Hi I am thinking of trying to convert my old Howard Gem to electric (battery) start can anyone give me any advice I have a workshop with milling machine free standing drill screw cutting lathe power saw surface grinder etc. What I don’t have is knowledge of how to make the starter. Can anyone help.
look for a dynastarter from a golf cart they are belt driven . A pully can be fixed were the pull cord was mounted.the rest is mounting brackets battery location relay and switch.
A dynastart is definitely the way to go as it turns the engine over with a V-belt and also charges up the battery at the same time. An alternative source for it could be an old Ransomes Motor Triple with a petrol MAG engine, although they are getting harder to find these days.
Jon , you haven’t told us what engine you have on your Gem , if it’s a Kohler it would be relatively straightforward , as has been suggested using a dynastart and removing the recoil system.
IF however you have a Jap or BJ engine , it would be an understatement to say it is more difficult.
Out of curiosity why do you think you need electric start ??.
Jon , the problem you will face is that the JAP engine does not have a crankshaft “poking out at the front” the end is enclosed internally. Whether a dynastart is both strong and powerful enough to be connected via the cranking stub I’m not so sure , perhaps folk more experience with these form of starters would know.
A jap engine would be tricky, however the way I would go about is to fit a different silencer to it so you’ve clear access to the timing cover, then you’d need to accurately drill a hole in the timing cover in line with the end of the crank, fit to it a crank extension with an oil seal where it exits, then rig up a dyno starter to a pulley bolted to it. Really depends on your skill level or how much you want to spend with an engineering firm. I’d probably be looking for a kohler engined gem myself.
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