Teen Converts Garden Tractor To Diesel

Teen Converts Garden Tractor To Diesel TRACTORS Conversions “It has more torque than a gas engine and can really blow out the smoke ” says 15-year-old Luke Yoder Middlebury Ind about the 1972 WheelHorse Raider 14 hp gas garden tractor he repowered with a Yanmar 6 1/2 hp 1-cyl L70AE diesel Yoder uses the tractor around his parent’s farm and with wheelie bars installed on back and a homemade sled he also can use it as a pulling tractor “Not only does a diesel engine have more torque but by opening up the governor and turning up the fuel they really smoke too The smoke comes out of a big 2 1/2-in dia chrome pipe I installed Also I just like the way diesels sound ” says Yoder who made the conversion a year ago “Our family likes to attend garden tractor plowing and pulling events In some years we’ve entered up to 8 different tractors at a time I started rebuilding used WheelHorse garden tractors when I was just 12 years old and like to fix them and then resell them My dad didn’t help me at all with this project ” He bought the tractor used about a year ago He replaced the front turf tires with tri-ribbed tires for more traction when turning He also replaced the original rear tires with Deestone 26-in high by 12-in wide lugged tires He had to modify the tractor’s frame some and drill new holes to make the engine fit He also installed a bigger fuel pump and a turbo fan He added beet juice in the rear tires and added weights for ballast and also installed weights on front of the tractor along with an LED light bar The wheelie bars were made by modifying a pair of old bicycle training wheels Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Luke Yoder 13205 Co Rd 20 Middlebury Ind 46540 ph 574 825-7596 or 574 350-6947; deere4346@gmail com

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