Ol' Sears - 1975 Sears Suburban ST/16

Tomorrow, I'm going to see about clearance on the carb, I found an actual pulse plate the fits between the carb and head. If I have the space, I'll get it as it's only 9 bucks, but I have limited space in there. If not enough space, I can just make what I have better. Also, I may look into putting a set of new-old-stock blades on the tractor after today. Then I can resharpen what I have and put back in rotation.

OK, so the plate is actually a replacement isolator with a pulse fitting for a fuel pump.  I got it today and for 30 minutes ran GREAT.  Then for the first time the engine started running really RICH and fuel was coming out the overflow.  AYE.  Talk about fixing one issue to create a new. Pump now works 100% and pushes more fuel than the carb can handle.Looks like what I need is add a T connector between the carb and fuel pump running a line back to the gas tank. Not really feeling drilling a hole in the gas tank.  Not sure how to catch the shavings, plus getting it out is a partial disassembly of the rear of the tractor.  Or being very skilled.  I can do it.  Done it before.  

I am wondering if I could put another T between the tank and pump to feed the excess back in line?

Put a fuel petcock on the pulse line to restrict how much it actually pumps... works for me anyhow!

Brianator wrote:

Put a fuel petcock on the pulse line to restrict how much it actually pumps... works for me anyhow!

Updates.

Return line back to the tank with a fuel petcock did the trick.  I did get the return dialed in. Ran to the hardware store got a second fuel cap, drilled a hole in it and stuck the return line in that. I thought I busted my new belt first mow out only making it about an acre.  That turned out to be a busted idler spring on the deck.  I've been pretty lucky with the 48 year old tractor's transaxle rear oil seals until mow before last.  One of them appears to be giving up.  I've found some oil dribbles on the ground.  I wonder how much of a fight that hub will be to take off?  If too much, I'll move up to gear oil in the rear and call it good.  LOL.

Not tackling that anytime soon.

Not much fight at all.



All cleaned up, seal is removed.  Now to get a new seal wich appears to be one used in a GM auto so they should be plentiful.  I'll need a new c clip as well.  The 48 y/o one didn't make it coming off.  LOL.

When i got the donor trans for the GT6k I was super afraid of those cast hubs sticking on there. Friend of mine told me that he'd had a bunch of splined axle 633s and they almost never stick. Sure enough, the c clip was more trouble to get off than the hub itself! Slid right off no issue, and I actually used the cast hubs when I put the trans back together.

I need to do axle seals in the GT6k when I get the chance. She's a bit of a leaker

Interesting thing to note, given those axles are splined, you may have a 6 pinion 633 and the guts could interchange with newer electrolux 633s.

Yep!  I've never had this one opened.  I checked the axle shaft and there is NO play so I was excited about that.  Means the bushing in there is still good!  Aparently on the Sears Suburban groups, there is another seal that is suppose to work better.  This one was a 9837 which is a single lip seal, and the goto now is the 9838 which is a double lip seal.  I ordered that one.  I'll let you all know how it goes.

My seal must have missed the bus today.  Says it is still at the distribution center since 3am.  Ugh.

New seal came today.  I got the National brand cross referenced seal to the 9838.  Here is the national part number.  472311



Fitment was GREAT.  Tapped right in with a good snug fit.



Did a quick high gear mow of the front yard in the 102F weather. 



 It's been sitting now about 30 minutes to an hr with no drips.  The ole Sears is back in business!

A couple mows later and the seal is doing great! Did the last mow with it for the year. All the mowing duty now will be for the LT1k from here on out the rest of the year. Plan is to bring it in and redo the restore.

I need to figure out the engine fitment. I may have to go back down to the frame and take my adapter I made out. While the adapter works great for fitment, it does not work well for not causing an oil leak. My other option here is to seal off the backside oil plug. It isn't used anyway. I may look into that. I my clean it up and RTV the plug into place. That way should it need undone in the future, it can be done.



The return is working great for the carb not to overflow. Not so great as I still have it "Jerry Rigged" at the tank. At some throttle levels it does vent a lot of fumes. It will be time to go ahead with installing a grommet. I am also contemplating hard lines from engine to tank, with rubber line connectors at each end. I'll need to fix the pto engagement lever safty switch. It broke on me the last mowing.

It makes me happy to see this get used as intended, especially after all the time and effort you've put into it! Great job!

Teardown has begun.  Taking it back to frame.  It will also go back to yellow/white combo.  Looks like my nosecone repair will need some minor repair.


