You all... when the bug bites, it bites hard!
On Tuesday, I made the trek to northwest Kansas to pickup some more LB stuff. Namely, it was a lot of two mowers: one being an M21EMR, and the other being the model listed in the title.
So, for the last couple of months, I've been scouring the web, and local classifieds, trying to find a mulch plug for an M-series. I now have three, but they all came with parts M-series mowers. That's a thread for another time...
Back to this 7256. This is my first LB of this vintage, and certainly the first I've owned powered by the D engine. Overall, it's in good shape for it's age, but definitely needs restored. I also received the matching grass bag rod and chute. The bag has the LB green logo, so I'm guessing it's not original.
The resin used to make the shroud is brittle, cracked, and weakened at the rear, next to the fuel cap. Any tips for restoring it? I'm thinking de-grease, sand, use some kind of body filler to repair the cracks and chips, then repaint.
Repainting the deck seems straightforward.
The front left height adjuster has a broken lever/detent. I found a replacement lever on eBay, but it appears to be riveted to the height adjuster. I've got to figure out which type of rivet is used because it doesn't appear to be a standard pop rivet.
The handle has some minor rust - does anyone know of any shops that perform decorative chrome plating in the midwest (preferably affordably)?
Lastly, I know that some have modified their D engines with a two-ring piston, allowing for one to run 32:1 premix in these old mowers. Is that all that needs to be done? If so, I'm hoping someone can point me to where I can find a proper piston and ring set.
I'll add to this thread as I progress with the restoration. For starters, I've found a repro decal kit on ebay that I'll be ordering shortly...
PICS! (sorry they're sideways - I don't see a way to rotate them after upload - they're oriented correctly on my PC....)
On Tuesday, I made the trek to northwest Kansas to pickup some more LB stuff. Namely, it was a lot of two mowers: one being an M21EMR, and the other being the model listed in the title.
So, for the last couple of months, I've been scouring the web, and local classifieds, trying to find a mulch plug for an M-series. I now have three, but they all came with parts M-series mowers. That's a thread for another time...
Back to this 7256. This is my first LB of this vintage, and certainly the first I've owned powered by the D engine. Overall, it's in good shape for it's age, but definitely needs restored. I also received the matching grass bag rod and chute. The bag has the LB green logo, so I'm guessing it's not original.
The resin used to make the shroud is brittle, cracked, and weakened at the rear, next to the fuel cap. Any tips for restoring it? I'm thinking de-grease, sand, use some kind of body filler to repair the cracks and chips, then repaint.
Repainting the deck seems straightforward.
The front left height adjuster has a broken lever/detent. I found a replacement lever on eBay, but it appears to be riveted to the height adjuster. I've got to figure out which type of rivet is used because it doesn't appear to be a standard pop rivet.
The handle has some minor rust - does anyone know of any shops that perform decorative chrome plating in the midwest (preferably affordably)?
Lastly, I know that some have modified their D engines with a two-ring piston, allowing for one to run 32:1 premix in these old mowers. Is that all that needs to be done? If so, I'm hoping someone can point me to where I can find a proper piston and ring set.
I'll add to this thread as I progress with the restoration. For starters, I've found a repro decal kit on ebay that I'll be ordering shortly...
PICS! (sorry they're sideways - I don't see a way to rotate them after upload - they're oriented correctly on my PC....)