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Fireant911's newest Gravely addition!!!

3K views 44 replies 10 participants last post by  fireant911 
#1 ·
I joined the Gravely ranks last July with my purchase of two, non-running machines. A short time later, these two Gravelys were once again stroking! I have used the heck of these machines and other than experiencing some issues with the design/integrity of the mowing decks, I have been EXTREMELY pleased.

My wife is currently in Denver, CO and, in her absence, she granted me permission to get another project machine – isn’t she great! ANY Gravely is a rarity here and although I peruse Craigslist every day, there is not much to see – occasionally a machine will pop up but usually is accompanied by a ridiculous price. Crap, there is currently an old, rough looking L for sale for a modest price of $2,500…

Since I was a bachelor this weekend, I ventured to my brother’s home as we do not get to see much of one another. I was explaining the difficulty of finding any Gravelys and he automatically went to Facebook – it is time to interject that I am probably one of the 50 remaining Americans that do not have a Facebook account. He pulled up several Gravelys for sale – most of which I quickly dismissed since I prefer the older, Gravely powered units rather than the newer Kohler-powered units (I love the simplicity of the old models). However, there was one unit that grabbed my attention – it was listed as a 1954 model but I clearly saw from the one photograph that it was not… anyway, it was listed five weeks ago and certainly would have already been sold. I jotted down the number just in case and went back to my homestead later in the evening.

With some trepidation, I went ahead a called the number and left a message on the answering machine. The next afternoon, I received a call back and, YES, the machine was still available. I texted my wife to get permission and I drove the 107 miles to see this machine. Based on all of the great guidance I have received here on MyTractorForum, I quickly determined that this HAD to be a late 60’s or ealy 70’s model rather than a 1954 model – just as I suspected from the one small photograph in the ad. I shared and explained these attributes to the then owner (I certainly want to be honest!). I asked him to start it and I quickly placed it in high/low forward/reverse and said, YES, I want it. I paid his asking price with NO haggling as I saw this as a really good deal – all the original decals and locals were in place and everything appeared to be original EXCEPT for a brand NEW Pierce governor!!!

We loaded the machine, 30” mower deck, and sulky in my truck and I started the two-hour drive back home. Now, rather than claiming that I own a couple of old Gravelys, I can almost boastfully state that I own a FEW Gravelys! Granted, having three Gravelys in my possession is nothing compared to many of you folks here but it is a start!!! I looked up the serial number and confirmed the era in which it was manufactured - a 1973 C1 Super Convertible model. This brings up a question about this nomenclature… the serial number confirms it is a 1973 model and an aluminum tag on the axle housing bolt clearly states ‘model C1’ not ‘CI’ (I looked closely three times). Regardless, is this the intermediate speed model?

Based on my earlier experiences there are a couple of projects that I will tackle right off the bat: 1). sump and oil screen cleaning and 2). removal of fan housing to clean the back side of the cylinder cooling fins. Oddly, the hood's sheet metal has holes towards the front. Was this due to fumes from the battery? The battery theory does not make logical sense to me but I have no other idea what would cause holes to form in this area. Does anyone have a guess to what would cause this?

Here is my new machine!
 

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#2 ·
Count me among the 50 also.

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#3 ·
Very nice machine!

Great story too!
 
#4 ·
PA Red Rider. I reluctantly joined the ranks of FB users. It has been a good thing. I have posted and received leads on a number of Gravely pieces I needed/wanted. Today, one of the club directors let me know there was a QH adapter that I was looking for. I was able to pick it up quickly - there were 10 other requests for it within ten minutes of posting. I dislike lots about FB but am happy to do my Gravely hobby there.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I've worked in IT for 25 years and believe nothing good can come from the over sharing that social media invites. I guess I'm just old fashioned and private.



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#6 ·
Nice catch Fireant Bud, that hood is like mine exept for the front of it as yours goes downward towards the front of the machine or where battery is. I have seen hoods like that with factory vents cut into the front of them, or louvers I guess they are called (like cuts in a hood for a 51 Mercury low rider). I wish I had some money because if I had $3 to $400 in this area I could put an ad in a free paper saying "want to buy old running or not Gravely walk behind tractors" and I would prolly get 3 to 5 calls the first day.
Cant wait till my next bonus because I been thinking about getting another one.
Incidentally the prices you were speaking of is the reason I stopped looking on-line for them because they are normally way out of line but if a person has the money and wants one they will pay it.....eventually that is. Nice catch.
 
#7 ·
I'm not a big fan of the intermediate speed machines, but it sure looks like you got a nice one. However, I have to poke fun at your statement that you were looking for a project machine...there's not much "project" in that machine. Now you will have to look for another one!

