Turbo Twister

I found from messing around with these bearings, that having them sit back about 4/5mm away from the belt, it seemed better than having them closer. I found the belt rubbing hard off the bearings if they were any closer, yet they still serve their purpose a few mm back. I ended up welding new brackets as the box iron wasn't deep enough for the bearing to go back. I'll take some photos of those tomorrow. I also drained all the oil from the engine and removed the pulley and frame. The frame has been cleaned of any useless steel brackets, I intend to change the mounting bracket so that it can slide on 2x angle irons for easier maintenance, I will also be able to quickly bolt the frame down. I think now that the deck is being renewed, I have the best chance to improve on a lot of things. Fingers crossed the steel plate is ready tomorrow, I intend to go off and buy the box iron and angle iron elsewhere and get started on cutting it all to rough length so I can start welding as soon as the steel does show up.

I got new wheels! They're a little bigger than the last ones 😂 I also ordered steel (which I hope will be ready by tomorrow)🤞 I'm currently cutting off useful bits I might be able to reuse, aswell as getting some new brackets made up. I'll service the engine aswell later on as the oil filter got a little dent in it from the deck bending and fuel tank stand poking it.

3600 is a guess, it could be less. I made up a new pin for the adjustable pulley so that it can spin freely of the washers and bolt that holds it on. I also shimmed up the drive pulley on the deck shaft to stop a whining noise (it worked). Well, my cutting fun was short lived due to all the bouncing on rough ground. The rear wheels need to be much wider and bigger I I reckon, I also need to build a stronger deck and supporting frame for the engine to spread the weight over. I came back down to the shed to repair a tear from one of the wheels pulling at the curve on the deck, I didn't realise until I got back to the field that the deck was like a banana. I'd say the new engine is too heavy to be sitting on that deck where it is, so I plan to use the existing top deck as a template to build something a lot stronger. (I'm this far into renewing everything else, so I may aswell build a new deck too). A cousin of mine in West Cork is going to help me build it up with new stronger steel and a square frame instead of round, so we can make a stronger base to work with and better position all the brackets and bolt down points. It shouldn't bounce so much either being a bit heavier.

Not 100% sure but I think it's around 3600rpm at full throttle. I purchased 2 new idler pulleys this morning as one of the bearings was whining, so I plan to replace these after lunch.

I found a load of them on Ebay for about 10e each so I have ordered 2 more 😁 I didn't have enough tension on the driving pulley on the first pass, so every time I got to a mound if tall grass it wanted to die down. I reckon more tension and higher revs will sort it?

Belt issue solved! 170 mile round trip later, I managed to source what appears to be the last belt in the country, but it fits like a glove and there is minimal slack now, if any. I didn't refit the engine yet but will do so tomorrow morning. I forgot to mention previously that I have been tinkering around with different ideas on how to adjust the tension on the adjustable pulley that in turn spins the 2x drums, my conclusion is to use a ratchet and after 5 clicks, the belt is tight enough that it shouldn't slip or engine speed shouldn't die down should I run into thick vegetation. I also built a whole new hitch for the deck, the red one seemed too flimsy as it was only a 2 point linkage, now with 3 points of linkage it is much steadier. I also made it so I can offset it to one side but I'll have to fit a 3rd wheel on the front of the new hitch to stop the whole mower from dipping to one side due to the unbalance and weight with the hitch out at an angle. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes better🤞 Some well needed pics for your interest.

It has been a very busy week for me. Dad and I spent the last 2 days (Monday and Tuesday) trying to get the mower built. We had a great deal of difficulty getting the old pulley off the engine shaft, but about 15 minutes of beating with a bar and hammer, it flew off in one piece! Cut the long story short, the new engine fits on the same base with matching alignment holes. Dad spent a good portion of one morning working on the electrical side of things and got it sorted. I then spent the last 2 days with a friend trying to get it running with the toothed belt causing a lot of problems. It's too long so we have to find a shorter belt, I even added an extra bearing runner to tension it more but the belt then started to tear a little. We did manage to cut about 1/4 of an acre with it though and it did cut neat for what it did. I cant upload photos currently as I'm in a poor reception area but will do so when I get better signal. All in all, im delighted that it does actually work after all that trouble, but would love to sort the belt issue out asap

The 4x adjustable bearings (2x opposite the pulley on either end of the deck), I reckon these would reduce/eliminate the belt jumping off the pulleys. I haven't looked for bigger bearings as of yet but intend to purchase some very soon.

