Want to make a fast lawn mower tractor.

thirdroc17

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Cast iron, small engine, flywheel. This is why billet flywheels are available.







 

thirdroc17

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Your choice. It does happen. I could never with a clear conscious recommend someone to do something that has a possibility of such catastrophic results when there is no need to take the risks.

If this persons removes the governor, then looses a leg, my conscious is clear. Denying that it can happen because you haven't personally seen it does not mean it doesn't happen.

Sorry I'm off to such a rocky start here, but I just can't set back when it comes to recommending such dangerous activity to others.
 

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reynoldston

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If you're happy putting your grandson at risk, that's your choice. I'm not here to argue, just saying more than one person has lost a limb, or worse, running an engine without a governor that was designed to have one on it.

Dale

Not to put my grandson at risk, because for one thing I have no say. Also not here to argue. Just what experience I have seen. I also have a customer that races go-carts and they have a stock class and I am not sure on this but I think all they do is remove the governor. This also I would have no say on. As far as myself everything I own has a governor and set to specs. I have never seen a small engine flywheel explode but just because I have never seen it doesn't mean it can't happen it just means I never seen it. What I have seen happen being a truck mechanic and more then once is truck clutches that this has happen to and what damage it can do along with race cars. No I wouldn't want my feet or legs near the bell housings.
 

Carscw

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In the class I race we run a ford 2.3 with a ten thousand rpm clutch and we half to put a 1/4 inch plate on the floor. At 300 hp and ten thousand RPMs you don't want anything to come up to you

Sent from my iPhone using LMF
 

KennyV

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Sorry I'm off to such a rocky start here, but .....

Hello Dale & WELCOME to LMF...

Not a rocky start... most here don't get easily offended by comments, And it is good to consider safety now and then... :smile:KennyV
 

thirdroc17

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Thanks, Kenny.

Now, back to tightening up the steering, improving the brakes, and swapping those pulley's so we can go fast on a lawn mower! Yup, been there, done that. It's a good idea to lower them too, the lower center of gravity makes for a more stable ride.
 

reynoldston

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Thanks, Kenny.

Now, back to tightening up the steering, improving the brakes, and swapping those pulley's so we can go fast on a lawn mower! Yup, been there, done that. It's a good idea to lower them too, the lower center of gravity makes for a more stable ride.

Just curious how do you swap pulleys? wouldn't the pulley shafts be completely different? I have heard this on this forum elsewhere but never heard how it is done?? Most of the riders I have worked on have a double pulley with a large shaft bolted on to the engine and the driven just a small splinted shaft. I don't even know where you would buy something like this to fit? Would you have something custom made at a machine shop?
 

thirdroc17

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By swapping pulleys, I don't mean swapping the two that's there. Swap out either or both the stock pulleys for different ones. Pulleys can be bought at a variety of places, one is https://phoenix-mfg.com/ Just be sure to NOT get a fractional horsepower pulley.

The rear pulley is typically larger, and a single pulley. Get one of the same shaft diameter and belt width. Half the diameter will result in twice the speed. That may not sound like much, but unless you upgrade the steering, might be enough. Depends on how tight your current setup is.

Remember, this may require a change of drive belt too. A smaller rear pulley would mean a shorter belt. It might very well require a modification of the tightening system, typically it's just an idler pulley connected to the clutch pedal. Depending on the idler/tightening set up, you might be able to modify it enough to take up enough slack to get away with the stock belt.

Every mower is different. Each has to be modified in it's own way.

Good luck, and happy motoring.

Dale
 

reynoldston

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No thank-you I won't be changing any pulleys on my equipment unless its stock. I was just wondering about this pulley swapping which didn't make a lick of sense. More like pulley changing. Thanks for letting me know about the Phoenix company because next time I need a pulley I will check there.
 

mullins87

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Sorry I'm off to such a rocky start here, but I just can't set back when it comes to recommending such dangerous activity to others.

No rocky start here either, most if not all of us are thicker skinned than that. Your pictures made me think of a neighbor about 20 years ago that was having trouble starting his Snapper RER. It was an early 80's model Hi-Vac with a B&S 12 hp engine. He had been cranking on it relentlessly for probably 5 minutes when we heard a loud BOOM!!! My dad and I were in the garage, which turned out to be a good thing as immediately after the boom we heard shrapnel showering the side of the garage. Some of it was embedded in the siding. I finished the summer mowing his yard for him, but nearly everytime I did, I would find another piece of his engine. :laughing:
 
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