Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Tom Fox

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6
31
Post your Pics! / Help Needed: shrink photo for avatar
« on: September 11, 2007, 03:42:33 pm »
Can some wonderful photoshop guro work their magic and reduce the size of the following thumbnailed image to work as an avatar on this site?

Feel free to crop the background around the mower!




Thanks!!!

You can either post the new image here or email it to me. XOFMOT@HOTMAIL.COM

32
Tires / Prepared Chassis Tire heights.....
« on: September 03, 2007, 12:25:01 am »
Not sure if this question is just a personal preference or maybe something more scientific......

I see a majority of prepared chassis racers run a 16" tall tire......WHY???

Why not run an 18" or 20" tall tire?

Here is the reason behind this question...I opened up yesterdays mail today and see that the company I work for is getting rid of some obsolete inventory. One of the items are : 4 ply 18 x 8.5 x 8 Carlisle TURFMASTER tires for $5.00 each!!! and I don't pay shipping!!

Now granted...going from a 16" dia to an 18" diameter will raise the chassis aprox. 1"....but I can adjust my rear height by 3/8" with my adjustable cassettes.

Is it worth going to an 18" tall tire or am I looking for trouble? Thanks!!!


33
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / Oil Filters Exposed
« on: July 29, 2007, 12:31:07 am »
I was out mower parts shopping today getting ready to buy some oil filters for my race mower. I went to WALLY WORLD as my first choice....Now I know WALLY World has some buying power, but how the heck can they sell oil filters so cheap!

So this lead to a little curiosity.... I did not end up buying the Wally World or the FRAM filters they sell.....I decided to put it off a day until I can see some other options.

I know this is only a lawn mower engine...but I'll have some $$ in this engine and want it to last!!

I found this site: http://www.tobycreek.org/oil_filters/fram.shtml

You can click thru a good list of MFGRS on the left menu section and see what they really look like.

One thing for sure....no more FRAM for me! :noplease:

I like the K&N..but very pricey. :woo:

I may go NAPA/WIX route. ;)

But then again.....maybe Wally World's filter will be just fine...I plan on changing my oil and filter every 25 laps or so of racing (I figure run some practice laps and a heat race...drop the oil/filter and install fresh for the feature).....so its not like we are putting 2500 automotive miles on the filters....so confused! :confused:

Happy reading!

34
Post Your Video / Bobby Cleveland Video
« on: July 03, 2007, 04:04:01 pm »
Just read this on the USLMRA forum:

Bobby Cleveland setting World Land Speed Record
on a Lawn Mower from Bonevillle Salt Flats in Utah, July 4, 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWmozLhuuXo



35
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / VG 20hp Couple Q's
« on: May 23, 2007, 03:07:22 pm »
Got a few Vanny questions. This pertains to a 20 hp VG V-TWIN.

I tore down the engine last night and was happy to find a nice and clean interior with no signs of overheating or sludge or anything....everything looks new. Prior to teardown I had less than 4% leakdown in each cylinder. Cross hatch is visable and no ring ridge at all.

Holy cow that flywheel weighs a ton!!! An ARC wheel will be ordered this week (Starter as well).

Question on coil packs.....are better once avail or do the stock ones perform even at higher than stock governed rpms?

SPARK PLUGS: I will be running the smaller chamber 16hp heads with the thin aluminum head gasket. What would be a ballpark plug# to start with?

Heads will be cleaned ported, new EC valve springs.....
A new CAM will also be installed

Would I be stupid to run this engine with the stock connecting rods and pistons???
I know longer ARC rods with cut pistons is the ticket but my wallet differs!!

What kind of RPM can the stock c-rods take?

Thanks!

36
Chassis / Front hub retaining nuts
« on: May 08, 2007, 03:38:49 pm »
I see some members use a castellated style and some use a nyloc style.....

I know they are both a "LEGAL" type of way of retaining a hub on a front spindle...but is one better than the other?

"TO ME" the nyloc nut will allow a more precise way to "PRE-LOAD" the hub on the spindle. But the downside is that repetitive moving of this style nut will cause it to loose it's retaining "GRIP".

With a castellated nut you are playing with spacers to take up the slack (to a certain point anyway). Then you have the cotter pins as well.

I see that the EC spindles are set-up for castellated nuts...Just looking for the theory for their use on our racers!.

Thanks!

37
Chassis / Easy Radius Rods!
« on: March 13, 2007, 08:57:21 pm »
All right for all of you who make these radius rods at home without a lathe...........I got a nice shortcut for making radius rods for your steering, brake & clutch linkages.

I use 3/8" rod ends on most of my linkages and tried the ol' drill and tap of a solid piece of aluminum and found it to be a frustrating trying to get a perfectly centered and straight hole drilled into it using a hand drill and a vice. Then you tap it and see crooked the tap is going in due to the wonderful hole you tried to drill straight!

