Gt6000 build

I have been working on a 90's 6000. Started off as a free tractor. As usual the Kohler opposed twin was wore out. Had 2 other opposed twins to use. Both ended up being trash.  One was from a tractor, other was a pressure washer. ( Started to hate opposed twins) But bought another tractor years ago with a 18.5 that was good.

So far, trans axle locked, tube tree kickers, behind grill winch, dash mounted winch controller, heavy grill guard, led headlight, pulley swap front and rear,  rear carrier, atv front tires and 26 in used Mudcats on the rear. , 2 piece hood, retractable cupholder from a contour, foot throttle while retaining stock hand throttle on a stock version of a governor plate, skid plate for muffler and reinforced steering/spindles.

Needs wheel spacers for the rear, it's not wide enough yet.  Going to build some skid plates for transaxle and belt protection and maybe working brake and running light for the rear. Got some handles from a grill that make perfect hand holds for the fenders. Front end needs new pivot bushing and steering rod along with a box rebuild.

Top speed is 20mph.

Still learning how to post pictures here hope it comes out.

Nice build! What transmission you running?

Nice!  Same tractor as my Marshal!



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The 3 speed, high low.

I split my hood because when my bar is on, I can't open my hood. Also a view of where my winch is mounted.









A quick video of my foot throttle working with stock hand throttle aka cruise control

I like it. Nice clean build you got there man!

Thanks Murray, I like to keep things as stock looking as I can. Tractor was in relative good shape. It was owned and used by the caretaker for the man who used to own channel 8 news here in Cleveland. Property was called Walden II. The guy was blind and he built a camp for blind kids. Once he died his wife donated the property to Lake Metro Parks and they proceeded to destroy the camp. Motor was toast, no attachments so this was the best way that it can live on and be useful.

Looks like it’s off to a great start! Love the tree kickers! What width are you shooting for in the rear?

I am not looking to go crazy wide. It will still be used to drag logs out of the woods. Might start with 1 inch spacers. I thought about grinding the welds on the rim and making them deep dish so no spacers needed but knowing my luck that would end up broken at a bad time. Can always remove a spacer on the trail. It's a lot harder to reweld a broken rim. Since I normally ride alone that's a plus. Also I like the fact that it wouldn't limit me to one width. To bad these rims didn't come like the old Farmall cubs or power kings where you could just bolt the rim on in different locations to change the width..

First 2 pics are some PC hard drive magnet mounts. Welded onto stock lower hood mount. They curve nicely. The mounts on the frame go right into them. They help hold the hood in stock location. Just more area the hood has to flex to come off. Washes welded to frame mount so they can't pull through under flex. Also can remove entire hood in similar fashion to stock.




Pulley mounts for belt redirection

Tree kickers using stock bolt locations for footrest and fender

Upper belt retainer and guide for trans pulley. I needed to add the inner pieces because the belt wanted to pull past the retainers when clutch was let out. Back here is where my belt slop happens when clutch is pressed so I needed a way to let it move away from pulley yet be guided back on when let out. There is another guide on the very rear of the pulley as well. This was the hardest part. Trying to let belt move off of pulley yet reliably reengage.

General picture of belt routing. I have a little clearancing to do in spots

Trans belt retainer. I found out that I needed belt to drag lightly on it when disengaged or it would continue to spin

More tree kicker pics

I added the little upright pipe to aid in strengthening the foot rest on that outer edge.

Those tree kickers are minty! Love how they mount, I’ll probably take some inspiration from that for mutt. The footboard supports are especially great, my footboards are about ready to fall off with how they get bent up and dragged against trees and rocks.

Well thx Richie, I'm sure the concept could be beefed up. It was the best idea I could come up with that didn't involve compromising ground clearance or needing more bracketry.

Like you said, those get flimsy out there and that solves the problem.

A lot of my builds you will see that 1in pipe and 2 in box. I have a vending stop that lets me take any of that from the scrap bin I want. Needless to say I have a lot of it!

If anyone would be so kind as to point me in the direction of the 3/4 in hubs they use on the front of these GT's that would be great. Yes I already used that fantastic search button at the top. I found several different things but nothing specifically pointing to a part number or a website.  Thanks!

