A Rat Rod Wheelbarrow Bucket T Tractor/Kart for my Grandson

Today I laid out the clutch parts and mocked up a version. I also visualized the shift mechanism and the brake setup.

Can anyone tell me why the mower makers use a ‘push’ instead of ‘pull’ brake rod? Sure seems better to pull a rod than push it for brakes. Mine will probably be pull since it will be LONG. It may get a support at the center too.

Here is what the clutch setup may look like: (everything is just clamped down and set in place, nothing permanent)









Lying on the transaxle is a blade lift rod assembly. It may become the shift mechanism, using that old rusty brake handle I have. Time to get that cleaned up, shortened and installed soon I hope. 



I am hoping to make the shift lever have detents for all 6 forward gears and neutral and use the ‘squeeze handle’ as a lockout for reverse. 
I intend to use the existing clutch/brake shaft as the brake shaft and put a sleeve over it on the left side to operate the clutch. We will see. 

The extra idler near the jackshaft is to allow plenty of ‘grab’ on the jack shaft pulley and to be adjustable to take up slack when/if I change drive pulleys.

I also worked on what I was supposed to be doing... cleaning the garage. Maybe the RTV will be back inside tomorrow.

I have been working on the Rat some. To steal a saying from Rat Rod Bob on youtube, I’ve been doing a lot of ‘design chair sitting’ and ‘Scientific Rat Rod Calculations. I believe this ‘work’ has borne fruit. I’ll get some pics loaded, but I think the drive train design is complete enough to bolt things down, turn the frame over and install the engine.

This is the clutch assembly, minus the operating lever and spring. It is the tension assembly from a mower deck with some cutting and welding and addition of the proper pulleys. The pivot is a thick, stepped washer thing which I welded into a piece of square tubing. That will be bolted to the floor. 

Interesting... not looked at my craftsman mower, but all my other tractors are a pull break.

Mine will be a pull brake too. I took the brake actuator plate off of an MTD F/R transaxle today, it is straight and will do what I need. That also had like new parts including good pads. 


So, here is the thing as it currently sets. I have several of the F/R vari drive machines and have managed to rob some excellent parts off of them. Today I stripped the donor engine machine of anything that looked like it could help. I found the extra part I needed for the rear belt tension pulley.



The pic above shows the tension pulley in the approximate location it will be. It also runs on a stepped washer bearing thing and will be bolted through the frame. It will be adjusted with a threaded rod, no spring, just set it and forget it. 



That pic shows a lot. The clutch is in it’s approximate position with some silly little springs to hold it for observation. 
Also, note the drive pulley below the frame in the picture. The crankshaft on the engine is 1” in diameter and 3” of it stick out. The lower mark on the pulley is at 3” and the other mark is 3-3/4”. This version uses a simple bolt and thick washer to hold the pulley on. (Nothing inside the tube) The stamped in ‘key’ starts at 1” from the top of the pulley and is an inch long. I think I can cut the tube at 3-3/4” and weld the big pulley on with 3/4” sticking out. If the stars align and the ‘rat rod calculations’ are correct, I can run the pulley either way, small or large depending on what we want to do with it. I hope...

We are supposed to get wet weather and I’m working on this outside now. I may have to put it on wheels so I can bring it in to work. I want to get the brakes working and figure out the shifter before I turn the frame over. I guess there is no hurry.

Well, Mother Necessity showed up with one of her inventions. I can now move the rat rod and the work table it is on with one hand. It can go into the garage and back out easily. Now to find a good tarp to cover it with while it is outside. The place it sits now gets snow from the garage roof so I’ll have to be ready to move it before any avalanches. 
No wheelchairs were harmed in the making of this contraption. I unbolted the wheels and mounts and attached them to the table with self tapping screws. I didn’t even have to drill holes in the parts, the chair can go back together if it ever needs to be a wheelchair again. 






I’m going to finish a few tasks that will be easier with the frame upside down, then turn it over. I’ll drain the oil out of the engine and mount it on the frame. Then I can turn it on either side or have it right side up with no chance of oil going to the wrong places. It needs to be changed anyway. I’ve only test run the engine so new oil and filter will go in/on when the time comes.

Hope you do not mind.... I may steal some of your ideas in the future?  Maybe.  Such a thought out build!

No problem at all. This is why I like forums. I learned a lot from this one and ‘steal ideas with pride’.  The reason I post is to get feedback and possibly help others with their projects. 

