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111-6 with 30" deck 520-H with 42" deck 520-H with 60" deck Cleat

I think we all have funny moments! I call this one, "Taking Out The Trash"

Big thanks to Ross who sold me his 417-8 Speed without finagling! Made the 140+ mile drive to get the tractor with the Series II KT Twin on it and remembered something else that came on these machines. The 12 volt DC lift for the attachments. (Plus a shiny chrome air cleaner and a little chrome left on the muffler). It needs work but my plans are to bring it back close to it's former self. The carb needs a cleaning and new lines plus plugs, points & condenser. It doesn't run bad considering the condition of the plugs and points! PS....that lift cycles faster than I thought it would. Much easier to pick a height for the deck than the 520 was before it lost it's mowing privileges.

Broke down and bought a new set of tires for the GT1600. Felt like it was time to replace the original 8-ribs and Turfsavers with the highly regarded V61s and decided to replace the 9.50s with 23x8.50-12 Tru Powers in the rear. Went an inch narrower instead of pushing to 10.50s just to make sure there would be no clearance issues. Mowed the yard last night and I'm highly impressed! Before: After:

my first car was this 1930 Model A Ford 4-door sedan in 1970. it is long gone , but since then i have always owned a Model A Ford of some type this is my current Model A Ford , a 1928 Tudor sedan with a 350 chevy. i have had this one since 1988

Planning to be there again (three years in a row) with Jay and James. Gonna try the camping thing this time to get the full effect of the Big show. Difinetly looking forward to seeing all my Red Square friends! Planning to arrive Thursday as usual. Looking to buy maintenance items like fuel tank caps and shifter boots. I would like to see one of Bob's wheel stud conversion kits. Also would like to find some AG tires at a good price, and of course anything else I can't live without LOL

Made a trip to the local scrap yard today and found this jem. 20 dollars later and it's all mine. Always amazes me what people throw away.

Ya Brandon's right. Just went out to the garage to have a look and sure enough the locating bushings weren't in properly. I think the problem was my technique. I was crouching down to put in the mid mount idler and trying to do it by feel. Now I got under the tractor got the two locator bushings in proper place. Got it to stay long enough to get a small sledge and was able to easily tap it into place and lock the attch-a-matic. I always thought that was how it should go but it didn't fit easily, hence the sledge, and the spot welds seemed to be in the way. Will re adjust the pulley and idler tomorrow. Gotta go to Karate. John

I have at least 30 wheel lug nut kits to bring. They, along with the brake linings will be available for sale or trade.

Ck the ammeter connections if there is one on it. Seen it a bunch!

Just out of curiosity, as I havent read all of this thoroughly, do you have a picture from under the tractor where the bar clips into the attachmatic? Could it have possibly clipped in wrong, which caused it to be too far shifted inboard? (And would also explain how you got it to work previously) Heres a picture I found of a similar setup. It seems as though the lever the spring attaches to should clear the PTO hoop bracket: If this has already been addressed, just ignore me!

Was actually able to use the tiller last night. After getting a 2 1/4" idler and flipping the spacer to the inside of the larger pulley to move it and the belt in line with the pto the tiller functioned. Going to have to try the Gates 6686 BR 1/2 x 141 3/8 if I haven't worn out my welcome at Motion Canada. This whole belt length thing is a real mystery. Especially since I haven't been able to find anyone who can measure a belt with a device instead of running a tape measure around the outside of it. A public thank you to Rich (312Hydro) for keeping me going. Next will be getting the correct mid mount pulley so the tension arm is free to operate as designed. How I got this thing working last year with the set up I had is beyond me. The saga continues...

...and electricity.

That MTD would be good scrap metal money.

1967 607s

Oh and thanks for all the great and very detailed pictures, this thread will surely be helpful for people in the future!

Well,at least the smaller pulley put more separation in the belt. Glad You won't need another idler setup. Thanks to Brandon.

Front wheel covers on the 111 are 4". Merkur XR4Ti is my summer daily driver and has been totally rebuilt. Cleat

Awesome! Thanks for the information...You know after seeing that last picture I vaguely remember that piece being on there at one point. (I've had this tractor for years). Once I get the rear welded up and repaired, I will go back to looking at the original issue.

You can get a 3/4" OD woodworking router bit replacement bearing that works wonders for balancing the blade. The lubrication used in the bearing is light making it very effective. Hanging a blade on a nail works to a point but the nail not centered in the hole leaves a good percentage of the blade's weight acting as a pendulum which masks a good portion of the unbalance condition. The ball bearing eliminates that. Get one with a 1/4" ID so you can slide a 1/4" bolt into it and clamp the bolt in a vice or mount it on the wall. Best to do this inside because the slightest breeze will windmill the blade and defeat the purpose. Sharpen both ends of the blade and check balance. Then sharpen the heavy end until balanced. You deck will really appreciate it. Any place that stocks a good selection of router bits should have a bearing. See if this link works http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30124&cat=1,46168,46180,30124 Garry

That is well worth it I bet. But that being said I may,...may use it an hour a year maybe so for me the HF gun would be enough. I can make a mess with a cheap gun as well as a good one.

