Murraymountain's Lawn Tractor Repairs

I was wrong on those. Exhaust is 0.006 and intake is 0.003. He put a different carb on it and it helped, but still not good.


We also put an aluminum manifold on it. It was getting very hot. We switched it back to a cast iron one and it's not AS hot.

We then put the aluminum one on the 16HP and it ran like crap. Acted like it needed a new camshaft.

adjusting the gov is easy, just turn the arm and shaft in the direction of full throttle & tighten up there... sometimes can get bad surging and problems with a load from it....

anyway I just watched the short video, its hard to tell whats going on & if the fuel pump is working correct. I would swap the carbs around and if the result is the same for all of them something else is going on.

If you are saying it keeps running worse I would go back to the items that got "fixed" and double check the valve clearance to spec... if you need the spec I have the service manual for it...

Yeah sometimes resetting the governor shaft makes a world of a difference, the fact that it's not revving up properly could easily be governor missadjustment.

Also definitely replace that cracked carb spacer, it'll cause an air leak for sure.

Okay, so he's been working on it. It is running pretty good. It still bogs down bad when you engage the blades, but it runs fine otherwise.

Also, we found out that the carb starts spraying gas out the top when it starts bogging and that happens at about 3/4 throttle. BUT, when you put you hand about an inch above the carb, it comes back with full power. So we put the air box on and it started running okay. Still won't mow.

Aluminum manifold is fine like I expected. Looks like a coil issue.

We are gonna replace the spacer, but it can't be effecting anything because he just put it back on his 16 horse and it's running great.

And yes @mrshaft696, the specs would be great. Thanks!

Alright, beginning of the season update!

Yard Machine got a new carb, a "new" floor mat, and a hard polish because the paint was faded, but it did bring the color back... It is now on the market and READY TO GO. Priced at $900 OBO.




The Craftsman going to get tested and pressure washed as soon as it stops raining. Then it goes on the market for $450. We're pricing all the mowers really high since it's the beginning of the season... Prices will drop as the year progresses...



The JD is almost there. We getting ready to send the deck to the fab shop to get repairs done, then when we get it back, we're gonna repaint it, and assemble it with SHINY NEW PARTS. Then she'll be ready for the year...



The Husqvarna is gonna get pressure washed when it stops raining. Other than that, it's just waiting for the JD to be done so they can take field duty.

My brother's White MTD is ready to go. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is on the market and priced at $425. It's worth it...


My brother's Yard Machine mini GT is almost there. We junked the 19 HP money pit and the guy gave us another oppy. We installed it, cleaned it up real good and now it runs perfect. Only problem is the constant smoking. We think it's piston rings. He's gonna pull the one piston and probably replace it with the old motor's piston. Looks like he's gonna end up snapping 3 head bolts. Gonna be a pain getting those out. So now he's gotta put tail lights on, replace the rear drive belt, get a new carb spacer, and a piston rings. Then it goes on the market for $1400. It's got the power.



The parts engine...



Now, I really need an answer for this, is there any number on an oppy to tell what HP it is when it does not have a shroud?

Anyway, by the end of the month, we'll have no mowers to work on except for the offroad ones.

Craftsman is tested, cleaned and going online!

I don't know about the HP, but the displacement should be stamped into the corner of the heads. That would at least give you an idea.

Okay, so we could look that number up and maybe get some info on it?



Now we're trying to get the flywheel off. Both flywheels are stuck and the wheel puller didn't work.

Actually I might be wrong about that.. I thought the "42" cast into the corner of the heads meant it was the 42 cubic inch model, but it might not be.

Murraymountain wrote:

Okay, so we could look that number up and maybe get some info on it?



Now we're trying to get the flywheel off. Both flywheels are stuck and the wheel puller didn't work.

When the puller didn't work, while pressure was on it with the puller, I also did the redneck removal trick too.  Long prybar on a meaty part of the block pry on the flywheel a bit, with the nut threaded down whack the nut on the flywheel.  Usually pops off for me.

You can try shocking the flywheel. With the puller in place and tight on the flywheel, You hit the puller's threaded rod with a hammer, then tighten the threaded rod of the puller again, then hit the threaded rod again with a hammer. You hit the threaded rod only once every time you do it. This shocks the press fit between the flywheel and crank till it pops loose. The threads between the threaded rod and puller plate usually has a little play just by how threads work and this play means a tiny bit of movement, so when you hit the top of the threaded rod down into the crank (the part you are pushing out) the threaded rod of the puller lunges forward into the crank while the puller's plate that is bolted to the flywheel stays stationary will loosen the press fit.

I made a flywheel puller for oppys. A steel plate with two holes in it that match the holes on the face of the flywheel. Back the flywheel nut most of the way off, tighen down the bolts on the puller, then give it a shock with a hammer right in between the bolts. Pops em every time.

Allis, I don't know that all oppys didn't use 42 marked heads. Both 40s I've had used 42 marked heads. I can't recall for my 46s but it's likely the same.

