Purple People Eater

Not sure if I have shared this tractor here on the page.  About 6-8 years ago, I threw together a mower (FNR 2001 Troy-Bilt).  I made it for the Girls, only one took interest.  I called it the Purple People Eater.





It was a parts tractor my dad had to fix his mower.  I welded on gas pipe and inserted bearings to fix the front spindles.  Powered by a 6.5hp pressure washer engine.  It was used pretty frequently at one time but has sat in the back of the yard for the past 5 years.

Infant stages:



Later on:



Well, reason I bring this up... 

My wife has been going next door to do crafts with the neighbor lady in her crafting room in their building in the back of their yard.  She can't really tote all her stuff over there walking. Driving the Van (currently out of commission) or the pickup over there is pretty much overkill.  

I mentioned to her last night, "Would you be interested in a mower that you could drive over there that I could build that you could carry your stuff?"  She said she was interested.

Long story shortened.  I think it is time to revive the Purple People Eater.   Right now, I am contemplating leaving the FNR (one wheel is stuck on currently) or converting it over to an MST205 I have on a shelf. One belt and greater speed if needed?  I have either an Opposed Twin, VTwin, or single that I could use for an engine.  Electric start is nice, that old 6.5 was a pain to get started, but ran well when did.  I now have a proper gas tank and a hood for it.

Maybe a 2023 B/O entry?  We'll see.

Here's my handy work on the front axle.  LOL  Not too bad for a little 110 arc welder I had at the time.



I do have a replacement cast iron front axle for it.

I'm also contemplating a Craftsman platform.  I've not toyed with one of those yet.

I don't know, I would make it simple and light.
The original platform looks pretty good if it had a rack in the front imho.

My vote is AYP craftsman…you know me and my craftsman platforms…

MightyRaze wrote:

I'm also contemplating a Craftsman platform.  I've not toyed with one of those yet.

Sears/Craftmans were made by several companies so take your pick of AYP, MTD, Simplicity, Western Tool, Roper, Husqvarna or Murray (built)! It would be nice to see another MTD squarebody around though... but maybe in GT form. Lol

CraftsmanQuad19 wrote:

My vote is AYP craftsman…you know me and my craftsman platforms…

What it looks like starting off.

That would be nice... but I think I have decided to go ahead with the Troy Bilt MTD frame.  I'll probably stick with the single speed trans with Vari drive as well.  I will be pulley swapping the engine that I put in.  Now just to figure out what engine that will be.

Requirements for this build:

• Step through design. check!
  
• Mild pulley swap.
  
• A way to truck crafts and tools
  
• Lights...
  

I have decided I will be building it NOW, the earlier the better for this build.

Things needed

• Changed engine
  
• Wiring
  
• Tires
  
• Paint
  
• Front axle  have
  
• Hood  have
  
• mods here and there
  

It's mostly stripped down.

It was stripped, cleaned, cut and starting the rebuild process.




Cut some of the frame so I could double the pulley size and move the engine forward 32mm.  This should allow me to add an idler to keep the belt out of the pedal controls and steering.



Engine installed.  Going with the 14.5.  Going to give it a go again.  Try to tune on it to get the surging stopped.



The upper pulley is approximate to the original pulley.  The bottom is about 2x the size.  Hoping to achieve 10mph.  Nothing much more.

Moving along.  Right now, I am removing the old dry-rotted belts as I will need new ones.  Probably pulleys as well if I want it to run quieter.  All 3 idlers are pretty gravelly. Not sure what all I have in stock the right size.

Oh, the right rear tire and wheel are shot.  Tried to pull it the other day and stripped out my puller on it.  Guess I'll just cut it off.

Done for the day.  Need to research a little on the pulleys.

I did get the newer style gas tank installed.  This one did not have the provisions for it.  Not sure why, this tractor and the one the tank came from were only a couple years apart and the dash and framing looked the same.  Oh well, four drilled holes and 2 tapped for a bolt and I'm in business!



Also had to trim the dash a tickle for the gas cap.

Too late now, I should have entered this one in the build-off too at the rate I'm going!  LOL

MightyRaze wrote:

Done for the day.  Need to research a little on the pulleys.

I did get the newer style gas tank installed.  This one did not have the provisions for it.  Not sure why, this tractor and the one the tank came from were only a couple years apart and the dash and framing looked the same.  Oh well, four drilled holes and 2 tapped for a bolt and I'm in business!



Also had to trim the dash a tickle for the gas cap.

Too late now, I should have entered this one in the build-off too at the rate I'm going!  LOL

Wow i can’t believe how fast this project is moving along it was literally last week you started work on this thing. And its already looking fan-frickn-tastic! Can’t wait to see what you make outa it.

Thanks!  Yeah, it is going pretty fast.  I should have new belts and a fuel filter tomorrow.  Hope to get this started up this weekend.  I put on a chow mien carb on this 14.6 BS.  See if I can get it dialed in.  Last time I tried, it surged pretty good.  I think it was also a fuel delivery issue at the time.  We'll see.

I need to get to paint while it is still in the 90's here.  We can drop to the 50's and 60's in literally a week sometimes.  Oklahoma has limited 70-80 weather in Spring and Fall sometimes.

