Dingo's Offroad Mower Build

Dingocat

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OOOOOFF Ouch! Well you did mention you'd bypassed the governor so yeah. :cornut:
What went through? Was it the rod itself or something else?
Took the governer out a week ago. Put it all back together and rode for 40 min. I believe it was the counterweight. Seized to the crank and when that broke it demolished the rod. And sent it through the block.
 

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Took the governer out a week ago. Put it all back together and rode for 40 min. I believe it was the counterweight. Seized to the crank and when that broke it demolished the rod. And sent it through the block.
Can get a 16 horse Kohler for free from a buddy. All it needs is an airbox. That's probably going to be what goes on it.
 

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Ouch!!! Tell us what happened
2 posts back, took it apart further and the rod was broken in multiple spots where it goes around the crank and there's a good bit of transfer to the crank, so now it looks more like oil starvation to me.
 

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Got an 18hp Briggs Opposed twin I/C for 35 for it. Now I need to move the gas tank back about an inch for the engine to bolt up to the existing holes. Carb clean and it should run good.

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Spend 6? Hours yesterday working on the pulleys, clutch and belts. Swapped a 6 inch pulley onto the front and have a 3.5 for the rear.

Still on the to do list is a propper size belt, longer choke cable, extention of the wiring harness for the new engine, and weld that rear pulley. (New exhaust too but that can wait)

Relocated the gas tank to the area between the rear and the bottom of the dash as the engine is in the way of the original mount. Still might have to put a different fuel pump on it.

Pics to come.
 

ThatTomGuy

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will you replace the flywheel on that briggs?
I am not an expert just wondering as I have the 18hp twin briggs as well and on the offroad lawn tractor forums they were recommending it as a major safety upgrade as the stock ones are known to fly apart with major injuries reported.

I'm gonna drag mine up from the back shed and into the shop...... you've given me the itch to get started on my lawn tractor build haha
 

Dingocat

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will you replace the flywheel on that briggs?
I am not an expert just wondering as I have the 18hp twin briggs as well and on the offroad lawn tractor forums they were recommending it as a major safety upgrade as the stock ones are known to fly apart with major injuries reported.

I'm gonna drag mine up from the back shed and into the shop...... you've given me the itch to get started on my lawn tractor build haha
Going to keep the engine stock for now. Maybe in the future I'll get rods and flywheel for it. But with the plan to keep it stock/governed I'll keep the original flywheel.
 

karl

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Going to keep the engine stock for now. Maybe in the future I'll get rods and flywheel for it. But with the plan to keep it stock/governed I'll keep the original flywheel.
They are quite forgiving , my conversion spent the majority of it's run time at valve float.

But yeah, heavy cast iron , better be safe.

How fast you trying to go now? :sifone:
 

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They are quite forgiving , my conversion spent the majority of it's run time at valve float.

But yeah, heavy cast iron , better be safe.

How fast you trying to go now? :sifone:
Good to know. And currently it has a 2in. On the rear. Just want to see what it'll do, then I'll throw the 3.5 on and keep it on.
 

gegcorp2012

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May I suggest making a tubing bender out of the old engine that slung the rod (?)

Check the "using tools and welding" section for my DIY guide to an experimental bender made from old engine parts. Looks like the flywheel teeth are pretty substantial, so thats a plus.

Also on YT, I saw a video of a twin turbo 18hp Briggs lawn mower (yah, a push behind mower with two turbo and instrumentation).

Just FYI, anything goes in the DIY space now days ;)
 

Budget GoKart

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man ive been hunting for something manual and i just can find nothin gonna keep looking and hopefully find one soon as i needs me a mud mower my john deere isnt reliable enough and is having carb issues im starting to doubt the 124.8 hours thing
 

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Forgot to post about it, but I got the mower the rest of the way together, and went 32 with a governed engine. Couple weeks ago friends came over and we romped on the mower and 2 of my karts, no casualties.

This evening I took it over to my buddy's and managed to get the wire for the clutch safety caught in the belt and rip them off. Shortly after I made it 10 feet into the grass/snow where it stalled.

I somehow managed to break my differential's gears as well as lock up the input shaft. (10000 rpm............ hehe)
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Finally got the mower running, welded a new rear pulley, new trans, and a newish(free) Briggs Vtwin. Since getting it running we romped on em on some trails and ended up taking em to the HS for our last day. Rode around the parkinglot and even got a teacher to drive one.


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Trail ride, and blew the fuse for the pods on the front.
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The mowers in the front lawn of the HS. Blocked bc signs got names on it.
 

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Finally got tires for the mower, don't have to share with the dingo anymore. 20210618_171835.jpg20210618_172222.jpg
The set of atv tires was 70 on marketplace, I'll sell the fronts for 50 or so since I wont be using them.
These tires are 22x11-10 vs the previous 21x12-8. They are also offset so they pretty much line up with the front tires now. With the new tires the rear measures 40" so it should just barely fit between the 'Yota wheelwells.
 
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