Some sort of craftsman... and more!

...Thing.
I dont really know whats going on.

Started with this. Broken transaxle turned out to be seized with rust and a bad bushing.
Had a FNR transaxle apart and happend the bushings fit the spicer. Back together and it seems to function.
Its a 14.5hp OHV, and a spicer 6 speed. How does spicer rate in the world of transaxles?


The back is lowered about 6 inches. Now it needs a jackshaft.  


Oh... and I got some tires.
27in ITP somehting or others. I think.
Now I need wheels.

This wont happen, but its a fun thought...


So Im not sure how this will turn out, not going to put too much effort in this. Gona get put together, and beat till it breaks.


:Edit Mightyraze Turned off thumbnails.

Or not...

Got this ford for free...



But whats this???







Oh bother...










...just so happens, the transaxle from the craftsman "thing" is the same case.
It was donated to the cause. The axles are about 2in longer so i had to swap them. Seemed to work fin for a while, picky shifting. Recently it started doing something goofy, like its kicking in and out of gear in the lower gears, but goes fine in a higher gear.

...and on another note... I saved this peerless from the scrap yard for a whopping $4.



It has the same mounting patter as this foote. Ill use the foot till it gets blowed up...
Its too bad, the shifter on the foot is more cooler...















...and just for the hell of it all...



Thats a 433cc 2 stroke sled engine sitting there. It just about fits!

Nice, is that an opposed twin in that Ford?

Yeah, 16hp kohler. it was parked empty, with some fresh gas it started right up.

Those foote gearboxes are pretty tough, my uncle ran one in a go kart he build out of an old lawn tractor for at least 15 years. He still has it in a corner of his yard.

There is a discussion on a lesser lawnmower forum about the foote and peerless, if I understood right the foote has beefier gears and shafts, but the why it shifts is the weak link.

Im curious as to how I can gear it. Id like a little bit of speed, but Ive hot hills around here I need to be able to go up.


I have several 2-3ft pieces of 1x2in-ish tube to use for a frame. I think this will be plenty strong enough.

I like the pic of the riding mower with the 6 inch drop in the back. Reminds me of a gasser, LOL. What's the plans with that one? You going to drop the front too?

Im not sure what to do with it. The carb started flooding Im not sure why. I stole the bowl bolt to put on another free mower... I guess it cant flood if theres no bowl... lol.

Heres my pile of junk to work with.

Im thinking about 15-6x6 tires all around.
Or, possibly 18-9.50x8 for the rear, 18-8.50x8 for the front?

I think putting 18-9.50x8 on the rear and 18-8.50x8 on the front would look better.

I would need tires, and atleast 2 wheels for the smaller set. I have the bigger tires that hold air. I will need different wheels for those too. Id like atleast a 1in axle in the back, the wheels just have the standard 3/4in bore.

Im not going to be offroading/mudding with this so not too concerned with ground clearence from the smaller tires. Big tires definantly wont be a problem

I'm a little bit confused lol. Are you using the craftsman in the first pic or the last one?

Maybe I should have clarified.

The green one turned into that gasser looking thing. I scrapper the hood and fenders as they were not anywheres near my manly requirements.

The gasser thing gave up the transaxle so I could get that ford running as Id like to try and sell it.
Ill keep ahold of the frame from it for a while as we dont know what the future holds...  I still think a gasser looking thing would be fun.

Ive been saving those older craftsman chunks for years... contemplating a number of options, I think Ive settled on a hotrod/offroad/racer-esque thing.... or whatever it turns into I dunno?

If you get it going, you should paint the name on it "The Gasser Lookin Thing" LOL. With that 433cc 2 stroke sled motor in it. That would be something to ride!

Ah so are you going to put the purple hood on that green craftsman?

No no, "Green Thing" is out of the picture. "Purnurple Thing" is getting a scratch built frame outa some 1x2in tubing.

Speaking of the frame, Ive come up with a basic setup. Im not sure the exact lenghts and everything, its kind of "by the seat of my pants" thing going on here. Pretty simple in my eyes... Im not sure how the steering will be, or the rear axle... or much else... I dont know whats going on...



And here we have for your viewing pleasure(or not?) a side view of the frame and some "conceptual art"...


Ill probably make the frame long, then cut it down after I see how things are going fit. I dont have long pieces of tube, I will need to join several pieces. I figure where its joined is a good place to add in a crossmember.

Frame will be 12 1/8 wide outside to outside, the dash will fit nicely.

Having the step in the frame, Im thinking theres a possibility of rear suspension if I can find a short(and cheap) shocks. I can always add it later too. Ide like to build the front in such a way it would be easy to add front suspension aswell..

O right nice! What kinda engine are you putting into it?

Purnurple hahaha! Is that a Si Robertson quote?

I'm a bit curious, what's stopping you from using the craftsman frame? I've heard there pretty good.

AllisKidD21 wrote:

Purnurple hahaha! Is that a Si Robertson quote?

Yup!

MatthewD wrote:

I'm a bit curious, what's stopping you from using the craftsman frame? I've heard there pretty good.

Im thinking it will be easier to build it how I want, rather than have to modify an existing frame. Ill be keeping the craftsman frame for another "craftsman thing" Maybe, "the craftsman thing II" I dont know.

As for the engine, Im thinking a 16.5hp briggs oppy. I have a couple spares and parts engines to play with.

Thought so, hahaha!!

^^ Yup, Jase and uncle Si are probably my favorites  


So Ive started cutting the material for the frame. Ive got the pieces for the back half cut... and now before I cut the rest, Im wondering if maybe I should make it so the front half is narrower. Im thinking about single a arms up front, but I dont want it to be half a mile wide up there....

Or, what are some other simple front suspensions I could try to rigafy up?

As metions before, the frame will be about 12 1/8 inches wide, I supose it would be fine?




{EDIT} I guess I cant narrow it too much. I wanted my engine mounts on the inside of the frame. That being I could only narrow it to about 10 inches.

Ofcourse I may run into trouble with some suspension bit running into the engine. I might have to send the front end out past the end of the hood? That might look interesting...





....maybe I just build it without suspension...


{EDIT} #2! Or maybe I just build some tall spindle brackets and stuff a big valve spring in there?

I have most of the frame pieces cut. If I measured right, it will be an inch taller than what I thought before... that should give me room to bolt on the things you put your feet on... because I cant think of what they are called.
The pieces of tube I used, the longest was 3ft so I needed to scab on another 5in on the front. I know its goofy to have to do that, but I couldnt get it another way with what I had.



Saved the suspension from the skis of the snowmobile. Probably wont use them on this, but its something to think about for another "craftsman thing".




Any thoughts on colors for this?

You're doing a peerless 700 to live axle correct? What if you were to mount your pillow blocks to the leaf springs from the snowmobile and have rear suspension? you would need a chain tensioner that is spring adjustable, but I think it could work.

Anyone else??