Chris's **Tracta-Cooler** [2017 Build-Off Entry] [Finalist]

Your shift linkage will be awfully low....Are you going to build skid plates? What happened to the Teccy?

CraftsmanQuad19 wrote:

Your shift linkage will be awfully low....Are you going to build skid plates? What happened to the Teccy?

I do plan on doing some sort of protection for the shift linkage. With this machine I just have to wing it and figure it out 1 step at a time.

The Tecumseh is up for sale, it would not have enough power to move this tracta-cooler. This thing is pretty heavy and my top speed is only going to be 20MPH on flat terrain. I doubt I will ever try to get it to go that fast. The top of the cooler sits at 47".

47 inches! WOW thats going to be tall! Looks great though!

Nice flatty! Doing any engine mods?

MatthewD wrote:

Nice flatty! Doing any engine mods?

Right now it has a oil leak I have to find. It's a small slow leak so I'm not the concerned with it yet. My goal is to get thing rolling under its own power and all the mechanics worked out with it. If I have the time and $ I might do some "light modifications" to it. I'm definitely ditching the stock carb and intake and exhaust. Not sure how much $ I really want to sink into a 12.5HP Briggs. If I have to crack open the engine to fix the leak I will take the governor out of it.

Cool. Using an ATV/slider carb?

MatthewD wrote:

Cool. Using an ATV/slider carb?

I am not sure yet. I haven't thought that far.

Here is a video of the swing arm completion.

little update on the Tracta-Cooler. I haven't gotten much work done lately, but I did get some new toys in for her.

Maybe I should change the name to MEGA Tracta-Cooler?

The only ride that gets lighter, the cooler it gets, LOL.

I stole this one from Doc Sprocket and added to it a little bit

Coolness ain't free..... Cash, Ass, or Beer.

Awesome update. Looks great!

Ok guys wanted to give you a little update on the build. I have only been able to work on it a little here and their. My wife and I are expecting our second child in a few weeks. So I might have to take a break from the build for a bit until we get things to settle down with the new addition to the family. I just don't want to get disqualified from not updating the thread. A couple things I have been working on is making a clutch pedal, brake pedal, clutch assembly, running the connections for pedals, and new power plant for the tracta-cooler. Once I have all that completed I will make a video and do a write up.

Thank you for your patience with this build. I feel like I'm not as far as I should be, but we are only a few months into the build. At this point it is a rolling chassis and I started from complete scratch.

Congratulations! How exciting!

We still have quite a while, take your time!

Ok guys I finally got a big step of project Tracta-Cooler done. In this posting I will be going over the complete drivetrain.

So to start off for the Drivetrain setup I needed to make a clutch pedal and a brake pedal. So to figure out the pedal placement I got my neighbor to sit on the cooler and see what location would be the most comfortable location for the locations. After marking the pedal locations, I started with the clutch pedal (left side). I took the clutch/brake pedal from a Murray widebody that I scrapped for parts. I took the pedal and shortened the length of the. I then made a tear drop shaped bracket to slide on the shaft with a few holes in series to mount the cable to. I then had to fabricate a bracket to weld into the center of the frame to be able to support the pedal mounting bracket on the inner side of the frame. I made the bracket in a U shape so the throw lever on the clutch and brake pedal would have room to rotate.




For the brake pedal I took the pedal out of a craftsman donor tractor. I had to make frame mounts for the pedal. I took a piece of 1/8" square tube and cut into an L shape. The side that holds the pedal in cut it into a v shape then rounded the bottom on my sander. I then drilled out the center with a step bit until the pedal rod could slide in and rotate freely. Once the pedals were mounted I noticed they could slide in and out. To stop them from moving back and forth I drilled two holes in the rod about 1/4" apart. I put the pedals back in and used cotter pins in the holes. So one pin was on the inner side of the bracket and one on the outer side. This stopped the pedal from sliding in and out.

Now onto mounting the brakes. I made a T shape bracket that I could bolt the caliper to.



Mr. Doc  McSprocket gave me the idea to use cables for the brake and clutch. I sourced a emergency brake cable that I believe was for a old ford cargo van.

I made a bracket to mount in front of the rotor & caliper to mount the cable too.


So then I cut the cable down to the length I needed and started running it. To mount to brake pedal, I used a small turnbuckle with a bolt through it to the throw lever I made for the pedal. I pulled the cable through and looped it and clamped it with a cable clamp. I purchased 1/2" cable holders and used self tapping screws to hold them to the under side of the frame. When I was at the store buying the turnbuckles and supplies I also picked up some small but pretty stick springs. I hooked one end onto the turnbuckle and the other onto the frame with a little tension on it in the "back" position so when I would press the pedal it would snap it back. To stop the pedal from over rotating I welded on a little steel rod to hit the U shape bracket. Then I worked my way down the frame securing the cable down to the swing arm.

I hooked the cable up to the caliper lever in the same fashion as the pedal. I needed a spring to pull the lever on the caliper back so I used the same spring as on the front of the pedal on it. I didn't have anything to hook to, I took a piece of metal and drilled a hole into it and ran one of the caliper bolts through it, and drilled another hole on far side and put a bolt through it to hook the spring on.

