Murraymountain's Lawn Tractor Repairs

Okay, the lowes is almost on the final stretch!

New list:

Tires
Fix deck vibration
New front drive belt
Fix the reason why the old one shreded
Maybe paint
Fix deck brakes

Here's what I've done to it this week...

I just got tired of needing a special motorcycle battery for a riding lawn mower, so I "made some room" with the sawzall. Also I really need to get this project done and outta the way, so the MM has kindly donated it's seat, and battery holder to decrease the amount of money spent on this project...





The new bungee cord free seat (drilled about 10,000 holes)...



And BRAND NEW tires from Harbor Freight are on the way (hopefully they fit)! Total amount of money spent, $37. I also fixed the brakes that I never told anyone about, and it is now working mint. I'm pretty sure the vibration from the deck is the engine pulley. I straightened it a little and tried it again the other day and it seemed better, at least enough that I'd be comfortable with cutting grass with it. The reason for paint is that the surface rust on the body is having no mercy on the original paint, and it's most likely going to run buyers off. Can't have that!

As for the husky, we found out the starter is good and got it to run (still needs fuel pump), but, when we rolled it down our hill to the "mower parking garage", I did not pull the pressure release pin on the hydro and it had no resistance at 20MPH without brakes and a steep drop in front of me. Belt was off, but no matter what, if I don't pull the pin on any of our hydros, they ain't goin' nowhere. So right now I'm assuming the hydro is dead.

Alrighty, so the last thing I thought would get done is off the list. It's got a fresh look!

This is what the whole body looked like before...



Primed and switching to paint...



Done...



It's definitely not good but it's better. I'm satisfied so.

does that one have the tiny battery? my hechinger tractor was the same. Get that thing sold so you can buy more.

It's supposed to, but I couldn't find a battery box for it so I "modified" where it goes so I can put a regular battery in it.

https://servimg.com/view/20033254/135

Buy more?! If I bought more I'd go crazy LOL! Just kidding, the Craps-man will be my next victim. $100 from this project will go into it and the rest will go to the MM. Go to the top of this page and you'll see what's left for it.

Great job on the fender rehab.

Thank you!

So finding a rod for the Craps-man is proving to be rather hard. If anyone knows where to get a connecting rod (that's not 50 bucks...) for a B&S 311707 0132-E1 engine, please let me know. This is my last attempt to save the Craps-man. So you might just be saving this tractors life...

Well, let me start with the bad news. The front tires for the lowes came in, but, of course, they were too big. So that didn't work out. But, the tires are pretty much all that's left for it! Deck vibration I'm just gonna have to deal with. I wasn't able to tell what was happening when I took a lap around the yard with the blades on 'cause it was dark out, but everything seemed fine. I ain't got any pics yet but tomorrow I'm planning on mowing so I'll see how it does on the "big job!" It won't go uphill unless it's in 7th gear but I don't think it's a big problem, so I'll just leave it. I need to get 275 out of it, so, I was thinking, 325 would be a good place to start. What do you guys think?...


(BTW, I'm going to post something in this thread every day to keep it on the "latest topics" list till Tuesday so anyone who knows where to get a rod for the Craps-man can find this thread. If nothing happens by Tuesday, the Craps-man WILL GO OUT WITH A BANG!!! Like I said before, This is my last attempt to save this machine, so If there's no answer by Tuesday, I'm blowing it up in the mud...)

Okay. I actually found the part number for the craps-man... it's 692419. If you thought $50 was impressive, Wait till you see this!
This is the cheapest I've seen. Looks like it came out of a 14 hp...

https://www.ebay.com/p/Briggs-Stratton-Connecting-Rod-692419/1638673390?iid=382719915988&chn=ps

Okay, the lowes is almost ready for the summer! It mowed everything in this picture and then some...



Here it is yesterday cutting that field...



It was slowly burning the deck belt when I was mowing but that's probably the engine pulley's fault from when I bent it. I think it's also causing the vibration.

The final list:
Tires
deck brake (it's on the way)
engine pulley (not sure what to do with it yet)
carb adjustment
(maybe) new deck belt

Man, I've posted 5 times in a row now!

are you keeping that one>? You should be able to visually see a engine pulley "bent" or out of round when the tractor is running?

No I'm not... I'm completely out of money, so its gotta go to make room for the next project. The engine pulley isn't noticeable unless you really look hard. I'm pretty sure it's the problem. I just adjusted the carb and afterward I decided to go ahead and remove the pulley and I noticed that where the belt had rested on the pulley the whole time it was running, it was severely worn down. I don't think this'll help much but look hard and you might see what I've been talking about...

Alright, I forgot to keep this topic up but the time has come. If nothing tonight, the Craps-man dies.

The lowes is almost done. It needs an engine pulley, deck belt because the pulley is shredding it, and still front tires.

As for the moment, I may go cut some grass with it right now.

Murraymountain wrote:

No I'm not... I'm completely out of money, so its gotta go to make room for the next project. The engine pulley isn't noticeable unless you really look hard. I'm pretty sure it's the problem. I just adjusted the carb and afterward I decided to go ahead and remove the pulley and I noticed that where the belt had rested on the pulley the whole time it was running, it was severely worn down. I don't think this'll help much but look hard and you might see what I've been talking about...