When you call your wife again, don't say "Well, I found one that I couldn't pass up, but it's a little too nice so I need another one". That line won't get you anywhere...
 
#11 ·
Looks like a great machine! Nice grab anyway you cut it I feel.

Yes it is a CI may or may not have a bolt and nut on the flange on the right hand axle tube. Thats how they were marked comeing down the line for LI or CI. But over the years it could be removed for GRW's ect
 
#13 ·
...Yes it is a CI may or may not have a bolt and nut on the flange on the right hand axle tube. Thats how they were marked comeing down the line for LI or CI. But over the years it could be removed for GRW's ect
Steven,
Could you expand on this description? Mine had the little aluminum rectangular tag on one of the left axle hub's bolts. What exactly was the distinguishing characteristic on "the flange on right hand axle tube"? Bonus points if a picture is included!!!
 
#12 ·
Thats great Fireant, when I pulled my fan housing (I never knew there was a fan back there and I have used these things for most of my life! I was told "heres the gas, heres how you start it, break it and I'll kill you, We'll be back about dark to pick you up and you had better have this done! when I was a young kid anyway) I never saw a fan back there lol! But when I pulled mine the back fins and rear of tractor had this disgusting like oil and dirt mix, man that was a mess like I'd never seen B4. I also love the ones like mine and that one you just got possession of, for me the simpler the better and thats what I love about mine. I love the fact that the tranny and power plant share the same oil. I dont know about the speeds on them but the two I mostly used had a high and low and on one of them and the other you controlled the speed with the lever, slow speed was like slow rev and high speed was higher rev. I think the two speed had high and low on the lever on the right and the rev or RPM's was goverened w/a lever w/a black thumb looking flat end on the lever.
This might not make any sense at all and it has been quite a long time like almost 20 yrs. And my memory could be all wrong to.
 
#15 ·
occasionally a machine will pop up but usually is accompanied by a ridiculous price. Crap, there is currently an old, rough looking L for sale for a modest price of $2,500…
Wow, i thought the 700-1500 around here for a beat up L with a rusty deck was bad!

I've worked in IT for 25 years and believe nothing good can come from the over sharing that social media invites. I guess I'm just old fashioned and private.
eh, i'm private also, and i have a FB account - i've set it up so i see basically 3 things - posts from a couple friends who don't get all crazy with their personal/political stuff, several tractor centric groups and a few family members who don't get all crazy with their personal/political stuff.

While facebook strongly implies you have to enter a bunch of personal information, you don't. for the last 7 years my profile has been J P from nowhere :tango_face_grin:

i just recently added a few extra pieces of information because i no longer use linkedin for professional connections.
 
#17 ·
Wow, i thought the 700-1500 around here for a beat up L with a rusty deck was bad!
Seuadr,
That is the normal range around here too (the $2,500 was such an outlier that I had to use it!). Lots of $1,000 units that look like they were pulled from a field after being exposed to the elements for the past 25 years... well, let me clarify upon that a bit - there are NO Gravelys around here and the ones that do appear are a minimum of an hour drive. The one I just bought was $350 and it felt it was a really good deal.

I gentleman I bought it from stated that at least ten people had contacted him about buying this machine (as it had been listed for five weeks) BUT I was the only one that actually showed up to look at it. That worked out extremely well for me.
 
#16 ·
Steven,
Many thanks. It would have dawned on me that this nut/bolt assembly represented anything. I was in the shed after reading your post and looked down to the area that I thought you were describing and this is what I saw:
Red Rust

Thanks for the great lesson! How do I go about rewarding you those bonus points for your picture?
 
#25 ·
Steven,
Many thanks. It would have dawned on me that this nut/bolt assembly represented anything. I was in the shed after reading your post and looked down to the area that I thought you were describing and this is what I saw:
View attachment 2016377
Thanks for the great lesson! How do I go about rewarding you those bonus points for your picture?
Get it running and pass the knowledge along is all I ask :tango_face_wink:
 
#18 ·
:tango_face_smile_biOMG Seuadr there was a totally restored 100% L model on e-bay that could have been had for $600! I offered the gentelman a cpl guns for it because I was low on cash and he said 'no thanks he liked a certain type of gun" and said he could take $600 for it and like I said it was 100% restored, and beautifull I might add. Heck it could have been someone on here, and the worst part about it was if I had the cash I could have went and got it because it was here in W.Va.! Man I was about to jump off a bridge!
I only paid $300 for mine. Heres what it looked like when I brought it home.
 

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#21 ·
Hey Fireant, I just happen to be on here . Yea when the time comes I'll pick your noggin for some advice. Actually all I gotta do is see if timeing is off and fix it if so and check the valves and put head back on and Im ready to start w/the finalization of this project...altho I dont want it to end really !
Oh I almost forgot about that dang Magneto, I know nothing about them.
 