Correct, its meant to be 1345mm long but the closest match I could get was 1360mm. The engine arrived today, wow does it look big in comparison to the other engine! But it also seems more compact so I'll probably have to fabricate a new frame for it as the old frame was made to suit the old engine. I'm on holidays after this Friday so that shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, the rollers are not adjustable in the middle, I have a feeling the belt is 15mm too long, but I reckon if I got a bigger diameter of middle bearings it might take off some of the slack. A bit of bad news on the engine front though, we have had several electrical issues with trying to get it running again, a lot of parts seem too far gone to use and we added up the price of upgrading said parts, coming to the conclusion that a new Briggs and Stratton engine is a better call. I would love to keep the engine I have but I don't want to sink €200/300 into it and find that it still doesn't work efficiently, it's an old engine and to me, it would make more sense to fit a more powerful new engine with a warranty where a lot less can go wrong. I intend to investigate this engine down the line but I'm in a bit of panic to get the mower running as I need it in 2 weeks time. I have decided to purchase a B & S 17.5hp Intek vertical shaft mower engine, so at least it's a direct swap out of the driving pulley from the shaft. It's coming in at €560 in Ireland, which is cheaper than anywhere else I've seen this engine. It also has a fuel pump and oil filter with pressure lubrication. It doesn't have a fuel tank but I can use the one that came with the other engine. It also has a 9ah alternator as stock so I shouldn't need to buy anything else, just swap over the ignition and battery and work away. I have received some refunds on flights I paid for during the year so this will be put towards it aswell, bringing the cost down a good bit.

Finally, I have gotten around to timing the two drums, the blades are freely spinning "clash free" and the runner bearings are all adjusted and tightened up to hopefully stop any jumping of the belt. I had a lot of trouble lifting the engine back on the deck, it must weigh around 40kg on its own. Next step is to wire the kill switch and service the engine, then I just need to remake the hitch and get bike and mower into a field. ** how loose / tight do you reckon the timing belt should be?

All the items I need to finish the mower are finally here, the extra belts that were advertised for a 36 inch westwood mower are too short, but I can send them back. I started tidying up all the wires this evening and fit an aluminium frame for everything to bolt to, including an emergency stop button, which still needs connecting. Next up is to finish the wiring and set out the tensioner pulley mechanism, I will probably go with my original plan and use a small hand winch that has a slow and quick release system for untentioning the drive belt. I also need to shim the driving pulley on top with a steel tube I bought, it just needs cutting to length.

To say I'm happy is an understatement! I bought this belt thinking it might be the right size and to my surprise, it is! I still have to time the drums but I'm delighted the belt fits. I also got the driving V pulley belts that drive the engine to drum pulleys, so I'm gonna take an evening or 2 this week to try and finish it for the weekend.

I can get an inch diameter larger but I have to do both pulleys equally or the timing will be off. I'd also have to make sure I can source a belt that would suit the new length. I'll just have to wait and see I guess. The OEM manufacturer makes a varying amount of pulley diameters, you just have to make sure to get the right centre keys for them.

That's a scary looking belt setup, wouldn't want to put your fingers near that @Fishfiles!! No more curious than myself! The hardest part seems to he getting an exact match for a timing belt, I may have to buy slightly larger diameter timing pulleys if the belt is no longer available but I'm still hopeful the one in the post is a match! I reckon 2and gear for flat ground, but I'll have to try it out on different vegetation and compare results. I have 26 acres to test it out on😂 mainly hilly or sloping ground too so I'll probably go up and down rather than across the hills..

I couldn't get a decent tap so I'm reusuing the old one that came with it. The fuel filter was blocked and leaking so that got upgraded. I ended up replacing all the clips as the external diameter of the new fuel pipe was slightly smaller than the old one, but same internal diameter. I will consider s brass tap down the line. Going to go with 4 total for now @_Wilson_™ and see how it goes. I will have to buy another 4x tapered bolts and nuts if I want to fit the other blades. As @_Wilson_™ said, thre pulley is made up of 2 parts, you take the top off the pulley to fit the belt and time it, then refit the top half and bolt it down with a thick tapered washer.

