Dirty Rat - Sears

Some coverage of the day.



Here are some post ride shots of the tractor!  Brake rod has been re-attached with a new cotter pin.  Forgot I had a pull pin in there instead.  Crazy thing got knocked off while I was at the top of the hill.  I went to downshift and it was on!  I could not for the life of me get it back in gear due to speed of the downhill freefall.  I figured I had 3 options as I got faster and faster.

1 - ride it out and hope for the best maybe not get hurt
2 - use a tree to stop... Sounded like it would hurt.
3 - jump off and hope for the best... Also sounded like it would hurt.

So... Not wanting to get hurt nor destroy the tractor.  I chose option 1.  So, while on the wildest ride in my life, I would say I was hitting speeds of around 45. I was dodging trees, ruts, stumps and limbs.  About half way down, I guess I got over the fear of speeding up and dodging trees that I got into a zone.  I could tell I was going really fast, but I was thinking much clearer and was able to work up a plan to slowly without rolling turn myself more and more perpendular to the hill and finally came in to a gully that helped with the turn and was able to get the tractor pointed back uphill in that gully and evenualy stopped.  It was pretty exciting.  You ask, why not use the parking brake.  Well if you remember the murray brakes use a plate that joins the parking brake and the foot brake.  When the foot brake is disconnected, the plate rotates and parking brake is worthless.  That may be a future mod to look into, or just make sure I have split bend out cotter pins instead of hair pin style.  






Not near as dirty as I thought I would be.

Talk about your close calls eh!? That looks like a fun place to ride!

It was a good place.  Pretty fun.  Did I fail to mention the incident happend on our return to the parking lot.  That last highlight with me ripping my way to the parking lot at the end of the video... No brakes at that point.  :-)  They are back to working great.  The camera battery died on the front of Bowser, or that would have been some really awesome footage!

Glad you and TDR are OK!

I'll just leave this here...

I've decided to let the build-off topic be that.  Part of the build-off.  Once the vote is done, I'll continue the adventures of the Dirty Rat here.

I changed my mind...  I'll continue it in the original topic.

#DirtyRat

[adm]Unlocked for continued posting. [/adm]

As I mentioned over in another thread.  Here are a couple updates since B/O.

I found the rear rack bulky and didn't need the surface space for goods.  So, I created a bracket so I could put an 0.50 ammo cannister in it.








It came out MUCH sturdier than I had thought it would be, so I had this piece from an auto hitch that I welded up under the rack for a tow/hitch point.  I can stand on it fine and I'm not a small feller.



Another update for the Dirty rat.  I have fluid filled the front tires and added about 20lbs each tire to the front for a total of 40 extra pounds.  That should make it handle better with the locked rear and better for hill climbing.  Help keep the front planted.

How are you liking those executioners mighty? I know when I went to mine it made most terrain just too easy lol. That's why I always find challenging stuff that I wind up rolling Mutt on

I'm loving them.  Yeah, they have torn through everything i have thrown at them.  Minus a 14-15 inch rock lip at the top of a 35-degree angle hill that I tried to go up.  They "almost" got me over it.  It didn't hesitate where I had to push bowser up.  I think if I had more experience and better angle.  I think they would have got me up.  Sand does not slow them down, and I've been in a couple deep mud holes.

There was a sandy 40-degree hill that it just crawled up no issue, but I had to push bowser up.  That I actually got on video. From the video at the top of this page.  10-minute mark is that hill.  

Reposted video:

Dirty Rat has a great voice, i think he should narrate some audiobooks.

OK, starting my 2023 upgrade list for Dirty Rat!  Right now I have but only a couple items.  I'm sure it will grow through the year.

• Gusset the front spindles.
  
• Remove the 2300 transaxle, I hate to day it.  Split the case and install the NEW spring for the shifter ball.  I had lost it when I cleaned out the 2300 for the B/O.  I found it and hope it fixes my 2nd gear occasional pop out.
  

That is all I can think of at this moment.

I didn't see it, but I did load the offroad front tires with washer fluid.  2.5 gallons in each front tire.

Here is a little throw back for you.  This is the day that I got the 77 Sears 18 Hydro known today as Dirty Rat.  August 2014.

Yep... because we are expecting snow.






Hope to get some donuts tomorrow.

For your viewing pleasure...

I for one can say I'm glad you don't care about your grass because that was fun to watch!

Brianator wrote:

I for one can say I'm glad you don't care about your grass because that was fun to watch!

We lost our grass when we didn't get any rain from Jun 2 till Oct sometime.  It was just some clover and that grows back fast.

I bet I could have got some tighter donuts more often if I had left the liquid filled front tires on instead of the slicker dirt track tires.

Hmm... we are expecting an ice storm this next week. I wonder if I can skate with the Dirty Rat? LOL

Brianator wrote:

I for one can say I'm glad you don't care about your grass because that was fun to watch!

Since you asked!

I'm quite surprised considering the amount of debris that was flying and the one patch that looks like soil!  

To be honest.... I was shocked too!  LOL

Circled is the same area as that donut.

So even though I've climbed hills, rode through lakes, ripped through sand, I have finally started to stretch the belt.

Since the belt is hard to get just right, I added an idler and still sending it.  New idler is where the magenta 0 is and follows the magenta path now.  Still seems to slack the belt good on clutching.



Older reference image used.

Hmm.... what upgrades can I do to the Dirty Rat. Something to think about.