#22 ·
Gerrard,
I will be breaking out the dial indicator and checking the timing this morning (heck, it already IS the morning - what are we doing up at this hour?). It sure cranks up nicely but I just want to verify that all is well.

I am going to start extending my daily Craigslist search to include West Virginia just to see if we cannot get you another Gravely before you give this machine to your son - else, the withdrawal symptoms will be unimaginable!!!:tango_face_grin:
 
#23 · (Edited)
I was just kidding about looking on Craigslist for you... but, just for the heck of it, I did go and look to see if there are more machines available there than here. I found a listing located in Nelson County (Roanoke), WV that I would jump on immediately - are you anywhere close to there? Take a look at the potential listed here:

https://roanoke.craigslist.org/grd/6196431640.html

This will not last long!!!
 
#24 ·
Those do look like potential projects Bud but locating them isnt my problem but the spare funds are, and I certainly dont like to shop without any money because that can really get hairy.
Besides if I do get another B4 I finish this one Im afraid my sons one will never ever get done ya know? As slow as things are going w/one Gravely I cant imagine having two of them at a time, maybe it works fine for "most people" but I dont fit into that category lol! Well Im running late to work and now I gotta commute 45 miles one-way instead of 12 so I will get back on here tonight when I get home, and thanks for the well meaning help for sure. P.S.-I now work about a mile from the old Gravely plant in Dunbar W.Va. (a mile as the crow flies) at Cross Lanes.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Hey Fireant, Roanoke is Virginia not West Virginia, and there isnt a Nelson County in our 55 counties. Incidentally I am also an amature W.Va. historian lol.
We broke off on our own during the civil war, W.Va. is the only state to be born because of and during the civil war. (Im into the Civil War stuff to BTW) Those days were the most interesting time of this nation and I wish I could go back into time and see it, like be invisible and just check it all out. And reconstruction was the most mixed up messed up, hardest and roughest times this country has ever seen to but its pretty much been forgotten about.
But back to the FORUM LOL, I gotta get some stuff done so I can hopefully get another L model in my posession before summers end. I want one just like mine because the 66 model seems to be the most simple one of them all, I wouldnt want one w/a long hose carb or rear-facing, dont want an electric start or a governor either. Why in Gods name unless I was not physically able to pull a strap would I want a starter, a chain and a frazzlin battery of all things attached to my little tractor? Not me man dont want nuttin to do w/no battery, at least on a small L like mine. If its a bigger tractor like people have on here (a C-10 maybe?) it would be a diff matter but not on a little L. IMHO anyway.
And also/mostly, Heck the spare parts I have replaced w/new ones just because they were "ugly" or messed up lookin I could put another one together in no time lol!
 
#27 ·
Hey Fireant, Roanoke is Virginia not West Virginia, and there isnt a Nelson County in our 55 counties. Incidentally I am also an amature W.Va. historian lol... But back to the FORUM LOL, I gotta get some stuff done so I can hopefully get another L model in my posession before summers end. I want one just like mine because the 66 model seems to be the most simple one of them all, I wouldnt want one w/a long hose carb or rear-facing, dont want an electric start or a governor either. Why in Gods name unless I was not physically able to pull a strap would I want a starter, a chain and a frazzlin battery of all things attached to my little tractor? Not me man dont want nuttin to do w/no battery, at least on a small L like mine. If its a bigger tractor like people have on here (a C-10 maybe?) it would be a diff matter but not on a little L. IMHO anyway.
And also/mostly, Heck the spare parts I have replaced w/new ones just because they were "ugly" or messed up lookin I could put another one together in no time lol!
Gerrard,
I have never been to the great state of West Virginia! Yesterday morning I just selected the state of 'West Virginia' when I was looking on Craigslist and that ad, as well as many other tempting offers appeared. Geography is not my strong suit - apparently Roanoke and Nelson County must be somewhat close to West Virginia??? Regardless, that is a stellar deal for someone.

This is the first time I have used an electric starter and right now it is more of a novelty than anything else. My other machines were always pull started by me and it is certainly less stuff to have to worry about. This latest one has a brand new battery and I would hate for it to go to waste...

I did check my magneto timing yesterday morning and it was spot-on. Next, I was going to pull the spark plug to ensure the gap was at the Gravely recommended gap. As soon as I pulled the plug, I said to myself that something here is amiss - this looks a lot like a chain saw spark plug!

Auto part Suspension part Suspension


I did go into town and get a NGK B6L (this one appears on the GTGravely website as one of the plugs that they offer for the 7.6HP machines). Now, I have a question - the service manual for this machine states that the spark plug gap is 0.025" whereas the plug manufacturer recommends a 0.028" spark plug gap. What is the PROPER spark plug gap for this machine - is it the factory manual's or the manufacturer's listed gap?
 
