Noma LXi-1540 AWS

Here is the Noma I scored a few days ago. A fella I know wanted to get rid of it and even though I don't need another tractor is was hard to go wrong for $60! Unfortunately it's Hydrostatic but it has All Wheel Steering (AWS) and a Briggs & Stratton 14hp Vanguard V-Twin.


I have to say, this thing is fugly! Lol


A quick shot of the rear steering setup.


I'm not so sure of the wording on this warning label... should I be watching my back in case this thing goes Maximum Overdrive on me?! Lol.


Okay, on with the show!

First thing I did was open up the (Aisan) carb to clean it but it was spotless aside from some...bug matter?


Then onto the (Mikuni) fuel pump which was also spotless aside from more...bug matter?

I've never seen chunks of bug in a carburetor or fuel pump before but with it gone I rubbed some 2-stroke oil on the fuel pump diaphragm and gaskets to clean and protect them and started putting everything back together.

I installed new Champion RC12YC spark plugs, one was normal looking and the other was pretty sooty... hmm...

Then onto wiring so I could start it without jumping it off the starter as it didn't come with an ignition switch


What I did was install a battery to trace the terminals I needed to use and made a little plug in harness with a momentary contact switch (for starting), a relay and a separate jumper to power the fuel bowl solenoid.



I installed the fuel tank, added some fuel, gave her a go and it started up fairly quickly BUT only on one cylinder so I shut it down and tore back into it. 3 out of 4 coil bolts cracked loose with mild nervousness but one wasn't playing ball and despite taking several minutes to try and ease it out it snapped! If it wasn't on the dead cylinder I would've left it but it was and now I have a tiny bolt to drill out of aluminum, by hand... not happy!  Lol.

This may be the reason for no spark which is something I couldn't spot without removing the coil anyhow. I'm hoping it's a simple as that and not a blown coil, I'll find out soon enough.


I spotted something and started peeling back the wire insulation, has anyone else seen a diode on a kill wire? This is a first for me.


Well, there it is and where I've left off. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this tractor yet but I am looking forward to driving it around at least!

That's it for now!

I think the diode on the kill wire is to keep the other magneto from grounding out.  Look back towards the manifold should be another one in the wiring.

Nice find! Mine has a diode on each kill wire. Maybe I’m keeping with your names you could call it maximum mowerdrive? Lol.

You are correct @MightyRaze there is one on the other coil same as @Rustbucket Garage which btw that's an awesome name! So is this a Vanguard thing? or a twin cyl thing? Calling all members! Lol

Anyhoo...

I drilled out and tapped the broken coil bolt, unfortunately during the process a small piece of the coil post broke off the side but only about 1/4"×1/4" and there's enough thread to get some bite so I think it will be fine for the mean time and maybe I'll JB weld it in the future.

Luckily I still have a stash of RC hardware and happened to have 3 M4 Allen cap bolts of the exact same length! I used 2 on a coil and kept the 3rd to leave in my car in case I'm by a hobby shop for more (but a few mm longer), I think I'll use these to replace the coil bolts from now on!


I cleaned up the coils and magnet then put heat shrink tubing on the end of the coil wire and that seems to have done it! You can see the piece that broke off the post in this pic.



I had no spark at first on the dead cylinder and really weak spark on the other but slowly the spark grew stronger on both cylinders almost like they needed to charge back up so I'm thinking that either they're on they're last "legs" and or the magnet on the flywheel is getting weak? It's somethin that's for sure!


I started it up without the fan shroud and airbox, it started easily and runs *fairly* smooth for a completely unknown engine aside from "it started on spray"! I shut it down after 30 seconds...


...put it all back together, fired it up and...


...it doesn't move!  

I definitely hear the hydro and the motor at idle is effected by it so I guess I have more tinkering to do but not tonight!


It may have won this battle but the war isn't over yet!

I know briggs Vtwin thing.  My intek vtwin has the diodes too.

Late last night I realized I didn't engage "drive" on the hydro so this morning I did, fired it up and the hydro seems to work perfectly! The AWS is still pretty stiff despite soaking all the parts with chain lube for a couple days so I'll try to keep working it and soon it should be smooth and easy (hopefully)!

Also the motor itself is running really smooth and strong, starts up quick and easy too! I'd say this was $60 well spent!

Nice, so what's the plan for it?

I have absolutely no idea! Lol

Replace the hydro and see if you can make it a manual? Aws off-roader?
Those original transaxles are officially horrible

Kinda like the derpy look.

I have a few projects ahead of it so I'll probably just leave it as it is for now and figure something out in the future, maybe 4WD and AWS if i come across another hydro. Couldnt be too hard to Zues a complete rear end frame on the front, sync the hydros and hook up the steering could it?! Lol

Brianator wrote:

Late last night I realized I didn't engage "drive" on the hydro so this morning I did, fired it up and the hydro seems to work perfectly! The AWS is still pretty stiff despite soaking all the parts with chain lube for a couple days so I'll try to keep working it and soon it should be smooth and easy (hopefully)!

Also the motor itself is running really smooth and strong, starts up quick and easy too! I'd say this was $60 well spent!

Thats one thing you have to look out for on those aws transaxles i know when i took mine off my noma the knuckles where so wound tight they wouldn't even budge so i had to take the whole assembly apart and clean,grease, and reassemble so get it it nice an smooth again.

