So, You Wanna Ditch Vari-Drive?

I get alot of requests on how to do this, vari drive to a transaxle.

It basically consists of
-Getting a transaxle, and making mounts for it (i have a 5 speed 930 in this swap)
-Making a clutch
-Setting up clutch springs
-Making clutch linkage
-Brake setup
-New shiftier
Its sorta easy when you think about it, you just gotta commit to doing it, not very hard. You have to understand clutch systems, how it disengages, and tightens for more belt grip.

Here's how it should be done.

I started with the clutch, it should be on the slack side of the belt, meaning the left side of the tractor if you are standing in front of it. you want the engine to pull the belt in a straight line, from rear axle to engine, like a tight rope. If you had a clutch there it will loosen the clutch and cause belt slipping. (that's one thing that i did wrong on my conversion.)

First make sure you have a solid mount for your clutch, thick metal will prevent you wearing out the hole you drilled, and the bolt too from it moving in clutching action.


Next you make your clutch, this is how i did mine, seems like the easiest. The two pulleys help each other to tighten the belt. I made this t looking clutch out of plates. then i bought 5/8" bolts for the center of the pulleys i got from tractor supply. I think there 3" each, one v belt, and one flat.



I welded a piece of steel with a hole in it for my clutch spring.


There is a plate in the rear frame rails holding a plastic idler pulley that was originally for the vari-drive rear belt. I cut the pulley section off so it was just a plate. I welded a washer to the bottom of that plate, and welded it in-between the frame rails. The spring connects to a bolt with a nut welded to the end. The bolt goes through the washer and another nut on the other side.


For linkage, i first welded a metal tab onto the foot petal that is a big 5/8" rod. its just one side is a steering rod end, the other end is adjustable, its important it is. I use a rope to check clearances; rope acting like a belt.




Seance you will be buying a new belt, this is a great opportunity to do a pulley swap. i have 4" front, 4" rear. Seance i did my clutch on the other side the belt clears my shiftier rod, but on the other side i don't think that will be so. You might need a idler pulley and a mount to move the belt away from hitting the rod if that's the case.


Now, making a shiftier, there's a few ways of doing it. You can make a shiftier out of the mower deck lever, FearlessFront has a video on it. I have not tried that way. You can make a "nutbuster" shiftier (between the legs) would be the easiest. You just have to cut a hole in the rear fender, and its done. The way i did it was on the right hand side-shiftier. I used a rod that goes through both sides of the chassis, and a cut bolt welded to that rod just to keep it there. Make sure the rod is thick, so it doesn't bend.

Drilled holes in chassis

Rod section



This was welded to the handel bar

Handle though the fender on the side i used


I cut the original shiftier for the axle up, welded a washer to it

And this is were it comes together. The metal piece i'm holding is welded to a washer, a adjustable end goes though that washer, and another steering rod end goes in the axle's shiftier



Setting up brakes is kinda your own decision too. I decided to keep it simple and make a cool hand brake:
In the middle between the red rod pieces is a sleeve around a bolt


Welded a stopper behind the brake arm there and used a chain because it doesn't stretch like a rope.


All you need to do is size a belt now.

I have a YouTube channel chalk FULL of videos of all the pictures you've seen above:

https://www.youtube.com/user/redlinemotorsportts

Good write-up. Thanks for posting!

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Good write-up. Thanks for posting!

No problem, hey- you got some tape so i can put my fingers back together? Wasnt that bad

Krazy glue is pretty effective... LOL

True story- back when I was a teen, I'd occasionally nail myself with the Exacto knife building models- so I would glue the cut closed with Krazy glue. My mother used to give me such hell. "Don't do that! That stuff is toxic!". Flash forward 25 years, and now the hospitals are doing it... LOL

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Krazy glue is pretty effective... LOL

True story- back when I was a teen, I'd occasionally nail myself with the Exacto knife building models- so I would glue the cut closed with Krazy glue. My mother used to give me such hell. "Don't do that! That stuff is toxic!". Flash forward 25 years, and now the hospitals are doing it... LOL

you coulda made bank doing that! LOL
"you'll never make money off of BOTTLED WATER!! BAHAHA!"

Lol to the both of you. Such a shame to see such a beautiful Vari drive design. I guess the experiences with it vari with the speeds lol

TroyBilt Pony wrote:

Lol to the both of you. Such a shame to see such a beautiful Vari drive design. I guess the experiences with it vari with the speeds lol

It was so awesome that you scrapped your mower right?

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

TroyBilt Pony wrote:

Lol to the both of you. Such a shame to see such a beautiful Vari drive design. I guess the experiences with it vari with the speeds lol

It was so awesome that you scrapped your mower right?

My speed selection was broke in 2..

TroyBilt Pony wrote:

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

TroyBilt Pony wrote:

Lol to the both of you. Such a shame to see such a beautiful Vari drive design. I guess the experiences with it vari with the speeds lol

It was so awesome that you scrapped your mower right?

My speed selection was broke in 2..

bahaha, hey i think you can do more with a axle anyways its just a opinion that i think it works alot better over stock

Lol, probably more reliable as a peerless.. lol My prob was 5500 rpm and 7 in engine pulley lol

Nice writeup Red.

Is it the same FearlessFront wanted to do with his MTD in yesterdays video? Guess you beat him to it  

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

It was so awesome that you scrapped your mower right?

Zing! Hahahahahaha!

Thunderdivine wrote:

Nice writeup Red.

Is it the same FearlessFront wanted to do with his MTD in yesterdays video? Guess you beat him to it  

Thanks, I think he wanted to put in a 5 or 6 speed in a mtd with vari drive.

he did........ but we did it first! now we need a patent!

1997 Murray wrote:

he did........ but we did it first! now we need a patent!

I think the only time I would patent a mower mod would be for a e-locker for a transaxle lol

lol. I wonder if anyone knows how a bolens locker works?

Hey Red, can you pop apart the old vari-drive and show us (me) what's inside?  It would be a cool learning experience since I've never seen or heard of one....   

And, really nice work btw. Good "welding rod engineering" there!

here:

Thanks! Any better bigger pics? I thought it had a belt inside lol. I know nothing about these but I'm interested in them.   

no, the belt driving the tranny changes the speed, the tranny is only for changes the direction of the mower.