C-120 Attachment Lift Issue

[Clarkbug 0]

Hello All.

After tinkering around a little with my new-to-me horse, I seem to have an issue with the implement lift lever. I think something somewhere along the way was not attached correctly, and something got slightly buggered up.

I can pull the lever all the way back, but it wont lock into place at the highest point. The button on the top doesnt seem to want to move in when I push it, and Im just wondering where to start on fixing this problem. I have a plow and a mower deck, and I was hoping to get the plow ready to go for the next snow storm we get here in NY. But being able to raise and lower it would be an important part of the job!

Any thoughts?

[C-Series14 15]

In the up position, is the button stuck in the down position? Check to make sure the lift arm is not coming out of the tractors frame. Had one do that MANY years ago on my C-160 and found the "E" clip on the right side under the belt guard came off letting the shaft work its way to the left...Just an idea.

[Clarkbug 0]

Ill do my best to explain what things look like. Maybe I need pics to help tell the story....

Its almost like the piece at the end of the lift lever (opposite the end with the thumb button) has been worn down or was mis-adjusted. That doesnt want to pop up and engage the notch on the casting on the side of the tractor frame.

The tractor came with a mower deck (an 05-36MR04) that isnt the same year as the tractor. Im thinking that this may not have been attached correctly, since there was some creative use of zip ties to keep the other end of the lift lever engaged.

Ill have to check out some parts diagrams and see if anything jumps out as a possible problem.

[Duff 206]

It sounds like the plunger rod inside the lift handle has gotten jammed or the return spring has broken (or both). Can you get at the end of the plunger rod (the end that should engage with the tractor frame to hold the attachment up) enough to see if it has any movement at all in it?

Duff :ychain:

[smoreau 658]

:ychain: sounds like the spring may have come out or rusted out. mine was very rusty on my 875 and A trip to the local hardware fixed me right up. :D

[C-Series14 15]

In the down position, does the button operate normally? If there is no spring action, the others might be right. As for the zip ties, I would love to see some pics. You say they are used on the other end of the "lift lever"...do you mean the lift bar under the tractor?

[dgjks6 8]

The deck is an 86-90 36 inch rear discharge deck. It is a correct deck for your tractor.

I am going to go in a different direction. I have had attachments not on correctly - or not on at all, and the lift lever button does nothing.

I am not sure how these work, but the first thing I would do is get the deck hooked up correctly and see if this solves the problem.

[Clarkbug 0]

Thanks all. Ill check on the spring to see if its still there/functional.

Right now, the deck is off of the tractor, but the lever still wont engage in the high notch. I was wondering if something has been bent or broken by an incorrect hook-up, but Ill check that out after I get to the easy stuff.

I dont have any photos of the zip ties, unfortunately. They have all been clipped as part of me actually getting the deck off and the machine cleaned up. I would say that the easiest way to get a mental picture is that they were used instead of cotter pins in a lot of places. Anywhere you would think two things should stay together on their own, instead, zip ties.

[WheelHorse_of_course 99]

I think this was asked, but not answered....

If you pull the lever back can you then pull the "button" up and make it lock?

You need NOT have any attachment on the tractor for this to work.

If you cannot get the button to pull up it may be jammed or rusted. If you can get it to come up then the spring is missing/bad/rusted away.

[can whlvr 994]

the lift lever could be bent outward also,usually that is evedent when in the up position and the lever wont stay locked,ive had to replace the plate at the bottem of the lift lever that bolts to the tractor,check the cup at the top of the lever,where the spring sits in.

[dgjks6 8]

make sure your life lever does not look like this

[Clarkbug 0]

Well, I think I got it figured out as to why things would work quite the way I was hoping....

So can I just put this thing in a press and bend it straight? Or is there a bigger problem now?

[6wheeler 669]

Nice "custom" lift lever . I think a press and the blue wrench are in order there. Then you may be able to remove the rod and straighten it as well. In another thread with a similar problem, I believe he repaired it and then made bracing for it to strengthen it. On my C-165, my deck won't lift high enough to lock either. I don't know the model# of the deck but it is a 48" that the PO bought at an auction and put it on. The problem it has is the rubber bump stops on the deck hit when it is lifted too far and the grease zerk on the center blade pulley hits the frame as well. So I just use the lift wheels on the deck to set the height of the cut. Grease is relatively cheap so I grease the wheels on every mowing. I can lift and lock my MB plow and other implements for the clevis hitch with no problem. That may be something to look at. Pat

[massey 119]

Blue wrench , I,ve heard "hot wrench" and "smoke wrench", but not blue wrench.

[Clarkbug 0]

Nice "custom" lift lever . I think a press and the blue wrench are in order there. Then you may be able to remove the rod and straighten it as well. In another thread with a similar problem, I believe he repaired it and then made bracing for it to strengthen it. On my C-165, my deck won't lift high enough to lock either. I don't know the model# of the deck but it is a 48" that the PO bought at an auction and put it on. The problem it has is the rubber bump stops on the deck hit when it is lifted too far and the grease zerk on the center blade pulley hits the frame as well. So I just use the lift wheels on the deck to set the height of the cut. Grease is relatively cheap so I grease the wheels on every mowing. I can lift and lock my MB plow and other implements for the clevis hitch with no problem. That may be something to look at. Pat

Yeah, yeah, its custom! That increases the value, right?

You mentioned that "he" repaired it in another thread. Can you tell me who "he" is so I can check that out? I dont have any of the stuff to weld, so its going to the local fab shop to get pressed, and Ill have them make some "modifications" if it will help out.

Im not too worried about lifting the mower deck, but it would be nice to lift and lock the snow plow that came with it.

[Clarkbug 0]

Hi everyone.

So, I just got back from the fab shop where I took the attachment lift lever. Can I get some confirmation from you guys that that lever should in fact be straight along its length? Essentially, if you look at the picture above, where there is the "U-shaped" channel that holds the spring, should the round tube project straight from there?

I only ask because as soon as my guy started to straighten out the lever, the weld between the tube and the U popped, and he wasnt sure how far to keep going without a template of some sort. I just want to try and give him good directions...

Does anyone happen to have a pic of a correct c-120 attachment lift lever? Or a diagram that shows it nice and clear or something along those lines?

Thanks in advance!