repowered a LT1000 & added weights for a 'stable' hillside mower

Whirly · Feb 19, 2014

I had a LT1000 that had a engine go bad in it... when I did the mower scrappin last month I removed the bad engine & scrapped it... today I moved the mower into my shop for a repower.. I also wanted to lower the center of gravity of this machine.. wanna do this by addin weight to the front & rear..

I had a DLT that I added weights to it for a pushin & tuggin mower.. I later added an air compressor to that one.. today I removed the weights off that mower.. (front & rear..)
the DLT with weights r in first 2 pics

I then put the LT on my mower jack stands.. usin my overhead hoist.. third & 4th pics

I got the selected engine off my storage shelves & also had the weights handy.. 5th thro 8th pics

I used my hoist again to set the engine in place.. 9th pic.. I installed the engine pulley & the engine mount bolts after digging them out of my 'stash' & attached the belts too

next on order was to get the muffler.. this came off a donor engine seen in the 10th & 11th pics

the last pic shows the muffler was made for this set-up.. before I put the muffler on.. I installed the front weight mounts too

Whirly · Feb 19, 2014

now it was time to hook up the gas line from the tank... I added in a shut off valve & a filter.. the throttle cable was too short .. got a longer one from 'stash'.. this left 2 wires on the left side (engine shut off 'coil short out' & the single + output from the rectifier).. I used a connector that fit what was already on the engine with long tails on it

now on the right side of the engine was the starter cable.. the engine I took off this mower was a B & S.. & the wiring harness had the connector that mated to the 2 leads of the old engine ( one a + DC.... the other a AC for the lights) I found a mating connector with short leads.. & spliced them togather in one butt splice..& hooked then to the + DC from the left side of the engine.. the coil short out wire was also connected to the tail from the left side.. this left the one wire that went to the carb solenoid.. since it was insulated on the end & just tucked it togather & used wire ties to hold them neat...( I may need the carb wire at a later date)..

reinstalled the hood.. gas in gas tank.. removed & cleaned the air filter.. installed a good battery under the seat... & give it a spin... she took off after I shot a lil gas into the carb intake with a squirt Windex bottle..

She runs great... this engine came off a JD STX46 machine that I scrapped out..

I slipped on the rear weight hanger.. put the weights on the rear (here I had to drill a 1/4 inch hole in the fender pan for my 'anti' rattle bolt at the top of the weights) & then slipped on the front weights.. installed the 'lock on' bolts on them too

then I took off the front pusher bar that is mounted on the front weights... redrilled that plate so I could lower it 2 inches.... (this hits the drawbar on a mower when u push on it)

tomorrow I will change the oil & filter & take it out for a test drive

JRC IOWA · Feb 19, 2014

Great work:fing32:I really like your shop.What part of iowa are you from?

Whirly · Feb 19, 2014

JRC IOWA said:
Great work:fing32:I really like your shop.What part of iowa are you from?

western central Iowa... bout 50 east of Sioux City... that shop is heated too... so I can work year round in it.. the shop is a 24 X 38 mobile home.. renovated it to get my mower collection in it... I also have other storage sheds I have mowers in too.. the last count was 41 riders & 2 for parts.. I have yet to get home the last 2 I bought.. but they r in the 41 count... I want this mower stable so I can mow a hillside across the hill rather than up & down.. will get pics showin the hill & mower on it.. that hillside actually belongs to the farmer north of us... but once the crops r in... he has no access to mow it... I mow it for him for free.... it does make our property a lot more lovely ... & by mowin it I can keep the 'skeeters' at bay.. when we moved here 20+ years ago that hill side was overgrown with briars & trees.. here in the past 5 or so years.. the farmer hired a craweler tracked back hoe & dozer to clear it all off.. they dug a big hole out in the field & buried all the brush... the trees they knocked down & moved them aside for a while... allowing my son & I to cut the fire wood outta them & haul it back up the hill with a rider & trailer.. this made a lot less for them to bury.. trees were Ash & Maple..

we now have a nice view from the top of the hill..

k91 · Feb 19, 2014

Nice work :fing32: I assume the LT1000 had an intek on it? The command would definitely be an upgrade.

Whirly · Feb 19, 2014

k91 said:
Nice work :fing32: I assume the LT1000 had an intek on it? The command would definitely be an upgrade.

yup... sure did...was workin great on it .. then next thing I knew it was smoking so bad u would have thought I was doin a 4 wheel rubber burnoff.. I'm not kiddin... after movin 100 feet she used 1 quart of oil..

CraigBird · Feb 19, 2014

Great job; thanks for sharing. I see the Kohler has pressurized lubrication so mowing sideways on the hill should be no problem for keeping the bearings lubricated.

