YARD SALE FIND

[TDF5G 2,051]

Found this at a yard sale last Saturday.   '79 C121   It has a good 42" deck.  She runs but she's a smoker and it's complete.  Seat is roached. It's pretty much all original, unmolested with the exception of someone has bypassed the ignition switch with a push button for some reason. Transmission seems to be in good working order.  

I'm not real familiar with the Hydrostat trans.  My other WHs are manual trans, so I have a question.  There is a lever to engage/disengage the trans.  Is this supposed to put it in neutral so you can roll  the tractor?  

Edited October 6, 2015 by TDF5G

[chorusguy 222]

No.  Under the drivers rear fender there is something called a tow valve.  It is a small peg that sticks out toward the front if the tractor.  It is either a square it will be slotted for a standard straight blade screwdriver.  Probably about 3/8"  and maybe sticks out about an inch.  The neutral position is simply a stand still position while the tractor is in use or parked. I believe you turn the tow valve counterclockwise about a half a turn to push or tow and clockwise or closed when operating.  Make sure it is closed when you operate it.  

And make sure it's open when you push or tow

[RedRanger 1,468]

Nice find!  All I ever see at yard sales are baby clothes and worn furniture.

[TDF5G 2,051]

Thank you.  I'll check that out.  I just need to be able to move it around the garage for now until I get time to play with it and get familiar with it.   I've used hydro WHs in the past to mow and push snow, but never owned one.  

[Kelly 1,028]

Directions to push it are on the left foot rest, I can see it in the pics. 

[daveoman1966 3,611]

The Engagement lever you refer to is more commonly known as the PARK lever.  When you pull it UP, 2 gears jam together to stop the tractor from rolling away on an incline.  When it is pushed DOWN, the main drive belt in engaged to spin the trans input pulley for forward or reverse motion...or to make the hyd lift feature live. In any case DO NOT EVER pull up the lever in a PANIC STOP.  Every time you do, those two gears grind a little bit off from each other, and ... guess where the filing go.  Eventually the filings wear out the brass components of the hyd pump and motor, then it has no power at all. 

[Ed Kennell 35,769]

Hey TD,  That lever actually has two functions.  No. 1,  It releases the tension on the drive belt idler pulley disengaging the transmission from the engine.  You should always disengage the tranny when starting the tractor.    That lever also locks the differential inside the case when you pull it up , thus it is a parking brake.  As Davoman said,   Never try to move the tractor when the lever us up in the park position or pull it up to the park position when the tractor is moving.  You will break off the locking pawl inside the case.
To tow or push the tractor by hand, you need to take off the parking brake by pushing the lever down, and you need to open the tow valve as Chorus guy and Kelly described

[chorusguy 222]

Oops.  Misread.  Thought you were talking about the drive lever.  

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Nice find!  All I ever see at yard sales are baby clothes and worn furniture.

And baby and kids toys!

[TDF5G 2,051]

Nice find!  All I ever see at yard sales are baby clothes and worn furniture.

And little used exercise equipment.

Thank you guys for the info on the hydrostat.  When I get something new, I endeavor to learn all about it that I can.  I will eventually download manuals and study up on it.  I just don't currently have time to do so.  Doing truck repairs right now, among other things.  

I was just trying to figure out how to roll it around the garage for now without having to jack up the rear end.  I figured out that lever didn't put it in neutral, but I knew there was a way to do it.   Thanks

Edited October 6, 2015 by TDF5G

[Marv 845]

Maybe I could come and show you how to roll it onto my trailer.
Marvin

[semperfi8185 56]

Nice find!  Just got my first automatic and its been a lot of fun.  

Greg

[daveoman1966 3,611]

Here is the location of the PUSH VALVE on an earlier 16hp Auto....same location for the C-160 and C-121 etc...but tuffer to get to...

[jackhammer 544]

TDF5G , way to go .

I wish you more good luck

Rick

[TDF5G 2,051]

Maybe I could come and show you how to roll it onto my trailer.
Marvin

LOL!   

Directions to push it are on the left foot rest, I can see it in the pics. 

Well DUH on me!  I read that label last night when I got home.  I hadn't noticed it.  I kinda rushed around Saturday when I bought it, just unloaded it and went on with other things.  I haven't had a chance to mess with it yet.  They way things look, it may be a while too. 

[muz123 1,191]

Great find!

[c-series don 7,811]

Spray that valve now with some PB blaster, Kroil, etc because chances are if its never been opened it won't want to now! 

[TDF5G 2,051]

I'll do that.  Thanks.

[TDF5G 2,051]

I finally got some time to play with my tractors yesterday.  Been looking forward to this for a least a month now!  I found the push valve on the C-121 and I was able to open it without any trouble.  It sure ain't in a convenient location though.  I hadn't touched this tractor since I hauled it home.  Thanks again for everyone's help with this.

