Sears tractor refurbish project

still kikn

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This thing crawled into the back of my truck and came home with me today. Other than the fact that the engine isn't locked up and appears to have good compression, if you've looked at the pics then you know as much about it as I do. Just wondered if any of you have any experience with these old cast iron engines and what you can tell me about them. I don't know what I'll do with it yet, lot's of possibilities running through my mind though. Is it a Tecumseh or something else?
 

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Brianator

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Tecumseh is a very good guess based on the side draft carb and shape of the fuel bowl, all engine info should be on the label I've circled. Here's a link to what I believe is the exact tractor you have http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/9/8/1983-sears-146.html.

Very cool tractor and is something I would refurbish and put back into action or sell as a complete running unit, the old tractors are tough as nails and will run for another 30 years if taken care of. Most "Sears" were made by MTD but you seem to have one of the Roper built units, looks to be more of a garden tractor with a cutting deck than an actual lawn tractor. Good find!
 

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still kikn

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Thank you Brianator

Refurbishing is one of the possibilities that I'm considering. The guy that gave me this had high praise for it, talking about how tough it was and how many acres he used to mow with it. He said he finally got a new mower only because the drive belt started coming off and he got tired of messing with it after it did it one too many times. So he parked it in a shed where it sat for the last ten years until today. Said he thinks he even has the manual for it if he can find it.

It was major pain loading it on my pickup, flat tires, and HEAVY.. Then the deck wouldn't clear the hump at the top of the ramps and bottomed out, then the the deck wouldn't quite squeeze between the wheel wells. You had to be there, but by the time I got it loaded and got it home and unloaded I was beat and been recuperating in the a/c ever since. But I'll get back over to the shop as soon as it cools down outside this evening and look it over for model numbers and what not.

I've also been thinking of a new project to work on and some kind of two seater buggy thingy that my wife and I can both ride around in is one I've been considering. and I was thinking that motor might work for that project so not sure what I'll do with it yet. I'll figure it out eventually.
Thanks for the information!
 

anickode

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I would guess Kohler.

Old tractors are the best.

I have a Case 448 with an 18hp Onan. Thing's an absolute tank. Weighs like 750 lbs without any attachments.

Frankly, I wouldn't use that engine on a kart.
 

Brianator

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I personally think it would be sad to seperate them, I'd buy that tractor from you if it were not for the distance.

Folks don't generally have a high opinion of Tecumseh engines on karts around here either.
 

anickode

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Because it wouldn't be suitable for that use, too heavy, or something, or because the tractor/engine should be left intact and restored? Curious minds want to know.

Thanks.

All of the above.

It's heavy and will likely be less forgiving of over revving than other engines.

That's a cool tractor. The fact that the rear wheels bolt on is a good sign that it's a beefy machine meant for doing some real work. IMO it would be a shame to rip it apart. It's in quite good condition. If it was a rusted out heap I might feel otherwise.

That thing when lawn tractors were really little tractors that could be used for mowing, not big self propelled mowers with a seat.

My 448 runs a 60" mower deck, 48" snow blower, 4 foot brush hog, has a category 0 3 point hitch for back blades, rototillers, or anything else you can imagine including harrows and plows. Things used to be built different.

That machine probably has a bad idler pulley someplace that's walking the belt off. Find the issue and fix it, and that tractor will last ANOTHER lifetime or more.
 

still kikn

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Thanks guys, I looked it over real good this evening and have come to the same conclusion you both have. Just too nice of a tractor to part out. So I'm going to work on getting the engine going and if that checks out to be pretty solid I'll get the project underway. I'll post updates and probably a few questions from time to time in the Other Stuff section. Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated.
 

Brianator

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And being an older 14hp garden tractor it's going to be very robust and useful, you won't regret it! I bet it has a provision for a 3 point hitch even.
 

Kartorbust

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It has a hi/lo range transmission according to tractor data which will be useful for yardwork. If you need help with the tractor, these guys are quite helpful. https://www.mytractorforum.com/forums/craftsman-sears-forum.14/ however, it may take a few hours to almost a full day to get registered to ask questions on there. But there should be a lot of useful information on there for the tractor and engine.
 

B.M.800

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Those tecs have a bad habit of dropping the exhaust valve seats. I got one off a guy who had to peen around the seat to keep it in place, I found a replacement on ebay for it.

Better built tractor than most these days. Replace the Tec with a Kohler K and youll have yourself a dandy mower.


There was all kinds of attachments for them back on the day. Plows, snow blowers, 3pnt hitch, cultivators.. all kinds of neat stuff.
 

still kikn

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Thanks guys, I started working on it this morning and didn't get too far before I screwed up. The gas tank had some crap in it including a stick that I suppose someone had stuck in there at some time or other to check the fuel level. Anyway the first thing I wanted to do was to see how good the engine ran before making a final decision on the rebuild.

I wanted to clean the tank (which is plastic btw) and get that stick out before putting in fresh fuel and trying to start the engine. So to make a long story short, I took the tank off and was trying to get the stick out, turning it upside and such when I managed to let it slip out of my hands and wouldn't you know it would land right on the outlet fitting which snapped right off.

