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 | Doug Bacon
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2002-07-31 40871
I am the proud owner of an ancient Steiner Tractor. It originaly had a 16hp Briggs and was upgraded to an 18hp Briggs. The 18hp engine has over 3000 hrs on the hour meter! The tractor is in excellent condition. I use a 60 inch deck mowing 3 acres 2 times a week. As you can imagine the Briggs is about dead. I am planning on installing a Subaru engine in its place. I have been measuring and calculating and think it will work well. The Subaru crank centerline is only 2" taller and the overall length is only 3 " greater.(compared to the Briggs) I will go from 18hp to about 70hp if it fits. I am using a radiator from a Geo Metro and will likely have to relocate the battery. Has anyone else ever done anything like this? I could use some encouragement and insight if its available. If this doesnt work I will have a nice old tractor for sale! Cheap! By the way, I have a roller,plow, disc,sprayer and grader blade all converted from other equipment to work on the Steiner.
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2002-08-01 40889
I once had a '37 Olds coupe with a 60 Buick engine to a LaSalle TX to a '54 Olds rear-end. Somebody else did the conversion work but I appreciate many of the problems.
The main problem is how to connect an engine to a different TX. The TX has it's own pilot shaft that has a particular length, clutch disk splines and pilot bearing. The engine has its own flywheel, bell housing and starter. Since both the engine and TX have their own mounts, new ones have to be welded in, so at least mounts can be located to accommodate the pilot shaft length. The engine bell housing and flywheel can be kept (easier than trying to find different flywheel or ring gear and starter drive). An adapter plate can be made to connect the engine and TX. With luck, a clutch disc can be found with the right diameter for the pressure plate, the right splines for the pilot shaft and maybe some throw-out bearing has the right diameter for the pilot shaft and isn't too difficult to connect to the clutch linkage.
Now that the TX and engine are connected, it's not too difficult to connect the TX to the differential. Fortunately, the drive shaft probably has to be cut down or extended to accommodate a new distance between the TX and differential. Although the drive shaft then has to be sent to a shop and balanced, a new front u-joint that fits the TX can be spliced on.. the conversion is sort of finished now even if problems like the TX shift linkage are ignored for the moment.
One of the things that should come across in this ramble is that the people who built hot-rods in the '50's had a lot of knowledge about what could work together. There were typically many problems to solve in doing these conversions, and the mechanics that did them were very very good.
I'd say you should have an interesting project that also could be a lot of fun if you take your time. I wouldn't underestimate the problems you'll likely encounter and I'd plan very carefully. In my example, welding in new mounts is one of the first things done. If the width of the adapter plate between the bell-housing and TX wasn't considered, then the pilot shaft won't seat in the pilot bearing when the TX is bolted in. That problem would be found when the work was fairly far along, and it's a 'back-to-the-drawing-board' sort of problem.
I would consider the suitability of a 70HP auto engine in an 18HP tractor frame. Other than the possibility of stressing the tractor drive-train, there's the question of what rpm will the engine to run for typical tractor ground speeds. The engine may achieve it's 70HP at higher rpm's that could be run for typical tractor ground speeds. The engine may have much less HP and little torque at lower RPM's.
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2002-08-07 41037
The biggest question might be here with this conversion do you have 40 hours at a minimum to spend to do it. That's just a ball park figure of time I would say to do the transplant, not including parts chasing and I might be a little low. The next part would be how long before a failure of the next major part of the drive train. If you really love it, spend the money for a 20 or 22 horsepower briggs and keep it in tack. The briggs spins at 3600rpm How will you match that with out a govenor? How big are the shafts to take the extra horsepower. ....
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| Doug Bacon
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2002-08-08 41062
Just for conversation. The Steiner tractor is a Hydrostatic drive which does not have a clutch. A hydro unit does not care about anything other than rpm. Of course you need to create the necessary torque but not as critical in a fixed gear tractor. The input shaft of a Steiner Hydro unit is a Lovejoy connector that uses a 1" shaft. I will be required to turn the subaru engine around and use the flywheel end to run the pto on the front of the tractor. What I am interested in is if anyone has done a similar swap and what were the problems they encountered. I have the time and ability to make the change just looking for any little help with things I might be overlooking. ....
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| Mike
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2002-08-25 41634
The Steiner transmissons are rated at 15Hp each.(even less on the old ones) This means that you can run a 30Hp engine and not be out side of the design parameters. 70Hp will blow the hydro pump apart. Even if the pump stays together something else will let loose in short order. I can appreciate your ingenuity but just about any type of Briggs, Kohler, Kawasaki, Honda, etc.
Would work without being dangerous. If your project with the Subaru works out please post some pictures. It would be very interesting to see. ....
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| Doug B.
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2002-08-26 41650
Mike, thanks for the insight. I realize what you are saying. I doubt seriously if I will ever use this tractor for more than mowing. I will never use the 70hp available. I am just so tired of the vibration,noise and underpower I seem to experience with most air cooled engines.
The project is well under way. The subaru engine is now being modified. I have developed a way to make the one inch shafts for the Lovejoy connector to the pump and for the PTO. It looks like I will need to raise the pump up off the platform to align with the center of crank on the Subaru. The biggest problem I see now is the exhaust. They exit the heads right about where the tires are. Ill figure out something! The Subaru engine was from and 86 car with tons of pollution devices that need to be blocked and plugged so that is taking lots of time also. I plan on pulling the Briggs in a couple of days and doing the first "fit check".
I did consider a new Briggs 18hp engine before starting this project. It would have cost about $1000.00. This project so far has cost about $75.00. Of course I am not counting labor, Im cheap!! ....
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