46 replies to this topic

[SgtMoonracer]

Well, I've made some progress.  I called the guy selling the 1050, and made a short trip to look at it.  The tractor had been his grandfather's, and had run when it was last parked.  Unfortunately, that was 20 years ago, and it had sat in a pole barn on a dirt floor.  At some point, the seller's thieving cousin had removed the engine from the tractor.

 

I was able to take off the transmission cover, and the gears looked almost pristine.  I had kind of negotiated a price by phone, and I bought it.  The guy threw in what appears to be a functioning mower deck for the negotiated price.  Good guy.

 

I drained the old oil out of the 1050, and took off the bottom cover, finding a thick coating of sludge.  I extracted a broken bolt on the bottom cover, and cleaned out the gear box as best I could.  I removed the donor transmission, including the wheels and tires (they were in better shape that the ones I had, and had chains), and re-installed the donor on the 900.  Looking into the 900's gear box, there were multiple pieces of broken bronze bearing inside, that appeared to have come from the right side.  

 

I'm still trying to decide if I want to reuse the transmission cover from the 1050, or drill some holes and use the original 900 cover that has much better paint.

 

I may be able to get this running tomorrow.

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Edited by SgtMoonracer, September 03, 2015 - 10:03 PM.

[fonz3482]

Well looks like your going in the right direction.

[SgtMoonracer]

One step forward, two steps back...

 

I got the transmission installed without issue.  The drive collar has the flange broken off, and the cotter key will work out by itself, so I had to zip tie it until I can find another collar.

 

The transmission shifts very smoothly, and the tractor goes frontwards, backwards and stops as it's supposed to.  

 

So.  I put gasoline in the tank, and drive into the back yard and hook up the little lawn trailer I got with the 900, that I had loaded with river rock. (The wife's changing the landscaping).  The 900 wont start. Seems to have juice, and just started, but won't start now.  I thought maybe I flooded it, so I leave it alone for a bit, and come back to find gasoline dripping from the carburetor. It's a fairly heavy drip, and I can't see where it's coming from.  

 

I turn off the gas, and do what every guy does when he has no idea what he's doing, but has tools handy: I took the carburetor apart.  Even I know the float isn't supposed to be in three pieces.  That explains the gasoline not stopping, but I'm not sure how it's getting out of the carb.  Maybe that ratty-looking gasket? It doesn't look like it just broke, so perhaps when I put fuel in it above a certain level it leaks?  I dunno.

 

My engine is a TR-10D, (or at least that's what the tag says), so theoretically I'm looking for a float and a gasket for a Zenith 68-7 carb.  The Zenith float # is 12543 or C85-103, and the corresponding Wisconsin # is L-63-Y. The gasket # is Zenith 12253 or C142-74, and the Wisconsin # is LZ-63-2.  My concern is my carburetor does not exactly look like the one in the depictions in the parts list.  Might I have a different carb on this thing? 

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Edited by SgtMoonracer, September 07, 2015 - 10:44 PM.

[Bolens 1000]

The 900 originally had the S8D engine, the carb on yours is the one that would have been originally on the S8D,

The disintegrated float likely was your issue as gas would be flowing constantly like that.

 

I stock the float and gaskets for them if needed as well as rebuild kits, but appears a simple float and gasket should get you up and running again

 

https://bolenspartsa...900-bolens-850/

 

https://bolenspartsa...buretor-gasket/

[Chubien]

That carb looks like an L80 which would have been the original carb on your 900, when it had the S8D engine, the TR10 engine is not original. In my mind You're better off getting an L63 carb instead of reworking the L80. From my experience in rebuilding both carbs the L63 is a better carb with better parts support and is the correct one for your engine, although I believe the L80 will work just as well though, same 8.25hp output for both engines.
I see one listed on eBay for 49$.

[Chubien]

Brian beat me to the reply!

[29 Chev]

"I got the transmission installed without issue.  The drive collar has the flange broken off, and the cotter key will work out by itself, so I had to zip tie it until I can find another collar."

 

Just an fyi the ear on the collar can be repaired if you have a mig welder and take your time if you cannot find a good one.  Here is a post I did on another site where the ear on the one on my 1050 was broke - built it up by slowly welding puddle to the shape of the ear - used a piece of copper pipe to keep the hole from filling in - post 15 shows the hub with the ear broken and post 18 shows the hub after I welded it and ground it using a die grinder -  http://www.mytractor...ear-repair.html .  It has been in use for over a year now without any problems.  Another suggestion to repair it would be to get the cast really clean where the ear goes (with a wire brush or a light grinding) and make a form from cardboard and masking tape to mould a new ear with JB weld.  You could get a piece of wood dowel the same size as the pin to put in the hole in the hub where the pin is and extend it across to the ear (through two holes cut in the cardboard form) and then drill it out after the JB weld cures.  There is very little force on the ear as shown by the use of the tie wrap - just has to keep the pin from sliding sideways. 

