Nice project! Nice production! Thank you for sharing the videos. I have 4 originals for retirement projects. Thanks for all the details you've provided.
Just a note , before you install the head make sure all surfaces are flat and straight. If not get you something wide enough thats has a perfectly flat surface and some 120 grit sandpaper to surface the head . A piece of thick glass works perfectly with the sandpaper glued to it , then the elbow grease back & forth ... BTW that is an awesome rebuild " great job :.
thanks for sharing! Just watched your whole series. a couple years ago a bought a Sears suburban 10 to restore. I've been tinkering with it the past week, after watching this i think I might sell it and get an original seems more like a real tractor than a mower. if you have anymore tips or suggestions please comment. thanks again!
I would recommend looking for a tractor with a Kohler engine. They were good engines and there are still a lot of parts available for them. You can find after market rebuild kits for the K series Kohler engines for around 100 hundred dollars... The parts for old Briggs and Stratton engines are mostly obsolete, and OEM parts are very expensive. There are not many after market parts available for Briggs and Stratton either.
I have done a couple of Cubs, and now starting a Simplicity Landlord 101 from the mid 60s, which uses a cast iron Briggs. I really should have bored it out .010 over, but I just went with rings and a light honing due to the expense of new parts. The Kohlers seem to be built better as well. 3/8 bolts head bolts vs 5/16 on the Briggs, larger main bearings and rod journals as well. Kohlers do have a couple of weak spots though, the points lobe on the camshaft, and balance gears on the larger engines (K301 and up), which have been known to grenade an engine if the needle bearings aren't replaced during an overhaul.
Great series! I've got 2 Originals, one running and one that is going to be restored. Lots of great ideas and tips from your video's. Did you ever link where you bought non-ebay parts? Sorry if I missed it.
Seems kinda suspicious the music started playing the exact moment the engine fired up , where you covering up a little fart and pop noise from that cheap carb ?
Rule number 1 of engine building, NEVER re-use head studs/bolts. Rule number 2 of engine building, throw away old headstuds/bolts. Rule number 3 don't ask why. Oh I forgot rule number 1 of carburetors. NEVER BUY A 38 dollar carburetor, its 100% guaranteed to be a chinese nock off and will never give you the proper fuel to air ratio required of that engine through the entire rpm range.. You might be able to get 1 setting correct. A real OEM carb for that should be triple digits or its fake. :) NOT saying it won't run, It just won't run right and can fry a piston being too lean.