Whirly · Feb 19, 2014

CraigBird said:
Great job; thanks for sharing. I see the Kohler has pressurized lubrication so mowing sideways on the hill should be no problem for keeping the bearings lubricated.

to counter that I will b keepin an eye on the oil leval.. I will b runnin it about 1/4 inch or so above the normal when it's on the leval..

I went to the shop this morning to give it a test... opened up the big door.. & fired it up... grabed the gear shift to go to reverse... & the lever is stuck... she does not move at all... this is funny.. it moved when I put it in my mower garage... but that was 2 years ago.. since then it has been in neutral... been moved a couple times in the garage.. she rolls great.. I got it back up on my mower jack stands now again... got other things to do before I can look at it.. I sure hope I don't gotta pull the tranny.. this really has me puzzled... it moves & the rear wheels turn both at the same time when on the floor... but I can't move the shift lever either direction.. it has been in the shop (which is heated) for the past 24 hours.. I doubt that there is water in the tranny as it has been in the dry for the last 2 years... then too.. if water was in it.. it would freeze up in the lowest spot of the tranny.. this spot would b the ring gear & spider gear area... now if the ring gear is stuck.. the rear wheels will not turn both at the same time..

first thing I will do is take the shift linkage off the tranny shift arm... if the tranny shift lever on the fender pan moves.. the prob is inside the tranny.. if the tranny shift lever (on the tranny) moves..it is the shift linkages causin the prob..

Whirly · Feb 21, 2014

well... I found out Y the shifter won't move.. the prob is inside the tranny.. I had to pull the tranny & open it up.. a Spicer tranny.. inside the tranny the shifter fork slides a ring that holds the shifting keyways.. this ring is stuck in place by SURFACE RUST on that shaft.. this tranny is still good... that shaft can b cleaned up with a real fine grit of Emery paper but... the entire tranny must b cleaned up first.. gotta get all the old greese outta it & wash it up.. it's gonna take some time to do this...

I didn't find any water in the tranny... but enuf moisture did get in somehow to cause the surface rust...

I think I will start a new tread on the tranny work to recondition it..

the wife now tells me it has been almost 4 years since I parked this mower in my garage.. my.... how time flies when ur havin fun..

if I start a new tread... I'll post that tread in here..

Ericjr16 · Feb 21, 2014

Nice write up Whirly, missed it first time around!!! Looks like a nice swap! We done a few swaps on LT1000 so far, nice that a lot of parts are interchangeable on them! We made a rear gas tank on into front gas tank once due to bad tank. Can't wait to see your pictures after a test drive!!

Whirly · Feb 21, 2014

as u can see in the pics... it don't look pretty... was a mess to clean it up.. not only was the shiftin ring stuck... the 2 shiftin dog keys were also glued to the shaft.. I replaced them with used ones I had saved from other trannies..(last pic).. in the second pic u can see I did find 2 lil puddles of water inside too.. I got it all cleaned up & back togather ... I put in 1 1/2 tubes of greese before I put the lid on it.. it does shift good now too..

Ericjr16 · Feb 21, 2014

Looked like the one we had Whirly!! Same issue, it was frozen, dad cleaned it up and we sold it a little while later! Glad you fixed it!!

Whirly · Feb 22, 2014

I should of drilled the upper casing half & added in a couple grease zerks so I could add more grease later

Ericjr16 · Feb 22, 2014

Good idea!! Should tell pops that one for future use!

TAHOE99 · Feb 22, 2014

I had the same problem, shifter forks and ring had rusted in place, I poured water out of mine....

Whirly · Feb 22, 2014

Ericjr16 said:
Good idea!! Should tell pops that one for future use!

I don't think ur gonna hurt the tranny any if u have it plum full of grease & no air in it... the air contracts when it cools & pulls moisture into the tranny.. sealed bearings do the same..

Whirly · Feb 22, 2014

TAHOE99 said:
I had the same problem, shifter forks and ring had rusted in place, I poured water out of mine....

After I got all the grease off the shifting shaft.. I used emery paper on it to polish it up & then took a file to the keyways.. the used shifter keys slid in them nice.. tossed the rusted ones in my scrap bucket..

I spent 6 hours cleanin mine up & regreasin it.. it's back on the mower now.. ready for a test drive this morning while the ground is still froze on the top..

Ericjr16 · Feb 22, 2014

We had one like that too Whirly! We had to junk it and find a parts tractor. It worked out to where the parts tractor turned out to be the seller!

Can't wait to see/hear of test drive!

