Garden tractor acquisition

Mower trouble? Are 2-cycle engines the bane of your existence?
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:30 am - It would be nice to add some weight to the rear. My only real option is to hang something off of the rear frame and maybe use the trailer hitch to help position it. I may have to build something though so not sure if this will happen or what I would use for weights. If I could track down a spare bagging assembly, I could cut and use the portion of that frame that attaches to the tractor, and build something on that. For general driveway use traction was really only an issue a couple of times. It would either power through while slipping or occasionally require a couple runs to get through the snow. This only happened either from the plow drift at the end of the driveway, or when I was re-throwing some snow in the driveway toward the edge. Kind of a minor thing so given the custom work that may be required this may not happen, unless there's something universal I could adapt (or start with a bagging frame).
I have good news and bad news.

First, the good news.
https://www.partstree.com/models/169118 ... g-group-0/

Shockingly, the bagger frame is actually made of individual parts that have their own part numbers. There is a part number for the lower part and the side parts that hook on the bolts.
Simplicity dual bagger lower frame parts.PNG

The bad news should be obvious. Can't find these 3 parts. I probably have a better chance of finding a complete bagger, and I think that is also going to be extremely difficult. On the other hand, it doesn't look all that complicated if I wanted to fabricate something myself. Probably easier than trying to find the actual parts...
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

Here is a universal one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Lawn ... Sw8HBZLgGO

Doesn't seem all that useful....

Here's an MTD one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MTD-Genuine-60 ... OSwl3Vf3P7~

Also doesn't really seem like the right thing....

I'm also trying not to spend $150 to add weight to the rear.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

Actually...shouldn't I try filling the tires with some kind of fluid before I try to hang some kind of weight off the rear?

I'll have to go back and look at my options. I think it was down to windshield washer fluid or RV antifreeze.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

I got this long box so I figured it was the scraper blade. I went to lift it and I'm like....why is this so heavy? How could some sheet metal blade be this heavy?

Then I opened it. Holy chunk of steel, batman.

This is legit 3/16" steel plus paint. So hilariously overbuilt, I love it. Well, the good news is this will last another 33 years.
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This reminds me of the new steering rod I got for my Simplicity. It seemed a bit expensive but turned out to be super sturdy. This is the same thing.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

I checked the oil in the Deutz. It seems to have used some. Maybe halfway down the crosshatch? I topped it back off with my Delo 400 5W-40 but I also had an open container of Rotella T6 5W-40 and I can't remember which is even in there...
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:36 am Changed oil to Delo 400 LE 5W-40 full synthetic (CJ-4/SM, so the older ratings). We'll see how this goes. The API SN 15W-40 in my Simplicity may still be consuming. If so, that indicates the SN rating is the issue more than CK-4. At least according to my hypothesis (which could be wrong).
Looks like I put the Delo 5W-40 in there last November. If we get another big storm I'll probably change the oil after.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

Put the new scraper bar on. Shockingly I was able to remove 9 of the 10 nuts/bolts even though they were looking like they'd be permanently seized. I only had to grind one nut off and that's because it was so worn down that I couldn't get a wrench on it.

I went to the parts diagram to find out the hardware. Turns out there are 10 positions. The outer 2 are actually 5/16-18 by 3/4" bolts. The rest are all 1/4-20 by 5/8". TSC had stainless hardware but I had to get 3/4" bolts for the 1/4-20s. I'll either leave it and let them drag and wear down (only 1/8" too long so....) or grind them down or cut them off...EDIT: I cut off the last 1/8th inch.

The bigger outer bolts use one washer under the bolt head. Everything else uses no washers at all. I think to keep the heads of the bolts low profile.

Anyway the adjustability is all by the skis, unlike my walk behind which has an adjustable bar and the skis. So the bar just sticks out and you set the height by the skis which I guess is a simpler design. But WOW was the old bar worn down!!
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I also hammered straight some of the blower housing and also painted it. I used that Hammerite Rust Cap stuff for the first time. Many coats.
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Here are the edges which I didn't paint.
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Then I put the bar on.
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Also threw some coats in the chute. I didn't prepare anything so it will be interesting to see how long this lasts.
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It will be exciting to see this thing scrape down to the driveway next storm.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

While I was at TSC I decided to check out the tire ballast situation.

