Popular Post Valiant Posted February 28, 2022 Popular Post Posted February 28, 2022 A friend of mine has had these lurking in the back of his shed for years, the shed got demolished recently and both of them were sitting in the yard. We made a deal, if I get the blue one going for him to use I can keep the yellow and brown one. Seemed like a sweet deal so they have both arrived at my place. They blue one I think is an early production Power Pony, it has chain steering and bushed front wheels. Someone has fitted a 10hp Briggs and Stratton to it. We have a 11hp Honda to fit replace the B&S. It needs some new bushes in the front wheels, a good tidy up and we should be good to go. 18 Quote
Popular Post Valiant Posted February 28, 2022 Author Popular Post Posted February 28, 2022 My yellow one is the cooler of the two (in my opinion) it's tidier, more original, but mechanically less complete. It came with the remains of a 12hp Tecmseh ohv engine, the original I suspect. The front tyres are stuffed, a few covers and guards are missing but it's pretty much all there. I think this one is Is a slightly later production it has quadrant steering, non cut out grille and front hubs/wheel bearings. 20 1 Quote
Popular Post Valiant Posted February 28, 2022 Author Popular Post Posted February 28, 2022 So far I have brought a pair of new front tyres that are a bit taller/wider than the original, I think I will redrill the front hubs and fit the ride on wheels and tyres. Failing that I'll see if I can put the larger tyres on the original wheels. Lastly I need something to make this go. That's where the cheapest 15hp Chonda I could find on Trade Me comes into play. Hopefully I'll be able to make it all work, it's a long way from clearing the bonnet at the moment, I think a home made power pony spec exhaust and an air cleaner rework should solve the clearance issues. I'm tempted to paint the engine tinware brown to match the 70s styling. Time will tell. 25 1 1 Quote
cletus Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 Neat! Does it have a proper clutch/gearbox/diff? The wheels look familiar too, they must have been a universal thing for mowers tractors trailers etc 1 Quote
Raizer Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 These things can wheelie real well! Had one with a Tecumseh on at a wreckers I worked at, was amazing what it would tow around the yard and the abuse it withstood haha 1 Quote
ThePog Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 This brought back memories of the many many hours mowing on our yellow one. One time a screwdriver dropped through the gearbox cover and into the blades, launched it 40m across the road and through the neighbors window.... 2 6 1 Quote
Vintage Grumble Posted February 28, 2022 Posted February 28, 2022 I have pined for one of these for like 25 years. I shall now live bi-curiously through you. 5 2 Quote
Valiant Posted March 1, 2022 Author Posted March 1, 2022 17 hours ago, cletus said: Neat! Does it have a proper clutch/gearbox/diff? Thank you Cletus. It does have a 4 speed gearbox which is driven by V Belt belt from the motor, the clutch adds tension to the belt to engage drive. The diff is belt driven off the transmission it also has a "clutch" that is engaged when the brake is pressed. Also the brake is a band style that holds a drum external to the final drive. 1 1 Quote
yoeddynz Posted March 4, 2022 Posted March 4, 2022 Miniature bucket setup for the front please. 1 Quote
anglia4 Posted March 4, 2022 Posted March 4, 2022 I’ve seen a front end loader one before. It was very cool. 4 Quote
Popular Post Valiant Posted March 14, 2022 Author Popular Post Posted March 14, 2022 On with the pesting. The blue one is a very early production one apparently. This is evidenced by the bushed front wheels and chain steering. Anyway one of the front stub axles is completely wrecked. It's been run dry with a stuffed bush for so long that it almost ate the end off the stub axle. I needed the most basic solution to make it work again. That solution turned out to be turning up a replacement stub, making a crude jig based on the old stub, cut and weld. Sweet. on with the motor swap! 15 Quote
Popular Post yoeddynz Posted March 14, 2022 Popular Post Posted March 14, 2022 21 minutes ago, Valiant said: on with the motor swap! 8 3 1 Quote
Popular Post Valiant Posted March 21, 2022 Author Popular Post Posted March 21, 2022 Shagged around with the yellow one over the weekend. Instead of redrilling the hubs and swapping wheels I thought I'd give swapping tyres to rims a try. Used my improvised bead breaker, worked well, tyres swapped easily, no tube required. Looks pretty sweet, chassis is pretty close to level. The drad link just catches the tyre on hard left lock. Maybe I'll put a little bend in the drag link, maybe I won't. Then made a start on fitting the new motor. Used my SnapOn harmonic balancer puller to get the multi belt pulley off the blue Pony. It put up quite a fight but the Snap-on puller is still undefeated. Dumbly my motor has a 25mm crank with a 7mm key, the pulley is 1" with 1/4 key way. I'll get the pulley re keyed and use shim steel/locktight to solve the diameter issues. Anyway, enough worked to to mock the motor up with a basic jig. Looks pretty good, it has to sit alot further back in the chassis than the original because the Chonda isn't a vertical engine. I'll have to make a new exhaust up to clear the bonnet, and trim the side cover a little bit. 17 Quote
Popular Post Lord Gruntfuttock Posted March 21, 2022 Popular Post Posted March 21, 2022 This came up today local. With loader on front and rotary hoe on the back, that can be swapped with counterweight that is part of package. Tempted... 11 Quote
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