Good bit of info there. I'll try it next time I have a stuck flywheel.

Anyway, my brother got fed up with it and went with the last resort... CUT IT OFF:






Flawless..... LOL.

Anyway, now that that's all settled, the new piston (kinda) fixed the smoking problem (it smokes out of the breather tube now). But guess what, now that we got the new piston in, it's doing exactly what the 19 HP did when we junked it. WAY down on power. Acts like it has 2 HP. When you engage the blades, it just bogs. Gonna try a governor adjustment, and if that don't work, well, we're screwed. We probably should've just bit the bullet and bought the $90 starter for that crappy PowerMore. We'll see I guess.

Poor crank and flywheel, always a real shame to see good components destroyed.

RichieRichOverdrive wrote:

Allis, I don't know that all oppys didn't use 42 marked heads. Both 40s I've had used 42 marked heads. I can't recall for my 46s but it's likely the same.

Yeah you're probably right. After my initial post I checked three of my model 40 oppys and they all had the "42" cast into the head, so I figured I was mistaken.

They weren't any good to begin with. That's why we needed the flywheel and alternator off. Crank got damaged as you saw, but it's still usable. We're definitely not replacing that. Although, the other crank got it threads messed up, so that one might go to the scrapyard.

OKAY. The JD is now waiting on me to pick up the balding wheel from the fab shop and put it on and a new light bulb. After that, we park it and wait on the first real mow of the year.



My brother's Yard Machine is for sale. It looks and cuts great. Black rims, headlights and taillights operated by an actual switch, super high deck, and a pure American horse power Briggs & Stratton opposed twin. He changed the belts the other day and patched a leak. But it's for sale now for $1400 OBO. It is definitely a mini-beast.



Don't get to see many of these on a new MTD...



Anyway, by tomorrow night, all mowing tractors will be done. Thank God... I can focus on Red now. Speaking of Red, his motor is the test subject for our new engine stand. Whenever we need to run a motor and don't want to put it on a tractor, we use the stand. I'm going to be using this stand while I build the 14.5 HP motor for Red. When it goes on Red, it'll be pretty much done. That's what the stand is for...



My perfect fuel setup. (Before anyone starts telling me how RTV is not supposed to be in contact with gasoline and that there should be fuel hose clamps at the end of each hose or else it will leak, don't. It's all getting replaced.)




My throttle setup...



Ignition...



My dashboard. Yes, the amp meter works.



Solenoid location...



Yep, it's got a full Craftsman wiring harness. Almost every part of the Craps-man has come in handy. Definitely glad I ended the Craps-man when I did.



Battery location... I still need to secure it.



Accessories and unnecessaries...




And a video of it in action...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nTxTRq2gMgf3bEQN6

Still needs a little bit here and there, but for only $15 investment, I am happy. I spoiled myself with an ignition start and amp meter. Anyway, I'll post again tomorrow when the JD is done. The post after that will be either the first mow of the year and a progress report of our fleet or it will be an addition to the fleet.

Hallelujah! The mowing fleet is finished (besides my brothers craftsman which still needs a bunch)! Time to start focusing on what needs to be focused on.





Full garage now!

Well, looks like it's gonna be both. A progress report AND an addition to the fleet. First off, the Husky. We seem to have been having some carb trouble. A shame too... It's brand new. But we're just gonna run it with the gas shut off 3/4 on. That seems to fix it. Also had to remount the parking brake lever AGAIN. Shouldn't come off now. Also had to severely level the deck. It was originally about 2" in the front and 5" in the rear with a pulley scraping something and a blade not cutting right. So we leveled it, 4" in front 4" in rear give or take a half an inch. Then we replaced the scraping pulley, and then we found that a spindle "spline" that the pulley goes on was stripped (and this spindle came out of my brothers rotted out MTD deck. Beats me how it's a perfect fit for a Craftsman). Anyway, we just torqued the nut down SUPER hard. Haven't had any problem yet. Also had to fill some holes in the muffler. It was causing it to overheat. We might have to get a new upper deck belt this year too. But anyway, I think it's ready now. It is a beast.

The Yard Machine hasn't been touched. It's waiting on a buyer.

My brother's Yard Machine is almost there. Definitely should've just bit the bullet on the $90 CrapperMore starter though. I don't know if I said anything yet, but he took the 19 HP piston back out, being that, as soon as he put it in it did the same thing it did with the 19 HP on it. He took it out and replaced the rings on the old piston and put that back it. Runs way better. We compared the 2 pistons and it turns out a 19 HP oppy piston is not the same as a 19.5 HP oppy. 2 different compression ratios or something. Anyway, now it needs a gov. cross shaft seal and a gov. adjustment, a sump seal, a carb spacer, a crank seal, and I think that's it. The oil leak is getting in the drive system and causing major belt slippage, so he's gotta fix it.

