Score!!

[Hunter65]

Ok so today my grandma took me to a few savage yards and one lawnmower repare center. well the savage yards were all cars and didnt have anything i could use but at the lawnmower repair center the gave me a FREE riding lawnmower. Its pretty old and its vertical shaft but i think i can do something with it. Its only 8 horsepower though. So i have heard a lot of talk that the back axles off a riding mower are not any good. Is this true??

 

[t0x1k]

Yeah, pretty much the riding mower is useless for making a kart. Try making a racing lawn mower by changing out pulleys.

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

Not true, some riding mower transmissions and transaxles are fine for go karts. What model transmission/transaxle do you have? pics?

 

[Hunter65]

Well we still have to pick it up later today. the axle though is just a solid axle with a sprocket.

 

[toofarnorth]

Are you sure it's solid? Most mowers have a differential because solid axles tear up the lawn.

 

[Hunter65]

Im pretty sure its solid. Its really quite old.

 

[weirdarmadillo]

Does the mower have a metal case (transaxle)in the middle of the axle?

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

Im pretty sure its solid. Its really quite old.

Doubt it, it is most likely either one wheel drive, or has a differential (with one wheel drive you often cant tell if its live axle or not). What kind of rider is it? is the engine in the rear or front?

 

[Hunter65]

The engine is in the back. The engine brand is tecumesh and the lawnmwer is sears. And no transaxle.

 

[Hunter65]

Here is some pics. Im still not really sure what to do with it.

 

[toofarnorth]

Can you post a pic of the axle sprocket?

 

[Hunter65]

later.

 

[freakboy]

RACING MOWER!!!!! lol

 

[porsche930dude]

You totally scored there thats perfect for a cart. Thats the same kind i had as a kid. we stripped it down and lowered the seat and wheel and put on a horizontal shaft engine use the tranny for somthing else and your good to go.

 

[porsche930dude]

Heres ours from back in the day

 

[EagleTalons]

Honestly...I'd mow the lawn with it. :arf:

 

[Hunter65]

Wow!! Thanks porsche930dude. You have inspired me lol. Well i just figured out why it was free their is a honkin big hole in the crank case. But you know i have a 9 hp Briggs and Stratton horizontal shaft motor i could put on it. How fast did yours go?? Any axle problems?? and how much horsepower was your engine??

 

[porsche930dude]

we had a old 5hp briggs with a clutch and as we got bigger for chrismas we got a nw 5hp briggs with a torque converter . More than enough speed. Your 9hp is going to have a 1" shaft and tc's for that are like 180$ and a clutch about $100 but definatly get a tc there worth the extra money. Where do you plan on riding it? We had to scrap ours eventually because after years of abuse of driving into trees and over big stumps the frame was folding in half and the front spindles kept breaking and we didnt have a welder at the time. I reused all the parts on other progects though. I still use the engine and torque converter almost daily and its like 15 years old

 

[Tommy Boy]

Perfect set-up, if I'm seeing it right from the picture.

I'd trade a kidney for that transmission you have, if in fact that's the transmission you have. In fact, there's a real good chance you can clean it up a bit and sell it on eBay for a solid $100 bucks or more.

And don't let these kart klowns talk you down on that bad boy. Helluva find.

 

[Hunter65]

So will a torque converter from a 299cc snowmobile fit on it and could i take the transmission out of it and use it on a different engine with a horizontal shaft instead of vertical??