RE: Who is converting Toro trimmers?
That Toro looks a lot like a Kawasaki 26.3 cc engine that I have converted.The intake on your looks a lot like the intake on mine, and the casting on the front of your crankcase looks a lot like mine before I cut my crankcase. I found that the heat dam from a Stihl 25cc engine would work on the Kawasaki. I used the stock muffler but I modified it a little bit. There is a picture of my Kawasaki in this thread. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2525185/anchors_2525185/mpage_1/key_kawasaki/anchor/tm.htm#2525185
Posted on: 7/19/2005 6:39 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3179999

RE: Homie 25
While you are making your stuffed backplate. Check to see how much of the crank pin is sticking out from the back of the lower connecting rod bearing. From what I have noticed, you should be able to grind off 1/16" to 3/32" of an inch from the crank pin and get the your custom stuffed backplate to take up that much more space.
Posted on: 7/11/2005 11:50 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3155936

RE: Home Lite 25cc
The cheapest conversion that I have done is a Homelite 25cc engine that was given to me. I purchased a prop adapter and a carburetor for it, and modified the stock muffler. It turned around 7800 RPMS with a 16x8 APC. Plenty of power to Fly an Ultra Lite Stick. Total cost was under 50 dollars. I would check around with your friends, neighbors, and local small engine shop. Someone is bound to have a string trimmer or a leaf blower that is "broken" and may make a good conversion candidate.
Posted on: 6/14/2005 2:45 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3072156

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
I received the Prop adapter for the Kawasaki on Thursday from Ken Lambert. I mounted up the engine yesterday, and ran it. The Kawasaki turned 7900 RPMS with a 16x8 APC Prop. I used the same Walbro WT-21 on the Kawasaki that was on the Stihl. I also used the Stihl heat dam on the Kawasaki. It is a direct bolt on fit with no modifications required. The mufler that I used was the Stock muffler that I cut apart, gutted, welded back together, and welded new 7/16 " exhaust tubes in. The modified flywheel held together just fine. I will post some pictures tomorrow of the Kawasaki.
Posted on: 6/11/2005 3:03 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3063038

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
I Finally got around to working on these engines this week. I have to give a Big Thumbs up to Ken Lambert. I ordered 2 prop adapters and 2 mufflers for the Stihl 25.4cc engines from him this past week. I ordered everything Monday night. He shipped them Tuesday morning and I received them Wednesday afternoon. I worked all evening on Thursday and yesterday Carving off all the excess aluminum from the crankcase on one of the Stihl engines. I assembled the engine this afternoon with all the parts and and a new Walbro WT-21 Carb. I was not able to tach the engine as the battery in my globee died as I was trying to check the rpms. I also do not know how much this engine weighs, because I do not have a small scale that goes over 1 lb. I have a feeling that this engine is turning close to 8000 rpms on a MAS classic 16x8 prop. I was really impressed with the throttle response of this engine, once I got the carburetor tuned up. I tried hand starting this engine, but I just could not flip it fast enough. My good ole dynatron got it going in short order. I had no troubles starting it while I was playing with the carburetor, it started immediately everytime I hit it with the starter. I have a second Stihl engine that I am starting on this week. I broke the top ring while trying to get it unstuck. I am going to replace both rings on this engine and get it running this next week. I am very close to getting the Kawasaki up and running. I e-mailed Ken Lambert the crude sketch of the prop adapter that I needed, and he is currently working on the prop adapter. The prop adapter that I need for this engine is a little different because it needs to fit inside the flywheel. This Kawasaki came with a strange Carburetor that is not adjustable, and the holes in the heat dam do not line up with a walbro or a Zama. However, I have found that the heat dam from the Stihl 25cc lines up perfectly on the kawasaki crankcase for the carburetor pulse hole, and a walbro will bolt right up to the Stihl Heat dam. I should be able to get this engine running in short order once I receive the prop adapter. Below is a picture of the Stihl 25.4 after it's test run
Posted on: 6/4/2005 7:02 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3042231