Well...Here was my solution.....

I ordered a 8 foot long length of aluminum round tube from McMaster-Carr.

This tube has a O.D. of .563 and a I.D. of .327

Cut it to your desired length and tap it...No need to drill because the I.D. is perfect for a 3/8-24 tap!

The 8' length has a price of $10.58 +shipping (Dirt cheap......cost me less than $7.00 for shipping)

McMaster-Carr Part Number 1658T47

www.MCMASTER.com


I can make a total of 10 radius rods out of a 8' length of this tubing for my racer.

Being a 8' length....plenty left over to make spares to bring to the races!


38
Chassis / Ackerman Steering Set-Up help needed!
« on: February 26, 2007, 10:26:33 pm »
HELP!!!!!

Looking for some guidance of setting up my steering for Ackerman adjustment.

Here is my latest disaster….








I can only get a ¼ turn lock to lock on my steering wheel. I really want to have a ½ turn lock to lock.


From looking over SAMI’S S/S build multiple times then changing things on mine…. I think my brain is getting worn out!

From looking at it, I feel that the BELL CRANK needs to be shortened up. Right now the measurment from the pivot point to either radius rod attching point is 3.250"

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

39
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / Just Won these heads.......
« on: February 19, 2007, 09:29:24 pm »
Well, won a couple of 16hp heads for my 20hp Vanguard V-twin. They even have the desired steel rockers with them!!!




Got both left and right heads and rockers for $45.00 +shipping!
 

40
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / Briggs Service Manual # needed
« on: February 09, 2007, 01:09:07 pm »
Looking for a service manual for my 20hp Vanguard V-Twin. I need one that has all the hardware torque specs, clearance measurements....ect. If anyone knows the part number please reply so I can order one.

Thank You.

41
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / Vanguard 20HP V-Twin Questions
« on: February 06, 2007, 09:31:48 pm »
Just picked up a Vanguard 20hp V-Twin and have a few questions!

Did a few searches , got some answers, some helped some need clarification....

What NEEDS to be done to this engine prior to using it as a race engine?

I've read that the valve springs should be replaced with EC ones.

How are the B&S oil filters? Or should another brand be used?

What kind of oil pressure readings should I expect?

Will the factory fuel pump be adequate?

What about the carb?

Aftermarket air filter adapter avail?

I will have to remove the governor internals correct?

Whats a recommended oil viscosity to use?

I do plan on purchasing a ARC flywheel, new valve springs, considering roller rockers and a camshaft...

Is it worth running this engine with the stock cam? I'm trying not to spend  to much ......I like being married!

42
Chassis / Tether Confusion!
« on: February 03, 2007, 09:01:39 pm »
Started doing some online shoping tonight for a tether kill switch......Holy Cow...didn't realize how many different sysles there are!!! Some have a round type plug, some are rectangular and I even seen a triangle shaped one!!!!

What style are you guys using for RACING?  Name/brand would help also!

43
Chassis / "DRIVER'S" Seat Retaining Thing-a-ma-bop
« on: February 02, 2007, 09:48:39 pm »
Can't think of the proper name to call it.....It's the plate or bar that is attached to the seat of a racing mower (right side) to prevent our butt from sliding off while making left hand turns on a race course.

My question: Is this secured directly to the seat, seat mount or both?
What type and thickness material have you used.
Any photos will always help!
Thanks!

44
Briggs Flathead / Engine Covers-Opposed Twin Cooling Question.
« on: January 27, 2007, 11:37:17 pm »
With the exception of the blower/flywheel sheetmetal cover, is running the side sheetmetal that covers and direct air from the engines flywheel/fan to the heads on a opposed twin necessary to help keep the heads cooler on a race mower? I understand their purpose for a "LAWN" mower that you sit on for hours at a time going 2 mph...but for racing would they be a benefit or not?

45
Briggs OHV & Vanguard / ELS V-twin 26hp question...
« on: January 01, 2007, 01:25:02 pm »
I was at a small gathering last night/this morning (News years Eve party)...anyway...a question that always comes up is "What's ya been doing lately?"....well....of course I had to mention that I was building a racing mower and looking to build another one as well.....well, 15 minutes later I had 5 people pile into my truck and we had to go down to my house so they could see this mower!.....well, this led into a bench racing session for about two hours! We actually didn't even watch the ball fall on TV!! We were in my garage with the propane heater running and talking racing, cars....ect... (best New Years Party I've been at!)

Well, all this led into a friend of a friend who works for a local SEARS service center. I assume it was in a one of the tractors that Sears sells, but he has a almost new 26hp ELS V-twin engine in his garage that was a warranty exchange. The engine had a leaking fitting on the oil filter mount (cross threaded plug from the factory according to him) and B & S warrantied the entire engine. He wants $300.00 for it and was wondering if this would be a worthwhile engine to build upon? Thanks!

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6
anything