Project "Why Not"

[rotoscytheben 94]

if you hang on ian i should be having a big lathe turning up at my place in a couple of weeks and i will be needing a bit of a lesson of how to use it properly

lucky old you 

ian you could get the engine vapour blasted that will bring it up to an intense shine without much elbow grease on your behalf which means you could spend your time getting the tractor finished 

[Ian 2,417]

if you hang on ian i should be having a big lathe turning up at my place in a couple of weeks and i will be needing a bit of a lesson of how to use it properly

 

That could be handy mate, I'd best get on with other parts of this project for a few weeks rather than the wheels

 

 

 

lucky old you 

ian you could get the engine vapour blasted that will bring it up to an intense shine without much elbow grease on your behalf which means you could spend your time getting the tractor finished 

 

Hi Ben, vapour blasting is a new one on me.. Is it like sandblasting but they use whiskey breath instead?

 

 

Not much of an update, but these Wh wheels always amaze me.. They could look like this on the outside..

 

 

 

But inside like new

 

 

 

And this is how I was thinking about cutting the centers out the Wh rims....  The axle stand is for illustration purposes only

 

[ranger 373]

How are the centres attached to the rims Ian ? Before anyone says, I know they are welded, but, a set of wheels I bought from the sale had the centres more in the middle than to one side of the rim. However, the 'spokes' were held with a couple of weld runs instead of spot welds. I just ground the welds away and the centres were then re-welded further in I think they may have been J D wheels, the PCD was the same as WH. Is it possible to transfer the centres from the wheels I sent you to the WH rims? The WH centres in the narrow rims would then become desirable ( £££) items for someone with an older WH.who wants to fit say 6x12 ag's

[meadowfield 1,900]

I did the same with a set of ransomes 12 inch rims on my 4x4. I just moved the centres out to get the right offset. They were just welded too. Unfortunately all wheel horse rims I've seen are spot welded.

[Ian 2,417]

How are the centres attached to the rims Ian ? Before anyone says, I know they are welded, but, a set of wheels I bought from the sale had the centres more in the middle than to one side of the rim. However, the 'spokes' were held with a couple of weld runs instead of spot welds. I just ground the welds away and the centres were then re-welded further in I think they may have been J D wheels, the PCD was the same as WH. Is it possible to transfer the centres from the wheels I sent you to the WH rims? The WH centres in the narrow rims would then become desirable ( £££) items for someone with an older WH.who wants to fit say 6x12 ag's

 

Morning Doug, I get what your saying about moving the centers but as Mark said Wh wheels are spot welded, and rather big spot welds at that..

I did spend a long time measuring the wheels you very kindly sent me, but I can't find a way of using the centers from them..

 

More to come later chaps but for now these two pics should give you all the kinda vision I have for this machine..

 

Somewhere between the two but without a roof and flames that are not mostly yellow

 

 

 

[ranger 373]

I've got a 32 Duece grille shell in the garage ;)

[nigel 1,876]

I've got a 32 Duece grille shell in the garage ;)

that would do for my next project doug have you a pict

[ranger 373]

I'll fish it out tomorrow Nigel and take some pics.

[Ian 2,417]

that would do for my next project doug have you a pict

 

I like your thinking mate, it would certainly look good on your next project

 

 

Well, it's about time I got on with this project so that's what I've been doing..

 

The first job is to mount the engine..

 

 

 

A couple of bit's of thick wall box...

 

 

 

To which I need to fit these engine mounting tubes cut from the bike frame.

 

 

 

As I don't have a metal hole cutter big enough I had to use the lathe..

I've had this lathe for at least 6 years but this is the first time I've had to mount something "off centered"!

 

 

 

A short while later...

 

 

 

I'd best weld the tubes in then... Yes that is a MIG welder, and yes it is connected to the bottle of gas behind

 

 

 

Speaking of gas... I left myself a couple of note to remind me to turn the gas off

 

 

 

Zapped!!  I think they should be strong enough..

 

 

 

And attached to the chassis... It is only tack welded on for now just so I can level the engine and get the front mounts done, but the engine mounts will be bolted to the chassis with some thick rubber washers to take out some of the shake

 

 

 

More to come later chaps..

[meadowfield 1,900]

looking good Ian - mig is the future

[nigel 1,876]

welds look good ian

[rotoscytheben 94]

looking good mate nice to see it coming on 

[ranger 373]

that would do for my next project doug have you a pict

Hi A few pics, the shell is fibreglass & looks as though it has been roughly trimmed after coming out of the mould.

A friend gave itto me about 25 years ago when I was building a model A pickup.

It has hung in the garage ever since, so it should have a nice ripe flavour by now   It's yours if you want it, Nigel

, but  you'll have to change the Land Rover engine for a Kohler if you want  "A little duece coupe with a flathead mill"

[diggerjames 543]

Looking hood looks like you have mastered the mig

[Ian 2,417]

looking good Ian - mig is the future

 

It is indeed Mark.. Shame it's taken my brain so long to work it out

 

 

 

welds look good ian

 

Thanks mate, the welds get better

 

 

 

looking good mate nice to see it coming on 

 

Thanks Ben.

