Craftsman build.

So, I made progress... and then promptly lost progress. Some of you may know, I got my 16hp briggs oppy running the other day. That was great. Its on a MTD, still has the mowing deck on it... so what do I do? What anybody would do. Take it for a drive, mow some grass. So I mow a little bit..  I came to a point where I couldnt make it because of some junk in the way, but maybe next to it not quite a 45*...almost made it! Yup, front end came up an over.  

Smashed the air cleaner assembly, mangled the flywheel shroud, busted some plastic fins off the flywheel, crunched some of the steering, oil filler tube popped out... I was surprised the carb or manifold didnt get busted... atleast not to my knowledge. So, now a quest to get replacement tinwork.

Sad part is the grass cutter is out of commission as part of the steering is messed up... I was going to mow with the mtd until the other one got fixed. Ohwell...

Some picture of the aftermath...


Fun, fun, fun!

Gotta love this hobby... you probably damaged $19.83 of easily picked up mower parts. Can you imagine if you rolled a 4 wheeler like that? Just move the decimal point a couple places.

Well, I was hoping to have an update of some sort by my 50th post... but seein as how Im having a bugger time finding replacement parts for the oppy... that didnt quite happen.

Though, I did find a 3 speed peerless 820(I think that what was on it) at the junk yard for use as a spare.

This project isnt dead yet. Its just... taking a nap... lol.

In the mean time, I might be able to snag another older craftsman lawn tractor...

Paint... Atleast a little bit anyways,

I got most of the outside of the hood painted. As you can see... its going to be purple, and black. Maybe a set of white stripes.



Or this thing painted white on the hood.


Where it says craftsman on the front, that will be black, the sides purple... and now that I look at it, the "trim" piece on the bottom might end up silver... The "running boards" Im thinking about using rattle can bedliner, and on the underside of it aswell.

That oughta look pretty good, and I do think the logo on the hood will really set it off! Do that in a good contrasting colour... Yellow?

Put the logo on in white today...

Didnt quite turn out that great, I should have taken off the slag so it layed flat. Thats Ok though, it will work for now.

Purple paint, horned thing... That makes this tractor The Horny Purple... what?  

Lol doc...

Decided the split skull didnt fit this build... or color scheme. Painted the black in the front though.



As you can see, I also experimented with gold paint... dosnt look the part I dont think.



Before its all over, it may be black with purple flames...

TheBeal wrote:

Lol doc...

Decided the split skull didnt fit this build... or color scheme.

Was it somethin' I said???  

No Doc... if it was... well... thats another story!

But any rate... no progress to speak of. Deep down I was hoping to have this thing running by the first significant snow... However, seein as how I flipped the mtd with the briggs twin... and Im too cheap to buy another shroud off the internet or one of the fine members here... Actually, I really dont have an extra $20 or so for it. But thats ok.
I will survive.... I mean, this thing will survive?

Made up a few parts yesterday and today...

What you see are 2 hooks that will be put on the bumper, the plate with the hole will bolt to the leaf spring. If Im thinking right, the U bolt will be on either side of it so it should keep the spring from moving around. The other 2 are going to be for the spindle bracket.



So slow progress better than none.  

those are big hooks. if they let go, there is a serious problem

willis923 wrote:

those are big hooks. if they let go, there is a serious problem

They are 5/8ths roundstock heated and bent around a pipe. Ought to work good... if they do let go at some point, it could only be a weld somewhere. And if thet happens... I should rethink my career choice to be a welder lol

But anyways, more progress today. A NEW SHROUD a the scrap yard. Almost missed it. Got it for free. Not sure if they do that all the time for something that comes out less that a $1 or if it was the lovely receptionist/cashier/whateversheis lol.



You can also see part of the spindle bracket there on the leaf spring. Its not quite right where it is welded, so i think Im going to leave it as is and find a use for it later and make some new ones. But maybe you can kinda get an idea of what is floating through my head...



Also discovered an adult student in the diesel shop has an opposed twin that threw a rod, might see about getting it if it doesnt have internal damage...

Very interesting. What's the leaf spring from?

Regarding the U-bolt plate- I very much doubt that alone will be enough to locate the axle securely, if you're attempting to do what I think you are.

What I think you are doing, is a transverse leaf spring- This is one single lateral spring running parallel to the axle. Generally, the center of the spring pack would get bolted to a frame bracket, and both spring eyes get bracketed to the axle.

Now- with a really stiff (too stiff to be useful) spring, you MIGHT get away without radius arms or another means of locating the axle, and on a low speed tractor at that. If the spring is soft enough to do something beyond look like a spring, it's gonna be all over the place. Lethal on anything over a few MPH.

The spring is from a trailer. Before I actually messed with it I thought about using the whole set! I could NOT flex them at all lol. That was about a joke! Even this single piece is pretty stiff.

What would you suggest doing Doc? I had though about welding a bracket on the spring but I dont think I want to weld on it or drill on it.

No- do NOT ever weld to a spring, the heat will kill the temper of the spring. Proceed with the U-bolt bracket, and use the spring's centering pin (or a bolt) to locate it in the bracket. Keep a close eye on measurements- I occasionally come across a leaf spring where the centering pin is NOT in the exact center from eye to eye. And I do believe you'll have to fab up some radius rods or similar.

I figured it would do something like that. Im pretty sure it is centered, I too have seen some off center. So Ill just get a longer bolt... thats easy.

I was planning on making some sort of trailing arm/radius rods/whatever they are called. I think it will look cool.   
Planing on talking to the shop instructor to see if I can maybe bring the whole thing in sometime to work on. Or atleast build a subframe to build the front suspension on and then bolt to the mower body.



And now, after thinking about ti some more... I have ideas for a hotrod gokart...   
Gona be low and wide... powered by a "bog block" briggs flatty... muwahahah... hahaha...  


{EDIT} Doc, or anyone for that matter... If you have an idea of something that might work better than what Im doing, or even something you think would be cool to see on this build feel free to PM me or post it here.

Dinky little update...


Sterrin wheel!

Hahaha...

And so it begins.........................





Engine swap this week...

I thought........ The day would never come!

An update!    *sniffle*

WOOOO tread revived!! glad to see this project up and going again

bout time man, now hurry up and dont make us wait that long again

and so it RE begins lol

Yeah so soon as I get the stupid pulley off the oppy I can set in on the craftsman... and start figuring out the exhaust and controls and whatnot... woot.

Do you have a flywheel puller?

I do... but its not working for me. lol

But anywho... some pics. Thats how the exhaust will be routed. I will need to extend them so they go below the footboards or whatever they are called.