I used to use #10 cans and Chanel-locks :)
I found they rust out too quickly and are a pain to chase after in the first place, so I bought a regular chimney starter.
It is not cheating, it says so in the pyromaniacs handbook!
Lighter fluid???!!!! Hell no, no lighter fluid anywhere near my BBQ! The whole point of a chimney starter is to not use horrible lighter fluid. The leaf blower just makes it faster and more fun.
After some additional thought, and you needed vehicle performace, you might just leave the golf cart stock and hang on some sort of loud flame and smoke generator for the sound and light show.
Several sites show a surplus auto or diesel turbo unit pumbed into a combustion chamber that seems to generate plenty of both, although down on the thrust. More than likely you have a suitable turbo on hand.
The only real problem I see is the oil supply.
Some stainless steel tubing, a little welding, salvaged fuel injector system [like a k-jetronic], a spark plug/coil, and an battary operated oil pump/sump and you should be good to go. You may also need an electric or air drill to spin the turbine up for starting. Notch the exhaust section like a whistle or organ pipe for even more sound output.
The people will love it.
Even better if you run it on peanut oil....
Unka' George [George McDuffee] ============ Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.
Saw a go-cart with a turbine similar to that on it at the school I went to. They were taking off the power with another turbo , with a pto shaft on it, to run the cart.
They had a pretty slick electronic controller set up to manage fuel delivery, as well as the start cycle.
They had a hard time keeping it running, for some reason, but it was fast while it went. :-)
Cheers Trevor Jones
Way Cool!
See...not useless.
Gunner
That would work nicely if you can match the APU Generator voltage with an oversized electric drive motor on the golf cart and a seriously stout rear end with a Locker or spool - pass it the amps and you'll boil the rear tires in a heartbeat. The flames are for show anyway.
Jay Leno's already got a turbine powered motorcycle - He says the hardest thing is getting used to the extreme lag on both throttle application and removal.
turbine-electric
successful. It
packages such as steam
The Union Pacific tried this in the 1950's and 60's in the southwest with the "Big Blow" and "Veranda" 4,500 HP gas turbine, and it worked nicely in pulling huge trains with only one or two locomotives - but for the fuel efficiency. And engine wear from running on heated Bunker C. And the ear-splitting noise while coming through the small towns along the route.
And the fact that they goofed up and parked them under a concrete highway overpass a few times with the engines idling - more than once the turbine exhaust melted the asphalt road surface off the bridge deck, which tends to make enemies of the state road dept. folks...
-->--
I think I found a complete package
Thanks for the help!
Rob
Bruise,
My original reference was to a steam-turbine-electric locomotive.
Bob Swinney
They show up on eBay regularly. look for "gas turbine", "jet engine", etc. You'll get a ton of toy trucks and locomotives, but there are a bunch of APUs, jet fuel starters, and other small gas turbines from AiResearch, Snecma/CFM, and a few that don't come to mind immediately. They are in the 20-50 Hp range, and can be picked up by one person. Some of them are incredibly small, basically the size of a truck turbocharger with accessories attached. (There are also some larger APU engines, an occasional helicopter engine, and even complete jet engines of various types, mostly VERY old. These don;t show up as often, but if you keep watch, you will see them a few times a year.)
Jon
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