RE: Ryobi 31cc glow conversion
oldtimer2, The e-mail address for Frank Bowman is frankbowman@mylifeline.net
Posted on: 5/26/2005 5:50 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3012593

RE: HomeLite 25cc Broken Piston Ring
I have ordered Homelite 25cc Parts from http://www.outdoordistributors.com/Homelite/homelite-parts-lists.html with good success. You can search through the proper Service guides from there if you know the UT Number of your string trimmer. All of the string trimmer motors that I have cross reference to the same part number of HOM-PS01359. The stock ring will probably cost you more than ordering a ring from Frank if you consider the cost of shipping to Canada. The indicators that you can check for are lack of power, low compression. For me I have gotten away with a visual check through the exhaust port. I usually check for heavy carbon buildup which would indicate to me that there may be a lot of carbon in the ring groove which could prevent the ring from expanding to fit the cylinder properly. I have had 5 motors with stuck rings of the 12 that I have tinkered with. I usually put everything (Cylinder and piston) in a crock pot antifreeze bath over night to loosen up the carbon and clean everything up. I ended up having to break the ring on 2 of the 5 motors even after the antifreeze bath to get the rings out of them. Make sure that you are using the proper gas/oil mix so that the engine does not carbon up again.
Posted on: 5/14/2005 7:10 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2973481

RE: Homelite 30cc first test run..not so good
I have not gotten around to tinkering with the one that I have, but I would look at the exhaust port timing. To me it looks like the exhaust port opens a late, and the exhaust port is not as large as the Homelite 25cc that I have. The top of the exhust port on the 4 port cylinder is shaped like a crescent, versus straight across on the old 30cc cylinder.
Posted on: 4/4/2005 7:55 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2840668

RE: Homelite 30- Need Advice
I too have a newer 30cc with the 4 transfer ports. I have not run it yet so I can not tell you how it will run. I would leave the transfer ports alone with regard to emlarging them. The ports are pretty deep compared to the other 30cc engine that I have. The only thing I would do is to taper the "bridge" between the bottom of the ports where the fuel will flow up from the crankcase into the port. I will post a picture if I have time today of how I shaped mine. In stock form this area is squared off and fuel will not flow very well into the ports. The other thing to note is that the transfer ports are timed differently. One pair of ports opens before the next pair of ports. If you could make all four ports open at the same time you will make more power. The flat on the crankshaft will not be a problem. I have a 25cc engine from a blower with a flat on the shaft. Just slide prop hub on and forget about the flat.
Posted on: 3/17/2005 8:33 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2774713

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
Nothing new to report. I have not done anything with this engine since I finished the muffler last week. The last little bit that I need to finish up is to figure out what threads are on the crankshaft, and have a prop adapter made. I also need to adapt a Walbro carburetor to the heat dam. The stock carburetor is a rotary carburetor that has no mixture adjustment on it. The mounting holes for the stock carburetor do not line up with a walbro carburetor.
Posted on: 3/3/2005 12:13 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2721080

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
Thanks for the warning. I balanced this flywheel after I reshaped it.
Posted on: 2/25/2005 4:21 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2699747

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
BillS, The FC 75 pictured above with the stock flywheel, muffler, pull start, and carburetor weighs 4lbs 6 ounces.
Posted on: 2/25/2005 3:48 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2699631

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
I had to trim the flywheel a bit because I broke one side of it when I was trying to remove it from the engine. I just trimmed the other side of the flywheel to match.
Posted on: 2/25/2005 3:40 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2699611

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
I have cleaned up and stripped down the Kawasaki. I gutted the muffler and had 2 - 7/16 ID tubes welded into place, then I painted the muffler black. As the engine sits it weighs 2 lbs 14 ounces. I am projecting around 3.5 pounds once I get a prop adapter and install the carb. I think I could get the weight of this engine down to around 2.5 pounds if I installed an electronic ignition, and an aluminum muffler.
Posted on: 2/25/2005 3:38 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2699601

