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 [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6

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MightyRaze
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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 23rd 2024, 11:55 pm

#BuildOff2024

Well folks I’m just addicted to building tractors so I figure I may as well throw my next project here in the buildoff!

Here we have a 60’s Sears custom 6, featuring that very interesting grille you’ve all seen but could never name the model of! From factory this tractor sports a peerless 2300 transaxle, 6hp tecumseh pull start engine, and a rather stocky 33” rear width and 43” wheelbase. Really an oddball model compared to the Suburbans we know and love, and even somewhat odd compared to the somewhat more common Custom 8 and 10xl, which have your normal 4 pinion 633a hi/lo transmission.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1410

Here’s the current proposed powerplant: a brand new predator 301. Original thought was a GX390 but that engine just proved too bulky for the little hood. Even this one will be a squeeze.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Image14

Plans for the drivetrain include:
-custom double pulley clutch
-7 to 6 pulley swap (may be changed later)
-fozzy lock for the short term, 1-1/8 or 1-1/4” straight axle long term
-improved brake setup, perhaps hydraulic disc

For the frame i forsee a new front axle mount, some bracing, and maybe tougher transaxle mounts. There will also be an engine cage to hopefully prolong the life of the cast aluminum hood and grille.

The steering is still up in the air, it may be the JD straight axle currently in the 414-8, or i may make something more to my own taste.

Cant wait to beat on this thing!!


Approved by @MightyRaze 20240724

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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 24th 2024, 2:23 pm

[adm]Welcome to the Build-off!!
Danceparty [/adm]


[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig115PROJECTS:
     Marshal ........................93 Craftsman GT6000      
     Red Bandit ...................72 Wheel Horse Raider 12
     Dirty Rat........................77 Sears Suburban
     Bowser...........................01 Murray Widebody LT
     The Green Machine ....1990 Craftsman II GT18     
Other projects
Have a question? Ask me! Type in "@MightyRaze" in your post!
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Rustbucket Garage
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 24th 2024, 11:09 pm

Always loved the noses on these- reminds me of a ‘70 Super Bee.

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MightyRaze
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 24th 2024, 11:37 pm

I agree. It's my favorite grill on a custom.


[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig115PROJECTS:
     Marshal ........................93 Craftsman GT6000      
     Red Bandit ...................72 Wheel Horse Raider 12
     Dirty Rat........................77 Sears Suburban
     Bowser...........................01 Murray Widebody LT
     The Green Machine ....1990 Craftsman II GT18     
Other projects
Have a question? Ask me! Type in "@MightyRaze" in your post!
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig214[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig314

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RichieRichOverdrive
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 25th 2024, 1:33 am

Definitely doing everything i can to keep that grille in one piece.

Trans was super easy to drop. Only like 5 bolts and pull the brake out of the way.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1415

Welp, this might explain why the trans is all locked up.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1411

With how much water came out of this thing, i was amazed when maybe a half quart of oil came out.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1414

One hub slipped right off with a few taps, no problem.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1413

The other one fought me until the very end. It did come off in one piece at least! The wheel horse hub i yanked on this hard came off in like 10 pieces.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1412

I did get the case split but forgot to get a pic. Its not as bad in there was i was expecting, but its certainly not good. A few needle bearings need replaced for sure. Lot of gears are pretty pitted but not beyond usability. Gears are definitely a good candidate for electrolysis.

I have 3 2300s out of john deeres. I believe I can just swap these axles and axle tubes into one of them and use the rest of it as is. The sears 2300 is kind of odd due to offset mounting, the left axle tube is 6-1/2” long while the right axle tube is 8-3/4” long. As i recall, deere 2300s have two 8-3/4 axle tubes. They also have splined axles and hubs while these just have woodruff key axles.

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 25th 2024, 8:25 am

Grabbed a pic of the rest of the trans this morning. Its better than I expected in some ways and worse in others. Somehow a lot of the needle bearings are in pretty good shape. A lot of other stuff isnt though lol.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1416

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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 25th 2024, 10:41 pm

That rust and Dirt? Much worse than Kal's was but your shift forks look better.


[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig115PROJECTS:
     Marshal ........................93 Craftsman GT6000      
     Red Bandit ...................72 Wheel Horse Raider 12
     Dirty Rat........................77 Sears Suburban
     Bowser...........................01 Murray Widebody LT
     The Green Machine ....1990 Craftsman II GT18     
Other projects
Have a question? Ask me! Type in "@MightyRaze" in your post!
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 25th 2024, 10:43 pm

All rust. The brake shaft was partially seized and one other shaft in there is still completely seized. Shift forks will probably need pressed off the shafts. I couldn’t even move them with a prybar.

Interesting that an 820 and 2300 bullgear are the same with. 820 just has some of the teeth cut off for clearance with another gear.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1419

These trans are very compact without the axles!
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1420

Tried the puller on the splined hubs from a JD trans. No dice. Didnt even budge.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1418

Had to break out the last resort. I’ll probably try to press out or bore out the remains of the old axles just to save the hubs for myself or someone else.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1417

Got as far as draining and pulling shifter cup off.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1421

Quite a bit better in there. Still the usual bit of rust just from sitting with humidity in the case.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1422

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 25th 2024, 11:41 pm

RichieRichOverdrive wrote:
Definitely doing everything i can to keep that grille in one piece.

