Salvaging junked out LT's
- Thread starter MFDAC
- Start date
Glad you fellers didn't try to persue a career as comedians---LOL! I got a belly laugh out of those comments actually! If they become permanent, they will get painted to match the rears---LOL! I've got a couple other tires that size that leak on the rim beads that might get switched to the Bolens/MTD wheels one of these days!
DAC
After work this morning I got the 3 new belts installed and sharpened the blades on the Bolens/MTD. The belts were a bit of a pain but they are on. The old MF's seem easier to work on! It was nice enough I opened the overhead door then since the '55 was sitting right there I backed it in a bit and used the tailgate for a workbench. I didn't start it yet but may try tomorrow briefly. Still on call at work and I would get fired if I couldn't hear the phone.
DAC
DAC
Buddy of mine was showing me his 1970 dodge 1/2 ton yesterday. Nice shape. No rust, but not quite a show truck. He asked me to open the tail gate. Surprised me that the tail gate handle opened out toward the right, instead of lifting up like most tail gate handles. Tail gate was very heavy. Easily could be used for a bench. Your post reminded me Doug.
Noel.
Noel.
A lot of GMC only parts are not reproduced, Noel. Even though most people think that GMCs were Chevys with a different grill, before 1967 they had a lot of major differences. In those earlier years, Canadian GMCs were more like Chevys than U.S. GMCs, mainly using Chevy engines. Down here, '55-'59 GMCs had GMC built inline sixes and Pontiac V-8s. 1960-1967 U.S. GMCs used a GMC only V-6 and had no V-8s offered. There were some suspension differences too, mainly GMC had leaf springs in the rear standard for half-tons and Chevy started using coils.
The dashboard and instrument panels were completely different through those years too so that's probably why the light switches were different. From what I remember when I had the light switch out years ago, it used ring terminals. The Chevy switches use spades. I hope that's all there is different! I can't say about your friends '66 but it may not hurt to try a Chevy switch, might not be a real difficult swap. I used quite a few parts from a 1964 Chevy pickup building the '55 but not much was a bolt-on swap! Had to use what I had laying around since dollars are slim.
DAC
Sounds like fun, Noel! Those old Dodge trucks are cool too! I would dig seeing pics of both!
DAC
There was a tractor related reason I didn't get on yesterday evening. My wife roped me into seeing if a "Gardenway" LT some old friends (even before I met my wife 46 years ago) of hers got with a house they bought a couple of years ago might be salvageable. It's two brothers and there older sister, one is a widower with many health issues, another brother is separated from his wife and the sister is the oldest and divorced. None could afford a house payment, but together they got the deal done. They are all in their 60's.
Anyway we went over there, and this is the tractor.
It is one of those MTD's probably sold in a box store. I always liked the B/S I/C engines so figured that's a plus. Being a hydro was good. Flipped up the seat and there was a dead battery but I brought one. Swapped it out, added some oil then gave it a try with a shot of ether. It fired almost instantly which surprised me! I figured the carb was all gummed up but put some gas in the tank anyway. It fired right off again! It wasn't running real smooth, smoking and it looks like the engine mount bolts are loose or gone. The whole engine was shaking around. Found an rpm where the engine didn't shake much so let it run fore a bit. Smoking gradually decreased. I figured it's time for the big test to see if it moves. Both right side tires are flat and look cracked pretty bad. Got on and crept it forward a couple feet. Moved the deck height lever and the blades started spinning.
I could not get it to go into reverse. Shut down and studied it some and still couldn't figure out why the darn lever wouldn't go to reverse position. Started it again and pulled the lever and kept pressure on it. Then it went backward. Maybe you have to hold the lever in reverse? When I would let go it would stop.
Long story longer, It looks like I have a customer job. They don't care if it's done this summer. I'll take the trailer over there one of these days, load it up and bring it home. Told them there will be a minimum of a couple hundred bucks in parts. Used Lt's around here are insanely overpriced so they were ok with me seeing if the darn thing might be freshened into a useable mower. I don't really plan on padding much labor cost into it though. They are good folks trying to get by, by pooling their resources.
I could not find this tractor on the "TractorData" site to get details about it. A search did come up that it is a 2002 machine with some parts breakdowns that I saved.