Doc helped me out with floating the caliper and rotor he came up with cutting piece of keyway 1/2" longer than the hub so it could float. I installed a axle stop on each side of it.



Onto the clutch!

The clutch is setup using a cable as well. I connected the cable to the clutch pedal the same way I did the brake pedal. Ran the cable to the desired location on the frame.

For the design of the clutch I did a double pulley setup with the pulleys off the craftsman. I took a piece of flat steel and made it into a rectangle and mounted the pulleys one on each end. To mount it to the frame I took a piece of 1x1 and drilled a hole at one end and bolted them together.




Here's where I had some fun.. The chain tensioner.

I decided to use skateboard wheels for the chain tensioner and guides. I went to the local skate shop. Boy was I in for a treat walking into that place. But that's a whole another story for another day. I was able to get a set of 4 used wheels that were in good shape with a density rating of 90a? I bought a pack of high speed bearings for $25 they are ceramic/titanium hybrid bearings.

I went to ACE to source the bolts and hardware to mount the wheels. I believe I picked up 5/16 x 2 1/2" bolts. To make the bolt head not be against the wheel I picked up some 1/2" spacers, then some washers and a stop nut. While I was in ACE I grabbed a piece of 3/4"w x 3'L x 1/8" flat stock.

I cut a piece of the metal off at 8" long. Here's where it gets fun. I measured from one end back 1 1/2" and marked that. That was where I wanted my bend to be to make a L shape. Past that mark I started 1" down and marked that. That would be my top wheel mount. I marked the metal every 1/2" down to the bottom. I drilled a small pilot hole in the are that I was going to bend ( 1 1/2" ) area. Then I drilled out all my holes going down the stock for the wheel to mount to. After everything was drilled I put the piece in my vise so that the top of the jaw was just below the 1 1/2" mark. I heated it up with a butane torch ( one of my next tool purchases is going to be a MAP torch ) this took forever. I used my hammer to persuade the metal into a L shape. Now you have an adjustable chain tensioner.



I put the chain on the sprockets to see where it wanted to lay I marked the spot on the bottom side of the cross member of the swing arm and drilled a pilot hole. Then I ran a self tapping screw to hold the bracket to the frame.

Now I had to contend with the chain laying on top of the cross member of the swing arm. I made two more brackets the same way but shorter. I bolted those to the sides of the cross member. So I have 1 wheel on the front side of the cross member and 1 on the back for the chain to float over the cross member.


I just have a couple little things to finish up drivetrain. I do plan on welding the guides and tensioner brackets in once I know everything is in line.

Here's some picks and a video of the work to give you more details.





Things are going to be a littler slower for awhile on the build, as my wife and I are expecting a child any day now. I am also going into my busy season of work. I will try to keep you guys posted as much as possible.

ONCE AGAIN HUGE SHOUT OUT TO THE MAN DOC SPROCKET FOR ALL THE WISDOM AND HELP!!!!

Looks great! Wish I had some of your fab skills. Again congrats on the new child.

This thing is so cool man!

Thanks guys hopefully soon I can get her out for a little test run.

Waterfowlwidowmaker wrote:

Thanks guys hopefully soon I can get her out for a little test run.

What are your ratios? It's easy to calculate a top speed if you know em

Rich..... to fast... Doc calculated it out for me. It's going to run top speed around 20mph if the moon's align.

Ok guys I haven't done much to the cooler with the newborn at the house. Mr. Doug Tackler stopped by City Slicker Builds this morning to pick up a transaxle, and gave me some pointers on the cooler. I am going to do like Doug is doing on his trike build with the rearend and slip a support bar in the back side of tubes for support and then I can have a hitch. The other thing I found out last week with my neighbor helping align the reared to the trans, is on the chain tensioner make another arm to pick up the chain higher for more tension.

This coming couple weeks I would like to accomplish finishing up the chain setup and figure out how to shift this thing.

How is it going with the Tracta-Cooler? I see Doc got to feel it out last week on his Vacation! That thing is HUGE!

Hope all is well, and having a good time with the new child!

I'm back!!!!!. Sorry for not posting lately as life has gotten really busy!

A while back I was fortunate to meet up with the great Doc-Sprocket. He looked the machine over and gave me some pointers on her.

Since the last update I reworked the steering and the steering is now complete. I had to design a complete shifting set-up. It is a two cable system (pull/pull). I do have some tweaking on that to do to make it a little smoother shifting.

Last week we got to get the tracta-cooler out for its first test ride ever!! I need to do a little work on the engine throttle to get it 100%. Another issue that was found was with the chain guide design. The chain is very long and had a good amount of slop to it. I am unable to take a link out of the chain. So right now, I am in the works of fixing the chain issues.

Once I have her back up and running a will post a test ride video.

Sorry for no pic's in the update as I can't get the pic's
s to import from my phone to my computer at the moment.

Those of us on Sprocket's Garage have seen it. Looking good! I see your video where you were tolling about. Keep up the good work!

And here are the pictures of what I have done lately. I was finally able to figure out how to get the pic's from my phone to my laptop.

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