[speedracer]

Hi everyone, i'm a newcomer in need of some help. i'm in a solar boat race every year, and this year we won for the second year in a row. we want to bump up our powersource from a torqueedo electric outboard, to something like a forklift motor.

Is there any way I could easily mount a forklift motor to an existing outboard motor's shaft to create my own motor?

What are your thoughts on my situation?

The motor should probably be able to run an hour at 75% power. What sort of motor and battery set up am i looking at for a 1000 lb capacity boat?

 

[nheistand]

Sure, some sort of adapter will allow you to connect your motor in place of the original gas outboard engine. The outboard engine is just a vertical shaft engine (like a lawn mower) connected to a a shaft that goes down to the transmission gearing to the prop. You will not need the water circulation a normal outboard engine uses. Just some type of adapter to mount your motor to the outboard rig without the gas engine.

This is the same way we adapt electric motors to auto transmissions. Essentially two pieces, an adapter plate that bolts to the motor and the transmission, and an adapter hub that connects the motor shaft to the transmission shaft. Once you separate the gas engine from the lower unit you will see what type of shaft you are connecting to. If the old gas engine is junk, you might be able to cut the output shaft off it to use as part of the adapter to the motor shaft.

You might consider a golf cart motor instead, that way you could find parts and controller etc. Then use the same battery pack type as the golf cart, say 48v with 8x6v or 4x12v batteries. You may want it lighter than lead/acid batteries? Use a 48v electric bicycle battery or 2x24v etc.

Just some thoughts.