DAC
Anyway we went over there, and this is the tractor.
It is one of those MTD's probably sold in a box store. I always liked the B/S I/C engines so figured that's a plus. Being a hydro was good. Flipped up the seat and there was a dead battery but I brought one. Swapped it out, added some oil then gave it a try with a shot of ether. It fired almost instantly which surprised me! I figured the carb was all gummed up but put some gas in the tank anyway. It fired right off again! It wasn't running real smooth, smoking and it looks like the engine mount bolts are loose or gone. The whole engine was shaking around. Found an rpm where the engine didn't shake much so let it run fore a bit. Smoking gradually decreased. I figured it's time for the big test to see if it moves. Both right side tires are flat and look cracked pretty bad. Got on and crept it forward a couple feet. Moved the deck height lever and the blades started spinning.
I could not get it to go into reverse. Shut down and studied it some and still couldn't figure out why the darn lever wouldn't go to reverse position. Started it again and pulled the lever and kept pressure on it. Then it went backward. Maybe you have to hold the lever in reverse? When I would let go it would stop.
Long story longer, It looks like I have a customer job. They don't care if it's done this summer. I'll take the trailer over there one of these days, load it up and bring it home. Told them there will be a minimum of a couple hundred bucks in parts. Used Lt's around here are insanely overpriced so they were ok with me seeing if the darn thing might be freshened into a useable mower. I don't really plan on padding much labor cost into it though. They are good folks trying to get by, by pooling their resources.
I could not find this tractor on the "TractorData" site to get details about it. A search did come up that it is a 2002 machine with some parts breakdowns that I saved.
DAC
I don't know much about them either but my '89 model John Deere 175 Hydro has a Kawasaki 14HP single that has had nothing but oil changes and air cleaner services and still runs great.
Thanks for the reply, Thom. I've got a JD 160 gear drive that is probably about the same year sitting out behind the shop. The coil was bad and someone took the tins off but I have the parts. It's a Kaw also but I forget what HP. It may be coming in for repair one of these days too.
Good to know how tough they are!
DAC
Here's some manuals for that machine. Just put in the model & serial!
PDF Manual Web Archive
manuals.mtdproducts.com
Early Chevy sixes were 216s, earlier than that 207, even earlier 194. Pre 29s were 4 cylinders.
The only 217s I ever remember we're some Chrysler flathead sixes.
There were also 194's build starting in 1962 after the 235 was phased out but I can't recall when the production ceased on them. They were the little brother to the 230 and 250 sixes that were popular then.
DAC
Yeah, a slightly "cut" 194 head on a 250 increases the compression to the point you almost need aviation fuel.
We have the lesser known "bigger brother" 261 cubic inch version of the 235 style engine in our '40 Chevy 2 door sedan. They were used only in big trucks & buses. Ours came out of a '62 (last year of production '54-62) school bus with only 40,000 miles on it when the rear end broke. It has a late model three speed, column shifted trans and 12 bolt rear, geared 3.08:1. The combination is perfect. It climbs local hills in high gear where the original 216 would probably have required low gear. We've had the car since I found the body in a local scrapyard in 1980.
Our "kids" are 37 & 33 so they grew up riding in it, and now our three grandsons, 4, 11, and 13, love it. It will stay in the family.
We have the lesser known "bigger brother" 261 cubic inch version of the 235 style engine in our '40 Chevy 2 door sedan. They were used only in big trucks & buses. Ours came out of a '62 (last year of production '54-62) school bus with only 40,000 miles on it when the rear end broke. It has a late model three speed, column shifted trans and 12 bolt rear, geared 3.08:1. The combination is perfect. It climbs local hills in high gear where the original 216 would probably have required low gear. We've had the car since I found the body in a local scrapyard in 1980.
Our "kids" are 37 & 33 so they grew up riding in it, and now our three grandsons, 4, 11, and 13, love it. It will stay in the family.
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That's a great car! Thom! Don't blame you for keeping it in the family! Love the long time family vehicles. I've got a couple of them (also GMC trucks, a '70 and a '72) too but won't go into that right now. I've got a '55 GMC that someone transplanted a Chevy 230 in way before I saved it from scrap. Definitely heard of the 261 but never dealt with one.
DAC
DAC