaps wanting to pass an emissions test and register the mower as a moped or something along those lines, lol...

Andrew
March 2, 2010 12:42 a.m. pres589 Reader

If you aren't hung up on port injection, a throttle body setup using a stock carb as a basis might make life a bit easier. It would also help you find a fuel injector that would work better since the sizing might actually push it into the realm of automotive applications, or at least motorcycle.
March 2, 2010 1:09 a.m. peter New Reader

see, I was thinking you were talking about one of those little self-propelled push mowers. somehow a blinged-out, megasquirted 18" mower seems slightly more insane than a ride-on.

Think this except with this
March 2, 2010 1:10 a.m. Capt Slow HalfDork

I don't think turbo's like single cylinder engines that much, look for a two cylinder engine, or for bonus points rig up a supercharger...
March 2, 2010 3:59 a.m. ignorant SuperDork

Capt Slow wrote:

I don't think turbo's like single cylinder engines that much, look for a two cylinder engine, or for bonus points rig up a supercharger...

single cylinders are hard to match due to the large time between exhaust pulses....

Now, If you're really crazy there is a way around it... It envolves putting a chamber in the exhaust system to even out the pulses. The math involved makes my head hurt.
March 2, 2010 8:04 a.m. Autolex HalfDork

sooo..... how's the whole throttle thing gonna work? on most of those mowers don't use the throttle to actually regulate speed... I guess I don't see the point...
March 2, 2010 9:20 a.m. digdug18 Reader

Autolex wrote:

sooo..... how's the whole throttle thing gonna work? on most of those mowers don't use the throttle to actually regulate speed... I guess I don't see the point...

The point is just to do it, for the point of it. Ok, so a turbo is out, unless I have a 2 cyclinder motor. Although $400 seems like alot for a microsquirt, i'll figure something out though.

Andrew
March 2, 2010 9:55 a.m. skruffy Dork

Don't open up the intake too much, they're built with all those steps and nasty looking stuff for a reason. You need to keep revs down and torque up. A friend ported the intake on his mower during a carb rebuild and it only made power at about 10k rpm after that. It cut the lawn great but it was a little scary to use and loud as hell.
March 2, 2010 3:49 p.m. digdug18 Reader

funny thing about porting and polishing internals, i just finished doing such the thing on a craftsman/poulan chainsaw. I dunno how much better it is running, as I have yet to finish the rebuild of it, then again, its somewhat hard to judge or measure the power of such a small engine. But it made me feel better.

Andrew

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