Just don't forget the hooch.

So here is my 2 cents on all that I have read. I also have a 520 i and it (used) to not start after a hot shutdown. I did many of the above things that were suggested including a thorough electrical check of base line resistances through all the various relays in the start circuit. I finally did change the fuel pump. Did it correct it? Don't know as I got so paranoid, I would never shut if off hot if I needed it again that same day. Two days ago, I did do a hot shut down and 30 minutes later it started just fine. I also tried the gas in the spark plug hole and it ran fine which tells me that you have a fuel problem, not a spark problem. The fuel solenoid shutoff is not getting power during the start cycle. Check all the wiring in the start circuit which provide 12v to this solenoid. The start relay could be the problem or any of the electrical contacts in the start relay circuit. A high resistance at a connector may behave like an open circuit. Any place there is an electrical contact can be suspect, including the ignition switch. Swap the 3 relays around, they are identical. Sometimes just moving the connector on and off is enough to to wipe off any oxide that may have developed. On another note, the thick gasket is a heat isolator. Don't know if you need it or not. It was a frequently used item on auto engines in the 80's to keep heat from the block from getting to the carb and causing vapor lock. Electrical problems require diligence, patience, a wiring diagram and a good multimeter to diagnose. I don't envy you, but there is no other way around it.

The JD up for sale, sold. Very good! My guess, you didn't show or talk Horse sense to the buyer. A bit dishonest? The Stallions were peeking out from behind the barn, gigglin' 'n laughin' at the JD uneducated buyer? Do you feel guilty? Were you wearing a Deere baseball cap too? You better not have sent that green thing to Pennsylvania.....................or else!

That is why this site works so well.

I believe you can get a quart sized cup but not positive. This Binks is an old gun, been replaced with a DeVilbiss Mini (blue). A very good gun IMO. The new version is a bit north of 3bills, so yest not a cheapo. As said the HF gun are reported being pretty good. MU

You guys will do well in my upcoming Dougie Buffone Memorial NFL Rant n Rave thread!

Actually 2. They were in the back shop checking out CL ads when this was taken!

Alright WH-er's. Again thanks for the input. After reviewing and trying suggestions, nothing changed. I decided to open the case again. The detent ball, spring and pin all seemed to be in good shape. All the gears were turning and meshing. Using a large screw driver i attempted to move sliding forks. 2nd/3rd still no movement. I removed the 1st/reverse fork and gear and while trying to remove the other set I noticed the sliding gear would not move on the splined shaft. This appears to be the problem but I ran out of time so I'll resume the tear down tommorow. Night all.

.......we have 2.....i like that idea. but they're my dad's, and I don't think he'd go for that hahaha

Just like I said.Mission accomplished! Now,go grab yourself a cold one and savor the sweet smell of success!

YouTube is the way to go, then when you put the link here it will give us a preview that we can play the video right in the thread. Steve's the man, sounds like you are all covered!

Sir...all and any criticism on my part is never meant to be serious. I would never do that on site...I would send you a PM and keep it between us. I just have never seen anyone take it apart like that. Two things...1. a bunch of us are going to a garden tractor show in Portage, Wis. July 10-12...there is a link in Red Square Herd...Why don't you join us? 2. Take a look at the videos in that thread...it will help a lot when you go to put it back together. You do not need a vise. Use a rear tire and a couple of 2 x 4s to support the shallow side of the case on a work bench. If the shift fork shafts came out of the casting, you may have a couple of detente balls rolling around in the case, or on the floor. Try to find those and the spring and also the stop that goes in the spring. Yes the # 3523 pictured from RacinBob is the same gear you have that is bad. Are you looking to get that gear from Bob? I think you may want to make a parts list at this point. Mike (Racinfool40) in Ohio may have any of the other gears you might want to change out. Seals and bearings (except for the #1533 bearing) are available from Motion Industries, NAPA, and maybe TORO. The gasket is available from TORO for about $6. In your 1st post, you said the Commando trans is pretty much identical to your 607 trans. You are correct. The major difference is the brake drum comes out a different hole in the casting. In your commando, the brake drum is on an extension of your cluster gear shaft. In your 607, the brake drum is on an extension of your 11/44 toothed gear (mushroom gear). The other difference is the length of the axles. Most of the inside gears are the same. I hope you did not take it that I thought you were shifting without stopping...that is not what I said, but that is what did that to those gears. Yes, we have all the numbers of parts, bearings, seals, etc. To post videos on here...2 ways...if you have Photobucket, you can upload it to there and then use the IMG code to copy and paste a link in your post. 10 minutes max limit on the video. The other way...upload to U-Tube and copy and paste the link in your post...no limit on length that I know of.

