[Tractor-Holic]

Yesterday was a nice day here--almost 70 degrees and not acloud to be seen,so I decided to clean up the mess I made Monday cutting some trees up for firewood--I left all the logs scattered all over and it got dark WAY too soo to finish the job,plus I was BEAT...

I had planned to clean off a yard trailer I made years ago that I had piled high with junk--it had rotting sheets of OSB and a ton pf plastic sheeting I removed from my former "greenhouse",that alone took a good half an hour..by then it was noontime,and I figured I had better get my SS-12 out of the garage and start it up,as it had not been used since maybe last may..

I back my car outside,moved 2 other Suburbans,and added some gas to the old trusty rusty SS-,pulled the rope many times,got winded,and said to myself "*** you for being a cheap SOB and using that "old" gas I got from a car that was about to be junked months ago"--I had run the tractor out of gas last time I used it,but the tank I had on it,an old Kohler one that was pretty crappy inside with rust still had a good inch of stale gas in it,that was below the fuel outlet...

I soon discovered no fuel was reaching the carb,and I was not unhappy about that,as that meant the carb likely hadn't been "poisoned" by the old gas....after looking in the tank I decided to yank it off,and I found my old fashioned glass bowl filter/sediment bowl shut off contraption was blockes solid with rusty crap right where the 1/8" pipe screwed into it...(I had just "rebuilt" it last winter at the end of the seaon,I was tired of it oozing fuel and making a fire hazard in my garage)...

The more I looked at the old rusted tank,I figured I would be having nothing but grief all winter with it,not something to look forward too when the last thing you want to be doing is fixing a tractor in frigid weather ,instead of being able to USE it and depend on it...I decided a smaller plastic tank would be better,as I never did fill that huge metal one up full ONCE since I had it on there,and nowadays it would take 10 bucks to fill it--I rarely used the tractor long enough to use up even a quart of gas to plow my driveway or walkways,so I looking in my shed and found one off an old blown up Tecumseh walk behind push mower,that had a big plastic "shroud" made onto it...my hack saw trimmed that off quickly!...

I had to drill a new hole for the fuel outlet,and another for a mounting bolt,and I used a peice of brake tubing as a spacer between the tank and the mount so I could tighten the bolt good,but not squash the tank--it worked out well...the next dilema was to decide what to now use as a gas filter and shut off valve--I wanted to retain the glass bowl one,but the more I thought about it,the more I feared that glass bowl would shatter in the middle of plowing or way out in the woods,so I decided to put a small clear plastic filter and a shut off valve from the same push mower I got the tank from,the Briggs style with a red knob on it...

Then I realized the tank and hoses have to be higher than the carb bowl so gravity feed will work!...turns out they are real close to the same height,but I got a good flow out of the fuel line..so I put it all together,and to my delight,it fired up on the first pull!..the tank even says "Craftsman" on it,so its still "all Sears!"...

Only bummer was by this time,it was getting DARK already!--I had all of ten minutes to pick up and stack about 100 log peices on that trailer,and I hooked it to the tractor and used low range,the trailer has tires,2 on each side,both front ones were FLAT--but the tractor yanked it away like nothing,even with the flats..I hastily backed it up behind my garage,and scrambled to put away a bunch of tools,get the tractor parked back in the garage,and move the other 2 Suburbans back in place,put my car back inside (and it barely FIT!)....after that I realized I hadn't even had LUNCH yet,andat 5;30 pm,it was dark as midnight already!...did I mention I HATE daylight savings time???.....

Now its pouring out,and my logs are soaking wet...just aint enough hours of daylight to get everything done!...oh well,at least maybe my tractor will START next time I go to use it..I HOPE....

 

[Plowthesidewalk]

I know the feeling about the old rusted out metal tanks. A person can end up spending a bundle trying to clean up and repair one. I used my old work tractor with a plastic fuel tank yesterday and it only had about a half gallon of gas left. My tractor has a one gallon Flambeau tank in it.

The old tractor ran long enough to clean up about 1/2 to 2/3 of an acre of leaves until it ran out of gas. It was being driven really slow in first gear in order to get a lot of leaves rounded up. The gas would have lasted longer if I would have been in second gear but the mower deck swept better in first gear.

Did you ever try one of the plastic tanks from the Surplus Center to determine how well it fits in Sears tractors with the under-the-hood fuel tank shelf? They look like they might fit but I don't know where they put the fuel outlet on them. They look a little wider than a metal tank and the cap might come close to the flared opening in the hood.

 

[GT_80]

Sounds like you had a fun day TH! At least you go it fixed with relatively little extra work

 

[Tractor-Holic]

After spending all afternoon kneeling down fixing it,I felt like I'd been run over by the tractor many times..I was disgusted to see how FAST 3 hours can pass while doing such a "simple" job!..but I had to do something about it,and it was at least WARM out,so it beat putting it off till the first snowfall and cursing myself for procrastinating!..

I haven't tried the Surplus center gas tank,but for ten bucks I was tempted to order one,but with shipping it would be more like 20 before I had it in my hands..I think they were original tanks for Tecumseh snowblower engines maybe,and the dimensions look close to the stock metal tanks ...I too was hesitant to order one due to the fact you cant tell where the fuel outlet is ,and the fact you'll need to block the 4 mounting holes with bolts and rubber washers probably..but its the closest one I have seen for sale that cheap !..I might still get one ,I know my other 3 Suburbans have original tanks that are in so-so shape and they have sat empty two years since I got them...

I may have to fill this smaller tank more often,but that doesn't bother me,the fact it will be run dry more often will only help keep my carb from gumming up if the tractor dont get used often too..

I am wondering what year my "newest" Suburban 12 is--the guy claims it was a 1973,but it has the cutout in the hood for the gas cap ,(a stupid idea if you ask me,it lets rain water get in the tank!)..and it still has the starter/generator and the engine looks to be original--I'm thinking its a 1969 maybe..all I can read off the shifter plate is the serial number "6958",the "917" number is rubbed off unfortunately...the engine numbers come out to an HH120 ,but I cant pin the year down by them..my next project is to get that one running,the guy I got it from gave me a new ignition switch and air filter for it.(not sure it really needs the switch yet).


The thing's been sitting in my garage where I plopped it in JUNE and I haven't even heard it RUN yet!..the gas tank in that one looks "iffy" too,and it'll need new fuel lines...the guy claimed it ran nice,his dad in Maine owned it from new,until he passed away--he also got a nice Roper with an Onan from him,but he wasn't willing to sell me that one!...I got the crappy seat off the Roper and I think the rims and tires on my Suburban came off the Roper,they are that beige color..I put a pan seat on it I had the other day,the roper one was so rusted I busted it when I leaned back on it!....

 

[Plowthesidewalk]

Maybe I'll try one of the plastic Surplus Center tanks just to see how well they fit. From the looks of them they are a little wider but they might drop in without much effort. Strapping it down might require some larger straps. The height of the cap and location of it is questionable. You might be able to mount it under the seat also.

My battery was kinda low so I need to hook up the charger and put a new charge on it. Like you said, it's better to be ready for winter before it gets here.

 

[Tractor-Holic]

I dont have ONE "good" battery for any of my machines,nor one to jump start any of them (or my vehicles!)--I really need to gather all the dead ones up,bring them to the scrapyard and cash them in,then see if I can buy a good used car battery next door at the salvage yard...it stinks having to take one out of my truck to use every time I need to mow,drag something around,etc..thats why I kind of like the recoil start Briggs on my SS---long as the rope dont snap way out in the back yard,it'll always start!..I priced new batteries and I have bought tractors for less too!.....