We had beautiful weather here in NW MO yesterday, so I pushed the C-121 outside, added a quart of oil and some gas, fixed the battery hold down and got it running.  It's a smoker.  I let it warm up for 10 minutes or so and it smoked a little less, almost none at full throttle.  So I jumped on it and took it for a spin. The transmission seems to be strong and working great.  Ground speed seems appropriate. 

Tried out the PTO and the deck engaged, had to tighten deck belt and move it to the proper pulley groove.  There were leaves all over the yard so I tried out the mower deck.  This is my first side discharge deck and my first Hydrostat.  It took some getting used to after using my B-80 with rear discharge for 20+ years!  I kept wanting to release the clutch to take off and the tractor just sat there!  Oh, yeah gotta push the lever forward.  Duh!  It seems to lack power.  Probably low on compression.  It would bog down going up steep hill with the deck engaged.  The PTO clutch began to slip and I sprayed it a couple of times with some brake clean.  

I ended up mowing up leaves for the next few hours and it was fun to operate a different WH, especially the auto trans.  I quickly figured out to mow the leaves into rows and then I jumped on the B-80 with RD and mulched 'em up by driving forward and backward about 4-5 times till they disappeared.  

I won't have to rake the hill in my front yard any more with this discovery.  I can blow all the leaves in to the ditch along the road with the SD deck and either mulch 'em by straddling it with the RD deck or burning them.  

So I enjoyed myself getting to know this old Horse, (that would make a good TV show).  It needs a few things done.  Needs rings/overhaul I'm sure, a headlight lens and some cosmetics, foot rest pads, seat, knobs and some adjustments and a clean up.  The seat is not correct apparently.  It is adjusted all the way back and my knees were still in my face it seemed.  I'm almost 6'.  

This old Horse needs some wiring work too.  PO put a push button starter switch on it just sticking up through the tunnel plate in front of the seat and the seat switch works backwards.  If you sit on the seat it will not start or PTO will not engage.  PO had a 1X4 to raise seat off the switch.  I want to put the wiring back correctly.  Research required.  

I do have one question.  I know the C-121 came originally with headlights.  Did it have taillight/s also?  The tractor has a reflector on each side of rear fenders.  There are no yellow wires going through the tunnel to the rear of the tractor for taillights.

The seat switch is black wires and the aftermarket installed starter button switch is red wires that have plugs that look to me like they belong somewhere else, like I'm guessing maybe the PTO switch.  I've not checked out wiring diagram yet.  But I'll figure it out.  I'll post pics on the wiring mess if I need help with it.  Wiring doesn't scare me.  I like working with it.  These old tractors are really simple. 

Yipes, I'm writing a book here, sorry.  It's fun for me to read others posts about their experiences and see the pics of their tractors and I wanted share mine.  

 

Edited November 2, 2015 by TDF5G
attach pics

[Racinbob 10,277]

In 1979 taillights were standard on the 16's only.

[TDF5G 2,051]

In 1979 taillights were standard on the 16's only.

Thanks.  I will probably remedy that.

[953 nut 51,679]

                 Happy endings are worth waiting for, glad to hear of your success.       

[TDF5G 2,051]

C-121 UPDATE:  Good news and bad news.

 

 Good news;  I've got the wiring problem straightened out, with the help from wiring diagram in the owners manual which I found here on Red Square. 

 

PO had a push button switch poking through a slot in the tunnel shift plate.  Looked like factory connectors to me with red wires.  I removed the shift plate and soon figured out this was the pedal interlock switch and I found the hole where it belonged and put it back.  It was being used as a starter switch by PO.   This switch was good so I checked seat and PTO switches and they were good, pulled the ignition switch out and it checked good.  I then discovered the plug for the ingition switch was not wired correctly.  Rearranged the wires and repaired one with a new connector and now it cranks with the ignition switch as it supposed to. Apparently the PO had changed the ignition switch for a non-correct item.  I got the headlights working, (need a lens) and put a better seat on it.  Then........   

 

 Bad news;  I used it a couple of weeks ago to mow up more leaves.  It was smoking less now and when I finished mowing I left it idling in the driveway and when went to grab a screwdriver to make a carb adjustment, it quit running.  I hit the starter and it spun over but I could tell it had no compression.  Pulled the head, hit the starter and the valves go up and down but not the piston.  Uh oh!   Gonna have to pull the pan and have a look and figure out if it's worth a rebuild.  The tractor is solid and the trans seems to operate real good.  

 

Bittersweet so far.  

[ericj 1,576]

sorry for your luck, hopefully it not busted up inside and can be rebuilt. I've been told you have to check the cam, becuase sometime when the rod lets loose it hit the cam and bends it, good luck

 

 

 

 

eric j

[can whlvr 991]

maybe you will get lucky because it was idling,if u are able to do the tear down and reassembly it can be reasonably inexspensive to rebuild