So I grabbed a gallon of windshield washer fluid and a gallon of RV antifreeze and threw them in the hardware scale. Turns out they are close but not the same.
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Looks like the windshield washer fluid is 8 lbs 3 oz and the antifreeze is 8 lbs 8 oz, both include the bottle. Anyway the RV antifreeze is thus 5 oz more per gallon which is pretty minute but if I use all 10 gallons, that is 50 oz which is a little over 3 lbs. Not expected to make a big difference but it was also only $0.50 more expensive per gallon so I just went for it. Heavier is heavier, almost a whole 4%, haha.

I also bought some 1/4 ID hose. I will probably try to add it tomorrow. Actually if I don't use all 10 in the rear I may consider adding some to the front, but we'll see. The plan is to deflate the tires, slip the hose on the tire valve, stick the end of the hose in a jug, jack up the back of the machine and it should suck the stuff into the tire. Just repeat until done.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

This took forever to find a solution that worked. Eventually I drilled a hose hole in a cap and a smaller hole for my pressure gun. After I rigged up this makeshift air pump, it takes the following steps:

To prepare:
- I cut the 1/4" ID hose to length and stuck a length of brake line in the hose to keep it straight and held at the bottom. YMMV.
- Drill 3/8" hole in cap carefully (this took like 3 tries).
- Drill 3/16" hole for my air gun. YMMV.
- Stick hose through big hole.

Once for each tire:
- Deflate/remove valve core
- Jack up rear end
- Put some blocks of wood under the tire (or skip this, perhaps, if your tractor is much heavier)
- Stick 1/4" ID hose onto valve stem - it will remain on until the tire is full
- Let down rear end and sit on tractor if needed to deflate.

Steps that I used per gallon:

- Open a new gallon jug
- Thread cap with hose and holes onto a new jug of your favorite ballast.
- Shove air gun into the small hole
- Jack up rear end so you aren't trying to pressurize against gravity.
- Gently pressurize the jug. Engage common sense mode. They are made to take some pressure so they expand quite a bit before anything bad happens. Worst thing that happens is some splashing and mist leaks around the cap.
- It will pump the entire gallon into the tire in just a couple of minutes.
- Remove air gun, unthread cap, mount the hose somewhere reasonable
- Let down the jack to deflate the tire and displace as much air as you can.
- Sit on tractor (probably not necessary for a much heavier machine) to get all the air out

Repeat from the top until the tire is full (up to the valve stem).
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I've got about 9.5 gallons pumped in between the two tires. One tire will take probably most of the remainder. I threw one gallon in the freezer overnight to see what it would do around 0F. It turns to this slush/slurry but still moves around and this is all I needed to see. Of course now it won't pump right so I placed it on top of the water heater to warm up and I will pump the rest in.

Oh, at the end, you do the following steps, per tire:
- You will know the tire is full when the valve sitting in the 12 o'clock position still pushes liquid OUT of the hose after you stop pumping. This means the level as it as high as it can be (and should be, if you want an air cushion).
- Quickly remove hose and shove valve stem in and tighten. I did a terrible job at this compared to the left side, mainly because I had the valve in backwards so a bunch of fluid pushed out before I figured it out. This may mean that the left side is over the level of the valve stem. Meh.
- I inflated to 13 psi and will test ride when done to see if this pressure still seems about right. I could see it taking a tad less since the air spring will be stiffer with less volume but maybe it's a wash....this isn't the space shuttle, as they say.

Anyway, 5 gallons is around 42.5 lbs (minus jug weight but they don't weigh much). So I would say probably right around 41 lbs per tire? My wheel weights are only 31 lbs each so....this more than doubles it. That will definitely be worth something.

I'll revise that down slightly.

Each jug weighs 4.4 oz including the splash at the bottom of each. So each gallon is 8.5 lbs minus 4.4 oz, so 8 lbs 3.6 oz per gallon, and about 9.5 gallons combined are in the rear tires, for a total additional ballast of 78 lbs or 39 lbs per tire. Slightly under my initial estimate (I expected to get more than what I got in the last tire and if I wanted to I could have put the level above the valve stem) but still more than the wheel weights. Total ballast on the rear end is 140 lbs pretty much exactly, none of which is supported by the axle, just the wheel/tire itself. Not bad. But if I want more I'll have to build something to hang off the rear frame. Fortunately I think this is going to suffice for what the capability of this machine actually is.
kevm14
Posts: 15201
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Garden tractor acquisition

Post by kevm14 »

After all these years I finally broke down and ordered a damn hour meter. I got this one because it's IP67.

https://www.amazon.com/AIMILAR-Digital- ... 626&sr=8-3

If I like if I guess I'll get a second for my Simplicity...
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