Hello, First post here and a newbie at this although I'm a known tinkerer! I acquired (I actually found this thing in a garbage can...long story!) a neglected mini bike with a partial motor. Last year I purchased two tillers from a local classifieds ad for $10. Got one tiller working with a new condenser and used the 3 hp briggs from the other one and the carb from the mini bike and got stuff running great! I'm way excited to get this thing on the 'road.' My question is that I've been fiddling with a 12 volt headlight to run on this. I've actually wired a momentary kill switch to the wire coming from the coil and it works great. Well, I tied into this wire (from the coil) and found a good ground and connected my light (put a connector in between the light and the engine). Well, to start the engine it has to be disconnected. When it is running if I connect the light it will kill. Am I able to run a light on this setup? I will be sure to post pictures as things progress. Also, if detailed pics of the coil/wiring are helpful I'd be happy. Thanks in advance for any/all advice!
12v headlight on 3 hp Briggs?
- Thread starter matstang
- Start date
On the older Briggs coils I've seen, there was only one circuit. The wire connects the points, condenser, and coil, then runs to a contact somewhere on the throttle to kill the engine when the throttle is closed. You did the same thing with the kill switch. The kill switch basically dead shorts the coil to kill the engine. If you try to run a light on this wire it still does the same thing. It dead shorts the coil through the light.
matstang,you have couple options when it comes to running lights. you could find a older tecumseh use for minibikes that had a lighted coil built under the flywheel that produce 12ac volts or some of the bigger snow blowers had them too. lighted coil engines will probable cost you some money$$$. tecumseh had a lighted coil that mount on the outside of the pull starter too. i beleive you can find them on late 80's and 90's snow blowers,but thats another part you have to look for:doah:
i use a bicycle generator and modifly it with a high speed bearing and a very small sprocket together so all it has to do is spin when the chain is turning.
generator puts out 8ac volts so i use a 6 volt bulb,but now i am switching over to led lights. they use very little volts to light up:thumbsup:
total cost,under $20 . on my next build i will show more pictures on how i built the unit:thumbsup: also works as a chain tension:thumbsup:
i use a bicycle generator and modifly it with a high speed bearing and a very small sprocket together so all it has to do is spin when the chain is turning.
generator puts out 8ac volts so i use a 6 volt bulb,but now i am switching over to led lights. they use very little volts to light up:thumbsup:
total cost,under $20 . on my next build i will show more pictures on how i built the unit:thumbsup: also works as a chain tension:thumbsup:
Hey thanks for the responses! I had seen your posts of this setup and was curious as to how you had done it exactly. You couldn't by chance post some step by step instructions as to how to do it could you? This by far seems to be my best option! I'm also in the process of figuring out how to tension my chain a little more. This would be perfect!
matstang,nice:thumbsup: lots of room:thumbsup:
one other option you can go with,but you will have to use led lights or you will drain the battery fast. you can go with this rechargeable 6volt battery and led lights and run it forever before recharging.
i like the box under the seat:thumbsup: maybe good place for a battery?
one other option you can go with,but you will have to use led lights or you will drain the battery fast. you can go with this rechargeable 6volt battery and led lights and run it forever before recharging.
i like the box under the seat:thumbsup: maybe good place for a battery?
nice thing about having the generator setup over a battery is that you never have to touch it once it is hook up:thumbsup: no recharging or replacing batterys. but you do have lights when the bike is idling with a battery. i do have couple engines with extra pto shafts. maybe hookup a small belt pulley system to run the generator or a #25 chain setup(smaller then a #35) so when the engine is running i will have lights:thumbsup:
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.........................................You're right about the box being a good fit for the battery. When I built the box that wasn't my intention--I just thought it'd be cool for small storage, but I am now leaning towards the battery thing. Although if I could make a generator work like yours I'd have my storage space back! I have an old 12v handicapped scooter battery that I will use until I get that generator going! Also, the LED lights are a must it sounds like!
m0trfinger, modifly the sprocket so it would bolt up to the generator and also press the sprocket into a high speed bearing and then slide a peice of tubing over the whole assy,then hose clamp it down and welded the tubing up and then remove the hose clamps. also welded two nuts on the bottom so i could bolt it up. i will be posting more pic's and detail info on my next build (soon)
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