![\"Artie](\"https:\/\/cubcadetman.com\/cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Artie-pic-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI stripped down the frame and cut it to length. (I measured the lengths from the frame of Artie I. Most of those dimensions can be found in the article on Artie I.) As with Artie I, for the front section I reversed a Cub Cadet rear end, cut out the appropriate section of the frame and bolted the rear end in place.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n I welded a Category 2 end in a section of 2\u201d by 2\u201d tubing and welded it across the inside bottom at the rear of the frame.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I welded a section of \u00bd\u201d by 3\u201d flat across the top of the frame and welded a section of 3\/8\u201d by 2 \u00bd\u201d flat that extended back with a 5\/8\u201d hole centered over the Category 2 end.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I didn\u2019t yet have a wide frame section to use for the rear, so I decided I\u2019d temporarily use a narrow frame rear end to determine the dimensions I\u2019d eventually use. I cut the two sides to length and bolted a Cub Cadet rear end in place using the original mounting holes. With the rear end bolted in place I could determine where to make the cuts to bend the frame inward. I bent both sides in to form the front of the rear section.<\/p>\n I measured the distance between the two sides and cut a section of 2\u201d by 2\u201d tubing to fit and temporarily tack welded it in place. The tubing was cut at an angle to match the angle of the sides of the rear section. \u00a0 I added two sections of 3\/8\u201d by 2 \u00bd\u201d flat to the tubing and welded them in place.<\/p>\n Since the narrow frame section I was using was only temporary, I made a temporary connection for the top, rear connection and used C-clamps to hold it in place. Adding a Category 0 top link completed the connection.<\/p>\n When I wrote this next section it became a little confusing since I kept referring to a \u201crear end\u201d and was talking about the front section of Artie. To reduce some of this confusion, I\u2019ll just refer to it as the transmission, and the reader will have to realize I\u2019m referring to what is an entire Cub Cadet rear end that\u2019s being used for the front axle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reversing the transmission and leaving the engine in the original orientation presented several problems. The \u201ctop shaft\u201d on a gear drive, rear end does not extend out the back of the transmission. After the transmission was reversed the top shaft had to be extended forward to provide a connection for the drive shaft. Additionally, in an unmodified Cub Cadet the engine driveshaft is offset to the right. \u00a0 Reversing the transmission meant that the driveshaft was now offset to the left. Also, there was a very limited amount of space for the clutch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first task was extending the top shaft.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unfortunately I only took a picture of the finished product, but I\u2019ll explain what I did. I took the top shaft to a friend who\u2019s a much better machinist than I am. He drilled a quarter inch hole in the stub end of the top shaft. He took a piece of \u00be\u201d cold rolled and turned the end down to fit in the hole in the top shaft to help center it. He also chamfered that end of the \u00be\u201d shaft to provide more welding surface. I took that setup to another friend who is an excellent TIG welder, and he welded the two pieces together. I took the welded piece back to my machinist friend and he turned the added \u00be\u201d section down to 5\/8\u201d.<\/p>\n I replaced the original needle bearing for the top shaft with one that contained a seal and installed the top shaft.<\/p>\n With the top shaft extended the next task was to install the engine and clutch.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019d made some temporary measurements but needed an engine mounted in place to finalize everything. I removed the engine from Artie I and placed it in the new frame. I placed a 5\/8\u201d shaft in the clutch plate to get the correct alignment between the engine and the top shaft. The engine had to be moved so far to the left that I had to cut out a section of the frame for clearance for the points cover and dipstick.<\/p>\n Also, with the engine mounted so far to the left, the original engine mounts couldn\u2019t be used. \u00a0 I had found with Artie I that I preferred solid mounts for the engine. It took some time, but I eventually got everything figured out. \u00a0 I used two \u00bd\u201d by 3\u201d by 10\u201d flats welded to the frame to mount the engine.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not obvious in the picture, but the front flat had to be a little higher than the rear flat to get proper alignment. I don\u2019t recall the exact spacer (I tried several) but I think it was about 1\/8\u201d thick.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the engine lined up and installed, it was time to look at mounting the clutch. It was quickly obvious that the clutch release lever couldn\u2019t be installed vertically. However, there was room to install it horizontally. That required attaching a clutch yoke to one side of the frame and another support on the opposite side for the outer end of the release lever to slide on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the driveline and clutch installed, the next problem was the shift mechanism. Since the driveshaft extended right through where the gearshift used to be, it was necessary to install a completely new, different shifting mechanism. I took a \u00bc\u201d by 1\u201d flat and formed a connection that fit into the top of the shifter fork and bolted it in place. I mounted one of these on each side of the driveshaft. I mounted a piece of \u00bc\u201d plate with two slots in it to cover the transmission opening.<\/p>\n I had planned to use accordion boots to cover the slots for the shift mechanism, but there just wasn\u2019t enough room. After a lot of thought and discussion with some friends, I decided I\u2019d cover the slots with two \u201csliding\u201d plates. I also went with a heavier (90 wt.) transmission fluid to limit oil loss.<\/p>\n With that, the hard part of the project was done. I considered making some sort of mechanism so I\u2019d only have one gearshift lever, but that got really complicated. I decided instead to go with two levers. It took some time, but I got the clutch pedal and gearshift levers installed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The only problem remaining was the steering. I wanted hydraulic steering like Artie I. I still had a power steering pump from a 1986 Honda Civic that I had purchased for Artie I but never used. I had read on the web that this pump could be used with a counterclockwise rotation. \u00a0 I set up a test stand with a reversible drill to try it out.<\/p>\n I found out the pump required a clockwise rotation. Don\u2019t believe everything you read on the web!!! But when I took the pump apart I found out that everything on the inside was symmetrical. So, I just moved the drive shaft and gear from the left side to the right side, and I had a counterclockwise rotating pump.<\/p>\n I mounted the pump to a plate bolted to the engine block behind the starter\/generator bracket.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I used the same steering \u201csetup\u201d that I\u2019d used in Artie I.<\/p>\n (In the picture I\u2019d found a wideframe rear end and replaced the temporary frame that I\u2019d been using.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And, that was it. \u00a0 All the sheet metal from Artie I fit on the new \u201cArtie\u201d and I was ready to paint and try it out. The only problem I encountered was with a leaking seal on the front of the power steering pump. \u00a0 A little investigation determined that the pressure was getting too high when the steering \u201cbottomed out\u201d the hydraulic cylinder used for steering. I couldn\u2019t find a pressure relief valve in the range I wanted, so I purchased a higher pressure relief valve and replaced the spring with a weaker one. It worked great on the first try. Again, it\u2019s better to be lucky than good.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n