The Craftsman is doing pretty well. Getting a lot of online interest. I did replace the solenoid once, blew it up, and replaced it again. Now it works. Had to take the relays apart and clean them of rust. Not sure why they rust when it's only been sitting for 2 weeks. Anyway, it works good now! I think it's gonna be the first one to sell!

My brother's MTD is just the same. That ol' Tecumseh starts right up every time. Should sell fairly quick. Everything works like it was brand new.

And something I didn't expect is happening to the JD. IT'S GETTING SOLD. Never thought I'd say that. Anyway, my neighbor just gave me an old Wizard (GT6000)! Has a 16 HP Vanguard, a Hi/low 6 speed trans (probably 633a), and a 46" cut (if it's not rusted). I finally got a GT trans AND Vanguard! The wiring and seat are shot. It's also got chains for the tires, a sleeve hitch and a tiller/plow to go with it, brush guard, everything you could ever want. I've actually been wanting to get this tractor since mid 2018. I plan to keep this tractor for a long LONG time. This'll definitely be my main tractor. And since it's a GT, it's replacing the JD...




This looks like the beastiest beast yet! I'm excited! BUT, since the JD is getting sold, I gotta put some heavy work into it. I also have a friend whose been wanting to trade me his working Troy Bilt (MTD) and his Murray Widebody that's been sitting for a while for a 48" cut mower. So I think I already know where it's going. But before I can trade it, I've got to go through the entire wiring harness, fix the valve ticking, put a new carb on (or rebuild it), and put the deck shroud back on. Looks like this is gonna be the best year yet right off the bat!

Okay, we picked it up Wednesday night. It actually has an 18HP Vanguard. 23" rears on 5 lug hubs with 16" fronts. A sleeve hitch with 2 attachments and tire chains. And a 633A! Sadly it never had a deck. I'm gonna try and find a cheap one.










Anyway, I hooked up a battery to the ground wire and am just touching a wire to the starter to start it. Still need to go through the whole harness. I pulled the body and hood so I could get to everything. So I cleaned the carb (it was actually alright in there), checked all the lines, replaced the fuel filter due to a big crack, cleaned out the tank which had actual mold in it, and then put it all back together. I oiled everything and got most of the parts working. Almost everything has surface rust, and the hood and steering wheel are severely sun beaten... Gonna have to put some type cream into it or something. Anyway, hooked up the electric float, and it runs great!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qptUFjdUPqid1eyv5

Then my brother cleaned up the clutch bolt real good. Had to remove the whole clutch because the bolt was rusted in. Had to beat it out with a hammer real hard. Glad I got it. So after putting all that back together, it was time for a test drive.




It drives fine. Could probably use a new belt though. It doesn't have any marks for what gear you're in, so I'm still figuring out the shift pattern on the 633. Don't worry, I know not the shift on the go with one of these. Anyway, now I just need to see what I can do with the wiring, and that should be all I can do until I get a deck er somethin'. It does need a new rear tire. Maybe a tube since 23's with 5 lug hubs aren't that easy to find. Since it does need a good amount of work, the JD stays. But when this thing is mowing and reliable, the JD goes.

It's actually a newer AYP 122419X transaxle, but still works the same, it is a little wider at the axle mount and a little lighter weight personally.  Still a good trans!

Nice tractor!


Get ya some stickers or a paint pen..

2 --- 3
   N
1 --- R

MightyRaze wrote:

2 --- 3
   N
1 --- R

Then up for high range and down for low.

Nice GT! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it.

MightyRaze wrote:

It's actually a newer AYP 122419X transaxle, but still works the same, it is a little wider at the axle mount and a little lighter weight personally.  Still a good trans!

Nice tractor!


Get ya some stickers or a paint pen..

2 --- 3
   N
1 --- R

Thanks! I thought it was a 633a because it's the exact same tractor as late Seb's blue "diesel" rig. I would make some labels, but the entire plate is missing... So I gotta make sure I don't drop anything or it will just go right through the tractor on the the ground. Especially when I'm using an attachment.

AllisKidD21 wrote:

MightyRaze wrote:

2 --- 3
   N
1 --- R

Then up for high range and down for low.

Nice GT! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it.

Thank you! When it's in high, I assume 1st is 4th, 2nd is 5th, and 3rd is 6th?

If you want to see it that way.


Some plates say 4-5-6.  I see it as just 1-2-3 either way.

Which hole pattern you got?

Like mine:


Or this style?

I'm not sure. It doesn't have that plate. Looking at the placement of the bolt holes, I'd say the first one.

Okay, little update here. The wiring is almost jerry rigged. I'll do a video on how everything works tomorrow. It's actually quite funny how it works. Anyway, I just need tubes for the left tires, a toggle switch and light bulbs so I can wire up some front lights, and maybe a drive belt. After that, well, we wait on the deck. Oh yeah, the PTO half works. It has a very weak click, but it does work. Might take it off and clean it up.

On another note, we found out what was wrong with the 19 HP "junk" motor. I'll post that in the Scat Rat update.