Comet Foward Reverse Gearbox

[jarcynvicnchris93]

I was wondering if anyone has ever used a Comet Foward Reverse gearbox??? I have found someone who sells them and I am considering using one on the kart I am building. I am currently running a 8hp Honda Clone teamed up with a Comet Series 40 Torque Converter, and custom jackshaft setup purchased from BMI. They say it will work with my setup, but to be honest I do not understand how... any advice would be greatly appreciated. I also wonder if there would be a cheaper way to get reverse, such as a riding mower gearbox...

thanks,
Jared

[ed1380]

mower gearboxes will fry the bushings over 12mph

[Kenny_McCormic]

mower gearboxes will fry the bushings over 12mph

Have you tried it?

[ElectricalBen]

techmse has 4 speed general purpose gearboxes alot of mower racers use you put a sprocket on them
and maybe a centrifugual clutch

[jarcynvicnchris93]

techmse has 4 speed general purpose gearboxes alot of mower racers use you put a sprocket on them
and maybe a centrifugual clutch


would this give me reverse???

[jarcynvicnchris93]

Have you tried it?

Kenny it sounds like maybe you have..... Will it work??

[BradenM]

Just curious, why do you want reverse? Can't you just run a live axel with an outrageously overpowered motor?

[jarcynvicnchris93]

check this out.. very cool illustration of how this box should be installed.. http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/218390A.html

[jarcynvicnchris93]

Just curious, why do you want reverse? Can't you just run a live axel with an outrageously overpowered motor?


well my kart is an offroad kart, and frankly Im tired of getting out and pushing it backwards away from odstacles... if I was a kid again this would not be a problem... but Im 35 and prefer to sit and go backwards when needed instead of playing Fred Flintstone everytime I need to back up..

[ed1380]

Have you tried it?

i wanted to, but the guy from the local lawn mower repair shop told me so.

id believe him cause he owns all of this
thats a mower graveyard
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=small+engine&sll=33.792594,-84.683079&sspn=0.006411,0.009613&ie=UTF8&ll=33.759649,-84.731541&spn=0,359.997597&t=k&z=19&layer=c&cbll=33.759576,-84.731471&panoid=KHcPpHzsvAiOtlNA0YZaDw&cbp=12,248.8097519546443,,0,22.779017857142854

[jr dragster Tyler]

^Stalker....Lol jk.

[Kenny_McCormic]

Bushings probably just need an oil slot filed.

[scar]

most of your lawn mower transmissions dont have oil in them its just tube grease and depending on the make of the mower some arent made as good as others like the mtd transmissions are junk i replace at least 10 of them a year because of the housings or axles breaking from people towing them or trying to drive them like a kart their not built for speed or towing just mowwing its easier (and smarter) to just buy a gear box. the only mower transmission that might handle that is the tech 4 speed out of some of the older rear engine mowers like ElectricalBen said thats still might be pushing it tho

[Kenny_McCormic]

Strange, I hammered on a craftsman with a 5 speed in it almost weekly for years(steering box went out eventually), no problems. The 2 speed in our current beater/backup mower has a lot of gear whine but otherwise works great and I have used it for pulling heavy heavy stuff.

[scar]

craftsman has one of the better rearends in them every once in a while i have had to replace a few gears in them but not that often and depending on the mower you have now it could be a number of reasons its whining if its a hydrostatic drive then they all do that and their hard to tear up im just saying a mower trans in a gocart is a bad idea imo

[Kenny_McCormic]

The whiner is a plain old gear box, non syncronized, cheapo, forward/reverse only. We have a 17hp craftsman from the late 90s with a hydro unit in it and its silent. I love the hydraulic trans, makes mowing so much easier, dont even need the brake. Dont have to bend down to shift it in reverse every other minute.

[ElectricalBen]

the older cast iron transmissions are better to because you can replace the oil in them insted of having grease but i have one im going to put on a go cart it weighs 80 pounds without oil in it

[scar]

the old wheel horse and cub cadet transmissions are the best there has been for mowers but sadly the mowers are all cheap and not made to last nowadays. and Kenny_McCormic im curious what kind of mower is it that is whining?

[ryf]

the transmissions the racers use are peerless 700's but most of the time the reverse chain breaks, so racers remove it. but some don't. just don't us it to do reverse roosters and it will probably hold up.

I used a peerless 820 garden tractor transaxle with 1" axles (riding mowers have 3/4" axles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skN9XjUF0PI

[Kenny_McCormic]

the old wheel horse and cub cadet transmissions are the best there has been for mowers but sadly the mowers are all cheap and not made to last nowadays. and Kenny_McCormic im curious what kind of mower is it that is whining?

I dont know what it is it says "ranch king" on the side and has bad gear whine in the forward/reverse trans.

We have an old cub sitting around with a 16hp flat 2 briggs in it, had clutch/drive shaft issues so we quit fixing it. The 4speed+reverse transaxle is cast iron and probably weighs more than some current production mowers. When it was in use we had rail road track bumpers and 400lbs of lead on the axle. Plus tire chains for real crazy stuff. It sucked gas and hauled ***, one hell of a mower for a 1 acre yard.

[jarcynvicnchris93]

hey Kenny I was told by a lawn mower racing guy that the gearboxes on the riding mowers can be shimmed and modded to withstand the higher RPMs of racing lawn mowers and go kart applications. What's your opinion?? does that sound even close to right??

[Kenny_McCormic]

All I know is bronze bushings can run 20K+ without frying. I think its all BS and you can run a mower trans as fast as you want.

[jarcynvicnchris93]

All I know is bronze bushings can run 20K+ without frying. I think its all BS and you can run a mower trans as fast as you want.

thanks Kenny, very good information. I found what I believe is a Peerless 5 speed w/reverse on Craigslist for Free last night late. The guy just emailed me back and told me to come get it if I want it. So Im gonna go for it. after reading a bunch of Posts this morning I found that ryf (another member) used a Peerless Transaxle in his Kart and it seems to work just fine.