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Home Brew / Garden Tractor with an FX powertrain
« on: March 25, 2020, 08:59:22 PM »
Thought I'd share the neatest useful toy this side of childhood: I was in the hunt for a simple small tractor to do some home site grading and general rip-out of incessant blackberry bushes. Found a shoulda-been-running 1946 Gibson Model A garden tractor at a home along the Santa Cruz mountains with a frighteningly steep and narrow barely wide enough for a trailer... driveway. Brought it home, not running, with a spring hook implement.
I gave the gasser one go with a new spark plug, and within about 8 hours decided that's the end of the Wisconsin motors duties and set about removing it and the foot-lever belt-drive clutch mechanism.
Let's say after the Pikes Peak effort, I had an FX powertrain available... bolted it on, added a 530 x-ring chain where a 520 previously hung, mounted a battery with all-thread and the balance of the electronics with some Al angle. Throttle is actuated by a primo hinge pulling a rip-cord to rotate the throttle.
Shifting gears without a clutch is normally done after coming to a stop or rev matching. In over a month of weekend use, I've charged it once.
Let me recommend that everyone endeavor to find a tractor. I never knew that work around the house could be so much fun.
I don't have many pictures, but i'll attach what I do have.
I gave the gasser one go with a new spark plug, and within about 8 hours decided that's the end of the Wisconsin motors duties and set about removing it and the foot-lever belt-drive clutch mechanism.
Let's say after the Pikes Peak effort, I had an FX powertrain available... bolted it on, added a 530 x-ring chain where a 520 previously hung, mounted a battery with all-thread and the balance of the electronics with some Al angle. Throttle is actuated by a primo hinge pulling a rip-cord to rotate the throttle.
Shifting gears without a clutch is normally done after coming to a stop or rev matching. In over a month of weekend use, I've charged it once.
Let me recommend that everyone endeavor to find a tractor. I never knew that work around the house could be so much fun.
I don't have many pictures, but i'll attach what I do have.