chipwitch 73 #1 Posted May 27, 2014 I'm a fast learner and avid reader. Pretty good at locating anything I need to know with Google. But, I'm so new to tractors, I didn't know what I was in for when I bought a 1980 C-125. It ran and had loads more power than I expected. That's all I knew. It came with a 07-36TL01 tiller mounted to the rear, but without the belt, I didn't know if it would work or not. A spin of the tines (which are like new), translated to the drive pulley so that was a good thing. I'm quite pleased with the purchase, but I'm beginning to notice things I didn't see before buying it. It needs some work and maybe I'll partially restore it one day. For right now, I just want things "right" that need to be right. I've since learned from reading some of the posts here that Toro is going to quit making or selling parts? Probably wouldn't have bought from them anyways as I'm cheap, have my own small machine shop and can make most anything. BUT, being realistic, there are things I know I can't make and before Toro makes good on their promise, I'm wondering what I should be most concerned with now? Clutch linings? PTO lining? So, my question is this: as a woman with no previous knowledge of tractors (and limited knowledge of automotives in general), what common C-125 problems should I be most concerned with? I more or less accidentally have stumbled onto several things, like coffee and cream colored oil in the transmission (dip stick). I'm guessing that's water in the oil and something I need to address immediately. How? Can I just change the oil or should I be doing more to clean it up? Engine oil looked okay. I noticed the hood is bolted to the front via a hinge. Looks like the hood was originally designed to lift out (removed) like the tailgate on my truck and someone cheated by rigging it with a hinge. Also minor is the lack of a lift spring on the tiller. Had a heck of a time depressing the button on the lift lever. Oil? Where? Looking for fenders since they are absent. How dangerous is it to run without them? Clutch is also real high when it engages. Now that I think about it, I noticed a belt looking down behind the seat that drives the transmission. I guess that's the clutch, so that answers the question about a clutch lining. PTO the same? Theres a part that came with the tractor. I don't know what it is. I'll take a picture of it and post it later. There's just so much I need to know and I'd feel much more secure if I knew the critical stuff was taken care of. The smaller stuff can wait. I'll learn it in time. For now, any and all advice you're willing to offer, I'm more than grateful for. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,473 #2 Posted May 27, 2014 Welcome to the forum. Here is a 1981 operator since we don't have the 1980 An older service manual but applies to many models up to the last in 2007 Will guess you have a 1980 C-125 8-Speed model 01-12K801 Parts lists http://www.partstree.com/parts/ Type Toro in the 2nd box and the long model number in the 3rd box. These ipl's are shared by similar models and don't always tell us what model uses what. The same item may have more than one part number. If in doubt ask. The parts that are priced should be available from any Toro dealer. Water in the transmission is often due to a shifter boot that has deteriated and still available. Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #3 Posted May 27, 2014 Chipwitch ? Are you a member of the EEVBLOG ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #4 Posted May 27, 2014 One and the same. You stalking me? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #5 Posted May 27, 2014 Nope Joule Thief here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #6 Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Lets start with the friction material for PTO and clutch. Clutch material is from McMaster Carr. Just measure up what you have and order a foot or two. PTO discs are still available from Toro and on Ebay. Chocolate milk in the trans is water in the trans fluid. There is a pipe plug on the bottom of the trans to allow draining of the fluid. Once the fluid is drained, fill the trans case with kero or diesel fluid and run the tractor around for a few minutes to dissolve all the emulsified residue. Let the trans sit for a few hours run it again a few minutes and drain the kero / oil / water mix. Then refill with approved gear oil. The manual is your friend at htis stage. Everyone has their favorite choice of gear oils. Refer to the manual for your tractor ( great manual download section on this site thanks to Gary. Edited May 28, 2014 by Save Old Iron Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #7 Posted May 27, 2014 Small world... wide web. Dating myself there. Haven't had time the past month or so for electronics. Trying to stay ahead of my chickens' growth. Pretty bad when one takes on another new "hobby" when they don't have time to learn one they only recently started, huh? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #8 Posted May 27, 2014 The kludge you see for the hood hinge is most likely factory. The headlight ground return to chassis is thru that hinge. I would run a separate ground wire from the headlights to a chassis ground, The button for the lift rod is just a spring loaded metal rod with a 90 degree bend at the bottom. A little oil or WD40 in the pushbutton area will free that up. A small rubber cap place on the pushbutton makes life a little easier on the fingers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #9 Posted May 27, 2014 Small world... wide web. Dating myself there. Haven't had time the past month or so for electronics. Trying to stay ahead of my chickens' growth. Pretty bad when one takes on another new "hobby" when they don't have time to learn one they only recently started, huh? Well them let me be the first one to officially welcome you here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #10 Posted May 27, 2014 Are the PTO disks something that tend to go bad? Should I be worried about that? Are they practical to machine? I have the manual for the tractor and tiller, electrical and transmission as well. It would be nice to have an exploded diagram parts manual but I haven't found that yet. Been using the one on partstree.com, but it'd be nice to have a copy on my hard drive. Kerosene? Great. I was afraid I'd have to take it apart. Thanks for the tips. