Salvaging junked out LT's
- Thread starter MFDAC
- Start date
Good observation, Noel! I'm sure out there on the Rez it just got run until it wouldn't go any more, but even with that blown head gasket, it ran pretty good yesterday afternoon! It probably got hard to start since that choke rod was missing so they gave up on it and dumped it up on the hill! That's what I'm afraid of now, repeating failures. What a crappy head bolt design! They could have easily beefed up the pushrod passage adjacent to the cylinder and added a headbolt or two! The head gasket I ordered is a Briggs. I would think some aftermarket outfit may have addressed this issue with a beefier head gasket, BUT who knows if the valves could be adjusted properly if the gasket was a bit thicker?I know in the old days we would use "Copper Coat" on steel head gaskets for cars. I wonder if a person would dare using a sealer of sorts on that wimpy head gasket?
I did clean up the block and head surface, and took a wire wheel to the combustion chamber. Used a 6" machinist rule to look for warpage in the deck and head surface and couldn't see any issues. Also took off the muffler to straighten the shield that had been used as a bumper a few times. Muffler looked ok. I'm betting now that all the noise was due to the head gasket failure.
DAC
Caught me while I'm still on here Noel, Thanks! I'm gonna have to search for sealers. That copper coat was a spray in a can. Actually used that on race engines back in the early 1970s. I'll have to see if something like that is still available!
DAC
Thanks for the link, Larry! Now that I know it still exists, I searched locally and it is available here for the same price. I'll go pick up a can tomorrow!
Not doing much today. Turkey is in the oven!
DAC
-Back to work on the Bolens/MTD today. After work this morning I went and got a can of copper coat. Hope that helps that crappy head bolt design seal better. Gasket won't be here for a few days yet.
Put away tools from the first round of working on it, swept the floor, shoved the JD 160 back around behind the shop for now and got to work taking the cutting deck off the Bolens/MTD. Removal wasn't too bad, but the MF12G is a heck of a lot easier!
Took it outside, blew it off and scraped the underside some. Didn't really need much.
Flipped it over, took off the blades and sharpened them. I've never had blades that the cutting edge is curved, but it looks like that shape is factory. Much better condition than I expected. Is that "mulching blades"?
Cleaned it with a rag before I put it back under the tractor to see if there were cracks or if anyone ever tried to launch a rock through it. No substantial rust either. Installing that deck is WAY tougher than the MF12G! Drew some blood doing that. I should have hauled it over to Noel's and used the H@!$T----LOL!
It was a nice enough day for some pressure washing but I have the pressure washer stored for the winter now. Next spring after the head is back on and it's time to play with it in the grass it will get a good shower. It will need belts but I'm still in the cheapskate mode. Need to have a little more confidence that it may be a decent mower before spending the bucks. Front tires may need tubes too. They are slow leakers.
DAC
Put away tools from the first round of working on it, swept the floor, shoved the JD 160 back around behind the shop for now and got to work taking the cutting deck off the Bolens/MTD. Removal wasn't too bad, but the MF12G is a heck of a lot easier!
Took it outside, blew it off and scraped the underside some. Didn't really need much.
Flipped it over, took off the blades and sharpened them. I've never had blades that the cutting edge is curved, but it looks like that shape is factory. Much better condition than I expected. Is that "mulching blades"?
Cleaned it with a rag before I put it back under the tractor to see if there were cracks or if anyone ever tried to launch a rock through it. No substantial rust either. Installing that deck is WAY tougher than the MF12G! Drew some blood doing that. I should have hauled it over to Noel's and used the H@!$T----LOL!
It was a nice enough day for some pressure washing but I have the pressure washer stored for the winter now. Next spring after the head is back on and it's time to play with it in the grass it will get a good shower. It will need belts but I'm still in the cheapskate mode. Need to have a little more confidence that it may be a decent mower before spending the bucks. Front tires may need tubes too. They are slow leakers.
DAC
Put away tools from the first round of working on it,
Jumpins, I rarely ever do that. !!!!! I seem to get mini tool boxes all over the garage.
Noel’s h@!$t was full today Doug. You would of had to wait till next week. Hehe. That way we could have had a few cold ones.
Lookin good Doug. It’s gunna work for ya. Just have to work on the wife to drive it.
Noel
Jumpins, I rarely ever do that. !!!!! I seem to get mini tool boxes all over the garage.
Noel’s h@!$t was full today Doug. You would of had to wait till next week. Hehe. That way we could have had a few cold ones.
Lookin good Doug. It’s gunna work for ya. Just have to work on the wife to drive it.
Noel
Thanks John, I was kinda shocked it and the blades look this good! Spindles are solid too!
DAC
What was on the h@!$t today that you were working, Noel? I've got so much junk around here I don't have space for mini toolboxes---LOL! It's pick it up or trip over it!
I would have brought a couple cases of 16oz silver bullets, so we wouldn't run out!
Wife's mad that I just don't cut her loose on the MF12G! I keep telling her that that tractor is too "macho" for her. She don't believe it. There's times when it's pretty tiring on me! Left leg feathering that vari-speed sometimes gets to me. Now she has prepared herself that this one is "her" tractor, even though she liked the JD better----just because it's a JD! What helped the most is that her uncle gave them to us and she likes the family thing!
DAC
Your situation with your wife and the older units is the same as we have with my mom. She can not operate any of the garden tractors. Even with the spring assisted lift she can't lift the deck. Pushing the button and moving the lever to turn the blades on and off is tough for her. She never was strong
With the new deere dad bought last year after we sold off part of the cub collection she has no problem operating it at all.
Dad gets mad at me but I tell him after he is gone the back 2 acres won't get cut. The half acre around the house is the only part that will get cut.
With the new deere dad bought last year after we sold off part of the cub collection she has no problem operating it at all.
Dad gets mad at me but I tell him after he is gone the back 2 acres won't get cut. The half acre around the house is the only part that will get cut.
Glad your Mom is good to go on the new JD! The back yard becomes your job or one of your kids job, Aaron, if she can't do it! No need to get your Dad mad! Assure him it will get done and make it happen instead. Take care of those elders! My wife is strong as heck, she has to restrain teenage kids that are throwing full force violent tantrums. She is developing troubles in her hips though and that's where I get to hurting sometimes on the 12G. It's the knowing the machine that's a vertical learning curve too. I may spend more time fixing stuff on it rather than just set up a simpler LT for her use. Wish we could buy new but it ain't in the cards for us.
DAC
Saturday Doug, was a full day of changing tires. Off with the summers , on with the winters. No tire changing machine here, tires all ready on wheels. Just switching. And a Lincoln with wiring troubles son was working on. No tractor work.
Ya clutch pedal on the MF 12 is hard to push. And ya it hurts the knee after awhile. I find that when using the loader a lot.
Ya, cut the two acres Aaron. You’ve got the tractor to do it. Keep dad happy.
Noel
Ya clutch pedal on the MF 12 is hard to push. And ya it hurts the knee after awhile. I find that when using the loader a lot.
Ya, cut the two acres Aaron. You’ve got the tractor to do it. Keep dad happy.
Noel
Got the head gasket and to get the exhaust, valve cover and carb o-ring it was just as cheap to order the whole gasket set. Think it was 8 bucks.
I'm on call at work for a week now so won't be doing anything after work but may get to tinker this weekend.
DAC
I'm on call at work for a week now so won't be doing anything after work but may get to tinker this weekend.
DAC
Thank-you! I usually hate anything sitting outside, but this one won't hurt my feelings too bad. It will be tarped though!
DAC