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!

[KShortell]

Fabricating the rear brackets and fitting the back bumper, cutting out the headlight holes to allow for good light play when plowing, as well as testing and patterning the headlights.

[KShortell]

My "Big Johnson"- 48" aluminum ruler by Johnson.

[KShortell]

Front fenders were fabricated by bending steel sheet over the rear fenders. C-Clamps, precise hands, and judicious use of a hammer made it happen.

I created a custom side exhaust using 1" tubing to match what was left of the original exhaust pipe and an Allis Chalmers pass-through tractor muffler. The race from an old wheel bearing was a perfect reducer at the outlet end, but I cut a V-notch and tapered the inlet end in the bench vise before welding it up for a smooth transition into the muffler. I made an exhaust hanger out of one of the mower deck brackets. The deck rusted away long ago.

One tire was rubbing the frame. I'm not sure that ANY of the rims on this machine are original. However, by turning one of the rear rims around, the backspacing perfectly matched the other side.

OK, now to relocate the valve stem hole. Weld in a patch and grind smooth. It will keep dirt out; I'm running tubes on these old tires anyway.

[KShortell]

Rear bumper mounted and mounting the front fenders. I created a filler panel over the front bumper brackets. It's riveted to the fenders, creating a U-shape that wraps around inbetween the grille and front bumper shield.

[KShortell]

Making mounting brackets/tabs for the rear tail lights and USGI surplus .50 Cal. ammo box. I used the 90 degree angle on the 3/16" rear bumper, a block of wood, and a 5-lb. hammer as a metal brake.

[KShortell]

Creating the E-hitches for the front and rear bumpers. They'll bolt on, but the front will use wing nuts to allow for removal when mounting the snow plow from my Ariens.

[KShortell]

The E-hitches are rebuildable, using a roll pin to secure the lower spring retainer washers, just like the "real" ones!

The springs I originally bought to use for this proved to be too stiff, so I actually used a couple of Detroit Diesel valve springs that were in the buttstock of the Mossberg 500 I bought, sandwiched between stacks of pennies as a "redneck recoil reducing device". Needless to say, an empty stock with a Limbsaver pad lives there now.

A removable pole sporting a yellow strobe light resides at the left rear. I tucked a 12V outlet under the taillamp bracket; it is switched at the dash. This allows me to run other 12V items at the rear if I wish-- lights, etc. However, loads need to be kept to a minimum as the engine only puts out 3A of 12V DC. It will put out 5A of unregulated AC. The headlights and taillights will run on this circuit (factory setup for headlights) and the brake lights will be on the DC circuit. I've mounted a Cole-Hersee lever arm brake switch up front, just like the old-school hot rod guys.

[KShortell]

I fabbed up a heat shield for the muffler using sheet steel and a couple of 4" exhaust clamps. The clamps provide a standoff air gap for the heat shield and a convenient way of mounting.

[KShortell]

I didn't like having the starter gear exposed to potential entanglements, so I once again used a piece of the old Tecumseh engine cowl.

Note how I mounted the fuel tank up on the dash tower. The original configuration on these Sears mowers used an engine-mounted tank. Again, I had to fabricate brackets, but was able to use existing holes. No drilling for once!

[KShortell]

Got the plow mounted. Now, teardown and paint time. The rust is a flyin' and the paint is a sprayin'.

While this airport tug is my own creation, I am following the factory TUG MA paint scheme for the most part. Black for the axle, white for the body and frame, and black for the steering column and wheel. I was actually able to save the original Sears decals, so I'm masking them off and keeping them as an ode to its origins. The silver overspray and dirt from previous owner(s) removed with some acetone without damaging the decals- tough decals!

[KShortell]

Of course, I discovered a broken mounting ear/tab for one side of the transaxle mount. Well, if one side cracked, the other is sure to follow someday. Time to beef them up and repair.

The original shift boot doesn't slip over the shift gate and neutral interlock switch anymore. Hmmmmm...a piece of an old bike innertube! It's a perfect fit and snug as a glove.

[KShortell]

PAINT! It makes things look so sanitary. A rolling chassis once again- YES! We're on our way.

This is what I've been up to over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully, I'll be done over the weekend. This has been fun and, unlike another full-sized vehicle, in my financial as well as time budget. I'm ready to put it to use, though!

[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.