malenurse13

I got some drone footage of our TW450 in the ice and snow today.

We've had the Predator 459cc on our American Landmaster TW450 for about one month now. And I've got to say, this has been a solid motor! My kids have really put the motor and the whole side-by-side to the test. But it's running great! The original motor was a Kohler ECH440 with 14hp. We've had ice and snow all weekend. But we can feel the extra power with the Predator 459cc (15.8hp). Just wanted to let y'all know, if you're looking for something to replace your motor on the TW450... We considered the cheaper Predator 420. But I'm really glad we got the 459!

We've got a simple "battery-to-solenoid" connection to use the electric start on the Predator motor. But what I really need help with now is figuring out how to get the headlights and maybe even the stock ignition back working again. Does anyone know how to get an after-market motor connected to the stock wiring for ignition, lights, acc, etc.? The little copper solenoid terminals on the predator already have several things connected to it. Any wiring advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank y'all!

GREAT news, y'all! The new HF Predator 459 was successfully installed and runs great! Even wired up the electric start.

An update: The throttle cable we bought on Amazon was a perfect replacement with plenty of extra length to ensure we had enough. We installed it to mark where to cut the housing. Then pulled the cable out of the way to cut the housing only. They pushed the cable back thru and cut that separate. Works great and awesome to have the TW450 back out in the yard!

We've got the old Kohler motor out and the new Predator 459cc in! But before we put the motor in there. I took some pics of the old wires. I'm hoping y'all can help me figure out what all these are for and what we need to keep. There are a lot of inline fuses. And all the labels we can read say "12v pos" or "regulator/rectifier." Main thing I'm looking for: 1. Wires to connect the stock ignition to the starter on the new motor 2. Wires for the headlights If anyone can help me identify what all these wires are for, I'd appreciate the help!

I found a 70" long throttle cable with the eyelet on one end and open on the other. $10 on Amazon and it'll be here tomorrow.

Here's what we hoped to install tonight. ;(

We bought a used American Landmaster TW450 with a Fuel Injected Kohler 440 on it. Today, I bought a Predator 459cc 15.8hp motor from Harbor Freight. But before we put the new motor in, it's pretty obvious, the stock throttle length is NOT long enough. The stock throttle cable from gas pedal to the end is only 32 inches! We need at least another 10-12 inches to get to the throttle linkage on the new motor. What can we do?? Is there some way to modify the original throttle to add some length? Or do we have to buy a brand new cable?

So today, I bought the Harbor Freight, Predator 459cc 15.8hp motor to put on our Trailmaster TW450. Same shaft diameter and length, a little more HP. Hoping to have this thing running again soon! If y'all have any tips/tricks/advice on how to proceed with this motor swap, I'd greatly appreciate it! Especially if y'all know of an easy way to get the stock ignition to work with the starter on this predator motor, that would be awesome!

Well, my son pulled the motor and took it apart the other day. Now we can see exactly what's going on inside the original motor, Kohler ECH440. Might not be able to tell exactly what happened. But definitely appears beyond repair!

Y'all may remember, last year, I had some big problems with our Landmaster TW450...

A new belt fixed our weird lag issues. The kids ran the go kart all day yesterday, no problem. Then it started doing this... Any idea what would cause the clutch to grab so aggressively like that??

When the kids hit the gas, I can see the front clutch pulley trying to engage the belt. But all it does is burn up the belt. I have ordered some new belts on Amazon that will be here in a couple days. But what else could be going on that the belt is not properly engaging? There's no WD40 or any grease on it. Only difference is I tried riding it (290 lbs).

https://youtube.com/shorts/1JEi9hdW7Jo?si=5_RwP_DUkgytTYFF The brake sounds awful! But works WAY better than our American Landmaster TW450.

So the new motor is on the go kart! Fix-a-flat in the dry rotted tires. It ran great till I got on it... Now the kids can run full throttle and the belt never catches. It smelled like burnt rubber when I rode it (I weigh a good bit more than they do). I'm going to assume, with the condition of the tires and all other rubber parts, that the belt just needs to be replaced. But if you have any ideas of what else could cause a belt to go from traction to no traction in just a few minutes, please let me know... If we can get the kinks out and end up with a reliable go kart after this predator motor swap, we'll do the same thing with the side-by-side!

