Archive through January 14, 2008

[kide]

Dennis - I had the same question.. Lots of generator Vanguards were available after Y2K. You could tell them because the crank was tapered on the output side, rather than straight. Small Engine Warehouse had ton's of them, I'm told. I'm aware that the Vanguard is a Generac design and that the design was sold to Briggs (I've got an 18 horse Briggs on a Cushman Eagle I'm building), but I'm not aware that they ever marketed the engine themselves (except on their generators..). A few people wanting to use the surplus Vanguards discovered the tapered output shaft after they bought 'em. Comet now sells a clutch (driver) for the tapered shaft, but of course, more $$$.

 

[ehall]

How much hp. can a model 107 hydrostatic tranmission handel? I have a VW 1.8 liter engine lying around and thought i would turn my cadet into as franken cadet.

 

[gfedwards]

Kendell and Dennis--
Generac developed the very first OHV v-twin engine way back in the late 80's. It was designed and sold to Briggs and Stratton who did not have an OHV design of their own. You can read the story on the Generac homepage. Generac also sells the engines under the name Guardian for their Guardian home generators, etc. Generac engines power lawn and garden equipment, too. Dixie Chopper is one of the companies that use these engines. You can get them in horizontal or vertical shaft. You can also get them with the typical 1 1/8" straight keyed PTO crankshaft or a hefty 1 7/16" straight keyed PTO crankshaft as well. We run our x82 Cub puller off the PTO end of the crankshaft and it is the larger 1 7/16" cranks. There are not any production pulling parts for them but we had them made. It is a 61 cubic inch (999cc) engine. It turns about 9,500rpm. We have not dyno'ed it yet because we have made so many changes and improvements over the last 2 seasons. It does make some serious torque and hp though. I can attest to that. I would say it is around the 100hp mark based on gearing, wheel speed, rpms, weight classes and knowing how much HP you can get per cubic inch. It took us a long time to get to where we are but I think it is neat for people to see something unique and different than the status quo. I also like the idea that not everyone can just go write a check or pull out the credit card and build one.
It is a tough engine with loads of potential. It starts out life as a 38hp engine. It is the only one of the 3 (Kohler 38hp, Briggs 35hp, and Generac 38hp) that will fit under the hood of an x82 series tractor without cutting out the side panels or hood, or underslinging the engine below the frame.

Greg

 

[kmcconaughey]

 

[dfrisk]

Thanks Greg. - Sorry I didn't get back to Your e-mail.... I think I know what's replacing that POS Onan when it dies in My 982!

I really hated the idea of putting a Honda into an

 

[gfedwards]

Dennis,
You won't be disappointed in the Generac. It bolts right to the x82 series engine plate without cutting or spacing. You will probably have to drill new holes but it does align up with the driveshaft with no problem. The other 2 engines I mentioned have to be underslung below the frame or they won't align with the driveshaft.

Greg

 

[gfedwards]

Dennis,
The 38hp Generac will make the 19.9hp Onan seem like a toy. LOL

 

[dfrisk]

Thanks Greg. Almost sounds Too easy. I'll have to talk to some people around here and see what I can find!

 

[dfrisk]

Website's great too. Thanks again

 

[gfedwards]

Dennis,
You would need to buy an oil filter relocation kit for the Generac so the oil filter did not hit the side of the chassis/side panel. These can be bought at Jegs or Summit Racing.
Greg

 

[dfrisk]

GREG - Son & I are VERY familiar with Summit. And a couple of the local Speed Merchants too! We've never done much business with Jeg's.

Don Vogt used to compete in a more local GT pulling circuit in southern WI that had a couple pulls every summer at local bar's 2-3 miles from Our house... When We'd see the trailers go by with Cubbies Son & I would drop what We were doing and go... I think a lot of the mod's required to keep these tractors together at the necessary HP levels are easier now than they were 10-15 yrs ago. Still takes talent to get them to pull hard however! I learned a LONG time ago HP is only part of the equation.

