Love getting a bunch of parts
And more junk.
- Thread starter MFDAC
- Start date
Colman fuel seems to last forever compared to gasoline! My gallon is well over 20 years old and still smells like new and when I start up the lantern and stove, they fire up just fine. I think the last time I filled them was in October of 2013 when we had a huge blizzard and was out of power for 28 hours or something like that. Can't remember for sure. Was a long time for us at least.
I suppose I should be embarrassed about how little they get used but when I need them they work great!
Yeah me too, Jim! Actually installed some of them today!
This morning, I was looking at FB marketplace and an old friend listed one of those cheap 2000# Badland winches for 40 bucks. Said he used it twice. Looks like it was never used! Met him at the Ace Hardware that is closest to me and bought it. I figured for that money it might be better than the very old one I have that I got out of the scrap trailer at my former job. Probably will mount it on a receiver and build a female one on my trailer. Not big enough for much more than a LT or GT but my trailer isn't good for anything bigger than them either.
Then I got a couple hours in on that old MTD. First getting the plumbing elbow tightened to a good angle to clear the hood and grill got done. I took the hood loose from the grill. Had to grind the nuts off on the back side. Positioned the grill and test fitted.
It has to point downhill but on this piece of junk, it will look fine---LOL! Will weld that coupler to the muffler and screw it on.
Cleaned up the front of the engine and frame and started the aftermarket carb install. Those Chinese tried to pull a fast one on me as those holes to mount the carb to the intake elbow are metric thread! Whatever thread has a 10mm head. I dug around and found exactly 2! And somehow they were the correct length!
Got the carb partial assembly hung and the vent tube Jim found on Amazon mounted. Leaving the air filter plate off until I adjust the idle mixture screw after it's running. Hard to get at when fully assembled. Need to route a new fuel line with a filter and clean up the gas tank before it can go back on.
DAC
I’m jealous Doug I can’t do much lately because it’s been getting so hot around noon or later. If that carb works out good for you keep that vendors info for later use. Most info I have read it’s a hot or miss with them. I’m running one on my 15hp Briggs on my Simplicity 3415H with no problems.
That muffler might work its way down after it gets running. You might need a brace under it. Sometimes it’s hard to get those lock nuts tight enough at the head. I think you’ll be happy with this once you get it going.
That muffler might work its way down after it gets running. You might need a brace under it. Sometimes it’s hard to get those lock nuts tight enough at the head. I think you’ll be happy with this once you get it going.
Installed a Chinese carburetor on my 8hp Tecumseh and it works OK. Starts excellent but the transition from idle to high speed goes very rich. The engine stumbles and emits black smoke but then clears out and runs nicely. Acts like it's trying to run on the low and high speed jets at the same time. Good enough for an old man but I wouldn't expect a customer to be happy with it.
The only tractor I have that still has the original carb is the MF8E that has a 10 hp Tec in it.
That makes 4 garden tractors with Chinese carbs, and then there are 4 running LT's (counting this MTD) with Chinese carbs.
AND My 1955 GMC also has a Chinese Rochester MV clone on it. All run good. Scares me there is that much junk around here!
The Predator carb in the MF12G does have issues if I let it idle too long or I forget to close the fuel shutoff. Floods at idle or leaks after a few minutes. I just don't let it happen. Don't like the float needle valve having a spring on it. I think tank head pressure is greater than the rate of that little spring, possibly greater than the buoyancy of the float.
No need to be jealous, Jim after a couple weeks of near 100 or over the cooling is nice but the day out central a/c went down it got up to 107! We had our share too. Glad your carb is working well on the 3415H!
Yes that will definitely need a brace. Didn't get quite that far today. If the thing hung the other way I wouldn't worry as much. I don't like those lock nuts. Won't use them They always make it tough to remove the pipe, and they gouge into the surface. Then the surface gets gouged more when a cold chisel is needed to cut that ring. That muffler bolted directly to the block before. Once again, I don't know what I will do with this thing besides it looking like a "Rat Tractor"---LOL! Figured it had to run since it came out of the shed after 20 years.
Got the exhaust done except for the support, cleaned and mounted the tank and ran a line to the carb. Checked the shutoff valve under the tank before I put it in the tractor and no leaks, seals when closed.
The choke lever is on the opposite side of this carb than the old one. Will make it harder to reach unless I cut that triangle piece out of the grill. Probably what I will do. This LT never had a choke cable. No provision for one. Push the lever with a finger while starting. This setup is similar but on the other side. No safety switches where the operator has to be in the seat with the clutch pressed.
DAC
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I’ve had hit or miss on the tecumseh China carbs. A couple I threw on and boom ran perfect with a minor adjustment. Others had an assortment….wouldn’t run at all, wouldn’t idle, wouldn’t run at high speed, wouldn’t run under load…mixed bag.
But for the price I’ll roll the dice and use amazons return policy.
But for the price I’ll roll the dice and use amazons return policy.
My only Tec still has the original carb. You may know about that Predator Honda clone flooding at idle issue, Aaron. Do you have any ideas?
DAC
The only thing I could think is a float needle.
I don’t usually mess with the carbs on my predators. I buy a new one for 9 dollars off Amazon…
I have been dealing with this issue for 9 years, Aaron, so it's not a real big deal I guess---LOL! I don't let it idle long and close the fuel shutoff when not using the tractor. Still might check into a new one sometime.
The old "Rat MTD" runs good again! Made up an exhaust brace out of some scrap steel.
