[yamato72]

OK guys here it is: my nostalgia machine. S/N 13345 which puts it at 1972 (the same age as me!). Classic styling like my family's old 424 but the better drivetrain of the 800s. And the big, fat-XXX look of the Onan twin.

The Good: It has a functioning liftable hitch and rear PTO. Rear tiller. Appears to be mostly complete, it has the axle latches for the snowdozer. Paint is original. It runs and drives. Rear tires are in good shape.

The Bad: Likely needs a new PTO clutch (which contributed to a really good price). Non-existent brake. Most of the switchgear was replaced with patch jobs. Faulty fuel pump was replaced with an electric unit (wired into the headlights!) which continuosly floods the carb. Front tires are shot.

The Ugly: The whole thing is ugly.

This machine was 20 minutes from my house, and I looked over and passed on a very dilapidated 817 before striking a deal on this one.

At first glance I thought it had the later rack-and-pinion steering but I must not have looked hard enough since the S/N indicates it is too early of a model. Hopefully in the next week I can get it pressure washed and start making it mechanically sound.

It came with what is supposed to be a 50" mower deck but I need to check it over some more. I'd like to try the deck on my 18G to see if it is any more maneuverable than the 60" when mowing my tiny yard.

Short term goal will be to get the fuel delivery working and replace the wonky switch gear. Likely PTO replacement over the Winter, though if I can get it running well I'd like to put the dozer blade on it. I also want to get the tiller refurbished and ready to go in the spring.

Longer term, I'd like to look at repowering my 18G and moving its Magnum to this tractor. Clean up and sell the Onan, which runs nicely. I can tell they really are stout motors.

Far in the future I'll restore it from the ground up.

 

[helixhippie]

right on!

 

[tracktortag]

Nice find. It reminds me of the way the 814 looked when I found it. The tiller is a nice bonus.
Being a '72 like mine, it should also have the limited slip dif. unit. They DO work.
Like I said on the other thread, I had no wheelspin when plowing snow last winter, and without chains. I felt it engage (or disengage) once in awhile (a very slight pulsating feeling through the tractor for a second or two is the best way I can discribe it)
and I always kept moving without spinning a wheel. I was surprised.

Hearing the sounds of some Onan twins at the mow in, I'd like to try one myself one day.
P.S. I'd like to get my hands on one of those u-haul trailers.

 

[arcam8123]

Good score! You're going to love that rear tiller.

 

[arcam8123]

Oh, and the 50" deck should run circles around the 60" deck in a small space.

 

[Loremaster72]

Is that a B43 engine? I have a B43M as a replacement on my Sears, and it's a good engine. The thing that trips most people up with them is the diaphragm fuel pump. They will wear out in time, and too much ethanol in the fuel (including from seafoam and other additives) can cause them to stretch and not work. I had to replace one mid winter last year, and it wasn't fun doing it out in the cold. The carb is mounted to the intake manifold and you can't get it off without a LOT of disassembly, so I did the rebuild in place.

It's a very sophisticated engine for being so small, and I love the sound they make. You'll pay for a carb rebuild kit, but look around on-line and you can get an OK deal. If you find you can reuse the float and only need the gasket kit, it will save you a good bit of money.

I seem to recall someone having a thread about re-lining brakes, I think on a Gravely. If not, it's somewhere here in the lawn and garden forum. On the electrical, are you going to go for a factory correct rebuild, or put together a new and improved wiring set with more modern connections? I think I remember Summit Racing carrying a set Deutsch connector set now, and Cat uses them.

Given the quality of your last rebuild, I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

 

[yamato72]

Well the brake and fuel pump are definitely first on the list, I'd like to get the switchgear close but wouldnn't mind using a modern, weatherproof key switch. I actually would like to look at wiring in a safety switch for the seat since I would like my kids to be able to ride it when they got older. We'll have to see though.

Reverse clutch looks brand new, forward clutch is toast BTW.

I would definitely buy the decal set from rggraphix.com and use the proper paint colors.

I am actually trying to figure out the tires, these are 23X10.5-12 and I will either go back to 23X8.5-12 (for space reasons, I need to keep this guy's "footprint" small), OR I'll get matching tire sets for both tractors.

I would like to be able to put a modern Pro-G style engine guard on this one, easy enough if I move the Magnum to it, but complicated by the liftable hitch.

This one will definitely stay "ugly" for a while but my head is already full of ideas. I would say I want it to eventually look "stock" except for the powerplant and perhaps the tires.

 

[yamato72]

Did anyone notice the double chin?

Hopefully I can check it out this evening and figure out how it's attached. Seller said he thinks it's just for weight in the front while using the tiller

 

[Mickeymotormount]

Nice find. Good luck with the future resto and getting all the particulars worked out to get it fully functional.

There was a thread awhile back on relining the brake band. The fellow member bought the brake lining material from McMaster-Carr and used J-B Weld to attach it to the brake band. He said it was holding up well when he posted about it. Maybe this is your way out instead of paying upwards of 80 bucks for a brake band.:goodl:

 

[PA RedRider]

Nice haul.