Today I hurried around and found a plastic tarp and a canvas tarp and got the work table and frame covered. 



Then I scouted the ‘piles-o-parts’ for something to make an engine stand out of. I’ve been wanting a test stand/workbench for engine work and I ended up with one that can also be used as a small welding table. I cut 3 holes for crankshafts to go through, plus they will make a good way to get a clamp on something when using the thing as a welding table. The top is about 3/16” steel. (The plasma cutter is FUN to use, what a neat tool)



While hunting parts, I found a few bits that will be of use. One is this pintle hook I made for a 4 wheeler years ago and never got it installed. The rat will have a pintle hook. It is made out of two 3/4” forged eye bolts. 



I got this done in time, one of those ‘stray t-storms’ the weather guesser talks about came by just after I finished.

Good progress today. I brought the ‘accessible frame table’ into the garage. It is raining and thundering now and I decided to leave the rig inside. The rain won’t hurt the RTV. 



So then I mounted the extra belt tension pulley. I found a nice long eye bolt on the chop saw table and opened it slightly in the vise. Then I enlarged the spring hole in the pulley mount, just slightly, and the bolt fits perfectly. Two holes in the frame and we have a perfect belt tension device. Again, this one is stationary but can be adjusted if necessary. 





That pulley is to allow for belt adjustment and to keep the belt away from the brake rod side of the frame. 

Digging in the parts pile uncovered the brake assembly from an MTD F/R transaxle. It has a straight actuator plate and fits the Peerless transmission perfectly. Then a rod was fit in place to make sure of clearance. All is well, this will work. (It will be a PULL rod setup)






Next chore was to mock up the brake and clutch shaft. I will be moving the shaft back to about the center of the old steering slot it appears. There is a LOT in this picture. 



First, the shaft is a clutch shaft from one of the vari drive machines. Many shafts on Craftsman mowers (MTD in general?) are 5/8” diameter. This one is. It was long enough to cut off the curved ‘foot pedal’ part and have some shaft sticking out each end where it comes through the frame. I wanted a longer shaft to allow me to fit the thing properly. 
I plan to operate the clutch with the black bar from the clutch assembly (which is also now mounted in place) being worked by the plate that now sits over the old steering slot in the frame. The shaft will be UNDER the belt and clutch, it is just lying on the frame now for planning. 
The silver colored piece is a sleeve that will have the brake actuator plate welded to it, and probably the pedal itself. (On the other side of course) If you need some nice, thick wall, 5/8” ID tubing for such work, the blade lift handle on a normal Craftsman is a good source. Very handy, perfect fit. 
Also in that pic is one of the clutch shaft mounts from the vari drive LT1500. It is a plate with a 5/8” hole and two threaded holes for bolts to mount it to the frame. I’m not sure if I will use it as is, or possibly weld a short section of the blade lift tube to two of them to make the clutch/brake shaft more stable and easier to install. Thinking... more Scientific Rat Rod cogitation necessary. 



That’s an overall view of the thing as it sits. It looks like things are going to fit OK.

I dug out and repaired (bad O-ring, had to make one) my radiant propane heater. It is one that sits on top of a tank. Works really well.
Did I mention Rat Rod, as in Bucket T pickup? That means fenders. So, since I am still digesting the layout of the clutch and brake (and now waiting for parts), I hammered out the wrecked Harley Davidson front fender I have. It wasn’t too bad, which is a good thing since I am NOT a body repairman. I got it straight enough to split down the middle to make the two outer halves of the rear fender. I also ground out the cursed rivets that held the mounting brackets. The brackets may or may not be useful, but they are out of the way now.

The fender is one of these:



I held it up to one of the rear tires and the profile is about perfect I think. I will split it down the middle and add metal from the centerline over to the pickup bed.

Supposed to get really cold and snow tomorrow, so I did a little work outside today. I like to do cutting and grinding outside if possible, less chance of something starting a fire in the shop.

After discovering that perfect fit tubing for the clutch shaft, I decided to make my own ‘pillow blocks’ for the shaft. Also, thinking ‘outside the box’ (the frame) I decided to mount the shaft under the frame. This will make the pedals and connections MUCH easier to design and build. I had originally intended to leave the clutch operating plate welded to the shaft, and just remove the weld on the brake plate. But, after starting the tedious process of cutting the welds, I decided to remove them both. BOTH will be allowed to pivot on the cross shaft, no welds to the shaft.



After looking at the layout, I decided that both plates (clutch and brake) will be welded to sleeves made of the tubing and allowed to float on the shaft. I have ordered some collets, but may make my own for this one. 




