I have no idea what to name it. Ho Chi MTD?

Figured I should build a thread on my build of that little Montgomery Ward.





Took the single speed transmission out last weekend and inspected it. Everything looked pretty mint besides the ancient grease. So I regreased it and had a horrible time of putting it back together lol I'm the type that does crap too fast when taking it apart and not really watching how it disassembled.

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spent a little part of this evening figuring how get the differential angled out of the tractor. Dropping it wasn't hard but I had to realize that the diff kinda slides out of the carrier bracket or whatever you'd call it. It was pretty neat and I like how the clutch/brake is separate. The brake is literally a little caliper/pad set up that closes on the chain.

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and there it is. Got it washed up a little but I'm gonna take it to work tomorrow so I can get the power washer after it. Damn thing is caked in dirt/crud. Hopefully I can remember to borrow the welding hood we got at work so I can use my new little welder to diff lock it.

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Think running at 110v with 3/32s 6011 rods would be good enough for diff locking it? I haven't welded in... close to ten years. Last time I welded, I put a steel bumper on my automotive instructor's CJ5. After I was done, he called me a f*cking retard for being in his class and not the welding shop next door.

I know i mentioned this before, but heres where  @redlinemotorsportts started building his PTO winch with that same gearbox
https://www.atltf.com/t1960p450-mtd-off-road-romper-build

You’ll also see on that page his fozzy locker for the 820. It will work the same for your diff. Better to fill in all the teeth on the axle gears you’re not using though.

BTW…love the name. Think I’ll get a poulan pro for my next build and name it Polan Pot

@RichieRichOverdrive Yea, I'm gonna judge this little transaxle after I get everything running. Depends on how it handles, I may just make it into a PTO lol. I appreciate the info though, I'll definetly go on his page and check it out.

Polan Pot lmao nice, I've been on a Vietnam War kick lately and looking into the conflict that our H.S history books like to ignore. Didn't know that Ho Chi Minh was more of a nationalist than anything and that the Vietnamese military literally had to march into Laos to stop the Khmer Rouge.

I like history there’s a really good book called "carlos hathcock white feather" also look up simple history on YouTube there’s a lot of stuff that's not talked about on there like Tiger attacks on soldiers NAM/WW2. the Soviets Anti-tank dogs WW2 (they trained them on their own tanks and the dogs ended up blowing up their tanks) anyway sorry I derailed the topic

@ranch king pro 08 haha you're fine. I easily derail conversations too. Kinda a lack of foresight on the dogs. I mean, they're gonna do what they're trained to lol they should've used captured German tanks.

Got the differential cleaned up at work and tore it apart after I got home. Pretty sure this is the original grease. Had to use screw drivers and picks to dig it out lol got it all regreased. I'm using Shell Gadus S3 V460D, which is our fifth wheel/wheel bearing grease at work. Figured if it handles really good in those applications, it'll handle good on some small bearings. Plus it's 5% moly.

Meant to take some after pics of it greased but... my gloves were covered with grease lol

Wow okay that's interesting, I haven't seen a diff like that in a lawn tractor, I have seen them in Rear Engine Riders and even a big snowblower I used to have... in a way you're really fortunate because a live axle swap doesn't get any easier if you choose to go that route eventually. Does that happen to have a Peerless 700 transmission or a right angle gearbox?! I know you said it's a single speed so I'm really curious.

Here's a small chart from the Peerless manual to help you identify what you have

@Brianator


Here's the trans before I powerwashed it. Not sure what model it is exactly or who even made it; I have a model number but it doesn't pull up much. I have no idea how this whole set up is gonna perform with a 3.95/3.50 pulley swap lol Hopefully this grease lives up to the expectations lol

and that diff looks almost the same as the Peerless 100. Interesting.

Cut a piece of flat iron to weld onto the side so I can mount a foot pedal. Running 110v with 3/32 6011s wasn't too bad but the difficulty was the flat iron vs mower material. If I ran it too high, I'd start cutting through the mower. Ran it too low and I couldn't get a good bead on the flat iron. So my finished product looks like this.

I tested it after it cooled. Damn near picked up the mower when I pulled up on it lol so it's holding good, just ugly AF.