Well, I'm sorry I never saw your response, WB. We tried every alternative engine mounting technique I could think of, but nothing worked. So, after seeing a YouTube video with the same engine swap, we took the rear axle to our local mechanic who used his air hammer to help loosen up all those stubborn parts so we could move the belt closer to the motor and chain on the outside. It actually worked! If you compare this photo to the last one I posted, you can see the difference.

Ok, warming up to the engine swap on the landmaster. It's SPRING BLACK FRIDAY at Harbor Freight! We have a go kart that won't run so we bought the Predator 212 for $109! The problem is the predator 212 motor shaft is about 3/4" shorter than the old Tecumseh 6.5hp that came with the go kart. So if you look in the attached pic, when the motor is mounted where it's supposed to be, the clutch would line up with the chain rather than the rear pulley. I drilled new holes to mount the motor more to the left, but then the motor was sitting right on the chain. Any suggestions you have would be GREATLY appreciated! I need to learn what I can with this go kart so we can succeed with the engine swap on the Landmaster. 1. Is there something I can use to extend the shaft on the Predator 212? This would be the preferred option if something like this exists. 2. Is there some sort of riser that I can use to raise the motor (using new motor mount holes) where it's not sitting on the chain? 3. Only other option is remove the rear pulley, swap it with the rear sprocket so they chain is on the left and pulley would line up with the clutch on the shorter shaft. But then I would need to move the big sprocket to the left to match.

Can y'all tell where the sound is coming from? It's deafening! Way louder than in the YT video... Some points that may help figure it out: - I only put about 30 cc of Marvel Mystery oil in the spark plug hole. MM oil was sitting on top of the cylinder head for 3 days. Nothing came out when we turned the motor over without the spark plug in. - The motor was real hard to turn a week ago, now turns with ease. Could there be something broke inside the motor? - I'm attaching a photo of the oil I used. Same the previous owner said he used. 1.4 quarts filled it up. Dip stick says its the right amount. But even after oil change... the oil on the dip stick is black and nasty. Could there be something broke inside the motor? - The bolt and washers holding in the clutch were a little loose. I used an impact wrench to tighten. Thought that might help the sound. But it made no difference. - Could the MM oil be causing a stronger Than normal explosion in the cylinder? Could it have blown the valve adjustment out of whack?

Well, if it's not one thing... it's another. We used marvel mystery oil up top and changed the oil. Now, the motor spins with ease!! But now there's an incredibly LOUD metal clanging sound that may or may not be coming from the clutch?? Here's a YT clip with the sound...

I guess I'd need something with atleast 14hp...

Thank you WB. I feel like you're right. But this side-x-side has done this before. The key wouldnt turn it over and the pull cord broke a dozen tines. But for some reason, the process of installing a new starter and battery and adjusting the valves fixed it. And all that pressure went away. For the last 2-3 weeks, it has turned over with the key/pull-start effortlessly. But I guess it is possible that this is a new, unrelated issue. So I'm going to try an oil change and maybe even spray something in the spark plug hole just to see if that improves anything. BUT... if it doesn't... and it is time for a new motor... and we can't afford a Honda... has anyone on this forum already discussed the best, easiest to replace, most affordable option for a new motor on this model?

Looking up some info on Google, I keep running into info about a "Seized Motor." I checked the oil when we first got it running again. There was plenty in it. It was probably old oil, but it wasn't dry. Is it possible that I am getting close to a seized motor? Could an oil change help? Any advice on troubleshooting or repairs would be GREATLY appreciated!

Sorry, y'all... I've been away for a while. Our Landmaster side-x-side sat in our garage for over a year! We finally lifted the motor up enough to remove the shroud and installed a brand-new starter/solenoid combo that fit. It still wouldn't start. A mechanic friend said, adjust the valves. I did that (and put in a new battery) and FINALLY... the thing started on the first crank! So the kids have been running this thing for 2 weeks straight! Starting no problem. Then all of a sudden, it won't start with the starter. Bought a new battery, electric starter still won't start, but pull start works ok. So we use the pull start for about a week. Then it gets to where the pull starter won't budge! I tried rotating the crank shaft with a socket wrench, WAY too much pressure. I pulled the spark plug out. STILL way too much pressure to turn the crank shaft. I have never seen a motor that won't turn without the spark plug in it. So here's my question... What in the world could be causing all that pressure to where the motor won't even turn with the spark plug out?!