[Chubien]

Also regarding the drive collar I believe the one from your 3spd axle may work even though they are different part no's.

I bought a NOS drive collar for my 850 a little while back and noticed that the part I received was actually incorrectly labelled and it was for a 6spd, apart from being approx 1/16" longer they are identical.

I'm currently using a 1050 drive hub on my 850 with no problem.

[SgtMoonracer]

Thanks to all... I put on my reading glasses in real good light and saw the L-80 stamp on the existing carb.  It looks like an L-80-D, but I guess it could be a "P".  Follow-up question: (please remember, I know less about carburetors than I do about transmissions), the small piece that has a spring (maybe it plugs the jet), that inserts in the top underside of the carburetor's lid... is there any other piece that goes up in that hole?  I dropped the hollow piece and caught the spring, but thought I dropped something else in the grass and can't find it. I have the metal piece that holds the float to the carburetor, and I don't know what else could have fallen from just the top piece.

 

 

Also regarding the drive collar I believe the one from your 3spd axle may work even though they are different part no's.

I bought a NOS drive collar for my 850 a little while back and noticed that the part I received was actually incorrectly labelled and it was for a 6spd, apart from being approx 1/16" longer they are identical.

I'm currently using a 1050 drive hub on my 850 with no problem.

 

I thought about trying that, (but could not get the castle nut off of the 1050's axle), then thought that the axle from the 1050 was smaller in diameter than the 900's axle, and I didn't think that would work.  Am I correct in that thinking, or are they the same?

[Bolens 1000]

Carb looks complete to me (No missing parts)

 

I see you have the aluminum tube that goes down the center sitting on the shroud

 

 

 

The 3 speed trans axles had a smaller size shaft than the 6 speed and only a few parts are interchangeable on the exterior hubs.

[Chubien]

The 3 speed trans axles had a smaller size shaft than the 6 speed and only a few parts are interchangeable on the exterior hubs.

 

That's interesting, I never noticed that - when I installed the drive hub I actually installed it onto the wheel hub first, the bronze bushings where so tight they where put on as an assembly.

 

I guess I should fix the broken ear on my 850 drive hub using one of chev29's methods and swap it back before it messes the keyway on the shaft. 

[SgtMoonracer]

I photographed the parts I have.  I thought that something else fell, possibly out of the hole where I have the screwdriver pointing in photo 3.  The two parts referenced earlier that sit in that hole are shown in photo 2.

 

I'm pretty sure the axle from the old 3-speed is larger in diameter than the 6-speed from the 1050.  The castle nut on the 1050's axle seemed to take about a 1-3/8 inch socket.  The one removed from the 900's axle is somewhere north of 1-1/4 inch.  (I don't have a socket that large).

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[Bolens 1000]

Looks like the tiny little pin that goes into the needle is missing.....

[Chubien]

Big difference in shaft size!
I can't believe I did not pickup on that when sliding the hub on.

[SgtMoonracer]

I'm just going to keep posting my issues here until (and/or if), I get this thing running.

 

I would have liked to purchase the correct carb, but I've blown the tractor budget on a parts tractor and assorted replacement parts to get this one running.  The carb on EBay looked kind of iffy, and I thought after discussing my needs with Brian, I could get by with a new float, gasket and idle tube assembly.  (I lost the old one in the grass).

 

Parts arrived today.  I bought a rebuild kit since it was cheaper than just the parts.  The kit came with two small springs that appear to be the same as the one I caught as it fell out of an unknown place in the carb.  I don't know where either new spring goes.  (New springs and idle tube shown in photo one.  The old spring and valve seat are on the top). The "idle tube assembly" is supposed to be inserted in the tube well.  Is the tube well the hole in the bottom half of the carb next to the valve and seat assembly?  (Shown in photo two).  Could one of the springs go in the tube well prior to the idle tube assembly?  It looks like the other spring could go in the hollow area of the valve that goes into the seat, but I just don't know.

 

I reassembled the top and bottom halves of the carb using the new gasket, just kind of as a test fit. The halves do not close together snugly; there are two areas in which I can slide a piece of paper between them.  Is this fixable, or do I need another carb?

 

I'm trying to be patient, but I thought I bought a working tractor.  I'm getting frustrated.

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