The pillow blocks will be made by welding those short pieces of angle iron (some small bed angle). I’ll drill them and use the small self tapping bolts that are so common on Craftsman mowers to hold them down. A plate across the end of each will capture the shaft, allowing it to float between the sides of the frame. The pictures help with this kind of process. Easier to study the image and make decisions. 



Now to figure out the linkages. I’ll have to look at my complete LT1000 to figure out how the parking brake function works. I do want that to work on this build. 

AND, I finally found a use for a Rotozip. Everyone has one of those, right? One can only cut so many holes in sheetrock, throwing dust everywhere before the Rotozip goes into hiding. But, I realized it is a nice, well made, high speed ‘die grinder’. I had lost the 1/4” collet, so I got another. A package of sandpaper rolls with included 1/4” arbors made this into a very useful tool. I also have another arbor that will take cutoff wheels and sanding disks and such. I think this will finally become a useful tool. This one came from a yard sale, but I have my old Rotozip somewhere. I even have a right angle attachment for it, bought when I thought the tool could be useful someday. Now, where is it?

I think you got a good Idea there to make it easier.  Snow? Must be in northern Nevada.  Pretty area.  Vaguely remember going down I think it was 93 down to Vegas when I was in my teens.  Closest I've come since was Idaho City to Salt Lake.  We're expecting tornado's here in a couple hours.  I keep going back to your clutch pulleys.  I like your geometry on that.  I need to rebuild my clutch on Li'L Red.  Mine is starting to flop around.  If I had a spare frame, I had considered going back to the single pulley.  Once I get Bowser up and running again, I'll bring red to the garage.  Great job on the rat rod.  Loving the thoughtfulness of this build.

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback! We are just south of Elko, about 3 miles from the Ruby Mountains. Beautiful, high desert here. This is the view from the back deck. We finally got snow on the mountains Friday and Saturday. First since mid summer. Not normal, we usually have some snow still up there when winter comes. 



Yes, I think the clutch will work. I need to find the right piece of iron for the lever arm on the clutch pulley mount and a couple of good ends for the connecting rod. Then pedals. I want to make the clutch and brake pedal look alike. I’ll find the right bit one of these days.

Beautiful view... Nice color in your neighbor's trees!

Yesterday was Murphy’s day. After an epic battle between chicom drill bits and some particularly tough bed frame angle (YES, I know better), I finally got the pillow blocks made. They are welded together and bolted down now. Those self tapping bolts worked perfectly. I’ll shorten the cross shaft so it is narrower than the ends of the pillow blocks and weld stopper angles over the ends. Removing the bolts will allow maintenance of the shaft and the parts on it. 



The connection plates hanging on the shaft in that pic won’t be used for this shaft, maybe on the shifter shaft. I’m planning on using the pair of deck lift plates for the brake and clutch pedal mounts. They will be cross drilled and shortened to fit of course. I will make a cottered pin to go through the open center of the plates. Those pins will hold the brake and clutch actuating shafts. 



The plates will be drilled to fit the 5/8” cross shaft and reinforcing sleeves welded to them. They will of course be shortened, about at the curved red line. 

Detail of the pillow blocks. They work!! No binding, I lucked out I guess. My welding is slowly improving. 

cool I may have to use that idea for the homemade pillow blocks for a dual disc brake setup on my sears suburban for pulling

I got the clutch pedal mount made today and the linkage. It doesn’t work. My geometry was wrong. Gotta work on the chicken house tomorrow, maybe Sunday I’ll make a model of the pivot points for the parts and get this working. I think I need a bell crank and ‘think’ I know how to make it. Just gotta make some patterns out of cardboard first.

Oh dear, I hate cleaning the chicken house. It is done. A few things to finish up tomorrow, but the nasty part is done. How do chickens make so much DUST?

Anyway, during a couple of passes through the shop, I looked at the clutch setup. I was so frustrated I was ready to quit... but the answer came, and it will be easy, I hope. No big deal, just laying out the parts the right way this time. Fingers crossed. Update when it happens.

I hear ya, I have chickens also and they seem to make a mess 3 times quicker after you clean their coop. watching for updates on the clutch!

Thanks for the encouragement. I got up off my recliner and went out and got the clutch working! It is cold, but I wanted to know that this will work. It did. I need to work on the pics before I upload them... shrinking them and marking them up. The thing is just tacked together now but it works, that’s all that matters.



