"Dinky" (Crafstman 917.254650)

So im kinda wishing i entered this in to the build off but to little to late, i have recently started putting alot of time modding this thing and i really like how its going. my initial plan was to keep this simple and as a back up machine while i fix my other project. well turned out the one i got for free were every time i fixed something, 2 more things broke, Dinky has been minimal on repairs so most time working on it has been mods.

i scraped my bigger craftsman and decided all of its good parts go toward dinky.
i know i did not document it on here, but i have made a video of every thing i did, so im going to make some post to get you guys up to speed. first i will do pictures, then i will find videos. i had some bad experiments.

Stock Dinky when i got it, just called it the small craftsman back then, (last winter) this was dame night i got it, payed 100$ did not run. removed kill wire from motor and it fired right up and drove it to gas station. the muffler was shot, so loud and crappy sounding, carb needed re tuned. front tiers did not hold air, rear tiers looked like they were never used. and for this trip i ducked taped some LED lights from something in my scrap electronics box.
transmission was replaced, break system was manged and routed wrong, and belt slip was bad.

now im just going to upload a bunch of photos in the order i took them, the mods will be explained as i add videos to this post.

so count this to show you a slide show of my progress from pickup to post date.

this is video 1 of many, im going to just add a video when i think about it instead of posting 30 videos in 1 night.

If your going to be driving it around at night I would get some better lights up front and a blinking red light on the back. If someone didn't see you in town and hit you going even slow speeds the outcome would be very bad. Out here there's only country roads and not much traffic at night so I use front headlights for now, but rear lighting is on the agenda for future upgrades.

my current light bar is so bright i dont use it near other cars so i dont blind them. i might get reflactors, but i need to paint first. and i got more building to do before i paint. its summer time so im usealy getting ready for bed by dark, in the winter gets dark around 4:30pm here, now its 9:30pm

my exhaust videos
muffler cut off


actually running scrap pipe.


next video should be my gas pedal video.

some videos of as of late November performance
looking back on it now, its so much better now. but i miss that single, other than power.

more seeing what this can do videos (did not have that good of a place to go at the time)



Video of my first pully swap on this machine (second ever)

and update to right now instead of the build past, i was changeing my tiers and i was 2 for 2 on poping my inner tubes. gues i must of got them with the screw driver removing or installing .

more videos in the order the were made, for a while i did little to no mods as i thought it i modded it i was going to break it.

im going to hurry up and make post to atleast catch me up to were i change my mind on keeping it stock ish.

last bach of videos before i start modding.




i noticed loudening knock on the road trip video, specifically every time i drove up that mountain it got louder (this video was 3rd time) so i got an oppy going so i would not have to break down miles from home.

Opposed twins are the best. I would take an oppy over a v twin or single any day.

one of my coworkers got a walk behind with a 35hp vangard for 300$, i would trade my oppy for that in a heart beat. but thats because i can find a oppy and day of the week when i have never ran in to a OHV motor, let alone one that big.

BTW i think im taking dinky to the mud hole to day to test it out as is now.
flash back to right now, thats what the lawn tractor looks like, i got a few videos to post before we get this far.

I'm a fan of the ag tires.

You need to find a different craftsman hood so the mounts fit and the oppy doesn't protrude through the sides lol.

biggasmowers wrote:

You need to find a different craftsman hood so the mounts fit and the oppy doesn't protrude through the sides lol.

I like it like that, big motor small hood, makes things look as overkill as they are. i had to lift the hood to. also i manged one of my rims to much putting the tire on, it poped off on the trail.

time for more video catching up, the motor swap is the line were i start doing heavy modding.





this last video aint worth watching, but it really wireds me out, because i dont remember recording it. my memory kicks in with me coming back from wallmart. and i dont remember being dizzy or anything like that.

ok im going to hurry up and post all of the other videos i can get to posting what im actually doing today instead of 3 months ago.

this was less than a month ago, were getting close to action time.









now your updated as of a few days ago

So i finally takeld dinkys rear end, and sadly stuff aint working so great, we started out there, but i will get to the downfall and hopefully a fix this weekend.

by this point that right head is so blown i feel like im back on my 12hp single.

well, to the poeple i have been taking with in chat KILL CONFERMED, my power loss and eventualy no move was from sheard keystock. 1/4" was to little for this build i guess.