new member. my 1st build. accepting recommendations

[LawnmowerMan918]

hello. first time I saw a racing mower, I had to have one. I had recently bought a perfectly good craftsman mower with a 20HP twin OHV Briggs&Stratton and started stripping it down.
being my 1st build, and really have no knowledge of "small engines" whatsoever, I have been at a standstill when it came time to do the drivetrain.
a guy said I'd need a 40 series torque converter. I did a tiny pulley swap by taking the belt from the original driver pulley to the 4 inch that powered the deck. wasn't impressed, so after much thought, I ordered a 12¼" drive pulley for the engine shaft. leaving the 3½" tuff torq pulley on the pumpkin. QUESTION: can I weld, or bolt being I have no welder, a plate in between the two to install the torque converter? I figured with the 12" pulley, the rpm would be 3 to 4 times greater, or climbs faster, resulting in a faster acceleration and more top speed. I could be totally wrong though. every engine I've seen, the torque converter is attached TO the engine shaft. don't know why.

 

[LawnmowerMan918]

...I had my heart set on 70 mph for dirt track racing, but if it will do 50-55 mph with what torque it has, carrying the front end while dumping the clutch, I'll be happy.
if you guys can help me achieve this, I greatly appreciate it and forever in debt to ya lol

 

[Denny]

You need to do some more research. Maybe a tractor racing forum would be better.

 

[LawnmowerMan918]

...so go-carting is totally different than converting my mower into a go-cart buggy thing?
I figured it was the same thing, more or less

 

[karl]

70 mph with factory transaxle and front end? Do you have life insurance?

35 is sketchy enough on a stock lawn mower. Ive probally busted a dozen transaxles in my youth.
Look into how racing mowers are set up, typically go kart type live axle and right angle gear box.

 

[Budget GoKart]

your looking for converting to a live axle thats what racing guys do also for your motor to last a while put the fan and cooling shroud back on. its air cooled thats how the motor stays cool. front pully you want it to be as big as you can fit between the frame rails and your gonna want a 4 inch rear for belt grip and you get a peerless 700 gearbox 3 to 5 speed but you cannot run a reverse chain inside the gearbox you can also convert the transaxle for this use im working on a design for that because im building a MTD Race machine with a 22hp ohv vtwin also you can post here but ATLTF.com might be more welcoming im also a member there

 

[karl]

Tuff Torq axle? So this is a hydro drive? You can't pulley swap a hydro. It no go faster.

Lots of good info on ATLTF !

 

[LawnmowerMan918]

70 mph with factory transaxle and front end? Do you have life insurance?

35 is sketchy enough on a stock lawn mower. Ive probally busted a dozen transaxles in my youth.
Look into how racing mowers are set up, typically go kart type live axle and right angle gear box.

ha. no way. I've ordered a spindle kit for it. the front axel is made of tubular metal and is on hold until I get the kit to be sure everything lines up and such.

I've been looking at some go kart live axel kits, and again, not sure what I'm looking at or for. by the time this project is completed, I don't expect much of the mower to be left. just figured it to be a cheap frame and engine to build a buggy from.

 

[Budget GoKart]

hey ya know that tuff torque with stock gearing and a live axle chain drive you could go really fast