I am so grateful they make bondo lmao

Redone my foot pedal stand, turns out my little machine runs a lot better if you get it "warm" with some practice runs.

Now i gotta figure out a brake system. These MTD D-axles are killing me though. I can't find any rotors or anything that'd match up. Hell, they sell keyed axle brake systems on Amazon, which would be perfect but nnnooo, I have to be stuck with this lmao

Theoretically, wouldn't a keyed 7/8 rotor slid over my axle then I use the set screws to lock it down?

I wouldn't trust setscrews alone to hold plus you'll have to crank them so tight that even if they don't slip and gouge the axle they will push so much material up that you'll have a heck of a time trying to remove it.

What size are the shafts on it now? Do yourself a favor and replace the diff/axles/bearings with a 3/4" keyed shaft, that way you can easily find keyed wheels, gear and bearings (if needed) and you shouldn't have a hard time finding a rotor then either.

@Brianator the shafts on it now are 3/4, actually. Dunno why I said 7/8s in my last post.

Probably best time to look into live axle for the rear then... or take the current axles out and get keyed axle replacements? Shouldn't be too hard to get the bearings off and reattached to the new keyed shafts?

Or wait, get a keyed shaft the runs the length of both original axles, run it through my differential so I can keep the sprocket on the differential?

https://www.bmikarts.com/34-Keyed-Shaft-Cut-to-Length_p_33657.html I found these that are cut to length.

Forget the differential just go with a strait axle that already has a full length keyway, you should be able to get that from a metal supplier. It will save you alot of headaches, be stronger and way easier to setup and service. You already have bearings and bearing hangers so you have an excellent setup! You'll also be able to play around with the gearing (and chain length) to dial in the speed you want!

Sure you could get an axle from BMI if you want, no reason you can't but I'd make sure it's keyed the full length so you can place the gear and rotor exactly where you want it.

@Brianator from what I'm seeing, the BMI shafts are keyed all the way through. The only issue is that my differential frame doesn't exactly have bearings in it. It has these in two spots in the frame. https://www.partstree.com/parts/mtd-748-0151/. Had the wild thought of just ditching the frame and using these pillow bearings since the height of the bearings comes pretty close to the micrometer measurement of the OG flange gasket to base of the frame. https://bearingsdirect.com/3-4-pillow-block-hcp204-12-locking-collar-ball-bearing-ras-3-4/ (I can make up the slack using some washers lol)

Sorry, I'm not trying to be a contrarian or anything. Just trying to make sure I fully understand what I'm diving in to lol

You may find it easier to mount a flange bearing like this one vs a pillow block.

https://a.co/d/017r5Rv

@RichieRichOverdrive That's a good idea too but I don't have much to attach that too, if I went that route. The pillow blocks would let me position them in the same formation that the original differential frame was placed. I'll probably cut some flat stock iron, drill holes, and reinforce the mounting spots.

I'll take some pics tomorrow to explain what I mean. (if I continue any further tonight, I think my fiancee's gonna have me committed).

@Brianator I'm going to take that path, actually. The go kart live axle kits are nice but they'd be too much work with fabrication.

I am going to have to do a little fabrication on my differential bracket to make room for a disc rotor.



It has the "hump" for the drive sprocket but it doesn't have room for a brake rotor. Also, I plan on using the original brake set up. The brake pedal has a rod that runs to the back for the chain brake caliper; but it's on the same side for the drive sprocket. So I plan on taking out the deck lift rod installing it on the rear, connecting the brake rod to it. Thataway, when I install the caliper on the opposite side, I can connect it to the repurposed lift rod.

"Hi I'm Kenny Roger's and This is self defense"

@ranch king pro 08 I still cry laughing at that now just like I did at 13 lmao

My list so far, is there anything else I need to consider?

I know it's so stupid

OutbackJack wrote:

My list so far, is there anything else I need to consider?

Whats your plan for the 2 flats cut into the diff axle the spider gear goes on? grind to fit?


I vote for a 1in live axle swap.

@TheBeal actually, I'm gonna do what another guy suggested. Just leave out the differential and run an axle through the differential mount. In short, live axle it.