I was thinking I could put in another fitting and use some kind of seal/gasket or such along with flat washers and nuts on both sides to squeeze it all together but after looking closer I saw that it goes in at an angle and there's a raised area inside the tank where it comes though which is going to make it pretty difficult to install any kind of compression fitting or other similar.

Don't know if there's any kind of plastic epoxy that would hold in a gasoline environment but if there is I'll try to glue the broken fitting back in there. I haven't looked yet but suspect that a replacement tank would be hard to find.

Anyways, I can always substitute another tank, probably have one that'll fit sitting out in the junk yard right now but would much rather keep the original one so if anyone has any suggestion let me know.

Would it be possible for a moderator or administrator to move this thread to a more fitting place, in the other stuff section? If not I guess I'll have to start a new one there myself.
 

anickode

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Fuel tanks are generally constructed from polyethylene, which is notoriously difficult to glue/cement/epoxy/fiberglass/melt together. Basically, nothing will stick to it. Unfortunately, when something made from polyethylene breaks, it's usually just broken.

A bulkhead fitting may work, but it'd have to be one with gasoline compatible gaskets, otherwise it will leak in pretty short order.
 

Brianator

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Could a barbed 1/8 NPT fitting potentially work if you drilled and tapped the plastic? JB quick weld could be used to seal it up if so.

I just remembered that there's a plastic fuel tank repair kit designed for cars/trucks, maybe that could work?

Last "bush repair" idea I thought of if is.... air line compression fittings have a small insert that goes inside the tube. If you could fit the fuel line tight into the tank then squeeze a insert in the line from inside the tank it should hold for a good while until the hose starts to shrink and deteriorate.

Sucks this happened but just to test the motor you could put fuel in a pop can and get a few mins of runtime out of it.
 

still kikn

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Sucks this happened .

Yep, definitely not a good way to start a new project. Bummed me out big time. But was able to shake it off and actually get a few things accomplished.

I first pulled a tank off of another old mower, didn't fit worth a crap but was able to hook it up temporarily so I could check the engine out. Got that all hooked up along with some jumper cables since the battery in it was so dead my charger can't even recognize that it's hooked up. And then had to hot wire it since something seems to be wrong with the key switch. But once I got everything set up and energized the solenoid it cranked for about fifteen or twenty seconds and was running! I was smiling like a complete idiot I was so happy. I was pretty impressed that it started so easily after sitting for ten years. I had to tell somebody so I called the fellow I got it from and he was as surprised as I was. Told me I must be a heck of a mechanic. I told him I didn't do a thing other that give it a drink and shoot some electricity to the starter. It was pretty cool.

To make a good day even better he showed up at my door with the owner's manual and the bill receipts for everything he'd ever had done to it. Pretty decent of him to do that and I really appreciated it.

So anyways I went back over this afternoon and started taking her apart. Got a pretty good start. Took off the hood and grill and a little side panel that gives access to some of the stuff under the floor board. Going to take off the running boards tomorrow probably.

I want to run it one more time, long enough to warm up the oil so I can change it before I paint anything so I'll try to get that done tomorrow too, the oil change that is, not the painting. of course ( :

I looked at a few of the plastic patch/sealer products and most of them say not to use on gas tanks. But there's a bunch of them so I'll check into them further later on. I don't think the barbed fitting idea will work as the plastic is so thin there'd be no room for threads. But I did see a fitting that Briggs makes for putting a shutoff valve in their tanks and it looks like it has possibility's, need to check it out further though. I'll come up with something sooner or later, even if I have to build a tank myself. It's basically just a rectangle so wouldn't be too hard to weld something together that would fit right in there. Wouldn't be original is the only drawback.
 

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still kikn

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btw Teflon tape does not like gas/oil. found that out the hard way yesterday.ask me how found out.

Heh, I already know how you found out,. I couldn't begin to count all the things I've learned the hard way. School of hard knocks is tough but you never forget what you learn there!
 

landuse

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I'm looking forward to seeing the tractor all restored!! :thumbsup:

I have moved this thread to the project section of the forum. If you want the name changed, let me know what you want it changed to and I can do it for you
 

still kikn

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Thank you landuse. The name is fine with me and doesn't need changed unless you think it should be changed to something that will alert members that this isn't Kart related so they won't waste their time clicking on the thread if they aren't interested in tractor related stuff. In that case you could change it to Sears tractor refurbish project or something along those lines. Otherwise I'm fine with the Trash or Treasure name.
 

landuse

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Thank you landuse. The name is fine with me and doesn't need changed unless you think it should be changed to something that will alert members that this isn't Kart related so they won't waste their time clicking on the thread if they aren't interested in tractor related stuff. In that case you could change it to Sears tractor refurbish project or something along those lines. Otherwise I'm fine with the Trash or Treasure name.

Done :D

Not that it was necessarily needed, but at least people can see what the thread is about :thumbsup:
 
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