The piece marked 1 is part of a snow blower control rod. The thing marked 2 is part of the original clutch/brake assembly. It won’t be used, but will be replaced by a simple flat bar with 2 holes in it. The existing part will be used to make the pattern for the simple part. The link between 1 and 2 is from a mower, I believe it was a deck adjustment thing. Fits perfectly.
The spots marked ‘weld’ will be welded together; the actuator at point 2, a sleeve, then the brake pedal which is hanging straight down in the pic and another sleeve. This will make a strong and stiff assembly that just pivots over the 5/8 shaft. The brake pedal will go toward the top of the pic on another pivoting sleeve.



That’s a top view. The brake pedal will be made from the other blade lift arm, like the clutch pedal. It will be in a slot marked in red, and welded to a support sleeve on both sides of it for strength.

Then I can move on to the brake linkage and then the shift linkage.

Another angle view of the clutch linkage.



Then I cut the frame so I have access to do the brake linkage properly. I’ll clean up the cut and weld in a reinforcement plate when I take the transaxle out for final cleanup and painting.



I’ll make a simple rod with a clevis on the end of it to connect to the brake lever. That will run along the inside of the frame, to an adjuster and to the pedal. Straight shot, PULL brake rod.



One more pic, from the top. The clutch pedal will come through the slot on the left (marked in red as is the brake slot) and the brake will come through a slot to be cut on the right. Kind of cramped on the right side, but it will work. The throttle pedal will be mounted on the firewall I think, not sure yet.

OK, I need advice from you guys. Since the shift lever on the transaxle is one forward click to reverse, one rearward click to neutral and 6 more back clicks to 1 through 6... how should I set up the shift lever? I can make it one back (with lockout) for reverse, then forward for the rest. That seems to make sense to me.
Agree? Or am I missing something?

Couple ideas, I bet you have a good idea.

Easier... Above frame on the left.  Much like your clutch, only longer link.


A little more complicated, would need some  way to pivot, much like the craftsman and murray work.

Since you shifter is above your frame bucket, I hope this image makes sense.  A rod attached to another pivot in the back to keep the forward backward motion for your shifter.  I may be over complicating it.



I hope that gives ya some ideas...

Thanks! I’m leaning toward a version of the second image with the shifter on the right. I want to assemble the clutch parts permanently, hopefully today, then make the brake parts. While I’m at it, I will try to lay out parts for the shifter.
I may have to turn the frame up on it’s side to finish the brake and that will give me better access to the shift lever on the transaxle too.

The clutch pedal assembly is welded and actually turns freely on the cross shaft! Success. Tomorrow I will probably turn the frame on it’s side to work on the brake system. I need to cut a slot for the pedal and that will be easier with it on it’s side. I also cut the LONG belt and clamped it in place. All seems to be fitting nicely. I’ll wait to buy a belt until the engine pulley is made and the engine is mounted, just to be sure.

I got the frame turned up on it’s side and cut the hole for the break pedal. Pedal parts are fabricated and ready to weld together. Brake linkage rods are ready to weld together too. Maybe tomorrow.

That ‘accessible’ work table with the wheel chair wheels is great! I wheeled the thing outside to cut the brake pedal hole with the plasma cutter. Then after I got it back inside, I realized it would be better with the bottom of the frame facing the welding machines. So, I just turned it around. Fantastic tool.



Brake and clutch pedals from the top of the frame. The two red circles are highlighting bolt heads. This part of the floor will be visible, so I filed the hole for the clutch pivot bolt square and used one of the Craftsman carriage bolts there. The other one is a belt guard bolt and it too will get a carriage bolt. 



There’s the clutch and brake shaft with the parts in place. A collet is holding the brake parts up there until I get it welded. I have the brake rod parts ready to weld up and install too. I should cut and weld in the frame brace at the brake end of things while it is on the side like this too. 

I may weld up a bunch of extra holes once this is all working and before I clean the frame for painting. 



The ancient old brake handle that will be shortened and become the shift lever is clamped in place for layout/mockup. I think a shaft, like the clutch/brake shaft, will go across there and have a lever on it to work the rod that goes back to the shift lever on  the transmission. The lever is also circled. 



I’ll make a bell crank similar to the one clamped on there in the pic above to connect the rod from the shift lever in front to the lever on the transmission. I think this will work. The transmission is in neutral there. I turned the lever over and rotated it 90 degrees. One click UP on the pic goes to reverse, then 7 down for neutral through 6th.