the co worker I repaired this deck for finally got some paint on it and the finished product is pretty darn sweet!! in good light and at the certain angle if your looking you can pick out a few spots but after the first mow and a little dirt you will never know. here are some more photos

Well, I think I found your problem. I pulled off my 702 guard and there are no tabs on the inside of the guard. The 3/8" bolt that helps hold the guard on has a roller on it. This would act like a tab. I have no piece of metal bent over the idler pulley to hold the belt there. This is what you are missing. I have a tab made out of like 12 or 10 gauge wire that is attached to the engine by a short 3/8" bolt. The height of the wire from the belt is adjustable and is about 1/4" to 1/2" above the belt. Although, I do not have one below the belt at this point...there is another bolt hole and another tab could be made to fit there. Hope that helps.

I can't honestly say I have scrutinized the "build quality" as the tractor has had zero failures. The front axle is cast iron, tires are Carlisle, fuel line Goodyear, engine Kohler - all familiar names without any penny pinching seen. All maintenance points like grease fittings are readily accessible.The only items I will have to address are lifting paint around the foot pad area and fraying of the seams at the top of the vac collection bags. Other than that, just 2x a year oil changes and the occasional thorn in the tire, but the build quality has been sufficient to enable what I consider above average homeowner use without experiencing any setbacks. Every time I go to start the thing - it does. When I engage the PTO - it does and provides a quality of cut that surpasses anything I have every used before. Just wish the dang thing had a mower deck larger than the 42" on there now! So figuring purchase price divided by 12 years usage - that equates to about $2 a week for reliable turnkey performance. I'm not a Deere fanboy or a WH detractor but I sincerely cannot understand the "big box" bashing that goes on. It's great to have the talent to troubleshoot a broken wire and tackweld a broken joint on demand for a 40 year old garden tractor, but to give someone with modest lawn care needs the impression they are "throwing your money away - you will be sorry" - nah !

My first recollection of was a garden show in about 1955, my dad was looking at an RJ and as a ten year old I was so excited that I may be driving it soon. He didn't get it, opted for a walk behind rototiller that I walked behind for a long time! In the early '80s I bought a used A-81 (small rider) which served me faithfully for a dozen years or so. It was replaced by a couple of big box store riders that didn't last very long. Ten years ago I needed a tough mower to take care of some property we had purchased. While attending a Hit & Miss show I picked up my 1055. This rekindled my fascination with that had begun fifty years earlier. The 1055 is still my go to tractor for snow plowing, don't know what in particular makes it so good, but it is the best pusher of the bunch. I have added lots of other horses to the herd, but the 1055 is a keeper.

my 1957 rj35 rescued from a junkyard before and after resto

'79 C-101 the one in my AV now restored - remember the day the dealer dropped it off at Dads Brand new ...we were push mowing over 2 acres to the day Dad bought it . Yep ...I was one happy camper no more lawn boy for hours on end once a week. Works like a mule 35 years later . ( Just a little TLC )

looks like your missing one Mike Brian

Callum, I'm neither a draftsman nor engineer, but did at one time stay in Holiday Inn . This is very rough to say the least, but may answer some of what you asked in the attached pic.

Got some paint on the hood

Thought I would freshen up the paint But first I needed to repair the hood that a previous owner cut into. This is the way I got it. Made a repair patch. Welded it in.

I'm a supporter here, but not a member anywhere else .... do I need to do or join anything to attend, or just show up??? Nothing to sell, just display a horse!!

My uncle and I will be attending on Friday. This will be my second time attending and the first time for my uncle. I hope to have my 500 Special completed and am planning to bring it to display. I am also hoping to bring another tractor (to be determined) along for my uncle to use so we can both participate in the parade on Friday evening. I doubt I will be selling anything, but I'll definitely be looking for an early style chrome headlight lens for my Charger 10 project and whatever else catches my interest. - Seth

I'll be in attendance... for the entire weekend. can't wait

Thanks Bob, I appreciate that. I think you were the first RedSquare member I met the first time I attended the show, and then you introduced me to Steve, and then it kind of went down hill (in a very good way) from there. I'm looking forward to the whole Outer Banks scene. I haven't spent any real time down there since some friends and I hitchhiked there way back in about 1972 or so. That and the fact that our kids are old enough to get married, that doesn't mean we're getting old, does it? Please say no.

Sorry I can't make it this year , had a wonderful time last year , hoping to make 2016 Hope you all have a great time

I had such a great time last year (with the exception of my daughter being sick the whole time) and I was REALLY looking forward to going again this year for more live action filming, hanging out at the campfire (and getting there earlier) and all BUT my oldest graduates High School that Saturday, so I will be attending the graduation. I hope all have a fantastic time, and hope to see you in 2016