Check to see if it has the axle block installed as well on the right side. Assume it does. You may find you need a set of "saddle bag" weights on the front to keep it down during tilling. I've been looking for a nice 816 or 817 for a while now as well. The parts situation has scared me away so far though. I'm basically looking for a slightly better winter plow machine and maybe something I can run a York rake off the back of for soil prep and limestone work.

Some thoughts on your comment about the 60" deck maneuverability on the 18G. I've got virtually the same setup on a 20-G and really don't like the big wide turning radius or the front end instability problems. Believe both can be partially attributed to the wide front turfs. Don't like them so far and may swap them out for a set of 16-6.5x8's.

Good luck.

 

[mxthunder]

That onan engine is a beast! My friend has an 816 and it is quite the machine!

 

[arcam8123]

Is that a B43 engine? I have a B43M as a replacement on my Sears, and it's a good engine.

I seem to recall someone having a thread about re-lining brakes, I think on a Gravely. If not, it's somewhere here in the lawn and garden forum. On the electrical, are you going to go for a factory correct rebuild, or put together a new and improved wiring set with more modern connections? I think I remember Summit Racing carrying a set Deutsch connector set now, and Cat uses them.

Given the quality of your last rebuild, I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

That engine should be a CCKA. All cast iron cylinders and block. It should have a mechanical fuel pump on top of the block. It's a very solid and smooth engine.

Save that brake band and reline it if you can. They are very expensive to replace.

 

[Fla Don]

CKs have starter/generators. CCKs have exposed flywheel weight/pulley. B4xMs have stationary screen over rotating screen. 800s used CCK or B4xM depending on the model. 816 used the CCKA. 816-T used the B43M.

Trivia:
Only 1 CK powered 400 series is known to exist.

 

[yamato72]

Boy, where to start?

First off, I think this is a later 816 than the motor, based on this:

and this:

Here are the S/Ns, I'm assuming the adaptor plate came along with the motor:

There's the usual crud everywhere:

And I have a crack in the frame, left side behind the foot rest. I'd like to get that welded sooner rather than later:

I pressure-washed the tractor but haven't taken pics yet. Of course the electric fuel pump is going to have to be figured out. My neighbor came over and we figured out what the rag under the air cleaner was for: the crankcase breather tube got torn and rather than replace it, the PO stuffed a rag in the there.

The double chin was a 30lb iron weight bolted to the frame rails; directly above it someone in the past had stuck five more 4-lb lead weights. Fortunately it was easy to remove, I'll put wheel weights out front instead.

Gas tank is in good shape. Battery is decent. Axle shaft for the rear PTO is right where it should be.

Brake band is MIA:

Next steps are basically to source a brake band and re-line the forward clutch, rebuild the carb and figure out the fuel pump. I'm debating what to do to get the crack repaired right the first time.

 

[yamato72]

The 50" deck is another story.

Based on the IPLs this appears to be an early 70's deck, what with the way the skids are tube steel and bolted on. Overall it appears to be in good shape, with only one problem: the PO ran into or backed into some immovable object and put a big crack along the top, right along the back edge of the reinforcement plate. The whole shell crumpled enough that the outside blades contacted the shell and started digging in. So the deck won't see any use this season. I'll see next year if welding and straightening is feasible.

Aside from it's recent abuse, I'd say this deck got used for a few years and then got stored in a barn for a couple decades. Paint appears to be original and the metal is otherwise decent.

 

[yamato72]

Being a '72 like mine, it should also have the limited slip dif. unit. They DO work.

Interesting you mention the limited-slip, because with no brake, an engine that wouldn't stay running, and the tiller on the back dragging the ground, t was a challenge trying to get it up the ramp and onto the trailer. I watched the tires and only one would spin, making me think I it was a later machine.

Funny that the later 800s dropped the LSD but gained the rack-and-pinion steering. I wonder why?

 

[arcam8123]

Yep, I would agree. It looks like the frame is newer that the engine. The splined clutches and rack and pinion steering are newer than 72. That's the disadvantage to the old style serial number on the adapter plate. Is there another serial number on the underside of the dash?

 

[yamato72]

Yep, I would agree. It looks like the frame is newer that the engine. The splined clutches and rack and pinion steering are newer than 72. That's the disadvantage to the old style serial number on the adapter plate. Is there another serial number on the underside of the dash?

That's the first thing I looked for, hoping it was a later machine, but I did not see a sticker on the lower left of the dash. There is what appears to be a factory Hobbs meter, though. 1600 hours. Don't know yet if it still works.

 

[Fla Don]

Interesting you mention the limited-slip, because with no brake, an engine that wouldn't stay running, and the tiller on the back dragging the ground, t was a challenge trying to get it up the ramp and onto the trailer. I watched the tires and only one would spin, making me think I it was a later machine.

Funny that the later 800s dropped the LSD but gained the rack-and-pinion steering. I wonder why?

Cheaper to build the bevel gear version of the diff than the spur gear. Same applies to the rack and pinion setup. Both are stronger so that is an added benefit.

 

[yamato72]

CKs have starter/generators. CCKs have exposed flywheel weight/pulley. B4xMs have stationary screen over rotating screen. 800s used CCK or B4xM depending on the model. 816 used the CCKA. 816-T used the B43M.

Trivia:
Only 1 CK powered 400 series is known to exist.

How is the 450 test mule coming along, anyway? You working on restoring it? raying: