[M U Tiger]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum. I just bought a pair of STX38s and my son is going to rebuild one of the engines. This one is a 1993. The chassis is in very good condition so I want to restore this one. I've searched this forum and found some good information on the STX38s, but I still have a few questions:
1. The parking brake doesn't work. If I depress the brake pedal, it will stop the tractor, but the travel seems excessive. When I depress the brake and clutch pedals and flip the parking brake knob to "brake on" position, the tractor still moves. Does the foot brake need adjusting or can the parking brake be adjusted separately? I have an Operators Manual for it, but it doesn't show anything helpful regarding the brake. Does anyone have photos or drawings of the brake, especially the parking brake?
2. The tire appear decent with good tread and no noticeable cracking of the rubber, but the front tires won't hold air long. I can't hear air escaping, but they are flat in a day. Has anyone used the Briggs & Stratton Tire Sealant that's supposedly made for equipment like lawn tractors?
Thanks,
Jim
Webster Groves, MO

 

[Jim_WV]

You may find diagrams on the brake in the JD Parts Catalog, they give pretty good breakdowns of most all parts on the JD's .

As far as the tire sealant, some guys use it, but I'd rather go with locating and plugging the tire, or put a tube in it.

 

[M U Tiger]

Thanks, Jim. I am not a fan of tire sealant either, but with the purchase of the 2 STX38s with at least three leaking tires, I'm looking for an inexpensive solution.
Since I haven't had a Deere for several years now, I forgot about JD Parts. It's a great website and resource for the DIY types like my son and me.
Jim
Webster Groves, MO

 

[Herd of Deeres]

I second the tube solution. I think I bought a pair for ~$7 each at Harbor Freight and I tubed one rear on my 175 for under $20 at the dealer. Tire sealant just leaves a big mess if you ever have to change the tire.

 

[MXZRXP]

tube and easy to install!

 

[CUMan]

The usual problem with non-operating brakes on a STX 38 is that the clearance between the arms of the brake caliper and the brake puck is too great. As I remember, the transmission brake serves as both a parking brake and an operating brake.

There are three bolts on the side of the brake caliper. Tightening one or more of these bolts lessens the clearance and should get the brakes operating again. I did this, but I don't recall which of the bolts need to be tightened. This, of course, assumes that the brake pads are not worn out. The brake puck and caliper are on the right side of the transmission (looking at the mower from the rear). The brake assembly is very hard to see with the mower deck installed.

 

[M U Tiger]

Thanks, CUMan. I have the engine out of the first STX38 I bought last week and the brake IS on the transaxle. The pads have some noticeable "meat" on them so I'll adjust it soon.
I had the second STX38 that I bought with the first delivered today. This one is a 1989 as best I can tell and while it has some surface rust and isn't very pretty, it runs and the tranny and mower deck work as they should. the only problem besides the rust and a fuel leak is that the brake doesn't work! So, I'll get busy on that one, too.
Jim
Webster Groves, MO

 

[M U Tiger]

Re: STX38 Parking Brake and Tire Sealant - Follow-up

Thanks for the information about the brake. I have adjusted it and have good pedal and parking brake action.
The tire is another story: I removed the old tire by cutting it off and installed a new inner tube and a new tire that came with the STX38 "package" I bought. I should say, I attempted to mount the tire and new inner tube. I got the outer sidewall onto the wheel, but have tried using tire irons and even bought a mini tire changer from Harbor Freight to get the inner sidewall onto the wheel. I've used baby powder and, separately, dishwashing soap solution to lube the tire and wheel rim. I also used vice grips to keep the portion of the sidewall I can get over the rim in place while I used the tire irons to try to get the remaining portion of the rim. I have tried to get the opposite side of the sidewall into the groove in the center of the wheel to allow the other side to slip over the rim, but that hasn't worked either.
the best I can do is get the remaining sidewall halfway onto the inner rim of the wheel.
If I could find a local service station to do it, I would gladly pay to have the tire mounted on the wheel.
I have the identical size and make of tire mounted on the left front of the STX38 (I bought it that way), but if I didn't, I would swear the tire is too small!
Any additional ideas?
Jim
Webster Groves, MO

 

[99flhr]

Re: STX38 Parking Brake and Tire Sealant - Follow-up

Keep in mind that wheels with a deep offset to the dropcenter may only be removed /replaced from ONE side of the wheel. have you attempted install from the "short" side ?

Just a thought, as my Ingy tires can only be installed from the inboard side. YMMV

 

[MXZRXP]

Re: STX38 Parking Brake and Tire Sealant - Follow-up

Keep in mind that wheels with a deep offset to the dropcenter may only be removed /replaced from ONE side of the wheel. have you attempted install from the "short" side ?

Just a thought, as my Ingy tires can only be installed from the inboard side. YMMV

that is it, or at least it was on my STX38... rears were real easy the fronts a bit more difficult as they are such small tires not a lot of room for streachings...

and lube it up REAL good with dish soap, it won't hurt anything and makes sealing the bead an easy task...

here is a pic(s) of the one I just did- (pics were b4 new rubber btw)

 

[ranchkingron]

I'm sorry I can't help with the parking brake problem but I think you are in good hands with the advice the gent's here give you.

But on the tires I have some opinions for you to consider from my own observations.

#1- tire sealants do work but after using them I think they are more of a pain than what I like, i.e. the mess if you have one set of wheels and change tires between seasons.

#2- Tubing the tires gives you more options such as loading them to gain weight without worrying about the wheels rusting, plus if you have dry rotted tires (which is what you described) you can get a little more life out of them and as I found out a tube make it really easy to seat the bead just add air.

Now on to the down side-

#1- If you have multiple wheel sets you can mount them and use as you like so tire sealants (I use Slime) will work fine but I've never used it for dry rotted tires Slime says it will fill a 3/16" hole so it may work, but remember if you park the tire with the leak at the top it may still go down because it drains to the bottom.

#2- Tubes are porous so they still leak just not as fast and if you puncture one you have to break at least one side off the rim and patch the tube, and when tubed you cant just plug the tire and go.

So it's a trade-off no matter which way you go, and you will have to decide which is best for you, for me from now on tube are the way to go.

JMHO

 

[M U Tiger]

Wow, MXZRXP, your STX38 looks brand new!!!! Did you remove the old decals and install new ones or were the originals in good condition?
Regarding the tire mounting issue, as 99FLHR suggests, I'll dismount the tire from outboard tire sidewall from the wheel and try installing the other (inboard) side first. If that doesn't work, I'm noit sure what the next step will be.
Jim

 

[M U Tiger]

I really hate to admit defeat, but I'm flying the white flag on the tire mounting problem. I tried again today, removing the inner tube and putting a tubeless tire valve in place to see if I could squeeze the tire better into the smaller diameter center of the wheel, and only succeeded in frustrating myself further. So I just went to eBay and found a pair of used front tires and wheels for an STX38 for less than I've alredy sunk into trying to get this one tire mounted!
I appreciate the advice from those who responded. Now, if anyone needs a wheel, tire and new inner tube that is half mounted, let me know! ;<)
Jim
Webster Groves, MO