So how many rollovers is permissible on this rig? [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  1098998679 [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  2664539216

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RichieRichOverdrive
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 26th 2024, 10:23 am

Well i mean….at least a couple times scratch gotta find those balance points somehow lol!

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 27th 2024, 1:55 am

Old trans is top and right. Newer JD trans is left and bottom. Notice where the needle bearings are in the case there are three oil grooves in the newer trans and only two in the old. Theres a hole in a gear in the old trans that the new one doesnt have. Some differences in the castings themselves, some obvious pattern marks in the old one. The case itself is thicker around where the axle bolts on in the new one. The holes for the shifter shafts in the new one are also nicely chamfered to help alignment during assembly. Overall good improvements over time that improved the trans.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1410

Noticed a difference in the spider gears. Old trans has a finer pitch, newer is more like an 820. These gears are interchangeable between carriers as a complete set. You can also see here that the old trans only used 4 bolts to hold the diff carrier together, while the newer one uses 8 like an 820. The older trans also had needle thrust bearings behind the axle gear while the newer one just has thrust washers like an 820.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1424

Havent done a fozzy in a long time! Making sure to test fit everything and build up the welds to get slop to a minimum. Preheated the gear some and made sure all the welds cooled slowly to minimize stress in the gear. I will be surprised if i dont break this setup on down the line though, but we’ll see. I think by cooling slowly the gears should have most of the temper drawn out and actually be softer than they were, which would probably stop them from cracking. I think these gears are only really hardened for wear resistance, not strength.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1423

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 27th 2024, 11:37 am

Talking with @RichieRichOverdrive last night, there are even more minor differences in the Murray 2300's.  I even found that my 2 transaxles even though just 3 years apart have same differences as well as a couple new.

For instance my gearset side for Dirty Rat is thicker and flat around the axle diff bearing?

[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_3571

Some interesting stuff.


[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig115PROJECTS:
     Marshal ........................93 Craftsman GT6000      
     Red Bandit ...................72 Wheel Horse Raider 12
     Dirty Rat........................77 Sears Suburban
     Bowser...........................01 Murray Widebody LT
     The Green Machine ....1990 Craftsman II GT18     
Other projects
Have a question? Ask me! Type in "@MightyRaze" in your post!
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig214[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Sig314

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RichieRichOverdrive
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 27th 2024, 5:00 pm

That Murray 2300 is definitely interesting. The sears 2300 has a big step in the case around the carrier bearing, maybe 1/8”, deere probably only has 1/32”. Neither are flush like yours.

I think im currently on my third round of welding on these gears to tune the slop out of the locker. Fozzys are known for slop, i want to avoid as much of that as i can.

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 27th 2024, 6:42 pm

Got all the play out of the locker. Figured out you can take the washers from behind the snaprings and put it behind the spider gears and take a lot of the slop out, and then tune the rest with welding. When you pull the diff together it pulls everything perfectly tight, the gears are kind of preloaded. Guess we’ll find out if it’s too much lol.

One of the factory bolts decided it didn’t want to live anymore so i had to replace it with a new grade 8.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1510

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 28th 2024, 9:06 pm

Stuck the trans back in. Then realized it had to come back out to put a pulley on it.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1514

Got lucky and found a spindle pulley off a snapper mower deck. 4.75” is a little smaller than i wanted but it’ll be fine i guess.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1511

Did have to put a keyway though it and add a set screw.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1512

Threw the mudlites on just to get it on wheels.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1513


Working on mounting the engine now, even though im gonna tear it apart and do some work to it lol.

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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 29th 2024, 1:02 pm

General view of the underside
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1520

Was trying to trim this steering plate back and it really wasn’t working lol.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1512

Bent up two of these little brackets and bolted them behind the plate
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1510

Wound up with something like this
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1523

Trimmed the airbox. I’m fighting for every fraction of an inch on this thing.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1511

Right up against the inside of the grille
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1517

I think if i get the pulley right against the block i can squeeze a belt thru there
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1518

Its pretty packed in there!
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1519

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 30th 2024, 12:53 am

Interestingly enough this stock wheel horse trans pulley had the hub brazed into it. Here i’m using a hand ground face grooving tool to thin the material up so i can knock the hub out- dont wanna go all the way through, the piece in the center will come around and break your tool.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1526

Anyway bored the pulley out and made a new hub for it. The last 2” round bar i have is some mystery metal i taxed from a scrap bin somewhere….im thinking it’s either 1045 or annealed 4140. Bad news for welding (remember mutt’s first straight axle?) but I’ll just have to keep an eye out for cracks lol
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1524

With the pulley as close to the engine as possible, its looking like ill have enough room to squeeze a belt in there.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1525

I also made a new tie rod so this thing doesnt have to be steel toe steer lol.