CraigBird · Feb 22, 2014

Great job on the transaxle repairs Whirly, but you're scaring me into action. I have 3 LTs (2001 LT1000 Hydro; 2004 LT2000 Hydro & 2005 LT1000 6 Spd). I also have a 2000 GT with 6 speed. I would like to do whatever preventive maintenance is possible on these machines. I know it is possible to add oil/grease to the GT transaxle, but the LT operator’s manual for the manual transaxle doesn't mention servicing and the manuals for the hydro clearly state that it is a factory sealed system and requires a qualified mechanic to service it.

It would be a shame to wait until a mechanical failure before servicing a transmission/axle, however its not like I have time to tear them out and rebuild them while they’re working okay now. I do get a little grinding occasionally with the GT, but I think I need to adjust the clutch. I will check/fill the oil level (SAE 30).

So much to do, so little time....

Whirly · Feb 23, 2014

CraigBird said:
Great job on the transaxle repairs Whirly, but you're scaring me into action. I have 3 LTs (2001 LT1000 Hydro; 2004 LT2000 Hydro & 2005 LT1000 6 Spd). I also have a 2000 GT with 6 speed. I would like to do whatever preventive maintenance is possible on these machines. I know it is possible to add oil/grease to the GT transaxle, but the LT operator’s manual for the manual transaxle doesn't mention servicing and the manuals for the hydro clearly state that it is a factory sealed system and requires a qualified mechanic to service it.

It would be a shame to wait until a mechanical failure before servicing a transmission/axle, however its not like I have time to tear them out and rebuild them while they’re working okay now. I do get a little grinding occasionally with the GT, but I think I need to adjust the clutch. I will check/fill the oil level (SAE 30).

So much to do, so little time....

OK gang...this morning I did get to test drive it.. I didn't hear a 'whine' from the tranny... I do have all 6 gears & reverse... it works awesome.. I may yet take it off the tractor again & open it up... then clean off 2 or 3 tiny spots & drill thro the top or side wall & install zerks.. I don't want to get any drill or tappin shavings in the new grease.. (will drill from the outside).. then will close it back up & pump in more..

when I went to upload these pics from my camera.. my keyboard went south.. I couldn't type in a tag line for them..& also couldn't delete them from camera.... which is good... I can reload them with a tag line now & delete too.. was doin some shoppin in the big city today.. picked up a new keyboard... hey..... all the lil squares have a letter on them now.... lol

On now to the pics..
1st pic is the front view of my 'pusher plate & front weights (bout 80 pounds I'm guessin)
2nd pic is the pusher plate up against the rear of another mower... it is now hittin the trailer hitch part & it goes in tween the rear wheels.. (I lowered the plate )
third pic is the rear of it... the rear weights r from a JD 1066 combine steerin axle.. have 62## stamped on them 124 pounds hangin there plus the receiver hitch..
4th pic... shows I hace just 1/8 inch clearance tween the weights & the hitch ball assembly... that got darn close...this is a LT1000 mower too..
5th pic shows my tractor a DLT Craftsman (same as a glorified LT1000)( this one was free to me...) missin an engine & 3 wheels..& no deck... I stuck a air compressor under it & a tank on the rear... the electric clutch engages when there is a air pressure drop in the tank & shuts off when tank is up to pressure.. the engine must b runnin all the time too.. hydro tranny on this one too..
6th pic is my other LT1000.. hood was all messed up.. so it got one donated from a DLT3000 (plastic & red) it like the other LT.. has a 42 inch deck.. gear drive on this one too.. both LT's r my back up to my back up LT155 mowers.. or mainly have the duty of mowin the steep hillside for the farmer north of us.. the weighted one will b the most used I bet.. too much snow on that hillside to take the mower onto

I know they say to mow up & down the hill... but I have crops at the bottom that I can't run over..so it is best if I mow it along with the hill oe sideways on the slant.. with havin the weights on like I have them... I hope it makes it so I don't have to ride on the upper half of the seat all the time.. addin the weights low should lower the center of gravity & not wanna roll down the hill sideways..

CraigBird:.. I hope u followed me thro the pics.... I have 3 LT's too.. don't know what years they r..
If u wanna open a tranny... send me a PM.... I can lead u thro it.. but getting the pulley off the top is usually the hardest part.. they rust onto the shaft.. I have scrapped at least 4 dozen trannies.. that is take all the iron out of the aluminum cases.. I've had to cut a lotta the pulley shafts to get them open..

OOOHHH... on edit... the last 2 pics is my wonder work horse.. it is a highly modified JD R-72.. now has a 12 1/2 hp B & S on the rear.. & 2 blades for the front.. (32 & 42 tripper) car size battery & a small beer keg for a gas tank.. the yellow boxes on each side contain 200 pounds of melted lead each.. no chains r needed to push snow too.. it also has a receiver hitch.. on top of that... has head lites... tail.. stop... turn signals & 4 way flashers

repowered a LT1000 & added weights for a 'stable' hillside mower

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