My first tractor project

jrm223 · Jun 28, 2006

So I picked up an old (made some time in the 70's) Huffy "Monte Carlo" ridin' mower with a B&S 8HP engine on Monday. Engine doesn't run, needs some parts or just replacement. The mower ain't too bad tho, for $27.30 with IL sales tax

($25 before tax). I'm gonna be picking up a 10.5HP B&S this weekend to put in rather than fixin' this one.

Here's what I started with when I got it home:

And then about 1.5 hours later, I had this:

< Cleaned with engine degreaser & washed off

Here's a lil peek inside the ole gas tank

And then last night I got this done, still need a wire brush for my angle grinder, the sanding blade can't reach enough stuff:

The back end and front bumper did get stripped down as best I could before primer. The frame parts are just primer over the old crap for the time being. We're gettin' a lot of rain this week, so I just sprayed primer (RustOleum) on a lot of it mainly b/c I was bored, and it's sitting outside.

Now, as for what I've got planned for the ole thing. The 10.5HP engine I mentioned above, powering a York air compressor, car/truck alternator & batt. The 26" deck will be electric powered. I'm going to make some type of Gator-type bed for it, with air lift/dump. Bed will fit well after extending the frame, in the middle section so it doesn't flip backwards. Still gotta figure out how I'm going to power the axle, be it from the engine directly, or electric motor so I can run at night w/o getting the neighbors PO'd. I'm really leaning toward the electric motor so I don't have to cut grass during the day. A canopy would look awful funny on such a small mower, haha. Some new Carlisle 18x7.5-8 tires are in the mail as well.

Suggestions, comments, etc? I realize that it looks like I work fast, but I'm actually rather lazy normally. I'm motivated on this project b/c I currently live with the ole parents still (I'm 22 FYI) and ma is trash talkin' the poor ole thing. Once it starts lookin' nice, she can't talk crap about it

Once it's ready for paint, the bottom will be semi-gloss black (we all know how dirty the bottom always gets), and the hood/grill & upper portions will be metallic blue.

RedRocker · Jun 29, 2006

That's looking good.

Dougryan · Jun 30, 2006

Just curious about the run time you expect to get if you power the mower and axle from the battery?

With the engine running, you'll be charging the battery and using the battery at the same time. Would the discharge rate be higher than the charge rate?

Keep the pics coming. Looks like a fun project.

Doug

jrm223 · Jun 30, 2006

The alt would power it the same as a car pretty much. When a car/truck/etc is running, the power that the engine/radio/etc uses comes directly from the alternator, which also keeps the battery charged up while powering everything else. The batt is mainly just to get the vehicle started, and provide some juice if the total required power of everything is more than the alt can put out (ex: loud stereo system - lights dim when the bass hits hard). Running the engine would power everything, or I could use up the battery and then run the engine for say 5-10 minutes instead of however long it would take to cut the grass... Oh yea, about the run time - I have no idea what kind of time to expect b/c I haven't gone that far into the build yet. Right now I'm still on frame prep.

I've made a lil more progress, took the toolbox/fenders & seat bracket off to better strip those down. Also stripped a lot more of the frame. I think rather than trying to weld in extension pieces to stretch the frame, I'm just going to replace the two side rails with rectangular tube of the same dimensions. Reason I'm choosing to do it this way is A) I don't have a welder (frame would have to be taken to a friends house for welding), and B) the stock frame is open on the bottom, just U channel. Add too much weight, and the frame goes from straight to V shape

And it's just 1.25x1.75" so that will be easy to find

I'll probably stop at Home Depot on the way home or something since it's a mile from work & on the way home. I'm picking up the 10.5HP B&S engine tomorrow too.

I was thinking earlier about just where to do a dump bed on it, without making it so long that it has a 10' turn radius. A thought that popped into my head was to make the hood/grill shorter and than have a bed above that, over the front. Wouldn't be too purty, but it'd keep the size small and I won't be sitting over the front axle... Thoughts/ideas (better ones preferably, lol)??

jrm223 · Jul 10, 2006

< New tires, blue translucent fuel line

A few new pics, taken this morning...

I've decided to just leave it fairly *stock* for the time being. I'll do the on-board welder & 10.5HP B&S engine, but that's it. Eventually I'll add the bigger tires, probably move the current rear tires to the front. The cutting deck and motor plate will be semi-flat black like the frame & tool bucket.

slaveToHorses · Jul 10, 2006

Fun project. As RR said, it's looking good.
Not so sure about that electric idea though. I think you will find it hard for a single battery and 10hp motor to keep up with the demand. Not sure you are going to get away with mowing on pure battery power for very long.
"on board welder"?? You are ambicious! This will be a fun project to watch. Keep us posted.

jrm223 · Jul 10, 2006

^ Yea, the electric is one of the ideas that's currently scrapped lol. I'm tired of using the push mower, so I need to get this thing back together sooner, not later

The GM alt (anodized blue-chrome at that heh) should be in this week, than I need to figure out where to mount that after I get the new engine onto the plate.

Snowbird1095 · Jul 22, 2015

I have a duplicate with a low hours later B&S 10hp w/ electric start. I need to clean up. Interesting trades considered. I'm in Massachusetts, please call me at 978.987.5260

Thanks;
Pete

jrm223 · Jul 22, 2015

I forgot all about this post. This tractor is long-gone, I let the scrappers take it when I had moved back around 2007. Just last week I picked up a 1977-83 Ford LGT 100 since I have 1/2 acre with a 20" push-mower and messed up ankle (car wreck 2.5 years ago shattered my ankle). Ford needs some work, but at least it's a runner!