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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeJuly 31st 2024, 10:00 am

I drilled holes to mount the engine down last night. That’ll probably be as much as gets done for the next week or so, headed back up to NY for family reunion. I’ll probably browse eBay for some cheap idler pulleys in the meantime, my stock on idlers is kinda low these days.
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PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 9th 2024, 12:59 pm

Popped the governor gear off the side cover
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1713

Pulled the gov shaft out and snipped it and stuck it back in
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1710

Pulled the head off and put a layer of play doh on the piston
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1712

Put head back on with new gasket and rolled engine over. Seeing about .115” piston to valve clearance. I figured (incorrectly) that .035” valve clearance would be good, so i knocked .08” off the head.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1714

Flycut it on the mill. Gonna hit it with some sandpaper on the precision surface plate just to make sure it’s good and flat.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1711

So after getting this all done, i was informed that i wanted more like .06” PtV clearance, double my .035” guess. Oops. Looks like I’ll be notching the piston lol!

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Location : Lewisburg, KY

[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 10th 2024, 2:40 am

Made this cutter out of a piece of spring wheel rake tooth and a piece of 1/4” square high speed steel toolbit. Rake tooth was about the same diameter as the valves. 5.5mm
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1717

[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1715

This lock collar is my depth stop, just set it with calipers and lock it down.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1716

Turned out kinda half decent. Well, kind of. The cutter was kinda too thick so i just figured id roll the piston down a bit in the bore. Due to the angle of the valves this puts the butterfly cuts i made too close together. So i had to make two more cuts in the right place after thinning the tool, which then broke halfway through the last cut, and i just had to finish the job with a die grinder. Cant win them all i guess  [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  2664539216
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1718

I have decided it would be in my best interest to get heavier valve springs for this thing. So that’s something else to wait for in the mail. I should be able to work on a belt system though even with the engine not running.

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RichieRichOverdrive
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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 11th 2024, 1:39 am

Dressed the head up a bit to clean up any imperfections from my less than ideal mill setup. Just a piece of 320 grit sandpaper on my granite surface plate. Just a couple rounds of figure 8s and it looks pretty good.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1714

Valve springs should be here Tuesday, in the meantime I’m going to try to put a belt system together.
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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 12th 2024, 10:30 am

Slapped the engine back up on the frame. Hmmmm i might be able to fit one of these in here
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1727

This is apparently the easiest way to work on a sears belt system
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1813

I think this might work ok
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1814

Clutch needs to be right against the frame. Cant have bolt heads sticking out the back. Big chamfer in the hole and big chamfer on the bolt/stud. Fill in the groove with weld, grind it off flat.  
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1811

The center pivot is gonna get the same treatment, but i didnt weld it in yet, so i could figure out where i wanted the pivot hole in the frame.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1812

Should work alright i guess. Need to pick up some 1/2” rod and bushings to make a nice pivot.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1815

Lot further back than the typical sears clutch.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1810

I still have plans to make the clutch so i dont have to disconnect the clutch linkage when i change the belt. We’ll see if that works out.
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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 13th 2024, 2:19 am

For the pivot i took a piece of 1” round, drilled and reamed a 5/8” hole through it, and turned back a 3/4” diameter step on it. The 3/4 step fit a 3/4” hole drilled in tne frame and the piece was secured in place with a bolt to prevent warping out of line when welded. Oh and i added a grease fitting sometime in there too.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1817

Flanged bushings were pressed in either end of it.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1819

I welded the pivot shaft to the clutch like i did the studs and installed it in the frame. Just put a lock collar on the other side to hold the clutch in for now.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1810

Using one of the pulley studs to attach a heim joint for the clutch linkage. It’s simple and also gets the linkage out of the middle of the belt so I won’t have to disconnect it to change belts. (Assuming i dont have to disconnect it for other reasons i guess)
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1820

I took some 1/2” rod (same stuff i used for the clutch pivot shaft) and drilled .332” (Q) through and tapped 3/8-24 about 1” deep. Then went around and drilled 3/8” about .3” deep to slip over the original clutch linkage. This makes the linkage easier to shorten or bend before I weld the ends on. Worked great. Easier than bending up a whole new linkage out of 1/2” rod.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1816

Here’s pretty much what the belt system wound up as. Hooked the spring on the stud next to the rod, that may change eventually. Added a flat idler on the bottom to lift the belt up some. That idler may move back, not sure yet. Need to bend up a bunch of guards for all the pulleys too.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1818

I also wired up the kill switch, just thinking ahead. I dont think the valve springs will be here til Wednesday at the earliest. Gives me lots of time to make belt guards and a new clutch pedal i guess.

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RichieRichOverdrive
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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 13th 2024, 2:33 am

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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitimeAugust 14th 2024, 1:58 am

50lb valve springs got here. Still dont have a spring compressor so i did the old compress the spring in a vise and hold it with zip ties thing. Glad i bought these extra strength black ones! It was still pretty miserable.
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1821

Threw the engine back together and filled her with oil. She lit right off! Seems like a super strong runner too!
[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Img_1822

Took a risk and drove around a bit without belt guides. Managed to get away with it without dropping or shredding the belt! It definitely will not stop in neutral like it should though.



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[Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Empty
PostSubject: Re: [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6    [Finalist] [24] RROD’s Sears Custom 6  Icon_minitime

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