lightweight driveline ideas for minibuggy

[chimpboy]

Is the motorbike engine desirable because it's small or is there some other reason I am not getting?

[Nelso]

Is the motorbike engine desirable because it's small or is there some other reason I am not getting?

Small and light and a reasonable amount of power for the size I would think.

[Cluffy]

If it's an aircooled motorbike motor it would make for a much smaller install, prob need an airflow fan though.

[chimpboy]

Air cooled, I can kind of see the advantage. But overall, sheesh you can just drop a FWD car engine in with gearbox and front diff all in one piece (heck you wouldn't even need to take it apart), and the main part of your drivetrain is sorted, it just doesn't seem worth stuffing around with a mc engine and not even having a reverse gear.

[Cluffy]

A transaxle out of a fiat nikki would be perfect in a buggy, 650cc aircooled twin, 4 gears and reverse.
A mate just bought a whole licensed one for $500.

[bad_religion_au]

will an aircooled cool well enough doing 4k's an hour at 6000rpm under load?

i dunno much about them, but there's a huge difference in the type of enviornment your asking them to work in in a buggy compared with a road bike.

[rockcrawler31]

will an aircooled cool well enough doing 4k's an hour at 6000rpm under load?

i dunno much about them, but there's a huge difference in the type of enviornment your asking them to work in in a buggy compared with a road bike.

There's a lot of MC engines that are water cooled, but the rads are quite compact and run a thermo. Having said that unless they're getting airflow, the thermos are on constantly so a larger rad and thermo would be a good idea.

The main reason is that they are incredibly light. Magnesium/aluminium cases with sleeved bores means you can pick up a motor and gearbox by yourself almost. But yes, not having a reverse gear is making me start to trend back to a FWD motor.

Now that we've debated the pro's and con's of engine choice can someone point me in the direction of some links or school me on steering options? Will the power steer pump from a small FWD car run the hydro steer on a buggy? how does the steering box work up at the steering wheel and how does it know when to stop allowing flow to the ram/steering box? Can you use a remote steering controller with a steering box to eliminate having to route a steering shaft or is it not worth the effort?

[bj on roids]

FWD for reverse gear!!

[maxtrax]

I have a old pintara 2.4L motor and box with all wiring / ecu here. I had looked at something very simalier.

1st gear 2.65 X the diff 4.1 = 10.8 : 1
X this by your diff ratio 4.8 = 52.15

In a patrol with 4:1 reduced transfer gears this is the ratio:

1st gear 2.78 (auto) X 4 = 11.12 X diff 4.6 = 51.15

And how many auto Nissan Patrols are running around with 37 + tyres and 3.9-4.6 diff ratios that you know off?

So the FWD car setup is the go, Suzuki swift 1 L auto you can buy one for $200 these your motor, box with diff ratio, should weigh about 80 kg small in size and cheap / easy to get and repair.

[moose]

Mocks old buggy was a FWD engine,auto MQ flipped diffs(4.6)
used a sv21 camry motor !!

[bj on roids]

I have a old pintara 2.4L motor and box with all wiring / ecu here. I had looked at something very simalier.

It'll kill the toughest modded zooks!

[bj on roids]

Mocks one looks like the go.

[uted1]

Why not running gear from a big capacity 4x4 quad bike. You would have light weight, high and low range and 4wd. Just a thought.

Edit: Early 2wd Suzuki Quadrunners had the engine and gear box in one unit and CV shafts running to rear wheels. They had high, low range and reverse so if you mounted engine sideways you could run shafts to diffs. Not sure how strong it would be though. Oh and they were step through box so no clutch. They also came in 4wd with shaft to front wheels running forward out of bottom of engine casing to a solid mounted diff, then CV shafts to front wheels.

[bj on roids]

Why not running gear from a big capacity 4x4 quad bike. You would have light weight, high and low range and 4wd. Just a thought

Some of them are auto and 4x4 and reverse, so it could work.....

[maxtrax]

I have a Polaris 300cc 2wd quad and did ring ARB Tamworth as they sell polaris but his thourghts where because they are belt driven would not work and the chain driven early model suks, kawasaki, honda whould not be suitable. Why would you buy a quad for $500 and up whan you can get a Swift, Charade, Suzuki 800cc hatch for under $200?