"User Bp" wrote in message ...
User Bp wrote:
Hi all,

I'd like to rehabilitate a 25" Tru-Cut commercial mower and would
appreciate advice on one obscure and one not-so-obscure issue.

The obscure issue is tires: The original solid tires are worn smooth
and don't have much traction. OEM tires are expensive (~$160) and it
seems likely that pneumatics would work better. The wheelwell space
allows a 10.5" by 5.5" tire, absolute maximum. 4.10/3.50x4 tubeless
pneumatics are cheap, but 4 by 3 inch rims with bolt mountings are
hard to come by. Worse yet, an offset of about 1.25 inches is needed
to center the tire in the wheelwell. Go-kart rims come close, but lack
the offset. One could butcher the hubs and add spacers, but new bolt
circles will have to be drilled. Anybody got a better idea? The existing
hubs are 1.75" pilot diameter with a 4 on 2.625 (that's 2 5/8" BC).
Dual flanges are 1.25" inch offset from the wheel well center.

The non-obscure issue is the engine. It's a Briggs & Stratton model
130232 with a scored cylinder bore and worn out valve guides. Still
runs, but seems to burn oil about like a two-stroke. The local shop
says replace it with a Honda GX160. That's probably what I'll do, but
would be interested in alternative endings.

Oh, one other thing: Does anybody know where Tru-Cut puts the model
and serial number? There's a label on the handle which reads "Snapper
Tru-Cut" and the engine code dates to 1972. It's not certain the engine
is original (the mower is red, the engine bronze colored) but it's been
said Snapper did own Tru-Cut in the early 1970's. I've been over the
machine rather carefully and haven't found a model or serial number.


Thanks for reading!

bob prohaska


In the unlikely event anybody ever reads this I ended up moving the
the wheel hub flanges to use rims that were symmetric. The rims were
adapted from these:
http://www.bmikarts.com/5-Split-Rim-...rn_p_1572.html
with an o-ring and spacer added to provide a seal and a centering
boss. The mounting bolt circles were transferred from the existing
flanges, with cutouts to clear the clamp nuts.

Sealing the rim halves proved difficult. A better solution might
have been to use
http://cometkartsales.com/5-Diameter/
rims, but interference between the hub bolt circles and the rim
bolt circles looks possible. At the light loads and slow speeds
involved it's probably not a showstopper but it is a complication.

Tires are Cheng Shin, found at
http://www.mfgsupply.com/mower/mower.../8-828-h2.html
Labeled as eleven inch, they fit with about one-eighth inch of
radial clearance to the mower frame.

The front caster wheels were replaced with 100mm kickscooter
wheels (Razor-brand clones) using flanged bushings to go from
3/8" to 5/16" (8mm) axle bolts.

A Honda GX160 replaced the old B&S and is a joy to use. The rest
of the mower is in reasonable shape and promises many years of
service. The pneumatic tires are a decided improvement, much
smoother over bumps and softer on the grass. The scooter tires
on the front casters are a mixed bag: They turn wonderfully but
offer little flotation. On a mushy surface it would take care
to avoid making furrows

Hope this helps somebody,

bob prohaska

Thanks, Bob. I was following it - similar situation here. Sounds like a great idea.