#29 ·
The more I look at your pictures, the more I like your machine. Someone took good care of that one, and may not have used it very much either. If that one was a C8 instead of a CI then I would be very envious....
 
#30 · (Edited)
Greg,
My thoughts too. All the old stickers are still present on this machine. I will probably pull the head off to see what size piston currently resides in that bore! Three is lots of nice compression on this machine. Yes, a C8 would have been an absolute treasure but I will certainly take this one and be really happy with it.

Gerrard,
That is part of my issue - I see that Gravely recommends a 0.025" gap but the plug manufacturer recommends a 0.028" gap. Who supersedes who in this case? Maybe a magneto-supplied spark is different than the now commonplace pointless ignition's spark??? This is why I was wondering about which specification should be used. Just like with motor oils, the technology with spark plugs may have changed significantly over the past 40+ years. This is another example of where we may be overthinking things but I am really curious for which parameter should be adhered to for the spark plug gap.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edit: I just googled this and found this link - https://www.ngksparkplugs.com/about...et-the-gap-when-installing-a-new-set-of-plugs

Here is the 'meat' of the article - "Do I need to set the gap when installing a new set of plugs? A: Maybe. A spark plug part number might fit hundreds of different engines from many different manufacturers. Although the NGK factory will set the gap to a preselected setting, this may not be the right gap for your particular engine. The incorrect plug gap for your engine can contribute to a high rate of misfires, loss of power, plug fouling, poor fuel economy and accelerated plug wear. It is always best to check the gap against the manufacturer's specifications. If adjusting the gap on fine wire or precious metal plugs such as platinum or iridium, be very careful not to apply any pressure or prying force to the fine wire center electrode or insulator as they can be damaged. The gap should be adjusted by only moving the ground electrode...."

The answer is to follow Gravely's recommendation of 0.025"!!!
 
#31 ·
You could probably shine a light through the spark plug hole and see the "STD" stamped on the top of the piston. I would be extremely surprised if it's not the standard piston. I also wouldn't bother taking the head off unless you think there's something wrong.

I have a 1972 C8 that was a great find as it was not heavily used, but it wasn't cared for like yours was.
 
#32 ·
Add me to one of the 50 not on FB. Although I do get on Twitter some times to bug people. For Fireant, it just is your areas that lacks them. :) Prices for ones I've gotten range from free to I ain't telling. But mostly in the $300 to 600 range. Furthest I gone to get a Gravely, SC from both directions.

Now to bug historian Gerrard. Do you know why Charleston is the capitol of WV?
 
#34 ·
Well I did know but kinda forgot, I think Richmond (Va.) had something to do w/it and after it seperated it went back and forth a cpl times from Wheeling W.Va.
I know some of that stuff but Im more into the entire Old Appalachain way of life from days gone by and I pick up a lot of the technical stuff along the way.
What I do know I get from the two PBS channels late night (they have really cool stuff on in the AM hrs) And Ken Burns documentaries (as well as others) and reading all things W.Va. and even Backwoodsman magazine. But my love of appalachain life and W.Va. (thats the old abbreviation BTW, now its just W.V.) goes back to my junior high days, W.Va. history was the class I did best at.....and at least stayed awake in. lol.
Oh yea and I cant forget about Goldenseal Magazine either, I had a hundred of them and someone stole them from a storage bldg. Just so everyone knows if you have a rented storage place like you see everywhere and it has a 10 ft. locked fence and someone breaks into it and steals everything you have there its your problem, hard to believe but very true. They even tell you to have your home owners ins. cover it. Im serious. I'll never rent one again anywhere.
 
#43 ·
Fla Don; That's right. When the bridge was built in the 30's Governor Long didn't want any ocean going vessels to pass up Louisiana and unload upstream, so he had the bridge built where it was impossible for any to get past Baton Rouge making them have to unload in Louisiana.

Mark
 
#44 ·
Thats really something there guys. I and my entire family exept my son are from New Orleans and I didnt know that one. I figured it was a trick question and it was a 'draw bridge' like so many of them down there. In 1978 & 79 I worked at a huge concrete place called "Prestressed Concrete Products Company" in Mandeville La. right on lake Ponchatrain and they made the sections for the Causway down there when it was made. The sections we were making was going to a huge 'elevated highway' (if it goes over a swamp or earth of any kind its called an elevated hiway, if it crosses just water its a bridge BTW) in a place called Manshak ( cant even remember what state its in, prolly La.) Memories memories how they come, heck sometimes I think its all I have. lol!
 
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