Brianator wrote:

I have a few projects ahead of it so I'll probably just leave it as it is for now and figure something out in the future, maybe 4WD and AWS if i come across another hydro. Couldnt be too hard to Zues a complete rear end frame on the front, sync the hydros and hook up the steering could it?! Lol

I think you might probably just mate the aws parts to a peerless.
Awd Aws and dual engine?

fbisurveilancevan wrote:

Brianator wrote:

I have a few projects ahead of it so I'll probably just leave it as it is for now and figure something out in the future, maybe 4WD and AWS if i come across another hydro. Couldnt be too hard to Zues a complete rear end frame on the front, sync the hydros and hook up the steering could it?! Lol

I think you might probably just mate the aws parts to a peerless.
Awd Aws and dual engine?

Sadly i don't think its that easy because the axle shafts on these transaxles are way different than your typical peerless, they are shorter, like alot shorter and are splined on the end so they can fit into the u joints, and I doubt that you'd be able to just swap em over, probably what you would have to do is take some 3/4 round stock and have it splined so it could fit into the spider gears and the u joints in-order to convert it to a manual transaxle and everything else should line up from there.

Not saying it would be easy, but maybe worth a try.

If it would've been any other transmission that would've been better.
Also you would have to overcome some issues with getting them to move at a similar speed which is not easy with a hydro.

Let's say you put a smaller tire size on a hydro transaxle you would have to make it spin faster.
Could easily be done with a smaller pulley but there's a few problems with that.

A. You blow up the trans because it will now cavitate and start foaming.
B. Hydraulic trans doesn't produce power as laterally as a non hydro. There's pressure and flow and you will never be able to line that up 100%
You almost certainly get one of them dragging at some point in acceleration

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! I have the transmission you need! It should be a direct swap because it came out of a noma aws. bad news though your in canada im in indiana so you pay shipping and ill send it over and you can have a five speed

I really appreciate the offer@"Budget_gokart" , I may take you up on it but a neighbor of mine seems really interested in it if I put a mowing deck on it so really I have no clue what I'm doing with it just yet.

After using this tractor today to pull around my yard sweeper I think I'll probably leave it is as it and just use it as a light duty yard tractor to pull around small trailers and implements! It's running excellent, the AWS is awesome and the hydro stick is beautiful for changing speeds and directions!

You couldn't see grass a few passes ago! That area alone was 3 hoppers full!


It's a fun little tractor and really nimble but wouldn't be any good for offroading, not even without ALL the frame flex and there's plenty trust me! Lol

It's still fugly!

Brianator wrote:

After using this tractor today to pull around my yard sweeper I think I'll probably leave it is as it and just use it as a light duty yard tractor to pull around small trailers and implements! It's running excellent, the AWS is awesome and the hydro stick is beautiful for changing speeds and directions!

You couldn't see grass a few passes ago! That area alone was 3 hoppers full!


It's a fun little tractor and really nimble but wouldn't be any good for offroading, not even without ALL the frame flex and there's plenty trust me! Lol

It's still fugly!

Little bit of a derailer here, but I'm not sure why everybody is so torn up about frame flex, I have a jeep powerwheels, obviously a plastic unibody tpye thing, but the frame flex actually helps with the offroading, it makes it so that you basically get free suspension?

Anyhow, cool little tractor, you seem to be building your collection nicely

I couldn't agree more @TechnoChicken, I see nothing wrong with a little frame flex and sure it helps offroading because it helps keep the tires planted. Sure it will eventually weaken and crack the chassis but that what's welders are for!  Lol. I can feel the Noma flexing on minor uneven surfaces in my yard so no doubt it's too weak a platform to consider offroading but is doing great around the yard!

The thing I see with frame flex is breaking things that don't like being flexed.  Like transaxles and engines.  The tractor reminds me of a tractor I called aardvark.  I have long since scrapped and hauled it off.  I still have the seat, engine, transaxle from it though.  Here was mine.  It had a geared axle.



Oh and mine was a right-side clutch like the ol' Dynamarks.

Brianator wrote:

I can feel the Noma flexing on minor uneven surfaces in my yard so no doubt it's too weak a platform to consider offroading but is doing great around the yard!

Weird flex but ok

MightyRaze wrote:

Oh and mine was a right-side clutch like the ol' Dynamarks.

That's a unique looking beast! The clutch is on the right side on this one too, I don't understand why designers did that it's like they didn't consider people would offroad them or something!

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Weird flex but ok

Oh ya man, LOTS of flex... not good! Lol


I used it again today around the yard, I can definitely see myself hanging on to it for yard duty! $60 well spent!

Betcha that would come in handy for plowing snow now that I think of it. Tight turns and less chance of understeer, but definitely the weak frame would be a challenge, as would the hydro. Random idea but thought I’d share.

Oh no you don't @Rustbucket Garage, don't you be putting ideas in my head I have enough on the go as it is! Lol. Luckily I already have a heavy duty homemade blade for the Mud Duck and a 36" Snowcaster for my Bolens G10 which, I would love to install on the Mud Duck IF I'm able to get at least 1 belt to align with the PTO but is something I doubt I'll even attempt until next summer, it will take alot of disassembly to install a pulley behind the engine pulley for it.

It's good you're always thinking though!

Make the rear steer independently with foot pedals and you can drive sideways