Thanks again for the information!

 

[gfedwards]

Dennnis,
You are right. HP is only a part of the pulling equation. Actually, driving and reading the track may be the biggest attribute of them all. If you can do both of these and have moderate HP then you can win. All the HP in the world won't win a pull if you can't control your ride or know how to read the track.

Greg

 

[kide]

Greg:
Thanks for the update and info on Generac's engines ! I hadn't been to their website in a couple of years - that's where I first learned of the connection with Briggs.. Interesting to see they are now really ramping up their own engine sales beyond just generators. Just as an aside, my emergency generator for our home is a 5 KW Generac from about 1975, with a 10 HP electric start Tecumseh on it - ugly orange, noisy old SOB, but it gets us through every power outage!!

 

[mgonitzke]

Need an opinion on something...


My 582 plow tractor has a completely stock Mag 18 in it. It also has a cast iron rear with coarse spline axles. Due to the stock clutch slipping, I'm putting an 800# spring in it when I go home in March. Will I be in danger of breaking an axle? I'll have fluid-filled 10.50 AGs with about 100# of wheel weights on each rear wheel. Should I put a fine spline carrier and axle setup in it? Or can I get by with it the way it is?

 

[gerickson]

Matt, I would not worry at all about breaking an axle. I run course splines in my 1000[which is not stock] and my Command powered 782. We weight pretty good and plow hard. My 782D also had course splines and it worked pretty hard also with no breakage. Course, I think Florida sand might turn over pretty hard!!!

 

[mgonitzke]

Glen-

Ok, I'll leave it for now. Eventually I may wind up putting them in if I ever get time. Thanks!

 

[dfrisk]

KENDELL - Working & living here in the middle of Small Engine Heaven....Inside the Cheddar Curtain...I've worked with several people who formerly worked for several small engine mfg's. It's funny to hear them discuss their former employers!

GREG - Son & I raced R/C race cars really actively for 10-12 yrs...Son even placed 62nd out of 180 with His 1/10th scale elec. truck at a National Race one year against the likes of Brian Kinwald, the Francis Bros., etc....All the sponsored drivers from Losi & Associated. He was/Is pretty good....His best races were when He was just a BIT down on HP compared to the competition....but then according to Him it's NO FUN then... But the Trophy's are Bigger! Son even beat a current reigning World Champ, Paul Lemieux at a 1/10th scale elec. touring car race in a club level Qualifying race. Son promptly proceeded to drive Straight into the wall on the first turn at the start of the main to award the win to Paul. Can We all say "CHOKE"???

Thanks again for the Info. This isn't a real active forum for this board.... I hope You continue to post more frequently.

 

[gfedwards]

Matt,
I would consider putting in a double stock disc clutch. They work easy and have twice the surface area of the single disc. If you do this and add the 800lb spring then you will be able to plow most anything without the fear of slippage. You can find out how to install a double disc stock Cub Cadet clutch on this website:

http://members.aol.com/pullingtractor/clutch.htm

We used to use a double stock clutch even for pulling modified small block vtwin engine tractors and they worked well, so plowing with it would be an easy task. Scroll down the webpage and you will see how to install a double disc clutch. There are other clutch installations on that page but I DO NOT recommend the billet aluminum disc as it is jumpy and tricky and will tick you off trying to deal with driving with it. Good luck.

Greg

 

[gfedwards]

Here is a couple of pictures of my "old" puller (I sold it in 2005). It was a Kawasaki 25hp water-cooled vtwin on methanol. It was a good pulling and looking tractor. With a wife, house, daughter and a son on the way, I could not "keep up with the Jones'" in the pulling scene so I sold it. I now live vicariously through my father's puller.

 

[nbextermueller]

That is one GOOD LOOKIN' puller right there.

Mind asking what you got for it? Is it still on the pulling circuits?

I'm on the look out for a red cubbie now. Yours (formaly yours) is an inspiration.