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Rear Mount Leaf Blower


jasper

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After much deliberation I have decided to modify one of my 990533 leaf vacs. into a leaf blower. I removed and balanced the impeller then reinstalled into the blower housing. I checked all the bearings and greased everything I could. I then bolted the rear mounts back on the frame and tipped the blower backwards until it hit the trailer hitch mount. I made two metal straps (90 degree angle L's 15 inches long) and bolted it from the old front mounts of the frame to the bottom of the blower which now exhausts straight back. The straps continue past the bottom mounts about 7 inches. I relocated the over-center engage handle to this section of angle just past the bottom mount of the blower and it works as it always has after I installed a bolt to act as a stop for the lever. The original 1665706 belt still fits and worked properly. I installed all of this on a 3416s and found that a 5/8 x 73 belt fit and worked with the original tensioner. I then bought a piece of 6” adjustable 90 degree duct work and a 6” to 4 “ duct reducer and attached the two to the rearward facing discharge nozzle of the blower so that the blower is now blowing down and to the left of the tractor. (angle to suit your needs) Last was for safety (jury is still out on whether I needed it or not) I took a piece of ¼ inch steal and mounted it to the topside of the two 90 degree angle to act as a scatter shield for the driver, hoping in the event of a catastrophic failure it will at least in crease the likelihood of survival! All seems tight so I proceeded to the math and came to the conclusion that when turning the engine 3600 rpm (checked with a vibro-tach) a 3 inch pulley would turn the blower 6000 rpm! Not wanting to tempt fate and not having a nearest faraway place to stand I decided that MIGHT be a bit fast so I settled on a 3.25 in pulley which should @ 3600 be 5500 blower speed. I started and ran the blower for 30 minutes at 1800 rpm (tractor-speed) 3500 blower then shut it down and checked all bearings, belts, blower fan, and bolts! All looked good. I started it back up and ran it 2300 for another 30 and rechecked….all looked good! Then I ran it 3000 for 30 and again all looks good. Lastly at 3600 and again all is well. I have yet to really work it hard but I will say HOLEY COW this thing moves some air. I am on the fence about the decision to use the 3.25 instead of the 3 but that is a two-minute fix if I decide to later change it. I was very concerned about the balance of the blower fan and 6000 rpm. The fan was very, very close from the factory and I did make it better but I did not remove more than a gram total from 3 spots so it might have been fine without the balance. I am not a paying member so I can't post pics. Next I think I am going to make a front mount because all the looking over your shoulder is a little rough. I am thinking about using an old little wonder 8 to 11 horse and removing the engine……Any toughts?
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What about mirrors? ;) Sounds like a neat project...I have a tough time picturing the mods, but I can certainly visualize the results!
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I had the same idea for a front mount blower because I got tired of pushing my 8hp blower back and forth across the yard. I went to my local Simplicity dealer and asked if any one had brought in a leaf blower and then decided it wasn't worth fixing and he got me a lil wonder for $85 with a blown motor. I was thinking about adapting a drive shaft like my Kubota tractor has on the rear for the finish mower but never followed through. The dealer suggested an electric clutch off the front engine shaft but you would have to make linkage and a shaft to drive it with pulleys. I ended up using my 42" not 46" snow blade hitch and taking the blade off. The v-nose part of the hitch will slide over the axle shaft of a blower and then you can put the pin in to lock it in. I tried shaft collars to lock it in side to side but they wouldn't hold. I want to make a hitch like the snow blade hitch but with the side bar stock going straight out instead of tapering to a v like on the snow blade. Anyways, I took the handles off the blower along with the throttle cable and left the engine on the blower do the work and it worked fine.
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