Things to purchase.

• Paint
  
• New tube of RTV
  
• 1/4 hardline for fuel and return to go between the tank and engine
  
• Fuel filter
  
• Change oil, engine and trans
  
• One tire, going back to turf savers on rear.
  

Anyone seen the new rustoleum rattle cans?  They have this 5 way sprayer now?  Not sure my thoughts on that.

Watched some videos on that 5 nozzle spraycan.  I guess if one clogs, you have 4 more?  LOL

Anyways, more teardown today.  Engine is out and has some interesting leak patterns.






First oil leak that greeted me when I took off the hood.  This is off the pvc valve.  May have to look into a snugger fit on this one?  Could be the valve cover gasket, but I don't think so.



This is the more concerning one.  I thought it was coming out the grey oil cap (back one unused on this tractor). It appears to actually come from the Low Oil plug?  I'll need to look at this one closer.  Could be residual from when the grey cap did leak.  I figured if it was coming from this, the wire would be coated too.  More investigation needed.




Tomorrow I will be taking a break from the tractor.  No need to marathon this teardown and refresh.  This weekend I hope to have the rear fenders removed and the gas tank removed.  Possibly the transaxle too.

OH, one more part for the tractor. Idler is a little rough.

I know... I know... I said I was going to take a break today, but a thing happened at lunchtime today. LOL



I will be mostly absent till tonight. Have a good day everyone!

After a lot of waffling, I think I may go ahead and put the engine back down on the frame and put the spacer back into the hood. The engine oil leak started right after the engine lift was installed.

If you’re doing fresh paint, I think gold or copper color might look really cool.

That would look good, but I am thinking of going a little more traditional.

A few things seemed to have happened this morning.







Only thing really left is to pull the hub, spindles from the front axle.

You have alot of stuff "happeneing" lately huh?! Lol

Starting the long uphill trek.

Tunnel repainted.  Little richer yellow than I was thinking, but I think I like it so far.



About as far there as I can get for now.  I need those hard lines I wanted.  I also need to mod the fuel tank for a return.

So... I figured, maybe go ahead and change that transaxle oil.

UH OH!



Yikes!  Worst water contamination I have seen in one of these. 



Right now, I am on hold for some pieces that would be pretty complicated to install later.

May have to wait till payday.

Feeling frustrated.....  maybe a tick aggitated.

Remember this pic that I said concerned me a bit?



So yeah......


I pressure washed the block in prep for a nice clean reinstall in a week or so.

I was greeted with this under the oily dirty caked on mess.  You can see the oil in the crack.



Right there where all the gunk was caked on the block.




Where it is at, I really hope that is a casting flaw that I never caught.  Always had a very small leak, I blamed it on the filler cap all this time.  Worst case, that was a rod strike, but I'm leaning to flaw.  

I'm going to do the right thing at this point and scuff it up and jbweld it.

OK, lots done today.  With the recent discovery on the leak, I have decided to go ahead and put the riser I made back on.  It allowed the engine to fit nicely.

Crack JBWelded and the lower oil cap is RTV'd shut.



Riser is cleaned and repainted as well as the rear hanger.



The skeeters were terrible today! Had to light 2 citronella candles.



Started loosely putting parts back together.



Some other parts were painted and marinating on the hooks.



I have a handfull of parts coming in tomorrow.  I need to sand on the fenders and prep getting them ready for install.  Then later when I get the transaxle shift boot.  I can fill it back up and install that too later this week.

This is where things sat at the end of the day yesterday.

Hmm... didn't mean for the frame to be on the floor at this point.  I installed the front axle did a few things turned around to chatch it do a flipping nose dive off the cart.

ARGH!

Only a few scuffs and scratches.  Threw the front tires back on and loosely installed the tie rods.



Speaking of tie rods.  I need a new set of ends.  I also found the original that was missing so I can reinstall it as well and take out the 3/8 one for the 1/2 one. 

Updated shopping list.

• Paint (Still need the lighter paint for hood dash.  Keeping it almond)
  
• New tube of RTV
  
• 1/4 hardline for fuel and return to go between the tank and engine (oni it's way)
  
• Fuel filter
  
• Change oil, engine and trans
  
• One tire, going back to turf savers on rear.  (on it's way)
  
• Shifter boot for trans (On it's way)
  
• Tie rod ends.  1/2 -20 (researching)
  
• 1/4 drain tube and cap.