[smokey4111]

318 john Deere installing predator

Just curious if there is any update on this thread? I am looking to do this repower in the near future

Have engine at machine shop, making my engine mounting plate and a adapter for the pto drive. This will all CNC and will be able to make them as needed if interested. Will update as soon as I get and when installed with pictures

 

[Grandprix428@mhcable.com]

 

[smokey4111]

Also they will be making adapter for front of engine to driveshaft

 

[reddawn]

Have engine at machine shop, making my engine mounting plate and a adapter for the pto drive. This will all CNC and will be able to make them as needed if interested. Will update as soon as I get and when installed with pictures

very good to hear cant wait for the next update

 

[WJH]

Any updates?

 

[tony88in99]

picked up a jd 420 for 80$ and repowered with a harbor freight predator 670 engine, very happy with the results price break down john deere 420 $80 (wife found it on face book) predator 670 $500 (ebay) gallon of hydrualic oil $15 (osborne's) belts $32 (tractor supply) spring $4 (tractor supply) custom fab work 2" longer hyd drive shaft 1-7/16 to 1" pto bushing (end up not using it) 3 to 4 bolt adapter ( ended up not using it) stainless steel exhaust 1" pto clutch once i got the 420 home i was impressed on how well of a shape it was in, think it is a 1990 model paint is on very good condition, deck is in very good shape too started looking for replacement motors on line, found a couple of good places but was not willing to pay 1800$, thought about rebuilding the onan, but not my strong suit. saw a video on youtube with hondas and briggs, on one with a predator one, not very detailed though. was going to pick a new motor at harbor freight for 699$ plus tax but they did not have one in stock, found one on ebay for 600$ or best offer, offered 500$ and i got it with free shipping, only issue no air filter or cover five days later fedex delivered it pulled all all front off and sat motor in place and went from there raised motor 1" with square tubing but ended up using 1-1/2" square tubing muffler sat 3" higher than the hood support cut muffler curbed tubes and welded muffler them straight which dropped it down about 3-1/2", had to notch the top apart of the hood support, could not bring muffler any lower would be too close to pto belt and thought i would over heat the belts made an adapter to go from 4 bolt to 3 bolt on the fly wheel but did not work, bolt pattern to close, just drilled 3 new holes on the drive shaft flange and end up making the shaft 2" longer machined a bushing 1-7/16" to 1" to use the original pto(end up burning up some how) had another one with a 1" hole that i end up using, worked, had to make a bracket to keep it in place since it was a triangle base one with not bolt holes to bolt it down to motor test drove it everything worked, still had the predator set up the way it came out of the box removed the jd computer box??? and spent the next day about 4 hours rewiring it, started by just powering it up with the jd ignition and them worked backwards on the safetys (neutral and pto) after that the pto wiring to only work with the key on, need to finish up the lights and wire the seat to kill the pto (dead man switch) had to figure out how to make my round air filter seal up against square air filter on the predator, metal would of being to time consuming so a bucket fit the bill just right ( buddy gave me crap about the bucket, but functional) can not tell now that it is painted flat black tractor works good, no issues, everything fitted nicely in engine compartment mowed 2 acres this past week with no issues besides, burning up the original pto clutch and a couple of belts, tension was not moving freely and spring was missing, overall very happy with the end result and the amount of money I put into it will load pictures up as soon as I figure out how to, new to this, first post

 

[tony88in99]

i put one on my 420 cut the rounded part out and welded it straight out,

 

[steve770]

It's been a while but I'm back at it.
After buying a MIG welder and thinking I could modify the muffler myself, things quickly went south. There's no substitute for experience. Youtube videos and practicing on scrap metal just doesn't cut it!
So, I found a guy through his ad on craigslist and dropped it off. He told me later it was a horror show trying to get my nasty welds off so he could re do it... oh well.
Now it looks like this:

I had to do a little bending to get it to line up with the studs. Now it's on and running!

Next I wanted to see about adding the PTO.
The 1" one I got from a 317 (I think?) fit right on.
The bolt pattern on the front of the Predator matched:

To mount it I just stacked washers. Not sure that's the greatest idea but it works for now.
I have not wired it in yet. It does work if I go straight to the battery. I'm curious if the predator makes enough Amperage to keep it engaged.

 

[bloodrunsgreen]

Look at the predator doc to see if you got the 3 amp version or the 20 amp

 

[shadetree]

I don't know how many amps the Harbor Freight Predator 670 puts out but I doubt it is anywhere near 20. Mine have been able to keep the PTO engaged and restart the engine with no problem. In addition to the PTO I have NO lights, radio, or other electrical devices. It is a bare bones daylight mowing machine.

I have been following a golf cart forum that Army mentioned a couple of years ago and someone there added a 1wire GM alternator straight to the battery via the starter without changing the in place wiring system. Waiting to see how this does. At least waiting as I have wanted to add an alternator for several years but have yet to get it done.

Will have to learn mig welding so I can mount the cut down muffler so the hood will fit - then will have a place to mount the lights, computer, and gps system.

 

[steve770]

I found a few wiring modifications that had been done over the years.
The seat switch and the neutral safety switches had been bypassed and the 2 amp / 25 amp leads had been reversed.
Spent the day rewiring and adding a relay to ground the ignition when it is turned off.
Ended up with 2 problems: the ignition connections are spotty (not a big deal) and the PTO does not pull in (kind of a big deal!).
I could see some sparks in there when I tried.

I really like the idea of a 1 wire alternator off of the rear stub shaft.
What if, instead of trying to fabricate a belt and pulley system to turn the alternator, the alternator rotor shaft and output shaft be connected directly with a heavy duty rubber tube? The only part to fabricate would be the alternator mount. It may sound silly but it's not a critical component and I've seen things connected that way.
(granted they were very low resistance pulse generators). Next is to find out if it would fit and what the resistance would be under load.

 

[dieselshadow]

I would be concerned with the low RPM of that shaft. Alternators require some decent RPM to create current. Too slow and it won't be effective.

 

[shadetree]

dieselshadow How about 3600 RPMs. That or very close to that is what that little shaft turns at WOT. Some people get confused by the 2000 RPM rear pto. That is obtained with gear reduction. The shaft basically runs straight through from the engine and turns the same RPM's as the engine.

 

[pidjones]

Most alternator curve that I find put you at ~60-80% @3600 RPM. Most automotive alternators run at 2x crank RPM or more to be able to charge at idle. A simple belt drive to a small (Geo Metro) alternator is used on many 1200 cc GoldWings (referred to as the "Po Boy" conversion) running at near crank RPM, which might have a similar electrical load.

 

[shadetree]

I've had the alternator on the back burner for a couple of years. Until then I was reading everything I could find on the subject. Without hunting my notes I was thinking a 1:1 ratio. I believe 20+ HP has enough excess that the alternator will not be noticed power wise. From the few people I've found that have actually done this on a 318 seem to agree with this.

 

[WJH]

Computer system, gps, on a 318? You going to add a servo to the power steering and have autopilot?


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[shadetree]

Think you might be able to machine the parts I'll need to make all this fit at a reasonable cost?

 

[bloodrunsgreen]

Me thinks he is secretly building a predator drone (green/yellow camo). Lawns of the world watch out!!:rocket:

 

[WJH]

Think you might be able to machine the parts I'll need to make all this fit at a reasonable cost?

You asking me?


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Remember to spay and neuter your liberals

 

[shadetree]

Yes, didn't you say you had a lathe etc.?