new here, and would like some help...

hey, i know this isn't the forum but i thought id show this to you...

Yeah that single speed is a junk FNR. Light duty and limited speed ranges. The easiest way to keep your torque and still get more speed is to swap that out for a 5-6 speed peerless mst series, 900 series, or 820. It will also be much stronger

wait......really?  

I'm sad because i put so much thought into how to put that tranny on and lost so much sleep thinking about how i would do it
and i felt like einstein when i got the idea to use the PTO as a clutch, and utilized the deck pulley which is 2x the size, so there fore it would be faster, but i would need 4 1/2 in of spacing to put the tranny on, i finally got it done, and i was sooooo happy when i finished it because I'm 13 and a regular 13 yr old would never be able to do that

Yes the single speed trannies are junk, but not all is lost. You'll probably need 4" of lift with the new trans if you did 4 and a half on the FNR. BUT, the bolt holes will be off center on the new trans, so you would need to modify your brackets. And you could probably still use your PTO idea with the new trans.

If it was up to me, I'd just run the FNR until you split the case, then I'd swap it to an MST or 820, which are 5 and 6 speeds.

Is this an electric PTO clutch? That has been discussed before and I always though it sounded like a bad idea due to an extremely jerky take-off. Kinda hard on the trans too.

CQ's kinda right though about a multi-speed transaxle being a lot more practical, but of course it's your decision.

no its a handle on the dash, i have a foot throttle, so i just keep the "clutch" on and use the throttle the way it is used on a car,
but, is there anything i can do to the trans i have now to make it last as long as possible

but how much do you guys think a multi speed tranny would be?
personally i would like a shift on the go

Those f/n/r transaxles, the 1 gear in them is the same as 3rd gear in a 5 or 6 speed transaxle of an MST or Peerless transaxle 5 or 6 speed. Incase you was wondering, lol. So for example, your setup you describe in your riding mower that with the MTD 1 speed and driving full throttle getting 12 to 15 mph, would be the same as your engine setup at full speed with an MST or Peerless transaxle with 5 or 6 speed transaxle and would be driving in 3rd gear only. Yah, the f/n/r trans has a ratio of around 26 to 1 in them. A 5 or 6 speed transaxle has around 12 to 1 as their high gear (5th or 6th gear). You would gain speed and keep your torque just by swapping transaxles and keeping the same pulleys. All comes down to the gearing ratios inside the transaxles. Plus the MST and the Peerless 5 or 6 speeds are shift on the fly also.

MTD solved the gear ratio thing by having the f/n/r  1 speed transaxle and they put the variable pulley on the belts to change the driving ratios so the driveline would have some sort of (so called) gearing.

I have a riding mower with the f/n/r and an engine only, without the variable pulley on the belts. Did a pulley swap and does like 10 mph. I used it for plowing and worked great. Might be cheaper to buy a whole junk mower for the transaxle you want. Check local listings and might be able to get a bunch of extra parts with it also

wow, that sucks.........
i guess ill just torture it till it says "bye bye" than ill put a 5 speed
and thank you and everyone for taking the time to awnser my questions  
( no sadly I'm probably not done asking questions lol)

yeah i actually got the entire mower, the steering was messed up, which you should keep an eye on with yours since the mtd steering sucks imo, i parted out the chassis and kept the engine for my murray widebody mud mower, you can get a brand new mst204 (4sp) for $170+shipping here https://www.surpluscenter.com/Power-Transmission/Transaxles/Mechanical-Transaxles/4-Speed-Peerless-Transaxle-13-1598.axd, the company is reliable i've ordered parts from them for a few yrs now, i'd much rather buy a brand new transaxle if i had the choice, i'm pretty sure the high gear ratio is the same as either the 205 or 206 but not absolutely certain on that

@loggers gogert you would be very surprised of how many younger kids can problem solve, engineer, design when it comes to fabricating and modifying things, I lost sleep when I was 13 dreaming up ideas and I’m 25 now and lose sleep from coming up with ideas currently 3:50 am and I work at 8am thinking up ideas lol. Not every idea is the right one nor will every idea you lose sleep over is worth it, but you can’t succeed without failing first. Like others have said you could always swap out for a multi gear transaxle but I personally suggest buy/trade/sell to get a different tractor that is already a multiple gear machine, but that’s just my advice it’s a lot easier and less time consuming and less head scratching to start off with a better platform. But don’t think you can’t have a blast on your vari drive, plenty of people including myself have had loads of fun on them. If you do decide to pick up a transaxle to swap in most junk yard/salvage yards will sell them anywhere from scrap price-60$

It wont let me view the link for the 4spd
When I click on it it sends me to surplus center but it says page can not be found 404

Oh yeah, I just thought of this today.
How and what do you guys do for locking your diff?

Most just weld the spider gears to the pin they ride on. Not always the most durable, but usually the easiest. Can be strong depending on what axle it is, and who welded it. If you don’t have a welder, I would invest some of your 1000 dollars on one. If you have a harbor freight near you, you can get one for less than 200 bucks, I’ve had great luck with both of mine. Really opens the door for what you can do with these things

darkside0914 wrote:

yeah i actually got the entire mower, the steering was messed up, which you should keep an eye on with yours since the mtd steering sucks imo, i parted out the chassis and kept the engine for my murray widebody mud mower, you can get a brand new mst204 (4sp) for $170+shipping here https://www.surpluscenter.com/Power-Transmission/Transaxles/Mechanical-Transaxles/4-Speed-Peerless-Transaxle-13-1598.axd, the company is reliable i've ordered parts from them for a few yrs now,  i'd much rather buy a brand new transaxle if i had the choice, i'm pretty sure the high gear ratio is the same as either the 205 or 206 but not absolutely certain on that

I believe you are correct. I think the 204 has the same 1st and high gear as the 205 and 206, just missing some of the gears in between.

As @redzz02 said, starting off with a better platform will net you better results quicker. I understand if the MTD is all you have access to, and they CAN be modded to be really good tractors. There are a few great ones on the forum (@redlinemotorsportts and @AllisKidD21 to name a couple), but starting with something like an AYP craftsman or a GT will be much easier and will get you to the final result a bit quicker than starting with something like an MTD.

We are all here to help each other out, so keep the questions coming bud. My brother turned 14 today and has absolutely no interest in working on any of his own things, so it’s good to see someone your age wanting to make something cool out of junk. I joined the forum when I was 15, and have been tinkering with mowers since I was probably 10. At the end of the day you’ll end up with something cooler than your classmates overpriced go kart from TSC lol

Thanks for telling me I can keep the questions coming, made me feel at home here, and was beginning to think I was annoying lol

Wtf why it post twice???
Any ways I recently picked up some offroad tires and went out back to put those mean suckers on
And guess what...........the rim's will NOT COME OFF
It is held on by a bolt ( yes I took it out ) but the wheel will NOT come out of the axle. How can I take this out?

Those MTD axles can be a pain. Usually a butane/propane torch will get em, might have to quench a few times with pb or wd40, might try a long 2x4 praying against the frame, a hammer and punch on the hub to drive it off, or-as bad as it sounds-dismount the tires with the wheels still on the transaxle.

If you’re hoping to reuse the wheels your tires came on, they will not work unless they came from an mtd. MTD uses axle shafts with no keyway. Instead, they have two flat spots ground into them. Makes a really big surface area which is why they suck the most to get off the shaft.

i thought i remember reading somewhere that you should not pound on the wheel, as for it might brake the diff, is that true
and also, I've been doing some thinking today and I've decided I'm NOT going to spend money on motor and spend money on stuff that will make me safer 
incl: steering brakes safety switch, ect

@loggers gogert go to surplus center go down to power transmission and select transaxles and then mechanical transaxles, it's the only one they have in stock atm, i don't run a locker in any of my mowers, i prefer the better steering with it unlocked and the trails i ride don't require one for the most part, i feel if you have a good set of tires you really don't need it unless you're hitting really nasty mud my brother uses a set of turf savers that sort of look like a knobby atv tire and he gets through most of the same stuff i do with my v treads

what steering do you guys run?
and how do you guys build it ?
what do you guys use to make it?
what steering kit can you buy if i don't want to make it?

I would suggest looking up the steering geometry terms first with explanations, so you know what you are looking at with what you have. "Toe in, Toe out" "Caster, camber" are the main ones. There are other terms you will see when looking these up that matter also. Knowing what the issue first by looking at it helps a lot when you want to modify anything. You might be happy with just fixing what you have and adding minor mods to it for desired outcome.

I myself have an MTD, not the best steering but it works. The joints are all plastic bushings but can be upgraded with brass bushings for durability and a tighter feel. But I am only cutting grass with it though, LOL.

Or you can use go kart steering parts, other brands of steering from riding mowers. Like Craftsman or Murry. But in the end, learning the terms and explanations of them will ensure you retrofit any part correctly, because you can hook up a good quality part the wrong way.

-many of us run custom made steering  (some designed ahead like @mr.modified is doing in is current topic he is working right now, or done at a whim. Another option.. beefing up stock as @prancstaman mentioned.
-(lots of welding) find parts and materials we think will work.  Knowledge like prancstaman mentioned he very helpful.
-see second bullet
-I do not know of steering kits.

There is a whole lot of what @Doc Sprocket mentions in his videos.

Wrench, Wheel, Wreck, Repeat...

i use stock steering on my murray and i just converted my ford yt16 over to a 2nd gen craftsman steering box, if you're looking to upgrade the steering on your mtd in all honesty i'd go with the craftsman may need to do some mods to the drag link like i did my ford, but it's a much stronger setup than the mtd, i've had several people tell me to stay away from a direct steer set up on a trail/mud tractor because it makes it harder to steer on rough trails and can rip the wheel out of your hands

really? I've heard like for example on haymow, that they said stock steering sucks, because they KNEW the mowers wouldn't be going over 5-7 mph
for y'all that run stock steering, what mph do you guys top out at?
personally my goal would like to be about 20mph