I give you credit for working on it & looking into all that, I would have thrown in the towel on that a while ago...
The pulley looks heavily used but not necessarily out of round.

Im not sure what its worth around your way but those MTDs I can only sell for like 220-250 maybe.

Thank you! I probably could've had it sold a while back, but when I do a project like this I like to take it all the way and get top dollar for them. For this particular one, I could probably get 325 if I really really put some work in it. But I'm expecting to get 300, 275 at bottom dollar.

All right. So this week I'm hoping to get the final parts for the Lowe's, but in the meantime it's sitting in the back of the barn (where it always sits) on jack stands waiting for parts. On the other hand, my grandpa and brother are trying to get the Husqvarna ready for mowing right now, and I'm working on Craps-man. The MM has yet again donated it's ENGINE to Craps-man while the old motor is out so I can at least try to get it mowing. The $160 11 month story of Craps-man may be coming to a close soon (Thank God)! The whole deck everything looks/is shot. It needs a blade engagement rebuild, 2 little pulleys on the deck, a belt, and that's if the crack in the bracket that holds everything together holds up. Plus the other stuff I'm not gonna say anything about. How do you think it earned the name, "Craps-man."

Oh! And the Husqvarna did not have a bad trans, just a missing wheel key! Wiring is probably a lost cause but they're trying to figure that rats nest out.

The lowes should have it's parts by the end of the week. The Craps-man has gotten all it's gonna get outta me, so it's up for sale as of now. If you have Offerup, go to the shipping section, and type up "riding mower" and you should find it. And the Husqvarna keeps proving me wrong every time! We grounded 2 terminals, and switched 2 wires around, and the whole thing came to life! Afterward we cleaned up the wiring mess, and did a bunch of cosmetic work to it, and put a muffler on it. Now, all it seems to need, is a fuel pump, Complete tune-up, deck belt, and the seat needs to be glued back to the back panel. It's pretty interesting that that model is supposed to be a 20HP Kohler/42" and it has a 21HP Briggs/Craftsman 48". And the John Deere had to get a new deck. The old one had a pulley that seized and sheared a stub that was built into the deck, and the spindles were worn out, so we started fresh. $100 for a deck, and 1 spindle was trash, the rust was starting to take over (but it didn't), and the blades were rusted on the deck. Anyway, after working on it all day yesterday and today, it's back to cutting grass. and it got a new seat and muffler too. So hopefully we won't have anymore trouble with it this year. The Exmark has nothing new. And my brother's Craftsman needs a new carb. So, 2 are cutting grass right now, and real soon we should have 5 mowing.


                                                                               

Okay, the fuel pump came in for the Husky, and we did the tune up. The JD and Exmark are working perfctly. My brother got a carb for the Craftsman and now he has to weld 3 BAD cracks on his deck. 1 mount tore somehow, the lift handle is cracked in half, and a long crack where the shroud mounts to. Monday it should be cutting grass again. The Craps-man has had no bites so far.

Guess what........




it finally has tires that are permanent! I put a brand new carb on it, and now it just needs a deck belt!

Lowe's is up for sale! Can be found on Offerup under the same search as the Craps-man will be under. Got it posted at $325 OBO.

Man does this thing mow good...

This is crazy! 48 PEOPLE have asked about the Lowes and they ALL WANT IT SHIPPED after I put in the description "!!!NO SHIPPING!!!"!!!!!!! People are so stupid these days. It's like they don't know how to read a description. Anyways.... It's still working good and waiting on a new owner.

Craps-man is now being parted out. it's just not worth it. If anyone needs Craftsman LT1000 parts, PM me and lemme know what you want.

Husqvarna is almost ready. Got the old gas sucked out of the system. Now it needs a carb and we all know how much more a V-twin cost to fix than a single.

My brothers Craftsman is working great.

That makes 4 working lawn mowers!

Murraymountain wrote:

This is crazy! 48 PEOPLE have asked about the Lowes and they ALL WANT IT SHIPPED after I put in the description "!!!NO SHIPPING!!!"!!!!!!! People are so stupid these days. It's like they don't know how to read a description. Anyways.... It's still working good and waiting on a new owner.

Craps-man is now being parted out. it's just not worth it. If anyone needs Craftsman LT1000 parts, PM me and lemme know what you want.

Husqvarna is almost ready. Got the old gas sucked out of the system. Now it needs a carb and we all know how much more a V-twin cost to fix than a single.

My brothers Craftsman is working great.

That makes 4 working lawn mowers!

shipped or delivered? where did you advertise?

Shipped. Offerup. Even people on the west coast ask for me to ship it.

Lowe's still hasn't sold...

The Husqvarna is almost finished. Got the seat glued back up, new carb came in, got it washed real good, and made a makeshift hose from leftover gas line for the fuel pump. Now we need to put a new battery in it, put a choke cable on it, and I found out that the front wheel alignment was totally off. Turns out some welds on the front wheel spindle busted, I think someone ran into something at one time...




Anyway, we'll probably be getting that fixed tomorrow. And now we've run into a few more electrical gremlins. When we engage the blades it'll kill the motor. I know it's supposed to do that in a few cases but this is for no reason at all. Any ideas? Possibly a ground?

Sounds like an issue with the seat safety, like it's not working properly and making it seem like no one is sitting on it. Check all the wires and connections for that maybe, might find the problem.