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #11 Posted May 27, 2014 ... not the first to welcome me, Old Iron, but close enough. Good to see you here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #12 Posted May 27, 2014 Fenders ? Yeah, probably want those. You can find them on Ebay or post a wanted ad here. Shipping to FLA may double the price, Florida is not exactly a hotspot for WH brand tractors and local parts tractors may be hard to find. Stick with WH branded belts for all power accessories. They seem to last much longer than any other brand name belt out there. Grab the tiller part # from your setup and download the manual to confirm you have all the pieces needed to attach and use the tiller. Chuck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #13 Posted May 27, 2014 Are the PTO disks something that tend to go bad? Should I be worried about that? Are they practical to machine? There is an adjustment to compensate for a considerable amount of wear. If the face of the PTO "bell" is machined true, wear is not a concern. I know folks who get 10+ years from a friction plate. I saw someone posted a John Deere work-a-like for about 12$ on ebay. Check the thickness of the friction material. I think new is about 1/16th of an inch or more. Some friction disks are mounted with brass rivets. If you see the brass rivets even with the face of the friction material - time for a new friction disk. Good to see you here also. I have just been cranking up on my hobby electronics too. I joined this group about 4 years back to find out about tillers too. Came for the tiller and stayed to help folks out with the electrics troubleshooting. Speaking of electrics, grab a meter and check battery terminal voltage with engine off and then again engine on. Engine off should be near 12.6 for a fully charged battery and engine on at half throttle or more should show 13.8 + volts on the battery terminals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #14 Posted May 27, 2014 Kerosene? Great. I was afraid I'd have to take it apart. Thanks for the tips. You may have some difficulty with the drain plug on the trans. One of the aspects of owning a 30+ year old tractor is loosening up 30 years of rust. If you do meet with a difficult drain plug, removing the trans dipstick tube will allow you to draw out the contaminated fluid with a small piece of tygon tubing and a large syringe, You may also want to make a quick check of the area where the axles protrude from the trans case. Oil leakage there means you may need to consider replacing the axle seals (a common issue) or at least keep careful watch on the trans fluid level if they are leaking. Engine oil should be drained every 25 hours of run time. Straight 30 weight oil will be fine in the Florida climate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Save Old Iron 1,571 #15 Posted May 27, 2014 Gotta run to the EEV site. First person to catch Dave picking or scratching himself on his new office cam gets a free multimeter !!. Catch you later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desko 624 #16 Posted May 27, 2014 Welcome to RedSquare and don't run the tranny for hours with diesel-kero just a quick drive around the yard. Save Old Iron pretty much covered though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #17 Posted May 27, 2014 @Save Old Iron. If you're in Deltona, have you been to the Florida Flywheelers' tractor show and flea market? A friend of mine talked me into going a few years ago. Went for the flea market. I'm hoping to find parts there for the C-125. If you haven't been, you're missing quite a show. Tons of hit-and-miss engines running from open to close. Plus, tractors everywhere. Bring a tractor or golf cart if you want to see it all. If you think it's hard to find tractor parts up there, you should see what it's like here! I've gotten pretty good at breaking rusty bolts loose in the last few years. I'll get it loose! Like it or not, looks like I need to tear some of it down. You have me worried about the clutch and axle seals now. Thanks for all the tips. And, good luck winning the tester. What is it, his uMeter? Wouldn't mind one of those. Tell Dave I said, "Haaawiee." Don't know if that'll translate well, but it's my attempt to say "Hi" the way he does. Take care. Thanks Desko. Cheers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar250 934 #18 Posted May 28, 2014 The clutch on my c-105 catches high too, but these tractors are belt driven to the transmission, so as long as the pulley is fine, and the belt is not too worn, you should be fine. If you're looking for a rear fender, you can try to find an original or a remake plastic one, which both exist, and can be found, but, with your "black hood" style tractor, a metal fender from any 1984 or newer c-series, or 300, 400, 500 series tractor, will fit. They have the same bolt holes and will bolt right on. They are less prone to break or crack if you hit or run into something, and usually more available, therefore cheaper. But congrats on your new tractor! You certainly have come to the right place! Everyone around here is quite helpful! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #19 Posted May 28, 2014 Thanks Tom. That's what I was looking for. I figured other models would fit... just didn't know which ones. Someone in the classifieds is selling a couple that look like they'd work, but he doesn't know what they go to. They look to me like what you have in your avatar. Could I talk you into going over and checking them? He's only asking $10 each. Think they'll work? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar250 934 #20 Posted May 28, 2014 Thanks Tom. That's what I was looking for. I figured other models would fit... just didn't know which ones. Someone in the classifieds is selling a couple that look like they'd work, but he doesn't know what they go to. They look to me like what you have in your avatar. Could I talk you into going over and checking them? He's only asking $10 each. Think they'll work? The two that have the spots for two reflectors/lights, (the top left, and bottom right) should fit just fine! the other two are older, and would probably require new holes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chipwitch 73 #21 Posted May 28, 2014 Awesome! That's what I thought... or hoped rather. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar250 934 #22 Posted May 28, 2014 No problem! Glad to help! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites