I think I have Winter Projects covered...

[PHPaul]

Damn Craigslist...

Two Simplicity tractors, both 16 hp Briggs, one with motor-generator and gear shift, the other with an automotive-style starter and hydro.

Two mowers, a 5' sickle and a midmount. Spare bar and sickle.

3 snow blowers, one tractor mounted, one walk behind, one corded POS that's basically an electric broom.

One old-enough-to-be-real Troybilt tiller.

One Honda-powered pressure washer.

About two feet of factory manuals for the Simplicity stuff.

Two boxes of spare parts and some other assorted - but related - junk.

250 mile round trip, $100 worth of gas (DAMN that F250 is thirsty!) and one day shot in the ass.

The plan is to get the hydro tractor running and mount the sicklebar on it. The whole plan was something to mow ditches with. I'll also keep the Troybilt. Everything else will get flipped or given to family.

 

[CTinline-six]

I used to mess around with those Simplicitys and their Allis-Chalmers equivalents when I was a kid. They have a cult following and are well-built little tractors.

 

[PHPaul]

Pretty fair batting average so far.

Snow blower starts/runs/operates without issue. On Craigslist.

Engine on pressure washer started second pull (Honda GVC160) Guy said he thought pump was trashed. Debating, but probably yank the engine and trash the rest.

Tiller is a 1968 Model Troy Bilt Horse. Back when they were built to last. Carb mount broken, probably did that myself loading, unloading or traveling. Carb on order. Governor linkage all bent to crap, I'll sort that out when the carb arrives. Assuming it runs and operates, I'll keep it.

 

[PHPaul]

The 3416 tractor runs and drives. Made up a new set of cables and put a good battery in it. After ensuring that it would start and run, changed the oil and drove it up to the shop.

The "shuttle shift" is actually kinda neat. If I run into too much trouble with the 7116 Hydro, I can certainly live with it. 4 speed trans and a lever on the side for Rev/Neutral/Fwd and it looks like the Fwd sector gives you a speed range in each gear.

Next step is to give it a bath, change the trans oil, mess with the carb a bit (sticky float I think) change the engine oil again both because I used remnants of whatever I had laying around without having enough of any one weight/blend and because it was B-L-A-C-K and smelled of gas. (See note about carb...)

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the whole collection and while it certainly wasn't a steal, I think it was a fair price.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Nice find(s) sir!!!!!

Luckily, I don't do FakeBook nor CraigsList.

Now the Big A is a completely different story............

I am going to come up with an "new invention" though.....

It's a "Computer Mounted Breathalyzer" (CMB).....The concept is that it wont let me hit the "purchase now" button if my BAC is above .001


I am awaiting this bad MF'r today......

 

[BAP]

I have both of those tractors along with several other Simplicity’s and Allis Chalmers. Those shuttle shifts work good once you get used to them. Each gear you can use the forward/reverse lever on dash to control your speed similar to a hydrostat.

 

[PHPaul]

@Runs With Scissors

I REALLY want a shear, but fortunately the price tag and lack of space keeps me from getting froggy.

 

[PHPaul]

One of the machines on that trailer load of ...stuff... is a Troy Bilt Horse rototiller. A REAL Troy Bilt, not the cheapened up MTD version.

Looks like somebody tried to repower it, but the engine they used wasn't going to work as the throttle/governor linkages were all wrong and would have required MAJOR re-engineering. I spent about 20 minutes looking at it and said "Nope!"

A little research pointed to a Harbor Freight Predator that would be a direct bolt-on. I was waiting on the toy fund to recover a bit. Then I got a text from my good friends at Harbor Freight that ALL Predator engines were on sale today only at 30% off.

I wasn't long jumping in the car and heading to HF...



6.5 horse, direct bolt on, $110 out the door. Can't beat that with a stick. Just waiting on a 5/16-24 bolt to hold the pulley on the crankshaft. Only one I had in my stash isn't quite long enough. (Story of my life...)

 

[GreensvilleJay]

One of the machines on that trailer load of ...stuff... is a Troy Bilt Horse rototiller. A REAL Troy Bilt, not the cheapened up MTD version.

Looks like somebody tried to repower it, but the engine they used wasn't going to work as the throttle/governor linkages were all wrong and would have required MAJOR re-engineering. I spent about 20 minutes looking at it and said "Nope!"

A little research pointed to a Harbor Freight Predator that would be a direct bolt-on. I was waiting on the toy fund to recover a bit. Then I got a text from my good friends at Harbor Freight that ALL Predator engines were on sale today only at 30% off.

I wasn't long jumping in the car and heading to HF...

View attachment 179733

6.5 horse, direct bolt on, $110 out the door. Can't beat that with a stick. Just waiting on a 5/16-24 bolt to hold the pulley on the crankshaft. Only one I had in my stash isn't quite long enough. (Story of my life...)

I've repowered a few real Horses over the years. Hint...disconnect the low/no oil sensor,if your garden isn't level.

 

[PHPaul]

I've repowered a few real Horses over the years. Hint...disconnect the low/no oil sensor,if your garden isn't level.

I wondered about that. Thanks for the tip.

 

[PHPaul]

Today's task was to take pieces of 3 carburetors plus a kit to make one good one for the 7116H. I think I have achieved that, but won't know for sure until the ignition is reassembled so I have spark and I mount the carb and test drive it. May be a while.

I ordered the oddball 5/16-32 tap and die to chase the threads on the body and the almost-right parts from the kit. For the moment (until the tap and die come in), I installed a used emulsion tube and needle as the parts from the kit had thread issues, as did two of the three bodies. Boogered threads in the carb body is a common issue, according to my research.

 

[PHPaul]

Got the motor on the tiller yesterday and immediately discovered that I needed to make a spacer for the motor pulley to line it up with the transmission pulley.

This morning I yanked the motor back off and wasted a couple of hours on the lathe making one completely wrong spacer - bored it to 7/8 for a 3/4 shaft...doh!

- and making a ultimately unnecessary second one once I realized there was no point in broaching a keyway as the spacer went on BEFORE the key and pully. Dummy.

ANY-way, went back together, got the belts on and went an played in the mud. Works fine. Had to disable the low oil sensor due to the angle of the dangle when the tines are in the ground (as mentioned, Thanks @GreensvilleJay ), and the clutch detent needs a stronger spring but that's a 5 minute job. With that new engine, the tiller should outlast me.

Did get the carb on the 7116 but was missing the link from the governor arm to the throttle shaft. On order from EBay. Amazing that I can order parts for a 50+ year old carb. Love the 'net! Started on the wiring as well as it suffers from multiple issues due to dried out, cracked and missing insulation.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

This morning I yanked the motor back off and wasted a couple of hours on the lathe

No such thing as "wasted time" on a lathe sir!!!!

I call it, "getting experience".

I have been "getting experience" a lot lately......

I made this fitting for the "BH thumb" only to screw it up on the last operation....AGHHHHHH!!!



I accidentally made it too small for the o-ring to sit.

Here it is side x side with how big it should have been.....What a "dumbass move" that was.




Carry on!!!!

 

[Lil Foot]

I made this fitting for the "BH thumb" only to screw it up on the last operation....AGHHHHHH!!!

BTDT.

 

[PHPaul]