# Converting a 4 stroke motor to a Hit and Miss engine



## steamertate (Apr 3, 2012)

Hello Everybody. Sorry I have been absent for some time. For the moment I have removed the dream of building a steam engine, as it is too complicated for what tools and materials I have available. So I am going to ask for help on converting a four stroke, 3hp lawn mover engine I have acquired into a hit an miss engine which is close enough to a steam engine. I have not torn the engine apart yet, and I need help designing a governor for the engine. I have observed many types of governors at farm shows on hit and miss engines, but I can't seem to understand how they work. I have noticed sprung weights on the flywheel, and I have wondered if as the weights get closer to the axle as the rpm slows down, and maybe a rod could be pulled on to close the exhaust that allows the engine to freewheel and at the same time opening the intake to allow gas to enter the cylinder, and then a second weight could pull a second rod precisely to make to spark plug go. And once the sprung weight moves as it spins it lets go of the rod and the exhaust opens, and then it speeds up, then it slows down again and the cycle repeats. No gearing at all. To change the rpm you would shorten or length the rod and have it lock in. Then the sprung weights would not move in as far to activate the cycle. Thank you for the input! 

-Tate


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## gbritnell (Apr 5, 2012)

Tate,
For the same reasons you would have building a steam engine would be applied to building a hit and miss engine from an existing lawn mower type engine. That's not to say that it couldn't be done but it would require fairly good machining tools to make the conversion.
gbritnell


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## Swede (Apr 9, 2012)

Tate, there ARE simple steam engines out there that have been built without machine tools... that would be significantly easier than trying to convert an existing gasoline engine as you describe.

Good luck to you!


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