 

 

 

Looking hood looks like you have mastered the mig

 

Thanks James, I've not quite mastered it yet but I'm getting there..

 

 

More mounts almost made up..  

 

 

 

And tweaked a bit to give a bit more space around the starter motor..

 

 

 

They bolt here..

 

 

 

The only trouble with recycling steel is it needs a good clean up first.. This was part of the filming trailer I built ages ago but never used!

 

 

 

Cleaned up and welded on..

 

And on to today's fun and games, starting with the remains of the frame that the engine top mount was once attached to..  I only needed the threaded tube bit's..

 

 

 

You can just about see it in this balancing act of bits of metal.. Its the bit with the masking tape on it that was being marked out for more trimming.

 

 

 

After a day of careful measuring, cutting, welding and getting really confused until I realized the radiator is mounted on the engine an inch more to the right than left (why did Honda want everything on the outside of this engine offset from the center?), I had come up with most of the engine mounting frame..

 

I still need to make some cross members for it, but I'm happy with how it's turning out

 

 

 

 

 

As I'm only using one of the engine mounting places at the top of the engine, I will be making some mounts which will go forward from the threaded stud and join onto my engine frame.

 

 

 

So does the hood still fit?

 

That would be a Yes

 

 

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

Brilliant, Ian.

[nigel 1,876]

ive seen it in the flesh today and am impressed

[rotoscytheben 94]

thats  mate well done 

[Charlie Smith 192]

Just watched your youtube video. Once again great video keep them coming.... You said 100MPH plus. Then i got to searching..., the speed record for a lawnmower is that little honda at 116.57MPH.

Can you beat it!! Mind you where you going to be able to test it to get it too full speeds?

Both your machine and the honda have motorbike engines in them so it's like they are in the same class, not as if ones got a motorbike engine and the others got a briggs and stratton, let's try break the record.. 120mph.

[slf-uk 914]

I bought some parts a while back from someone who does lawn mower racing and apparently if you use the chassis and a few other parts like the hood it is still classed as a lawn mower.

A record attempt would be fantastic.

Iain

[nigel 1,876]

not quite true the honda that holds the record had an engine from a snow jetski thingy but they cheated realy cos the rules say it has to cut grass so what they did was put some electric battery strimmers under it to get round the rules

and ian every year up north some where on an old air field runway they let you go for speed records on two and four wheels

[Stormin 4,458]

Santa Pod? That's north to you.

[Ian 2,417]

Brilliant, Ian.

 

Thanks Norm.

 

 

 

ive seen it in the flesh today and am impressed

 

I've managed to impress you mate? I must be doing something right

 

 

 

thats  mate well done 

 

Thanks Ben, it's getting there slowly

 

 

 

Just watched your youtube video. Once again great video keep them coming.... You said 100MPH plus. Then i got to searching..., the speed record for a lawnmower is that little honda at 116.57MPH.

Can you beat it!! Mind you where you going to be able to test it to get it too full speeds?

Both your machine and the honda have motorbike engines in them so it's like they are in the same class, not as if ones got a motorbike engine and the others got a briggs and stratton, let's try break the record.. 120mph.

 

HI Charlie, ta for watching the vid.. Yep I did say 100+mph in the vid but I won't be going for any speed record straight away..

I might be able to borrow a runway for a short while but it's not long enough to get above 50mph I wouldn't of thought...   It's a long way off til Why Not is drivable anyway..

 

 

 

I bought some parts a while back from someone who does lawn mower racing and apparently if you use the chassis and a few other parts like the hood it is still classed as a lawn mower.

A record attempt would be fantastic.

Iain

 

Hi Iain, I am using the original chassis, hood, bit's of body.. As much as I can really.. It would be nice to keep as much Wheel Horse as poss..

 

 

 

not quite true the honda that holds the record had an engine from a snow jetski thingy but they cheated realy cos the rules say it has to cut grass so what they did was put some electric battery strimmers under it to get round the rules

and ian every year up north some where on an old air field runway they let you go for speed records on two and four wheels

 

Santa Pod? That's north to you.

 

Santa pod is the first place that sprang to mind when I read what you said Nigel

[Ian 2,417]

A bit of an update for you all ladies and gents..

 

These two bits of small modern art were created...

 

 

 

So I could hold the filler plate in the end of the box for welding..

 

 

 

Plates welded in and some cross members added..  The holes in the box will be filled in when I'm sure I don't need them..

 

 

 

And another cross member above the carbs..

 

 

 

 

[Ian 2,417]

Yet more work on the engine frame thingy, top mounts this time..

 

I did tack a couple of the top mounts on complete with bit of the bike frame attached.. I didn't like the look of it so the mounts came back off, lost their bit's of bike frame and were welded back on.. They will have some more strength added.

 

 

 

A bit of thick wall tube..

 

 

 

With a bung/spacer thingy welded in each end.

 

 

 

It fit's here on top of the engine..

 

 

 

To make space to get a long bolt through I had to notch and weld a bit of tube into the frame each side.

 

 

 

Part welded on to the frame.. The welds do look much better from the underside

 

 

 

And a couple of rare shots of the engine frame without the engine