547cc MTD riding on Husqvarna 48'' deck

[oil pan 4]

I priced drag behind mowers and wow they're expensive. Like $3000.
I figured I could do it for more like $400.
Found a Husqvarna 48 mower at the scrap yard, bought the deck for $50, even has almost new blades on it.
Had a guy with a good 22hp Briggs v twin for $200. Good thing I brought my compression tester and jump pack. Turns out that good $200 engine wasn't so good, one cylinder was definitely bad. So that kind of killed the project for a while.
Found a new 10 year old MTD 547cc single for $325.
I did find a place selling new 22hp vertical shaft Briggs engines for about $700 after tax. I'll do that if the 547cc isn't going to cut it.
Seems like it will work.

 

[Lawnman23]

If you require further inspirations, consider the Ron Beer line of mowers...

 

[Mechanician]

If you require further inspirations, consider the Ron Beer line of mowers...

Made me think of our Canadian genius friend - Red Green - sure enough he has also put one together.

 

[oil pan 4]

If you require further inspirations, consider the Ron Beer line of mowers...

When I get around to building a second one I'll probably drag them behind my truck when it gets too hot out. Truck might be 26 years old but the A/C works.

 

[NormanBuntz]

How will you keep the deck at the right cutting height?

 

[oil pan 4]

How will you keep the deck at the right cutting height?

It has wheels on it. I will at least put fresh wheels and shoulder bolts on it once I get it going.
On one of the higher setting, what the wheels are on right now it will cut about 3 to 4 inches. I'll probably add a 5th wheel a caster to help support the weight of the engine.

 

[oil pan 4]

The deck has 16 inch blades max speed on those blades ought to be limited to around 5,000rpm which would be legitimately terrifying.
I'll probably get a 6 inch pulley on the engine, should make the blade speed around 4,300rpm.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I love a project but why not just use a 48” or larger rider?

 

[oil pan 4]

I love a project but why not just use a 48” or larger rider?

The idea is use both. Most of the time. I have a 46 inch riding mower, this will go behind and off to the side when cutting my field, cutting an 80 to 90 inch wide swath per pass.
I got a lot done. Motor installed, 5th wheel caster installed, pulley and belt installed. I saved fuel and wiring for last because those will be the easiest.

 

[oil pan 4]

Ooo there's another 10 gauge, Husqvarna 48 inch mower at the scrap yard I saw today.
Engine is locked up, deck is in decent shape.
This reanimated zombie mower deck is coming together really well, I'll be surprised if it doesn't work great.
I'm thinking if I can get another 48 inch deck for $50 and start making another one.

 

[oil pan 4]

I got the fuel system put together.
Should be able to fire it up this weekend.
It's got like a 3qt fuel tank. Not ideal but the price was right, free 99.

 

[oil pan 4]

It runs off a car battery and sone jumper cables. It has an exhaust system and muffler.
Oil is 4000 mile old Valvoline restore and protect from my truck.
Fuel is 40:1 redarmor, about to make it more like 80 to 100:1 with straight ethanol free.
Need to wire up something more permanent and build a tow bar..

 

[oil pan 4]

What oil to use in this abomination?
I ran it for about 30 minutes, idling at 2000rpms with blades turning and revving engine some the gently used restore and protect hit 160f.
So far the sticker that says "use 10w-30" is good.
Max speed I'm seeing is 3,200rpm, needs to be more like 3,600rpm.
I'll see what the oil temperature is running 3,600+rpm as fast as I can mow.
It runs rich and drinks gas, need to see if the place I got it from can find a high altitude jet kit for it.

 

[Lawnman23]

I would just run a 15w-40 HDEO like the SuperTech Full-Synthetic variety.

Love the exhaust pipe btw May need to plumb that away from the deck chute though, possibility of starting clippings on fire.

 

[oil pan 4]

I would just run a 15w-40 HDEO like the SuperTech Full-Synthetic variety.

Love the exhaust pipe btw May need to plumb that away from the deck chute though, possibility of starting clippings on fire.

The exhaust is directed kind of up and off to the side. On a lot of riding mowers I've noticed they will make the clippings go out one side and the exhaust out the other. So I'm breathing grass clippings and dust or exhaust and dust kicked up by the exhaust.
Now the exhaust and grass go out the same side. Grass clippings shoot straight out horizontal and exhaust blasts up at about a 45 degree angle on that side..

 

[Lawnman23]

The exhaust is directed kind of up and off to the side. On a lot of riding mowers I've noticed they will make the clippings go out one side and the exhaust out the other. So I'm breathing grass clippings and dust or exhaust and dust kicked up by the exhaust.
Now the exhaust and grass go out the same side. Grass clippings shoot straight out horizontal and exhaust blasts up at about a 45 degree angle on that side..

Good deal, just check if any crap collects between the deck and the back of the muffler. Can’t tell how much of a gap there is from the pic.

Also, why the mixed gas? Straight E0 would be ideal.

 

[oil pan 4]

Good deal, just check if any crap collects between the deck and the back of the muffler. Can’t tell how much of a gap there is from the pic.

Also, why the mixed gas? Straight E0 would be ideal.

I put 2 stroke in it for break in and I thought I was out of straight gas.
This thing runs so rich I'll probably get agas can of e10 just for this to lean it out a bit until I can get the high altitude jet kits.

 

[oil pan 4]

Up and out is the idea for the exhaust.
It's a used muffler off my Craftsman 590cc mower. Most of the exhaust is just EMT conduit.

 

[oil pan 4]

It's been ran for 1 whole hour so far.
It works really well for a pile of crap I welded together.
Ran it yesterday cutting grass for a bit at sun down. The oil hit almost 170f after running it for about 40 minutes in 70f cool evening air. So on a 90f day I would expect to see the oil around 20f warner.
The engine to blade drive ratio is 1:1 right now. I had a 5 inch pulley for a 1 inch shaft in my pulley collection so I used that.
As long as I keep the engine governed to factory settings of around 3,200rpm then 10w-30 should be fine.
I switched the governor spring to a different hole on the control arm, got another 50rpm, so it runs 3,250rpm with the blades engaged, but not cutting grass.
Runs rich with ethanol free so I ran e10 in it, that seems to have helped lean it out. I can keep a can of e10 gutter swill around for it.

 

[oil pan 4]

She chooched for an hour on a nearly full tank of gas and I wasn't even thrashing on it that hard. The oil hit around 230f on another beautiful 70f night. My torpedo thermometer only goes up to 220 so I pulled it once it got to where I figured 230 ought to be, was still climbing when I yanked it.
I'm going to dump that reclaimed Valvoline R&P and filler up with fresh 20w-50 Castrol GTX classic car oil.
It's got 2 whole hours on it now, ripe for a break-in oil change.
And install a comically oversized fram synthetic endurance oil filter.