Good luck with the project!

 

Keep us updated on your progress. Especially the engine swap.

 

I have a few parts if you are anywhere near Kansas City.

 

Finally waited around for that 25% off coupon at harbor freight to come back around in my email. Picked up the predator 670 and got it temped in place. Aka sat it in there to stare at in wonder.

Pretty easy process of removing. Just kinda pushed things to the side. Not knowing what I'll use going forward.

First time I've used this little overhead hoist system I put together. It's for hanging deer. But doing a heart transplant on a Deere seemed like a good trial run.

So it "fits" with the Predator exhaust. But I won't know much until I get my new clutch in this week. Then I'll have an idea of pulley/clutch alignment. I'm new to the clutch game so I'm gonna have to research how tight to have it at first. That will designate my forward to aft mounting of the new engine. Side to side will be determined by the clutch alignment as well. But for now no cutting is required. Just possibly drill new holes.

To be continued!

 

Curious… What’s the purpose of the dual fuel filters?

Good luck with the swap and thanks for updating the progress.

 

Thats how I got it. But if you're talking about the frame mounted pair. The forward one is a filter. The aft one is the factory fuel pump I believe. I'm going to bypass both of those. The new engine has a built in fuel pump and came with a filter. So I'll come directly off the tank.

 

Keep in mind that you have to properly position the engine in three axis. Fore and aft is important so you can use the stock belt. The engine and transmission shafts must be parallel to each other. And, the engine's offset must be correct so the drive pulleys are aligned properly (I had to make a shaft spacer for my primary clutch to fine tune the alignment).

Also look at the carburetor, it's control linkage and the governor. The Honda I used was designed for fixed speed operation like on a lawnmower, hydraulic pump, sawmill... It was not designed for vehicle operation. There were linkages to automatically choke the engine that made starting easier but caused some odd throttle response when driving. You may want to disconnect the governor as it also can cause some unusual throttle action when driving.

Does your engine have low oil shutdown? You may want to disconnect that. Driving on uneven ground, accelerating and stopping can cause it to kill the engine even when there is sufficient oil. It's something used in stationary applications but most vehicles do not have/use it.

 

All solid info. I appreciate it. I'd heard of removing the oil level shutdown but hadn't seen anything about the linkage or governor. I'll keep an eye on those.

I probably would have missed that third alignment as well. I get excited and want to see forward progress immediately. But I understand what you're saying. I had to align pumps and motors on the oilrig. Might be able to use a straight edge or I'll just run a dial indicator on a mag base. We shall see. But I'll get it dialed in for sure.

 

Well it's alive. I picked up a clutch off of amazon for $135 to the door. Just had to file the keystock a touch to make it fit. Which didn't bother me, it's a good tight fit now. Took a 3/8-24 x 3" bolt to secure the clutch to the crank shaft.
Locating the engine was really simple. I just made a template out of cardboard and transfered it directly to the frame where the old engine mounted.
I ran the factory choke and throttle cables with little effort.
Next up is modifying the muffler to point rearward and to make it clear the drive belt.
Also I will extend the wiring harness to mount the keyswitch in the dash. I'll worry about lights and stuff as I move forward.
So far I'm into it for around $1250. Gator, engine, and clutch.

 

Nice to hear the project is moving forward.

can you be specific which clutch you purchased in the event some follows in your footsteps?

 

I'll find out soon enough if it needs different springs or if it's going to be fine out of the box.