The Mean Green Machine

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StevenMike

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Howdy, I am embarking on my first go kart project, here's my time line so far, about 6 months ago I purchased a used John Deere RX75 RER (Rear Engine Rider) after about a week of tinkering I got the 7.75 inch input pulley on the transaxle swapped for a 3 inch and the 3 inch pulley on the engine swapped for a 4.5 inch, I got the engine running after fooling with the carburetor a bit, dove it for a day, the following day I went to run it and nothing it wouldn't go into gear. Well after a long winter summer has arrived and the weather is well enough for me to start working again, I have cleaned all the bentonite grease out (I have a few pointers if anyone wants them) the shift keys are kaput so I want to swap out the two key shaft for a four key shaft, make the belt system constant tension, ditch the "variator" for a jack shaft, install a usable brake system, and reconfigure the throttle to be pedal actuated.
I will post updates as I get along.
 

TT540

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Are you modifying anything else up front? How much speed are you looking to get? I ask because I have had one of those up on two wheels. Granted, I was trying to do it, but still. Speed and a not smart driver could increase the pucker factor.
 

anickode

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I know there are "race preps" you can do to the transaxle, but most of those things just aren't meant to spin 5000+ rpm. In fact, 2500 input RPM is about the top end of what they're rated for.

And they are NOT meant to shift on the fly. That's why your shift keys broke, and will continue to do so, even with a 4 key shaft.

Definitely upgrade the steering and front axle, and consider lowering the whole rig.
 

StevenMike

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Well the transaxle is a peerless 910 single speed, I did not try to shift on the fly, I did try to put it in reverse but all I got was a mashing sound coming from the trans, that's why I'm putting a centrifugal clutch in so when the engines at idle I can shift into the prefered gear and go, another problem is torque which is nonexistent I have to push start it to get rolling, I think that's because of the current pulley setup.

---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------

OK I just did a measure on the clearances on the shafts, I can fit an 8 inch pulley on the engine shaft, the variator can be replaced by a 6 inch, the input on the trans could be 4 inch, increase belt tension all around, that might increase torque marginally.
I could also do a 8 inch engine pulley a 6 to 4 stepper pulley, and a 2 inch pulley on the trans, but I figure that will reduce torque.
 

StevenMike

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Right now the only steering mods I'm doing is freeze the pivot on the axle, reason being when I was driving it and turning around the outside front corner would dip and the rear inside corner would lift up. Speed I'm shooting for is somewhere between 20 and 30 mph.

Something else to add if you're cleaning out a mower transaxle trying to get all that bentonite grease out its a three phase process, phase one scoop as much of the stuff as possible out with your hands (wear gloves!) Then using Brillo, SOS, etc type pads (steel wool and soap) remove most of the grease from the inside of the Trans case, sides of gears, shafts, ect.

Phase two get a pot or a metal basin (metal basins are cheap) and fill with water and add two cups of laundry detergent and two cups of dish soap, (I used Persil and Palmolive I would've preferred Dawn but use what ya got) then put all the parts including the case halves in the water, bring the whole thing to a boil and keep it there for at least 4 hours do this twice, now getting it up to a boil takes forever so do it on a weekend when you are completely free, now I used cinder blocks to make a makeshift stove which worked pretty well my only advice if you go this route leave two side open for air it make the fire much hotter hot enough to make any metal that's in the fire glow and make the bricks glow too, another thing the bricks will probably be toast afterwards because the heat makes them disintegrate, my stove that I got the most heat with was built with 20 half height cinder blocks with the smaller narrow holes on the sides, use 6 to make the base, 2 long 3 wide, then at each end center two blocks with the holes horizontal and place a third block at each end atop the two you just placed with its holes vertical, then use four more on each side with their holes vertical to make the sidewalls, what you'll get is a rectangular stove with a ledge at each end and a square pit in the middle, I used smashed up pallets as fuel because they're free and have a good bit of wood, try to find ones that are made of oak or something like that and a few pine ones too, now build a fire with the wood on the two ledges, have plenty of fuel ready, start a free going then have a friend help you set the pot of water, parts, soap, and detergent on the stove, boil for the time I mentioned, expect to use at least four pallets each time, once cooled remove the parts and drain the water.

Phase three now with the parts boiled twice head to a local do it yourself car wash with the parts and basin in hand, use the high pressure soap to remove the remaining grease, some parts like washers and bushings will need to be cleaned by hand with aforementioned Brillo pads, but do the case halves, shafts, and focus on the gears the teeth hold onto the grease, wear old clothes and possibly some safety glasses/goggles, do not use just water use the soap setting because the water alone will not remove the grease, well that's it for my tips on cleaning mower transaxles.
 

bob58o

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With that clean axle, maybe you can drive the mower through that wall of text. LOL
Knowing the crowd here, more than half won't read stuff like that. It is difficult even to get started reading, cause it looks like it goes on forever.
 

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StevenMike

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I broke it up a little bit...
Does anyone know where to find a four key shafts for a peerless 910?
 

Texan

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I'm interested in what you are doing there. :thumbsup: I've got a Deere S82 rear rider, bare bones but with a Peerless trans still mounted. At one time I was thinking about reviving it to a yard work cruiser.
 

StevenMike

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OK I am going to try to keep the stock two key shaft, brakes are a problem I was thinking of mounting a pad on either the input pulley on the Trans or on the jackshaft, lowering is going to be very hard being that I'm already running 6 inch wheels out front. I'm thinking of trying to get the trotted wired up to the pedal in the next few days.
Another problem I've come across is I want to ditch all the levers that operate the various functions the mower once had, problem is if I remove the levers I'll have a bunch of empty slots, now the piece that has all the levers is made of fiberglass and is broken if I bought a new one is there a way I could patch over the holes I don't need?
 

landuse

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I know you spoke a bit about the steering assembly, but on riding mowers if you want to go at any decent speed you really have to replace it with something that can handle something a bit faster than lawn mowing speeds. The stock steering linkages are just not made for anything more
 
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