This engine is heavy enough that it is difficult to move it around unless it has wheels under it. I looked around online and came across a universal cart kit for hit and miss engines on a website called Flywheel Supply. The kit came with four 8" diameter cast iron wheels, two cast rear axle supports, a front cast axle swivel bolster, and some U-bolts.
I painted all the cast parts JD green and set about mounting things up. I could have used an engine hoist to lift the engine off the ground but digging out the hoist and setting it up was too much work so I just got a block of wood and propped things up.
For the most part, things went together smoothly other than the nuts for the rear u-bolts. They hit the castings. I was barely able to get the nuts started but then had to use an open end wrench to run the nuts down. Quite the slow process. I guess they will never back out...
Well that's never happened before. I was drilling holes in the axle tube for cotter pins and the drill bit just bent. I've damaged a whole lot of drill bits in my time but never has one bend. They always snap, you know, because they're hardened steel. I'm guessing this one wasn't.
The back wheels are on, now to the front.
And magically the job is done. The green color seems a bit too bright. I think the paint on the engine is original so I don't really want to mess with it so I guess things will just have to look this way. I do still need to fabricate a steering handle but that will be some other time. Since the engine was out in the daylight, I just had to try and start it. Wouldn't you know it popped off after one crank of the flywheels. Cool!
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