1997 Murray widebody trail mower

Back to school, back to work.... Welcome to 2014!    

What's the difference between a Murray Widebody and the machine I have? Is a widebody better? Sorry to hear you broke your dash. Now you can make a new one out of diamond plate!   

yours is a pan frame (solid stamped steel) widebodys have a c-chanel frame that the body, dash, and other suff bolts to. most people say that they have the best frame but the worst cluch (one pulley pushing halfheartedly on the tight side of the belt.

ahah, thanks!   

I'm thinking about replacing the kawisaki with a 14.5 briggs single. what do you guys think? It came out of a murray, cause the muffler looked like another murray muffler i have.

this is the engine that is going in it:

I had an engine exactly like that on my old rally. You'll be happy with it. They're torquey as hell.

thanks for the information, trb.

hopefully I can fix the dash this afternoon. got to get big washers, can't weld cause my uncle stole my welder

got it fixed! there was only one bolt holding it on, and my battery fell in the belt and got chewed up got a new throttle and a different carb so now it goes a lot faster hopefully I can get a new engine pulley soon, the stock one is terrible!

Pics Pics Pics!!!!      

here you are:



the new carb:



the dash:

richie thomas wrote:

1997 Murray wrote:

it worked! it got up to 300 degees f going up hills and smashing brush when I was making trails and mudding. once it warmed up it stayed at 300.

dont know if that is a safe temp for it to run at tho lol......most cars stay under that

Most cars run around 90 C. Also they take the reading from the block not the head. The head is gonna make a lot more heat then anywhere else other then the exhaust especially on an air cooled engine.

yeah, that seems really hot to me, hopfully its not too much for it.

the54 wrote:

richie thomas wrote:

1997 Murray wrote:

it worked! it got up to 300 degees f going up hills and smashing brush when I was making trails and mudding. once it warmed up it stayed at 300.

dont know if that is a safe temp for it to run at tho lol......most cars stay under that

Most cars run around 90 C. Also they take the reading from the block not the head. The head is gonna make a lot more heat then anywhere else other then the exhaust especially on an air cooled engine.

Looks like there's part of the shroud missing from the pic posted earlier. If so, putting it back on will help it run a little cooler and prevent hot spots on the head. But yeah, the head is going to run hot.

got rid of the john deere electrical system and the Kawisaki engine, and got the briggs on! now I have to make a wiring sistem and decide whether I want to do a direct throttle or leave the govenor on it.



also got a good picture of my dash

Briggs o death!

got to work on this a little before school, was spinning it over by hand to distribute the oil before i started it, and it started! I guess my key was hooked up wrong.. does anyone have a diagram to use when you want to keep the key switch?

look in the electrical section on here. im sure we have wiring diagrams in here somewhere

glad to see your finding a use of that motor! still wish I could have gotten the 700 to you.

yeah, this was the engine that I was going to give to you, and the 700 woold be nice to have right now, but maybe I can find one localy.

well, bought a 6" cast iron pulley for $44 yesterday, along with a starter silinoid and some other stuff for my mowers. started up the montgomery wards and drove it for about 10 min before the engine sized. good news is, the 17 hp teccy fits with 1/2" to spare! also got the pulley on the murray and took it for a spin. it goes about 22 mph, which is not quite fast enough... good thing that I have a 3" to go in place of the 4" that is on the tranny now. Oh yes, I got 2 quarts of 80w-90 for the trannys, so hopefully that will help the tranny stay together...

44 bucks for a damn pully? better have gold on the inside.. you gonna lock the tranny?

it is locked, and yeah, it was expensive.

this is a nice build I think murrays are the best for off road builds ive got a murray im gonna start building on when I have the time

took the gov off and did direct throttle, faster now.

44 bucks is a lil steep check tracter supply out look in tracter section where the chain is and there are collers and pulleys you weld together for about 22 bucks from 3 inch up to anout 14 inches