That carb tuned in without much adjustment at all. It came with the hi-speed and idle screws turned out 2-1/2 times. I closed them up to 1-1/2 before it got installed. Just thought that was too much. Drove it around the yard for a while using all the gears. No problems there. Pulled the deck lever and quickly discovered the deck is locked up somewhere! That deck mechanism was in bad shape when I was using it way back when. The splines had stripped on one of the gearboxes and I had a friend weld it so it would work. Of course it wasn't perfectly straight so there was a vibration after that. I'm not a fan of splined drive shafts on small tractors. I discovered then that the kill in the ignition switch or wiring isn't working any more. I had to jump off the tractor while the belt was smoking and release that lever. That short engagement lever was always tough to use even in my younger days! I never thought about reaching in the discharge and seeing if the blades move before this. The deck will be removed. Drove around a little more, brought it in the shop and choked the engine off. It restarted well but puffed out some smoke probably due to closing the choke to shut it off.
Went to put the air filter back together, and discovered the filter that came with the carb is much bigger.
I was hoping the part number was on this sticker but nope.
I had been using a K&N breather filter on this thing. I drilled a hole in the top and cut off the flange for a hose clamp to hold it to a breather tube at some point many years ago. Put it back on for now. Will give it a good cleaning but not today. Was probably a throw-away from the race car back in the 80's! Might even put a longer stud in and use that new filter open. Like I said, there is no plan for this old beater besides just making it drivable.
Cut that part of the grill out to reach the choke lever and put the grill on. Hard to see the end of the lever but it's easily reachable with a finger.
Set the hood on but don't have hinge bolts in it yet. Done for today.
DAC
One thing I have run into with the Chinese carbs is the float is set to high. Even the specs is to high. Tried two different carbs on the 500 Polaris
and both floats were set way to high and had fuel running out the overflow all the time. Messed with them till I got the OEM carb rebuilt at the dealership and sent the two Chinese back to their owners. This is a fuel pump system with electric pump. Found out the OEM pump pressure is much to high for the newer carb parts. Specs say 6-8 lbs. pressure. I been running one with 3.5 lbs pressure and has been running great for a year now.
I’m running four tractors and a tiller with the old flo jet carbs one has a China clone. They all are sensitive to flooding easy. I had two that I rebuilt and adjusted according to Zippo Varga on YouTube pertaining to the emulsion tube that normally leaks causing these to flood. He is a whiz at these carbs and many other things especially Simplicity and Allis Chalmers.
That tractor is amazingly similar to the old Sears small framed tractors. Front axle right back to the frame rails...Even the right angle gear boxes on the deck..
Guess I've been lucky with them besides the HF Predator. Easily worked around that too. The MTD with the flojet has been sitting since yesterday with the fuel tank valve open and so far no leaks.
Maybe MTD built them for Sears, Bill? I think this tractor is from around 1973.
DAC
It's possible they built them for Sears, as a kid my one uncle fixed up a little MTD made tractor for me with Crusader on the hood and front grill. I was told it was bought through Sears. It was 5hp, solid rear axle, just went forward and reverse, and had a single blade mower deck on it. He took the deck off, made a rear hitch and a dual wheel cart for it, and gave it to me. I used it to haul the garbage cans to the curb and haul the weeds from the gardens. It looked like this.
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MTD back in the 70’s had several versions of basically the same tractor just different engines and trannys. If it wasn’t the same it was a smaller version of a well built tractor. As far as I can remember there was an in depth research on GTtalk documenting the different models. If you had a feed or hardware store back then and could sell so many in a year they would paint and brand them your choice of color.
That little tractor did a lot of hauling, tough little bugger too. I made a set of tire chains for it and pulled a rock about size of a pickup truck set of duals.
Got the cutting deck out from under the old MTD today. The shell still looks ok but that's about it. Can turn the blades with a lot of force.
Figured out that at some point I cobbled a kill switch into the headlight switch. Headlights and mounts were long gone when I got this thing over 40 years ago. Traced the wire coming from under the blower housing to the switch. Started the engine and tried it. In is run, out is kill. Been over 20 years so give me a break---LOL! Probably can scare up a different knob for it.
Mounted the hood back to the grill shell so it swings up again. the grill isn't bolted to the frame. It's solid but I can still pull the hood/grill assembly off for checking and changing the oil much easier. One of the tool box latches are still on it to hold the hood down!
There is this much play in the steering---LOL!
Don't know how many were made but it appears to be an early one with 141 prefix on the serial number. 669 is the model of the tractor, although I'm not sure what the 9 means. Falls into the MTD 660 category.
Rained about the time I was going to drive it around outside again so that was it for tractor work today.
DAC
Figured out that at some point I cobbled a kill switch into the headlight switch. Headlights and mounts were long gone when I got this thing over 40 years ago. Traced the wire coming from under the blower housing to the switch. Started the engine and tried it. In is run, out is kill. Been over 20 years so give me a break---LOL! Probably can scare up a different knob for it.
Mounted the hood back to the grill shell so it swings up again. the grill isn't bolted to the frame. It's solid but I can still pull the hood/grill assembly off for checking and changing the oil much easier. One of the tool box latches are still on it to hold the hood down!
There is this much play in the steering---LOL!
Don't know how many were made but it appears to be an early one with 141 prefix on the serial number. 669 is the model of the tractor, although I'm not sure what the 9 means. Falls into the MTD 660 category.
Rained about the time I was going to drive it around outside again so that was it for tractor work today.
DAC
669 means electric start and 659 means recoil start. Those right angle gear boxes on that deck are tough. They may just need cleaned up and greased.
On my 990 in the steering the bevel gears can be shimmed to make the mesh tighter if worn which most of these tractors are because of their durability they were never sold until they were in bad shape.