92 Marathon Briggs V-Twin Project

Another stop at my buddies welding shop and 105 bucks later I have all the steel I need to make the drop/extension brackets for the swingarm, build engine cradle and fab a winch mount. After looking at the pictures online for several hours I decided why buy if I can build? Although that all sports unit looks beefy and would take so much less time than building it....
I have the front buttoned up except the steering drop bracket for the steering linkage. It looks alright with those big blue shocks, can't wait to get the winch mounted. Pics to come, it's raining and ugly today. I made my blocks with a decent angle on one end I should have split the difference between both ends because it made it a real bear to get two of the bolts in and now I have paint to fix. Thankfully it's just plain gloss black Rust-Oleum and in an area that's gonna see touch ups from trail use, or off trail I guess, anyway.
I hope the 45 inch belt I bought is right for 23hp vanguard I couldn't really find any solid answers on which belt to use. But I guess since I'm fabbing it all it will work one way or another I'm just concerned with oil filter to rear end clearance.
 
Going for a hardware and chemical run this morning, can anyone confirm the size bolt I need for the primary clutch? I thought 5/16"-24 but now I'm second guessing myself, thank you for any help. I just don't want to have a ton of bolts I won't use laying around and I just don't ever return unused hardware, you know, just in case? It's a vicious cycle
 
You just need the length right ? You have used this engine for a previous build? How short is the old bolt for the old clutch?
 
You just need the length right ? You have used this engine for a previous build? How short is the old bolt for the old clutch?
No, fresh build first time using since rebuild, first time having a clutch installed ever as far as I know. I'm not a total pinecone lol il just grab a variety of 5/6,3/8,7/16.
 
She says it looks like a monster cart lol, I didn't show her some of you guys real monster carts. Rear will be going back 2 inches or so and up however much it takes to sit level. I need to finish the steering linkage so it's "right". And cut my shock tab extensions to get the shocks hooked up. Then I can clean and repaint everything since it's all uglied up again from assembly.
 

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I forgot to mention the clutch bolt, at least on this particular build, with a Vegas alternator pulley and 780 comet, is approximately 4 to 4 and half inches long 3/8-24. Has heavy 1/4" thick washer to hold it on.
 
If I do another Marathon with blocks in the front I will be splitting the difference of the angle between both ends instead of putting the angle all on one end. It made it a bear to get the rear bolts in the lower block. Probably is a non issue if using the stock springs these txt springs rolled the axle back throwing the angles all out of whack.
 
Had to fight the driver side swingarm bolt, just glad I was able to keep from trashing the bushing. A few days of pb and messing with it she came free. Now I can make things happen, nice weather swingarm out and in stands. I knew it would be a slow process. But going back together should hopefully go much smoother than coming apart. Hopefully you guys approve my motor mount when it's done.
 
Like I said I'm slow, but at least, it's still almost done. Swingarm extension / drop, engine cradle, winch mount, and my mess. Was told on a fb group the builds are looking a bit trailer parky when I asked if it was an engine swap group or peddle your Chinese s#1@ golf carts group. Not sure whether that's a stab at me or not, but here's my trailer park build going on. I don't have a bunch of fancy equipment but I'm getting it done.
 

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It's supposed to rain here tomorrow, so Thursday I will hopefully get my engine plate drilled and notched for belt tension and finish the cradle the rest of the way. With any luck all my paint will be dry and I can start reassembly. For mounting this vanguard has 8 holes, roughly 5/16", are you guys using all 8 holes, just the inners, just the outers, or offset one set of inners one set of outers? Started on my exhaust flanges, which was just cutting a piece of 3/16 and tracing a gasket and getting a hole saw and drill ready, that's all, that's it, I started and that was the end of my chair battery for the day.
 
The basic frame for the cradle is 1.25 square, 1/4x2 flat bar, and 3/16 plate. The engine plate is 1/4". The winch mount consists of the same materials attached to the original "bumper" mount and will be attached either up beside the shocks or angled back to the frame rails under the dash where it will be drilled and bolted to spread the load.
 
So again I'm still almost done lol. I'm really hoping my design works but thinking I will be modifying my basic cradle frame. In my mind the theory was good but with the cradle in place to line up the engine plate seems like engine will have to be dead nuts and have very little if any adjustment, I think. Luckily it's straight cuts and metal likes working with me. I'm going to leave the rear of the cradle mount alone but I'm going to cut and flip the front and welding some risers and of course gussets, gusset the world 😆. It's a sturdy piece and has more weight than I expected. But there's going to be plenty of power to get it moving so no matter. If we run 25mph or so, it will be more than fast enough. After all we are building these to enjoy the ride not the arrival.
If you look back at the pictures you will see since I made the cradle lower than the frame the engine will have to sit in the frame, with the clutch and tins on there's very little room. What's another hour of redesigning when I've been chipping at it since September or October anyway?
 
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