Hello from Corpus Christi, TX

[ozrivera]

Greetings
i have a 17.5 HP craftsman tractor lawnmower that i would like to turn into some type of go-kart. im new to go-karts but not to small engine toys as i have always had ATV's and bikes.
i was going to sell the lawnmower but i practically have to give it away to get rid of it. so, i decided to convert it to a go-kart. i do have all neccesary tools to modify the current frame or built one all together. right now im on my research phase, so thank you in advance for your help, thank god for forums.
eitherway im going to look around the forums for some ideas but, if you guys have any suggestions please feel free to comment.
right now the big question is, what is the best way to tranfer the verticle shaft energy to the wheels? does any one have a similar lawn mower that they have actually converted to go-kart?
thanks for the oppurtunity i hope to hear from you all soon

oz

 

[txluke]

Ditch the lawnmower motor and get a horizontal shaft one. It will save you tons of headaches.
http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/grd/2396299045.HTML
Use the one off the tiller. Or try harbor freight on Ayers Street.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

welcome to the forums!

txluke, the mower pictured has a vertical shaft. it will take alot of modification and a right angle gearbox to covert to horisontal shaft. IMO, too much work. i personally dont really care if the shaft is horisontal or vertical as long as the horsepower is the same.

ozrivera, the first thing i would do is remove the deck. then weld up the "suspension" pivoting thing in the front that allows the wheels to articulate. youll get better handling at speed.

theres alot of things people do to the transmissions to allow them to withstand a beating and speed. this would be adding a breather and high quality oil.

you may be able to flip over the pulley on the engine. you want a larger pulley in the front than stock, OR a smaller rear pulley. sizes depend on what torque/acceleration you want to have over speed.

search this forum for a member named "karl". look through his threads. he made a go kart out of a lawn mower and i remember watching a video.


some other stuff you can do to it is lock up the differential. this will help your traction.


i almost want to make this tractor of mine a go kart, but i want to use it for yard work too to make me money..................

 

[txluke]

I know the mower has a vert shaft. The link I put in has a tiller with a horizontal shaft for sale in his town.

 

[ozrivera]

Fellas, thanks for the response. Txluke, the reason i wanted to build the go-kart begin with is because i have the lawn mower, and not because i wanted to build a go-kart. The mower does have a 17.5 hp motor. thanks for the link on tiller, but i have no plans on purchasing another engine to make this work. however i will purchase a right angle gear box and any other items needed to complete the project. oh and thank for the advise and the heads up for major headaches i am about to encounter. i love a challenge and it wouldnt be one if i didnt have any headaches. lots of headaches makes your end result more rewarding.
i have been looking around the forum and i must say that in just one day i have a more clear picture of what i need to do. the "how to" papers written here by some of the member are outstanding. the gearbox and transaxle paper in particular is invaluable (thanks).
i looked at karls kart and it is unique and different and it is something i can build.
this project wont be a two week project as i intend on building a quality kart that hauls, and can handle some off road. looks like i will be needing x number of parts which translates to x number of dollars. something we dont always have to spare, lol.
blue t, thanks i will definitely be removing the deck this weekend.