Is it possible to "flip " a transaxle?

Is there a problem with running a transaxle upside down? Instead of having the drive pulley on top, if you flip the rear end and have the pulley on the bottom, woudn't that work too? The reason for the flip is to get everything as low profile as possable. The engine pulley would line up better with the drive pulley.

And rotate the other way?

Nope, it'll still turn the right direction.

Then u should be good, when running grease in it, what are you building ?

I'm looking at what I have to work with right now and getting my game plan right. I want to build something like a "'Gator" with the engine in the rear under the seat. I have a lead on a Golf Kart front end that is IFS and may graft it to a whole new rear section I'll build out of 1x2 tubing I have here. I'll come off the Transaxle with a chain/sprocket and take it to another axle with bigger tires on it.

Actually , thunder is correct. Unless you also rotate the axle it will go backwards.

Use a FNR rear and swap the direction labels,

Humor me, go out side and take a "spare" transaxle, rotate the pulley the same direction as the stock OEM runs, just like it sits in the mower. Then turn it upside down and turn it the same rotatation, as if it's running off the same mower engine. The wheels will turn the same direction. It's just running on the other side of the gears inside. Axle rotation is the same but the gears on the inside are running "backwards." You can do it with a straight cut gear but will wear a bevel cut gear out if it's like a ring and pinion in a car. tTry it and see what happens before you get too judgemental. You may need to flip it and rotate it 180*, but it will work. You guys are getting ready to learn something from and "Old HotRodder." Let me know what you find out.

Better have a grease type kind of transaxle, if its oil than u will burn it up cause it wont get oiled correctly

EDITED TO ADD - TEF is correct. My explanation is incorrect. The transaxle is running in reverse, but you do get all forward gears going forward as long as you spin it 180. Sorry for the confusion guys.

TheEquineFencer wrote:

You may need to flip it and rotate it 180*

Exactly... that is what I meant when I said you will also have to turn it around. I didn't say it wouldn't work, just that if you don't also turn it around, you'll go backwards. Of course, (assuming it isn't an FNR like Chopper said) then you will only have 1 speed forward and several speeds backwards. Doing this with a transaxle is a bit different than swapping around and rotating a rear end ala a hot rod. No judgment from this quarter at all, just stating a mechanical fact.


Edited: to clarify FNR vs typical multi speed transaxles used by offroaders.

TEF has a valid pint, straight cut gears don't care wich way you spins them, but other gear set styles do.

In addition most of the time, reverse is a different ratio than forward.

EDITED TO ADD - TEF is correct. My explanation is incorrect. The transaxle is running in reverse, but you do get all forward gears going forward as long as you spin it 180. Sorry for the confusion guys.


I believe I have heard about the straight vs. bevel cut in multi directional applications. No argument there.

Go flip and turn one around and see if you do not have the same direction axle rotation with all the forward gears. And yes, it better be a grease type rear end. Humor me, someone else try it. I saw a dropped and lowered one and thought the same thing until I tried it. It was set up for roundtrack racing.

EDITED TO ADD - TEF is correct. My explanation is incorrect. The transaxle is running in reverse, but you do get all forward gears going forward as long as you spin it 180. Sorry for the confusion guys.

I do not want to sound condescending or anything, but I'm not sure how to clear this up without taking the opposite side of what has appeared to become a debate. Sorry if any offense is taken, as none is intended.
I actually do not need to get a physical transmission to try this with... I can demonstrate what happens with a simple diagram. Let's say you simply take the transaxle and flip it over without taking the belt off...



Once you have done this, from your view, the pulley on top (now bottom) of the transaxle is rotating in the opposing direction. Once you take the belt off and put it back on "correctly", the pulley will be running in the original direction from your point of view, but will actually be running backward. This physically makes the gears run backward. Spinning the transaxle 180 will make the Tires turn in the correct direction, but the transaxle still is running backward. There will be one forward gear (formerly reverse), and as many backward gears as were previously forward.

Again, not trying to be a punk about it, just trying to clear things up.

Your fine man. Very simple diagram explains a lot. Hey guys, just grab a transaxle and see what it does instead of trying to make an unknown point. No use bickering about it.

Tractor Man Jeff wrote:

Your fine man. Very simple diagram explains a lot. Hey guys, just grab a transaxle and see what it does instead of trying to make an unknown point. No use bickering about it.

I second that motion.

OK, think about this. If you rotate the axle upside down, just "flipping" it left to right, it will run backwards, then rotate it 180* it will run the right direction. The rear of it is now facing forward, this will change the direction of wheel rotation.

While barely awake, I realized I am wrong on this. When you spin it 180 you are actually running the transaxle in reverse, but getting all forward gears in forward. I hate being wrong and now I have egg on my face. Sorry about the holier than thou response. Wow. Props TEF, sorry about that.

I'm starting to feel like the Wright brothers, everybody telling me it won't fly! I'm hoping someone else on here will do it.

TheRainbowBoxer wrote:

While barely awake, I realized I am wrong on this. When you spin it 180 you are actually running the transaxle in reverse, but getting all forward gears in forward. I hate being wrong and now I have egg on my face. Sorry about the holier than thou response. Wow. Props TEF, sorry about that.

Just try it, is the easiest way to be sure. You'll feel better about it then. Trust me, you'll see a light come on!

No, you are fine... sometimes I get something in my head one way, and once convinced, its hard for me to see it the other way. I edited my original rebuffs with header letting people know I was wrong. Sorry man.

No problem.

I know most folks in here are "lifting" mowers, I figured it would make building one better if you got everythig lower on the same plane.

I'm going out to work on my fenders I cut and bent wrong now. i "flipped" the metal the wrong way and cut the edge of the flange wrong. I guess I was just looking at it in the wrong perspective! LOL, we all make mistakes, I'm living proof.

it would work if you rotated it on the axles, then the pulley would be lower. i just got a idea that this would be great for a lowrider!!

crafsmankiller wrote:

it would work if you rotated it on the axles, then the pulley would be lower. i just got a idea that this would be great for a lowrider!!

Did I just hear a light come on or what?