Big motor in a Lawnmower??

[sickKLT20081]

I was thinking of droping a V6 or V8 into a lawnmower frame. Just for giggles, would i get pulled over if i was doing under 25 with a SMV sign on the road with it?? What type of lawnmower has a strong enough frame, or a frame that I could reenforce for this.

[reload]

dumb, man you mean to tell me that that is the best thing you can come up with to do in your spare time?

[vartiak15]

go with a deere they are the best out there!

[trikerider2oo7]

a cub cadet and simplicity has a drive shaft to a transmission in front of the rear axle. they are both good tractors

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

well, it'd be ..... interesting... .. but a lamnmower frame will never hold up to the weight, for one, a riding lawnmower is only what? 3-4"x 7" (just a guess) ? , and you wanna put a v6 or v8 on it??, a 4 banger is about 10 times the size of a mower engine, and you wanna put double that?, the front end would buckle as soon as you lowered the weight of the engine on it, you would have to beef up the frame like hell., and "just for giggles" , i dont know about you, but i wouldnt wanna be driving on something where theres a v8 roaring 2 inches from my face (it will take up that much room), even if you did get the motor installed and hooked up (SOMEHOW), you wouldnt go anywhere., as soon as you put it in gear your gonna grind the tranny into a big pile of metal shavings.

but if this is something that for some reason you really wanna do, i'd look for one of the old mowers, the older ones are alot stronger and are pure steel, the newer ones are loaded with plastic crap and whatnot (like a polaris 4x4)

[thefox]

A car engine would just be out of the question for reasons mentioned above. You would be much better off putting a motorcycle engine in. You can get an older rear engine mower that is chain drive for cheap then put something like a Honda cb 750 motor in it, they are a cheap inline 4 cylinder and all over the place. I was actually going to put a bike engine in a mower with one of my friends just for the challange, we bought the mower and the bike but I decided it would be more fun to put the bike on the road instead :cool: .

[TTribaLL]

Hell, I was thinking of doing that! But then I thought no, becuase even though I had an old John deer(deere?), that is pure steel I though it is just better to keep the 8hp Kohler(sp?) engine in it. I really don't have the time to do much fabricating(I have a few other projects to finish first). BTW, that old 8hp had enough brute force to pull a full sized trailer(old dodge 8' box, and it has 34" boggers) through the snow and over some think bushes, without missing a beat. For a while it was my ATV :D, man that thing could take me anywhere(heh, I made my own paths through and over the bushes). As they allways say "nothing runs like a deere", its true because mine is still running :P

But if you really want to put a V8 into a lwan tractor, I would recomend an old Deere. They are made out of 1/4 to 3/8" steel compared to 1/16" or less, on many new tractors. You would also have to probably cut off the front end, so to get the engine and tranny lined up with the rear end(get yourself a diff/axle similar to the ones used on funnycars because they are shorter). I just think it is too much work, and would be prone to failure.

Just my 2¢

[rman]

i agree with the fox if you must use a motorcycle engine you dont have room for a motor and transmission you would have to do some kind of direct drive crap then you wouldnt be giggling you would be on the ground gurgling. i believe something like an xr 80 motor would do great or better yet find a motor with an automatic transmission and for the frame an old john deere or cub cadet would do

later and goodluck rman :rolleyes:

[TrikeKid]

ive seen Ford 4 cylenders out of pintos and couriers in mowers used for tractor pulling.

[sickKLT20081]

For one I just need the frame and sheet metal to make it look like a lawnmower, other wise i would use the stearing system out of the car, get rid of the drive shaft, and just go transmission to rear axel, put in a firewall, put on disc brakes, keep the thing very low to the ground, no suspension, make the frame longer, put some wide, sticky rubber on the back, some skinies on the front, and a wheeie bar on the back. This would be something I would take to tractor shows just to prove it can be done.

[OldSchoolin86]

For one I just need the frame and sheet metal to make it look like a lawnmower
Do you relize the custom fab work involved here? You are talking some serious work and money. Even if you got a small tractor and not a lawn tractor your not making anything that will look like a lawnmower. I guess if you did you could be on that show BIG.

i would use the stearing system out of the car, get rid of the drive shaft, and just go transmission to rear axel
Have you ever done any measurements? This is way to long for any normal lawnmower. Once again your back to a small tractor.

put in a firewall, put on disc brakes, keep the thing very low to the ground, no suspension, make the frame longer, put some wide, sticky rubber on the back, some skinies on the front, and a wheeie bar on the back.
Any idea what this would cost to make it work and look good? From your description it won't look like a lawnmower, it will look like an old fasioned rail with bad fenders and a lawnmower seat.

This would be something I would take to tractor shows just to prove it can be done.
The only thing you would prove is that when you are done with a project like this is that you will have spent an butt load of money and it can't look like a lawnmower when your done.

[Racedude48]

why dont you juss build a dune buggy? it would prolly be cheaper + more reliable