2 years ago we went from 90's to 30's like overnight and had an ice storm.  When I really hurt my back.

90's at home and on vacation location mid Oct 2020





Heard a strong front was coming in and headed home just as it was about to hit.  90's earlier that day, by the picture it was 50's. Oct 26, 2020



This was a day and a half later. You can still see the green under the ice on the ground.  Upper 20's and it only got worse. 
Oct 28, 2020



The poor tree a few weeks later.




But I digress.... Back on topic.  I need to get the fenders and hood cleaned up soon for paint as things can change fast around here.  Also, I hope to have a video update later today hopefully.

We're already bouncing between 50-70 Fahrenheit around here for the last couple weeks but that's great for me as sweater weather is my favorite time of year! Lol. I expect we'll get another blast of higher temps soon.

Keep plugging away I want to see this rig running and driving soon! Lol

My biggest hurdle is going to be tires.  Both rear tires do not hold air as they are dry rotted and air comes out everywhere.  Wheels are frozen on.  I have heated, heated and quenched, air hammer (limited, don't want to break internals for transaxle) Busted 2 wheel pullers.  So, they need cut off. I swapped in the front axle.  It has 3/4 shafts over the original 5/8.  Old front wheels do not have the bore for swapping in a bearing for 3/4 axle.  Only wheels I have currently that fit 3/4 axle are from my craftsman mower that I took off years ago, problem with them is the offset is wrong for the front axle.  Put on the right way, the rim binds on the steering  arms.  Flip the rim around to get the right offset, then the valve stem hits.  AYE!  I think going from a 6"wheel to 8" is the fix there.  Basically I will need 4 wheels and 4 tires to complete this.  $$$

Open the case, build a bonfire in a barrel and burn the axles and the wheels.
Quenching them with oil or penetrating fluid also helps sometimes.

Done some crazy stuff for customers on a budget.
Also letting them stand In used engine oil for instance.

The hardest part of changing or tubing a tire while on a tractor is breaking the bead but it IS possible with a Hi Lift/Jackall/farm jack and a piece of wood. PITA but it's possible. You could cut the tires off and install new ones much easier though, will save you money and will be able to reuse the wheels.

The right rear wheel is also shot.  LOL

Game over.

So... I pulled the trigger on a decent PAIR rear wheel/tires for less than $100.  Thought it was a decent deal.  New ones were in the $124 by themself.  I did find a set of MTD wheels.  Just need new bushings and rubber.  That will be cheaper than a whole set.  I'll try to get these cut off next week.

MightyRaze wrote:

Thanks!  Yeah, it is going pretty fast.  I should have new belts and a fuel filter tomorrow.  Hope to get this started up this weekend.  I put on a chow mien carb on this 14.6 BS.  See if I can get it dialed in.  Last time I tried, it surged pretty good.  I think it was also a fuel delivery issue at the time.  We'll see.

I need to get to paint while it is still in the 90's here.  We can drop to the 50's and 60's in literally a week sometimes.  Oklahoma has limited 70-80 weather in Spring and Fall sometimes.

2 years ago we went from 90's to 30's like overnight and had an ice storm.  When I really hurt my back.

90's at home and on vacation location mid Oct 2020





Heard a strong front was coming in and headed home just as it was about to hit.  90's earlier that day, by the picture it was 50's. Oct 26, 2020



This was a day and a half later. You can still see the green under the ice on the ground.  Upper 20's and it only got worse. 
Oct 28, 2020



The poor tree a few weeks later.




But I digress.... Back on topic.  I need to get the fenders and hood cleaned up soon for paint as things can change fast around here.  Also, I hope to have a video update later today hopefully.

off topic: Yea that sounds like Idaho's weather go to sleep with clear sky's 80 degree temperature and wake up with 2 feet of snow...
back on topic: loving the wiring job ya did in that video makes me want to re wire mine again and make it look that organized.

So, I tweaked, adjusted and almost started swearing at this engine.  I did at one point just walked away.  I've had enough with it.  I'm ditching it for something else.  I even think I was hearing a clunk clank from time to time inside it.  I think I'm going to go back to original pulley for now as well.

Now to figure out another engine for it.  I think I'll throw in the vtwin, but don't know if I will keep it in there.  I'll probably put the final nail in Kal's coffin and rob its engine.

So I dropped in the 21hp vtwin.  I was hooking it up when I realized, this engine does not have a diode for the charging system.  Guess it originally had a regulator.  I can wire in a diode easy enough.

MightyRaze wrote:

So I dropped in the 21hp vtwin.  I was hooking it up when I realized, this engine does not have a diode for the charging system.  Guess it originally had a regulator.  I can wire in a diode easy enough.

Note to self.  When sleepy and exhausted at almost midnight, don't make asumptions.   

Totally forgot the engine has a regulator.  LOL

So the Vtwin runs great 3/4 throttle and less.  Starts to pop past that.  I checked the valves and they are in spec and moving in and out just fine.  At a little loss there at this time.

A little teaser of things to come.



Fender isn't bolted down yet.  I still need to cut the old bent wheels off so I can put the newer ones on this weekend hopefully.