Larry wrote:
dt wrote in news:f4p0hv$3nl$1
@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu:

4HP and it weighs less than five pounds? Why AREN'T we using them for
outboards???
DT



The question arises: Why aren't they already built INTO the dinks?

One of the best inventions I've seen someone make was at our marina not
long ago. These transients had a small inflatable powered by a $69
Weedeater they had built a tiller for. The weedeater engine was held to
the transom with an adjustable motor mount for a trolling motor (adjusts
depth of prop up and down). They took the weed whacker off the bottom.
They then bent the aluminum tubing into an 80 degree from it's 45 degree
so the prop would point back, not down. The power comes down the tubing
to the weed whacker on a speedometer cable flexible shaft. To keep the
salt out of it, they filled the aluminum tubing with a light grease, then
put the end bearing back on it. A trolling motor prop from WalMart was
attached to the weed whacker drive where the spool goes. The drive shaft
with the little engine on top is vertical. The deadman throttle cable
normally on a plastic mount, which was discarded, was moved to a tiller
handle made from another piece of aluminum tubing under the engine. If
your hand left the tiller, he had the throttle set to stall the engine so
the boat couldn't run off by itself if the kid fell overboard. It simply
stopped.

Voila! The $99 AIR COOLED (never flushed), 2-stroke outboard motor! His
kids were riding around in that dingy a lot...great fun.

He told me it was just too cheap to repair. When the kids wore that
motor out, he would simply replace it with another "outboard from Home
Depot"....(c; 1 gallon of gas is enough for a whole weekend in the tiny,
tiny carb.

Obviously, dingy power DOESN'T have to cost the same as a car....(c;

Larry

Indian kids at Neah Bay adapted weed eater motors to their bicycles.
Hop on and pedal and give it some juice. Engine starts and you keep
pedaling to get some rpms. Then hang on!
Nothing like a screaming 2 stroke smoking down the road at 30 mph
probably with no brakes.
Res cops finally banned them.
Gordon