The Beginning

 
Here is what the tractor looked like when I acquired it.  It's a terrible picture - but you can see it was in rough shape. 

(original '03)

In the winter of 2003 I decided to give this a minor overhaul focusing mainly on the paint job.  I have absolutely no mechanical skill at this point.  I could change oil, deduce basic problems but that was about it.  I also had no automotive painting experience.  I just hooked up my first compressor and purchased a spray gun at Wal-Mart.  I washed all the sheet metal enclosure parts with water and Simple Green and got to work.  Here is how it turned out. 

(Ellis and Tractor '04 Paint Job)

(Tractor '04 Paint Job)

(Tractor '04)

(Redneck Sleigh Ride '04)

(Winter Ride '04)

So I would say that the paint job turned out pretty well.  While I had all the sheet metal off I took the liberty of giving the tractor a good cleaning and took care of most of the years of dirt and grime.  One other point - when I got the tractor it wasn't running - through dumb luck I got it started again.  So don't let the nice paint job fool you.  I had lots of problems.

I ran the tractor as is for the next two years.  Here is a list of some of the problems I noted during those 2 years.

Noise - the muffler is totally rusted out and missing one bolt on the engine side.  This results in really loud engine noise.  Almost unbearable.

Throttle Control - the throttle control doesn't work.  Only one speed and that is full out.  I could engage the choke but that was it.  I tried to adjust the cable and but got no result from that. 

Mower Deck - the mower deck was unusable.  Totally rusted out and all moving parts were locked up.  The blades were trashed and the risers and connections to the mower frame were missing. 

Carburetor - I'm not an expert by any means - and I have no experience in carburetor operation.  I could tell something was wrong with the carb.  You could hear the engine stutter and the fuel supply seemed to operate way below optimal measures.

Electrical - the wiring harness was a mess.  Some wires were cut and never terminated and others had bare spots.  The ignition would miss occasionally and I guessed that the safety circuits were messed up.  All terminals were grime coated.  The wiring harness needed to be completely rebuilt.  

Body / Enclosure Damage - The hood had a major crack running along the top right hand side and the guides preventing scraping when lifted for engine access were missing.  The dash area had serious rust on it and all the original retaining nuts were in poor condition.  The headlights were smashed and non-operational.  The seat was rusted and the seating foam was fully exposed.  The seat was beyond repair. 

Wheels and Tires - The back tires were not the correct size and all the tires had slow leaks.  Upon inspection I found a few dents in the rims on both front tires and the right rear tire.  None of the tires would hold air for more than a week.

Transmission - The transmission would occasionally slip and would not hold in neutral while being pushed.  I never checked the fluid levels.

Governor Problems - beginning in Spring '05 the engine would run at extremely high RPM's.  I am guessing this is a governor problem that will need to be addressed.  During operation at high RPM's I was worried about overheating problems - this was the main reason I decided to rebuild this tractor.

Winter Operation - the engine would start very hard during winter operation and the tires had no traction and no weight.  Additionally I wanted a tractor I could plow with. 

Starter - it was obvious there was a problem with the starter.  It would not engage sometimes and this problem was not related to the ignition issues.  Turning the key would provide volts to the starter but the starter would just give one short click and not engage.  As time went on and in the Spring of '05 this became a serious issue and I was no longer able to start the tractor.

Alternator - I have a suspension that the alternator is not operating.  Every few weeks I would need to charge up the battery even if the tractor was worked frequently. 

This sums up the problems I went through.  I'm the type of guy who thinks something should last a lifetime - so I had real issues with just buying a new tractor.  The kids had by this time fell in love with the tractor - especially the boys.  We would frequently take rides in the tractor and I was in the process of finishing a trail that ran through the property.  The decision was made to begin the rebuild. 

I didn't take pictures before I started the disassembly - but I have a few.  About 5 minutes into the process I knew I needed a manual.  During my last paint job of '03 I had removed all the stickers from the tractor so it took me quite a bit of research to find out the Tractor Model Number and the Engine Part Number.  Serial numbers were even harder.  I finally gathered all the information and tracked down manuals that were shipped to me by Sears.

Disassembly

I started by taking off the front enclosure.  I knew I'd need to replace some of the nuts and bolts.  I staged everything to be painted later. 

(Enclosure Disassembly)

With the engine exposed I began draining all the fluids and immediately found water in the oil.  I had given the tractor a deep spray down with the hose but this was still a problem - I can't be sure how long the water had been in the oil.  My last oil change was in the fall of '04.  I took off the cylinder head and found some rust issues but mainly a bad case of carbon deposit.  The cylinder bore was smooth and clean with no sign of scoring - so that was a good sign.  I cleaned what I could right there but needed to get the flywheel off so I could pull the Cams and Piston. 

(Cylinder Head)

As you can see the Exhaust and Intake Valves are worn and will probably need to be replaced.  Carbon build up was prevalent in the valve seats and guides.  I will address that issue later.  Now to the Fly Wheel.

(Flywheel)

The Flywheel is a problem.  Scoring and damage to the fins was an issue and I wasn't sure how to solve it.  I needed a special tool to get the Flywheel off so I ordered one from M & D.  I also needed to replace the Solid State Ignition Assembly.  This unit was badly rusted - I almost broke my thumb trying to get this removed.  At this time I hand cranked the engine a few times and it turned freely with no resistance.  Another good sign. 

While waiting for some parts to be delivered I decided to start on the wiring harness.  My plan was to circumnavigate the safety start devices and create a more closed circuit architecture.  I also wanted to rebuild the head lamps and put high powered automotive lights in.  I also wanted to add some features like a removable work light that I could take on and off as needed - I didn't have a location or design together yet.  I also wanted to add a 12 volt power supply so I could hook up a converter to and use the tractor as a mobile power supply when needed.  At this point I hadn't put together any electrical diagrams so i thought I would just pull the harness and worry about the wiring over the winter. 

(Ignition)

(Solenoid)

(Wiring Harness)

I decided to take a quick shot at the wiring diagram with all the features I wanted to add.

(Click here for full size image)

The Dash Enclosure was my next project - I wanted to disassemble the dash so I could sand things down expose bare sheet metal for painting.  Also I needed to take off the dash to expose some of the frame and so that I could incorporate my accessories plan into the dash.

(Dash Enclosure)

(Dash - Bottom)

As you can see - the dash enclosure is heavily rusted.  The top portion is manageable - but the portion that is horizontal with the ground is really bad and needs to be completely redone.

(Original Seat)

The seat is beyond repair.  Wendy and I did some initial inspection and had a meeting about possible repair.  Not possible.  I'll have to find another option for this problem. 

(Battery Tray)

The battery tray and rear pulley are rusted and I don't think they are salvageable.  I am trying to find a local sand blaster to do some metal work.