Winter Project

[renegade_cowboy]

I am about to begin a winter project and had some questions.

I am having a custom built frame welded together and powder coated to transfer over my engine, blower and pump over to. Its a real simple design that I have no intention on changing the design. I am just going to take the TM apart and use the same mounting plate on the new frame and put it all back where it belongs. Create a faceplate for the control panel, redo the wiring and give it a sexy look and call it good. After everything is all made, it will take less than a day for the transfer, I will have help. Just going to keep it simple and easy.

Why do this, you ask? I have a 91 HM Hydracat that has a 23 hp B&S, 4005 blower, 290 cat pump with LG heater. It runs great, but there is alot of dead weight as far as the frame, questionable wiring over the last 20 years, few other things and plus its an ugly design IMHO.

I want to maximize the equipments potential as far as performance.

What size exhaust pipe do you recommend i use for the engine and also what size pipe is best for the intake and exhaust for the blower? Its all standard factory size right now.


It has the old school metal water box that needs to be replaced, any ideas? Do i need a water box or can I do chemical injection somehow?


I was going to use the same waste tank, just paint it a different color but I was going to replace the 2 2 inch vac ports with one 2.5 inch port, any suggestions on what that part might cost and where to get it?


I have a standard brass pressure regulator that is starting to leak out the center a little bit, does that need to be replaced?


It has a duel exhaust right now, one for the blower and one for the engine, can I combine them into one exhaust?


Any other suggestions to update the machine?

Thanks for any input......

 

[Greenie]

I am about to begin a winter project and had some questions.

I am having a custom built frame welded together and powder coated to transfer over my engine, blower and pump over to. Its a real simple design that I have no intention on changing the design. I am just going to take the TM apart and use the same mounting plate on the new frame and put it all back where it belongs. Create a faceplate for the control panel, redo the wiring and give it a sexy look and call it good. After everything is all made, it will take less than a day for the transfer, I will have help. Just going to keep it simple and easy.

Sounds like a solid plan.

I want to maximize the equipments potential as far as performance.

What size exhaust pipe do you recommend i use for the engine and also what size pipe is best for the intake and exhaust for the blower? Its all standard factory size right now.

Just stay with factory, I believe the briggs is 1.25", a little bigger won't hurt, but don't get all crazy and don't undersize, this should be easy to preserve factory specs.
Same with your Blower, unless you have a wicked sharp 90 deg. angle, just keep everything 2.5", there won't be any need to oversize the plumbing, unless you plan on putting an oversized silencer on it.

It has the old school metal water box that needs to be replaced, any ideas? Do i need a water box or can I do chemical injection somehow?
Make a SS box or buy one already done like Les uses on the TNT, you want to keep the Floatbox/mix tank, it makes chem draw easy.

I was going to use the same waste tank, just paint it a different color but I was going to replace the 2 2 inch vac ports with one 2.5 inch port, any suggestions on what that part might cost and where to get it?

Do you already have a 2.5" Y?
If not I have some bolt on 2.5 Elbows ($99) that would fit the bill, but a 2.5Y and a couple of factory 2" hoses from tank to side of machine where the Y bolts on would be sweet as well, and cost $30 less.

I have a standard brass pressure regulator that is starting to leak out the center a little bit, does that need to be replaced?

Replaced or rebuilt.


It has a duel exhaust right now, one for the blower and one for the engine, can I combine them into one exhaust?
You may cause a back pressure issue, don't do it, keep them separate. You could have them come to a common exhaust port AFTER the muffler and silencers if you wanted, just NOT before them....once again it's about back pressure.

 

[Shane T]

Do you use on board fresh water tank? If so you don't need a mix tank.

 

[tmdry]

Hey Brent, did you end up finishing the project tm?

Mine is in pieces right now.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Its my primary machine now and too busy to do much. Was thinking about getting a second used TM and throwing it in a van. But its still on the to do list.

You may want to consider dropping the onan engine and convert it over to a more common, reliable engine. They are simple machines and should be pretty easy for you to convert and put on a new frame.

 

[tmdry]

Its my primary machine now and too busy to do much. Was thinking about getting a second used TM and throwing it in a van. But its still on the to do list.

You may want to consider dropping the onan engine and convert it over to a more common, reliable engine. They are simple machines and should be pretty easy for you to convert and put on a new frame.

The motor is at a local shop getting looked at to see what it needs.