Project PHOENIX - my turn at a "build thread"

[KShortell]

OK, it's time to start trickling out photos of Project PHOENIX. It's still in the midst of the painting stage, but is nearing completion. This is what I started with: a 1983 Sears Craftsman LT 11 36 lawn tractor purchased via Craigslist for $50. Yes, those actually were plants growing out of the seat! Trust me, it looks NOTHING like this now. Oh, and yes, it actually is aviation-related and GARAGE-RELATED. It will help push the boat trailer around and take over plowing duties from my Ariens RM830 that I bought NEW in 1987! Stay tuned!

[KShortell]

Step 1: Make sure that I at least have starter, spark, and compression before dropping a dime into this thing! MISSION #1 accomplished on Day #1. Cool! Even better, it's a mid-90s Briggs and Stratton 12.5 HP I/C engine with a cast iron cylinder, not the original 11 HP Tecumseh.

Step 2: Measure, measure, and measure. Then, start fabricating on a design-build basis. I do this all the time at work, albeit with Public Works projects. Most of what I do is a retrofit and "in the trenches, battlefield-style" engineering.

[KShortell]

Once the front bumper shield is cut out, the "wings" need to be bent. How to bend 3/16" steel in a crisp fashion in a home garage? Why, cut 3/4 of the way through the material, bend it, and reweld the backside of the steel.

Remember, this entire build is accomplished with nothing more than a drill, circular saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, a bench vise, a Hobart Handler 140 MIG welder running flux core wire, and an assortment of hand tools. That's it- no "big boy shop tools".

[KShortell]

The new front bumper is looking like something! 42 1" holes drilled into it were all done with a steady hand and a good eye. Oh, and lots of cutting oil!

The grille on the tractor was pretty sad, rusted away at the bottom on one side, patched with some metal, screws, and bolts. As a result, it leaned- a lot!

I used a scrap piece of Tecumseh engine cowling left over from when I replaced the Ariens' engine a few years ago. I welded it in and ground it smooth, welding up the extra holes in the process.

[KShortell]

OK, now it's looking like something! It helps to have a good shop buddy, too. I actually got THUNDER from an auto repair shop on Virginia's Eastern Shore when he was only about 17 weeks old and in need of a home. I keep shooing him away from the dust, welding, and paint-- gotta keep my best buddy safe!

[KShortell]

You need good fuel when working hard. This is my dinner one Friday evening courtesy of Hotrodder's Cafe around the corner from my house. Look- sideburns!

[Low Elco]

Neat stuff!

[NONHOG]

Subscribed!
Every other time I walk past my old Craftsman rider rotting behind the shop I think I should scrap it. Then I see this.

[Advanced Design]

Great project! We bought a Cub Cadet in 1992 with the 12.5 HP Engine and it still runs well.

[KShortell]

It got too cold and I was getting a bubbly wrinkling in the paint. As a result, indoors to the attached garage we go. Some sanding and even repriming was necessary. I even had to strip the tail light brackets all the way down to bare steel and start over. At least the painting is 99% DONE!

[KShortell]

Do you think the mice loved this engine?

[KShortell]

Progress!

[KShortell]

Inside the Walbro LMT 66 carburetor- NASTY! Even worse, I had to drill out the main jet to replace it. Persistence pays off in the end, however.

[KShortell]

How I do wiring- NEATLY. Everything is loomed and coded. No rat's nest here!

[KShortell]

BIG difference in appearance from the beginning.

[KShortell]

Ta-da! It RUNS! Cool, huh?

The rear end sports an homage to Pan Am, the coolest airline I ever flew. It's all business up front.

"72"? Well, good things came to be in 1972. Namely, ME!

[KShortell]

This tractor had no muffler when I got it. So, I created my own custom exhaust, hoping it wouldn't bee too long or restrictive, maintaining the 1" exhaust port outlet diameter throughout. However, it hunts a bit, backfires on occasion, and won't run at idle r.p.m. speeds. That and the header pipe starts to glow at higher r.p.m. I'm thinking it may be a little too restrictive due to length and is causing a bit of a lean burn. SO, I've unbolted the system and will try a standard muffler setup. I've been able to smooth it out some by sealing the throttle shaft at the carb body with some 3M strip caulk, but it still hunts at lower rpms before backfiring.

I did run it today with a pipe stub and no muffler. It doesn't backfire anymore, but still hunts a little at lower rpm. It's getting better! It may just need some run time and a chance to blow out the carbon that the old, dirty air filtered, and junked up carb system created. The plug was fouled when I began to overhaul things.

Hopefully, the new OEM muffler cures my ills.

It does look killer in its final paint, though! Best of all, the lights all work perfectly, just as I imagined them. The tail lights and brake lights work just like a car. The strobe (12V outlet) is switched at the dash for remote operation.

[KShortell]

By the way, this is my 1987 Ariens RM 830 that I bought new. It's been very good to me, even earning enough money mowing lawns as a teenager to let me put 20% down on my first home at age 24! I reengined it a few years ago and only replaced the original rear tires this summer. 28 years out of a set of rear tires is good enough for me.

I've got the Ariens bagger, the Ariens snow plow, a Precision Pro spreader/seeder, and an Agri-Fab aerator for it. Even though it's a rear-engined riding mower, it's RUGGED and I've used it the way many TRACTORS have been worked over the years. I've even done earthmoving and grading with it, particularly when I built my garage and extended my driveway.

It's even pushed the boat trailer in and out of the garage a few times. I adapted the manual trailer mover with a lower hitch. The new (to me) tractor is intended to take over this duty. I painted the trailer mover/bar yellow today, just like the ones used to push back airplanes on the tarmac.

Fastidious maintenance, greasing in particular, and the occasional wax make all the difference in the world when it comes to keeping it going. I've waxed it on occasion since new as it helps keep the dirt, etc. from sticking to everything. Storing it inside rather than out in the elements makes a huge difference as well.

Yes sir, I love my Ariens!

[KShortell]

I reused the original edging on the seat. However, it left a larger gap than before. So, I had to fabricate a new clip to bridge the gap instead of using the original one. It worked!

[KShortell]

Done! I'm no professional upholsterer, but it's a workable solution and a comfortable seat once again. 4" of foam precompressed using scrap material from an old pair of Haggar slacks covered with actual UV-stable Naugahyde. The only thing left is to install the new muffler when it comes.

[KShortell]

Baggage hauler mode!

[KShortell]

All done!

[Advanced Design]

Very cool. Looks good!