Also the start of my transaxle skid plate. It will bolt to bottom hole of the attachment plate at the bottom and I am using prestamped holes on the frame right behind where the fender and foot rest join together. I made some self tapping bolts by simply cutting 2 groves for cutting into front of bolts and drive them in. Reachable with a nice extension. Unscrew top 2 bolts and plate will pivot down to give access. Many of the things I have bolted to tractor have been using stock stamped holes.

I use one from gopowersports.com but you have to trim some of the inner barrel about 1/2 or so inch for a craftsman/sears/murray.



https://www.gopowersports.com/4x4-wheel-hub/
1-3/8" Bearing Style Wheel Hub from the dropdown

https://a.co/d/avCaQRI for the 3/4 bearing to put in it.

@RichieRichOverdrive machined his own.

Some have made hubs from cutting the centers out of old wheels.

Great! Thanks for the information much appreciated. This might give me the room i need to clear my hood so i won't have to trim it.
I am sure it has been thought of but installing a zerk fitting on the hub and removing the inner rubber seals on the bearings. This way servicing the bearings would be very simple and possibly prolong the bearing life. A few pumps with a grease gun and bearings are nice and lubed.

> donated the property to Lake Metro Parks and they proceeded to destroy the camp.
> so this was the best way that it can live on and be useful.

Kudos on that, once you are pushing up daisies there is no guarantee the people following you will have any respect for what you worked to create.

MightyRaze wrote:

@RichieRichOverdrive machined his own.

Well sort of, the trailer hub conversion was pretty straightforward and only really takes a drill press if you have the right rims. Prior to trailer hubs I had 6” rims I converted to 4x156 hubs just by welding bolts onto them

@Crazy_Carl has a good video on converting standard spindles to hubs.

Again some more information that has got the gears turning in the head. Thanks!
I like the premade hub with the sealed bearings. It is easy, straight forward and should give me the room i need to clear the hood and frame. Only con to it is cost of everything from rims to bearings.

I dont think that making sort of a hub out of a old stock rim center and bolting it to another rim with enough cut out to clear the e clip and washer will give me enough width. I already have other stock rims.

Under my tractor yesterday I realized that the belt was routed wrong in the front. Some how the belt on the slack side ended up on the inside of the v-grove pully instead of the outside of it. I wondered why my one main drive belt guide was so far away from the belt.. Does make for better belt engagement on drive pulley but i will need to get a flat pully in its place if i keep it that way. Otherwise i need to make another belt guide to keep it on the outside of that plastic pulley.

I dont want to go into a lake mertro parks rant this isnt the place for it. Lets just say they pay no property tax on what they get and the burden gets pushed back onto every one else to cover that lost revenue including their operating costs.

351crownvic wrote:

Great! Thanks for the information much appreciated. This might give me the room i need to clear my hood so i won't have to trim it.
I am sure it has been thought of but installing a zerk fitting on the hub and removing the inner rubber seals on the bearings. This way servicing the bearings would be very simple and possibly prolong the bearing life. A few pumps with a grease gun and bearings are nice and lubed.  

I did that with the very first one I did 10 yrs ago!

What kind of exhaust do you have? I've got to get around to putting some exhaust on my oppy.

Personally I use factory or whatever I can fabri-cobble together.

Same mine is a stock muffler in stock location.

@MightyRaze how did that zerk fitting work out? My machines get put to work and play.  Hell I put a plow on my smaller 1st gen craftsman last year, the mud mower that blew first out of the case and with just agricultural treads and no chains it plowed heavy lake effect snow just fine.  Nothing like grabbing gears pushing snow through a apartment complex I work for.  That tractor is in line to finish the hydraulic brake and a few other things.

Worked out well.  Took a lot of grease at first.

Transaxle armor/skid plate progress from yesterday. Ran out of material so will improvise. Going to weld a strip of metal down the center of it to tie them all together. I have some ideas about keeping the trans axle pulley as protected from tire splash and muck..  Will start on that after this is finished.