Some goodies arrived today! I bought a 10L steel Jerry can that will fit nicely in the quad box, extra storage of petrol for the bike or mower but not too heavy! I also got a new air filter and pre filter for the mower, some new fuel pipe and an inline fuel filter. I fit the new filter and fuel line, its amazing how badly perished the old line was. I refit the fuel tank to the engine frame to check for leaks but it looks good so far. I ordered new belts x3, 2x driving belts and 1x timing belt, hopefully its the right size this time! I plan to sort out the adjustable pulley mechanism and all the wiring this weekend if I get the chance. I have a new idea up my sleeve for an adjustable towing hitch with a 3 point contact to stabilise the mower if I wish to mow with the mower offset either side of the bike so stay tuned for that!

I haven't done away with the toothed belt or toothed pulleys. They are below the pulley cover which is below the engine. The red cover hides the toothed pulleys so you don't loose a finger when it's running. It's as original as it gets..

Unfortunately the toothed belt I got is the wrong size so have to replace it for the right one! I did however have a go with configuring the pulleys that will drive from engine to drum and have finalised my plan as to how I tension and un-tension the adjustable pulley. As you can see in the photo, the most forward pulley is hinged via a m12 bolt, the plastic pulley behind is welded solid to the engine mount. These both lift with the engine when its tilted and for compactness of space in the van, the adjustable pulley retracts within the depth of the deck under the engine when not in use. I have to connect a wire to the outer end and fit a small hand winch or "hand brake" style lever to tighten/loosen this adjustable pulley (still figuring this out). Once the top pulley mechanism is sorted, I need to get a pulley shaft key for the driving pulley as I couldn't source a pulley with internal keys. When this is done and both pulleys are sorted, I have to make a little dash for the ignition and other electrical components, a battery holder and make it all somewhat water proof, I also have to fit a kill switch so we can turn the engine off/off in a hurry. Hopefully get at it again on Sunday.

Update** The driving pulley arrived in the post yesterday and I'm expecting the toothed belt today. Once the belt is on I can figure out the belt pulley setup. Will post some pics of the new bits in a few days.

The engine mounts are done! I was able to reuse the round metal tubing I made for a different purpose at the start of the build. It now works as a hinged mounting point so I can lift the engine for belt replacement, then it bolts down onto a box section at the front. I need to shim the back a little so the 2x metal stubs around the engine pulley sit about 10mm above the sprocket belt cover. Good bit of work done today on it, next up, the pulley assembly and a tow hitch, I think using an actual tow hitch will give me more freedom when turning or reversing, it should put less pressure on the quad axle too as opposed to the new hitch I got for it ( didn't work out as I intended it might!)

I just realised I posted everything mower related in the wrong thread🤦‍♂️Doh!! I'm not sure it they are marked for timing, but I can use the notch on the inside of the sprocket as a guide for locating the blades, I will have to play around with it I reckon and hand turn or use an electric drill to rotate them to make sure there is no striking. I was chatting to a farmer friend of mine earlier who wants me to mow about 10 acres for him once I get it running 😅 no pressure! I'll get stuck into starting the frame to hold the engine tomorrow hopefully, I'm contemplating getting wider wheels though as the engine is about 30kg and I think the narrow wheels will cut into the ground if its any way wet..

New parts really do make anything look great! I need to order a new drive pulley that will be ontop of the extended shaft over the sprocket pulley, unfortunately it didn't come with one. Time to see where I can sit the engine, I'm thinking of having it directly on top of the lower drive belt area, with a quickly detachable frame so I can change the belts with relatively little hassle. It should also be well balanced here.

I ordered a toothed drive belt on Saturday, so I hope to have it this week or early next. I have the driving side bearings refit to either side of the sprocket pulley with new bearings, bolts and nuts. Tomorrow I will buy 16mm threaded bar and nuts so I can finally shim the wheels and bolt them on permanently. More to come soon!

Hi everyone! We are back in business with the rebuild of the mower! I sharpened the 3x 16mm drill bits I had and managed to drill out 14 of 16 total holes that needed to accommodate a larger pin, only breaking 1 bit thankfully, the other 2 bits are made of butter so I have to constantly resharpen them. I am also in the middle of partially converting my van into a weekend camper, so once the van is tidied up I will start figuring out how to fix the engine to the deck