LT166 any good?

dodge trucker

Tractorologist
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one hopped on my trailer after work today. tires rotten, took another tractor (with forks) to load it. Has a V twin (Vanguard maybe?) 16hp Briggs. Never messed with one.
guy said there was a problem with fuel pump, he had a electric one cobbled on there crudely, said that was the only way it would run. don't yet see any evidence of a pulse pump on it like I'd think it should probably have. messed with other machine that also jumped on my trailer from same guy then it was dark outside.
judging by how he was right about the other machine as to what was wrong with it (not much) Id guess I can trust him on this one too.... just gotta get into it.
Never messed with a Briggs V twin yet. It has a short stub of a fuel line with a plastic see thru filter on it with nothing on the other end... I'm guessing just to keep crap from falling into valve cover? He thought there wasn't enough "pulse" to operate fuel pump and that was why it wouldn't run...
I do have a new Stens pulse style fuel pump here I could try on there......
Im guessing that if that were true, then it was a smoking, oil thirsty pig.... it don't look like that.
Deck looks pretty beefy, rest of tractor around it looks cheaply made at least compared to the Deere 200,300 series that I have messed with before. this one has 2 pedal control.... one for each direction. Machine worth saving/messing with?
I hear complaints about newer Deere having cheap hoods that don't hold up, this one looks like it's fine.

what are the known issues with this engine, and this series tractor? not sure of its fate just yet
 
Coming from a Deere guy, it's a glorified lawn mower, nothing more. only thing Deere makes today that comes close to the 200, 300 and 400 series are the X machines, If it doesn't have enough vacuum/ pressure to operate the pulse pump I would look at the push rods real close.
 
well if I can get the motor to run is it worth getting the rest of the LT back functional or a better engine donor for something else?
Considering the (lack of) beefiness of the rest of the "tractor" itself, I'm surprised the deck looks so sturdy. if I get it going this unit may be a flip.
 
if it were me... and IF it is infact a 16hp Vanguard then I would pull the motor and save it for a more worthy project... but... those little JDs are easy to flip in the $400-$600cad range depending on condition.... they are user friendly so women often like to mow with them...... ask much more around here and I might be sitting on it awhile.
 
well I got the motor to run, didnt get the key with this machine so I disconnected it and hot wired it, jumper cables straight to starter and it runs! pretty good in fact. The fuel line to the carb is Swiss cheese though. I pushed the pedals and heard the hydro growl one direction, not so much the other.... then when I got to the barn to push it off it didnt wanna go at first, (4 flat tires don't help and no, they wont hold air, beyond tubes even)
I found the release for the hydro to push tractor and I think it was out 1/2 way,,, I pushed it in then pulled it out til I felt something click, then it rolled, kinda. I think the PO had the release only partly released....
yeah it is a Vanguard twin, vertical shaft engine....
I took the makeshift 12V electric fuel pump off, stuck the end in a 5 gallon gas can, and hooked the alligator clips to a battery I had nearby and that pump does work.... I tried blowing back into the tank from up by the engine and either the outlet is plugged or the hose is collapsed,,,
I had put about 1/2 gallon of gas in it, couldnt get it to siphon out or gravity feed, I took my compressor and rubber tipped blow gun and blew back into the tank, and it seems something is plugged..... gonna have to pull the pan to investigate that.
I wonder if I could use this Vanguard on the Husq I have that needs an engine..... same 46" of deck to power on either machine.... I think if I put em up next to each other "For sale" and both ran, and I put the same price on both, the Deere would probably sell 1st.... so it might be worth scrounging up some (good used) tires to fit this thing? I wanna check it out a bit better, when I get time... see if the Husq has the same size tires maybe?
This is 16hp twin/46" mowing swipe.... the Husq is a claimed 21 HP, single cyl also 46" swipe. the Deere is 95-2000 era (by the EPA sticker on the engine) the Husq is much newer, somewhere around a 2013-14 model.
Ideally Id like to get em both going and flip em both..... we will have to see?
 
those Vanguard engines were used both vertical or horizontal with factory optional parts. I have a 16 vertical in an Agco Allis mower and an 18 horizontal in an 8000 watt generator.
 
I have not converted one myself but according to others on the GT Puller sites it can be done. I think it involved a differant base cover and oil pickup, possibly different intake/exhaust manifolds and air filter... but everything is oem parts.
 
the Vanguards were the factory engines in the Simplicity built front mowers that I like so I sometimes steal the engines out of smaller tractors and swap them into these front mowers because they can sell for $1500+... think Ive built and sold 4 of them so far and I always keep one around for myself. The generator has the same engine but it runs horizontal... appears to have a different oil filter mount aswell but that may not be needed depending on clearances of differant applications.

They are generally an nice quiet engine with good power, slightly smaller overall than the opposed twins but a better engine IMO.

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