RE: Big Bore Carburator for Homelite 25cc
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2371019/anchors_2371019/mpage_1/key_11mm%252Ccarb/anchor/tm.htm#2371019]11mm Zama and Walbro Carb List[/link]
Posted on: 1/24/2005 7:04 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2577405

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
The total volume does appear to be the same, but The two cylinders pictured together are of the 25cc Homelite on the left and the 30cc Homelite on the right. I took a picture of the 30cc Cylinder next to the 25cc cylinder for reference. If you follow the link that av8tor posted you can see what the ports looked like on the "old" style 30cc homelite and the "new" style 30cc homelite. Those are the pictures that should be used to compare the new "smog" style 30cc Cylinder to. If you use those pictures for reference, then removing the bridge should make the port volume close to what it used to be with the '"new" style cylinder.
Posted on: 1/15/2005 6:22 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2543813

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
I did weigh the New 30cc head vs the 25cc head. The 30cc head is 2 ounces heavier.
Posted on: 1/15/2005 12:05 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2541570

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
Hey all, I finally got the cylinder off of the engine after I found the proper tools. The first two pictures should give you a comparison of the new 30cc cylinder and the old 25cc cylinder. This should give you a good perspective on how the transfer ports look on the new 30cc. The third picture is the exhaust port on the 30cc. It looks like it needs some work to me. Finally a shot of the piston. It looks like the rings have a slight rounded edge to me.
Posted on: 1/15/2005 12:03 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2541565

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
This 30cc motor has not changed from the old 30cc motor. When I said head bolt I should have said cylinder bolts.
Posted on: 1/14/2005 6:56 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2540533

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
av8tor, This motor has 4 transfer ports, but they are very, very small. The "Bridge" that I am refering to in this case is the material that is between the 2 small transfer ports. The exhaust port on this motor is wide open with no bridge. The piston on this engine has 2 rings instead of the one ring that the 25cc has. Looking at this cylinder I think that a little work with an end mill will do the trick. Also on this cylinder the top of the exhaust port has an arc to it. I am thinking that if I cut the top of the exhaust port straight that it may help the engine breathe a little. I will take pictures tonight if I can get the head bolts broken free. They must have used some serious torque on those bolts when they assembled the engine. Gene, I have an electronic ignition from CH for a long shaft Homelite. I have tried to set it up on my 25cc homelite's. The problem is that with the prop adapter installed, I can not tighted the prop nut down...I run out of threads. I am using a Master Airscrew 16x8 for testing, but I was wondering if a APC has a thicker hub on the propeller. Has anyone else had this issue?
Posted on: 1/14/2005 12:20 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2539229

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
Thanks for the numbers Gene. I tore the blower down tonight. I found that the woodruff key on this motor is cast into the flywheel, and on this blower the key sheared off. That is why the motor was at the dump. The engine has a bit of compression, and has hardly been run. I need a new flywheel, or an electronic ignition for this one. I looked at the ports, and I think they could be worked by cutting the bridge between the ports. I will have to shelve getting this one running until I finish up on the 25CC homelite's that I am working on right now. I will get some pictures up tomorrow once I get the engine cleaned up and the head bolts broken free.
Posted on: 1/13/2005 11:00 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2537620

RE: New Homelite 30cc blowers
Thanks for the information Gene. I have one of the new YardBroom II blowers that I found at a land fill. The UT number on it is 08120, and it was manufactured in September of 2004. It has seen a hard life, probably with a roofing crew, and is currently not running. I have not had time to tear it down this week and see what is wrong with it, but I can tell from pulling the rope that It has very little compression. You mention that the ports are different, and that the New one has 4 transfer port instead of two ports. Is the total area of the 4 ports less than the older two port model? I realize that the timing is probably really conservative. I will probably change the timing, and widen the ports a little, if it is necessary.
Posted on: 1/12/2005 6:54 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2530685

