1997 Murray widebody trail mower

rear rack!



I have a boat gas tank on it now so I have 4.4 gallons fuel capacity, also tore it all apart and redid the pulley system. I drove it for about two hours yesterday before my belt disintegrated. my rear pulley was smashed and it makes the belt shake a lot cause it is uneven. so I am going to the hardware store and buying a new 3" pulley and 92" belt, and hopefully it will make my problems go away. also one of the pulleys was 1/2" lower, which made the belt twist over and over as it ran, so that didn't help things much. also painted my engine and made new badges.

For those of you who know about this, I need some ideas. I am planning to use a centrifugal clutch on my lawn tractor and run a chain instead of a belt, because I keep breaking them (to much power? 25 hp on a 1/2" belt with different pulleys so it is faster, I think that may be too much load for a belt to handle.) So I plan to use #40 roller chain instead. The original clutch (which is just a pulley that tightens the belt so it engages) will be torn out and a chain tensioner will go in its place, and I will have a centrifugal clutch on the engine for the clutch. I think it would stand up to the abuse, since I have a 6 speed transaxle, so I could start in first or second and then lift off the gas and shift. If anyone has any experience with centrifugal clutches and can tell me if that would stand up to that, please tell me. I will not be pulling with this. I shift without clutching now, and it is pretty easy. I plan on putting a round disk under the sprockets so it won't fall off.

I'm thinking this one maybe http://www.ebay.com/itm/GO-KART-MINI-BIKE-CENTRIFUGAL-CLUTCH-1-BORE-40-41-CHAIN-14-T-TORQUE-HEAVY-DUTY-/390885972118 but I need imput since I have never owened one or even seen one in person before.

I think they are rated for like 16-18HP and that may even be 2-stroke, 4-strokes is like half of that but itl' work if you remember to not slip it hot, so id say go for it and try it.

On my JD 210 im trying the belt type Hilliard Extreme clutch. Think that is rated for 18hp - 4 stroke, but that will smoke to and burn stuck if you drive it wrong. thats why a torque converter is more suited, and the standard mower clutch is genius in its own simplicity.

This is getting turned into a go cart, and donating the widebody-specific parts to this:



It is a puller/ trail mower and my brother will be using it most. It will have a peerless 920 5-speed, which is locked.

Today saw the axle mounted, front axle welded on, and 5 hp briggs held on with one bolt. Got 13" front tires and 16" rears. got pulleys on and now we need to get clutch and belt fugured out, and mount seat and things like that.

1997 Murray wrote:

Today saw the axle mounted, front axle welded on, and 5 hp briggs held on with one bolt.  Got 13" front tires and 16" rears. got pulleys on and now we need to get clutch and belt fugured out, and mount seat and things like that.

Lol I'd get some more bolts to hold that engine down. Singles are rattle traps.

802 Customs wrote:

1997 Murray wrote:

Today saw the axle mounted, front axle welded on, and 5 hp briggs held on with one bolt.  Got 13" front tires and 16" rears. got pulleys on and now we need to get clutch and belt fugured out, and mount seat and things like that.

Lol I'd get some more bolts to hold that engine down. Singles are rattle traps.

yeah, that is just mock- up.

I know you guys like pics, so here are some:

You need to lay off the adult beverages! LOL...

Cool change up, how do the cut turfs work?

an't had one yet. tires work pretty good, have not driven this yet though.

More pics, got carb and muffler on, and seat.



Seat on!



Got it outside for a startup.



Got engine running after three years of hibernation.

Oh and zsmachines wants me to use a turbo on this, but I am going to let him down. I am using this:



That's right, supercharger.

I thought you were using a 930? Hmm. Looks like a fnr driven off the brake

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

I thought you were using a 930? Hmm. Looks like a fnr driven off the brake

yeah, it had a key on a 5/8" shaft so I put it on there and it bolts up so I decided to use it.

Nice smog pump heard there good for 5 psi or so of boost.

Dirt bike carb alone will wake it up. The fnr has a 26:1 ratio so count that in when gearing it

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Dirt bike carb alone will wake it up. The fnr has a 26:1 ratio so count that in when gearing it

thru the break it is 1:7

Got shroud painted and put on footboards and throttle and clutch.

1997 Murray wrote:

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

Dirt bike carb alone will wake it up. The fnr has a 26:1 ratio so count that in when gearing it

thru the break it is 1:7

Ah! Did not think about that. Whoops.


Looks good.

thanks guys, and I may use this motor for a different go cart project, and replace the mtd axle with a Peerless 1200 I have and put my onan opposed on this. The onan I got for free because I knew the guy, only catch is that I need to have it on a tractor for the next show, which is in august. The 1200A I got for $10 and the guy wants to see it at the show, so I need to get something done wit them, and this would be practically perfect. or, I could put them in my craftsman, and make it a gt. that would be cool.

yeah, the craftsman will be the gt. the only problem with the fnr is that there are no gears. I am going to tweak my clutch and take it for a ride today after I finish my school. the problem with homeschooling is that you are at home, and you can see your mowers, but you can't work on them.