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ZXT

Picked up a Sears GTV/18 varidrive

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ZXT

Hey all! Been neglecting the forum lately (Still remodeling my house, getting married, have a baby on the way, etc etc.) but mowing season always brings me around. The last local salvage yard sold recently and they're clearing out before the new overs take over. I've bought multiple vehicles and parts from this place for years, and I've always wanted this old Sears that was buried back in a corner. I'd inquired a few times about it and the old man that owned the place always said he planned to get it out and use it. His son has been running the place for the last year or so, and I saw the tractor out of its hole and out by the front fence. I stopped in and looked at it and snagged it for $55. Story was it started knocking and they shut it down. Has a horizontal 18hp Briggs twin. Came with a vertical shaft engine for parts. 

 

I got it home, poured some gas in the tank and cranked it over.. and it cranked much too fast. A quick finger over the spark plug hole confirmed that one rod had let go, so I tore it down. I don't have any internal pictures right now, but it threw a rod, broke the cam, and the governor shaft boss. Luckily, the vertical shaft engine has the same diameter crank output shaft, though it is longer. I can work with that and modify a pulley to sit in the right place for the mower drive. I swapped the dippers onto the vertical shaft engine, as well as the oil pan and side cover before I realized that I needed to drill the boss for the oil dip stick. I have that drilled now and need to verify that I caught all of the metal shavings (I didn't pull it apart to drill it but I put grease on the bit and over the hole and caught most all of it) before putting the pan back on again. After that, I'll be down to swapping intake and carb, muffler, exhaust shields, etc. 

`

It has good ag tires on the back with 55LB wheel wheights, as well as brand new (20 year old) front tires. 

Should make a good mowing rig! I have a disc from my Sears SS14 (project for another day) which has a manual 3 point, but I also have an electric 3 point from my Sears GT19.9 that I'll probably swap onto it. 

 

If you study the photo, someone has bent and added (quite well I might add) a piece of 3/4" solid bar to the front perimeter of the deck for reinforcement! 

IMG_3903.jpg

Edited by ZXT
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ebinmaine
12 hours ago, ZXT said:

brings me around

Good to see you back on!

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Pullstart

:text-welcomeconfetti: home, and congrats on the wife and baby and house!

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