RE: Shindaiwa weedy motor
The WT-9 should not have a primer bulb. If you check [link=http://wem.walbro.com/walbro/family2.asp]Walbro's Website[/link], you will see that the diagram for the [link=http://wem.walbro.com/walbro/product2.asp?Series=WT&partnum=WT%2D9%2D1]WT-9[/link] shows a primer bulb, but the parts list for the carburetor does not list a primer bulb. If you go over the parts list carefully you will see that The WT-9 has a Choke indicated by item 18 on the parts list, and the WT-9 has and High and a low speed needle which is indicated by items 49 and 50 on the parts list. Also note that Item 62 on the list is the primer bulb, and there is not part number for it. [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2371019/anchors_2371019/mpage_1/key_11mm%252Ccarb/anchor/tm.htm#2371019]11mm carb list[/link]
Posted on: 1/11/2005 8:02 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2529103

RE: Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
More Pictures
Posted on: 1/10/2005 9:06 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2525194

Kawasaki and Stihl Motors
I picked up a few more motors this week. In addition to a 30cc homelite, I picked up a Kawasaki, and 3 Stihl motors. The Stihl motors are all 25.4cc, and the kawasaki is 26.3cc. I am most interested in how the Kawasaki will perform once it has been converted. Attached are some pictures.
Posted on: 1/10/2005 9:05 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2525185

RE: Homelite 25cc Rings
Yard Broom II Gas Blower http://www.homelite.com/products/blowers/yardblower/productdisplay.htm
Posted on: 1/10/2005 9:00 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2525151

RE: Homelite 25cc Rings
Rupurt, I looked on the Homelite website for that model and I did find a parts diagram. The problem is that the part numbers that are in the manual for that trimmer do not show up in any of the online catalogs. I did find out that here in the US that the Yard Broom II Gas Blower comes with a 30cc motor. I found one at a local land fill last week. Attached are a few pictures.
Posted on: 1/10/2005 8:59 PM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2525144

RE: Homelite 25cc Rings
Rupurt, I tried looking up the part number that you gave for the cylinder (ps03429), and it does not show up in any of the online parts vendors databases. I did find a new model of 30cc Homelite Blower that is currently available here in the US. You can see my post about it here. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/New_Homelite_30cc_blowers/m_2492708/tm.htm Mick, I have not finished building the engines that I have yet. I am working on converting 10 of them, and have just received the last 5 from club members. I need to clean them up before I can start on them. I am planning on doing some porting, and lowering of the cylinders for more compression, and cut off the casting from the crankcase. We are going to setup to do the machine work all at the same time. If time permits I may also try to machine a new backplate that will take up more space in the crankcase, rather than install an aluminum plate onto the existing backplate. I think I can make a new backplate that will take up more space and uncover the rear transfer port.
Posted on: 1/5/2005 7:16 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2504302

New Homelite 30cc blowers
I was looking at Homelite's website and noticed that they are selling a new model 30cc blower. The model is the Yard Broom IIâ„¢ Gas Blower UT08110. Home Depot online has several 30cc Homelite blowers for sale. The UT08110 lists for 79.97. I have not seen this model blower yet, so I can not verify if the muffler and carburetor match the existing 25 and 30cc Homelites. The part number for the short block for this blower is UP03131, but it costs about $100.00.
Posted on: 1/2/2005 9:34 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Engine Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2492708

RE: I need help with bearing sizes
Tower sells the bearings for GMS engines. The front bearing is Outer Diameter: 0.75" (19mm) Inner Diameter: 0.31" (8mm) Thickness: 0.24" (6mm) The rear bearing is Outer Diameter: 0.94" (24mm) Inner Diameter: 0.47" (12mm) Thickness: 0.24" (6mm) If you go to Towers web page you can find them by searching for [b]gms bearing[/b]
Posted on: 12/17/2004 6:47 AM by Author "Railridr" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2441845