will a brown mule engine work in a 445

To make it correct, you will need to use the 445 valve cover and side cover. The waterpump will work but I don't remember about the pulley on it. You may also want to use the 445's crankshaft pulley as some of the brown mules had 2 groove pulleys, which may make it difficult to replace the belt.

I have one in my 335 backhoe.

4 Stars are rarer than 445's & so are harder to find, especially the very late ones.

As far as I know the hubs from the brown mule won't fit any tractor, at least without some machine work.

The brown mule was the last of the three types moline made & all had 2 rear wheels with hydrastatic steering.

The first type was the L model which had a V4 engine that used blocks, pistons and rods similar to a ZA. The heads were very similar to a ZA but there were two heads instead of a one piece one. I don't think many of these originally had power steering.

The second type was the model LA which had a V4 that used blocks, pistons, rods & heads similar to a 445. Most of these had power steering.

Both the L and LA had one rear wheel.

JK

Right now, I am under the impression that these overbore pistons are NOT U302 pistons, because I have compared Z and U302 pistons and the U302 piston has about 1/4" shorter compression height.

You better find out if your mule engine is a 220 or a 206 before you go buying parts, though.