106 vs 127 vs 147 Newbie Questions

[dschwandt]

Yeah Buddy!!.....
And so it begins!!
Air cleaner come with it??

 

[gary noblit]

very happy for you..enjoy

 

[David Collard]

Air cleaner did indeed come with it as well. It's a little soggy and needs a new filter but otherwise all there.

 

[-CӞ]

SCORE!

 

[HKCooper44]

Looks great! Too bad the previous owner left it outside, however. Take your time with this. It doesn't appear there is anything that can't be fixed or restored!

 

[dschwandt]

That's a hell of a place to leave an air cleaner.
and upside down to boot.
I'll bet the inside is a rusty mess now.
Geesh!

 

[David Collard]

So its been a long day but I have my new 106 home. Picked the UHAUL up in the morning and made my way over to get the machine loaded. The gentleman I bought it from was kind enough to help me get it on the truck. Brought it home and promptly got it unloaded without issue! I was dreading wheeling the thing off the back of the truck bed. Never had a problem but you can not be too cautious!

I started tinkering with it a little bit this evening and low and behold a new battery and some starting fluid and she cranks and sputters well. I then got brave and added some fuel to the tank and began cranking away. I'm not sure how long it will take to reprime the system with fuel but can see the sediment bowl and fuel filter refilled. My best guess is the carb is in need of being cleaned.

Based on reading my snooping around the forum this machine appears to be from the 1970 batch based on the serial number. Looking forward to messing around and updating everyone as to my progress!

-

 

[gary noblit]

David, most happy for you.It's a good looking machine well worth clean ing up some..May I suggest..you probably should change the oil before you get it running.It's rarely a good idea to think previous owner took great care of maintenance...

 

[dschwandt]

August 1970

 

[Mac Stevens]

Robert don't remember co. name but a net search will show several....lb rating matters,you should be looking around 1000 lb lift ...some where in the range of $ 150 should do it...be aware they are not fast but do the job. ..they need secure mounting or something will bend...I made the front mount and bent it once...Your present handle has a hole in the front side,you could leave the handle in..It took serious heat to get mine out,hence burned paint...length of stroke ,you only need between 6/8 inches...good ones have a shutoff trip at the end of stroke,figure that into your mounting...good luck...

I used a VEVOR linear actuator. As mentioned, these aren’t the fastest to raise/lower but they hold position and are extremely reasonably priced. Were I to plan on using mine as you do yours I’d look for something else. My Gravely zero uses a stand alone hydraulic lift which turns out to be an inboard/outboard trim motor. It is much faster than the electric option. The boat dealers price on those is ridiculous but they’re available elsewhere. Good luck with whichever route you take. I haven’t sourced a cylinder yet as I had mine resealed.

 

[gary noblit]

I did seriously consider that hyd option but didn't like the price and couldn't find a good used one at he time.I bet it works good

 

[dsarow]

There is a good source of parts on this forum from our sponsors..If you have a question, post it with a picture and you will come to appreciate the wealth of info the guys here have and are thrilled to help.Since many fasteners are a bit rusty,if you have the time,put some PB Blaster or something of your choice and let it work.A thread restorer kit and a wire brush will help,when you reassemble it.Good luck and enjoy your new hobby.

 

[David Collard]

Did some muddling around on Monday afternoon. The carb was "moist" to say the least. That little bit of surface rust behind where the carb mounts shouldn't be an issue correct? I ordered a new carb kit on the Bezos express along with new fuel line & some clean new air filters. Also unstuck the lift arm and removed the mower mule deck. Not bad for a couple hours of work.

 

[-CӞ]

a good shop dog certainly helps!

 

[David Collard]

a good shop dog certainly helps!View attachment 155472

Yup! Always good for a check in and quick sniff at a moments notice!

 

[Jake Olsen]

a good shop dog certainly helps!View attachment 155472

These 2 do absolutely everything with me when I’m not at work.

 

[JPrattico]

You could have hit or miss results with one of those cheap carburetors, though it looks like the one you took off the machine is already one of them so I guess you don't have much to lose. In my personal experience, the carburetor that has been running my 107 since I got it back working in 2020 is one of those cheap knockoffs. It's had it's share of hiccups, including the plastic float being unreliable in the way it mounts (and having to purchase and swap it out with a brass one found in the flea market area of a show I had it at just recently).

It's always run the tractor fine, but the big issue is the idle circuit does not work at all. It has to be tuned solely off the main. It does not care whether the idle screw is completely closed or removed from the carburetor entirely, it will not affect how the engine runs. Some people have good luck with them, I personally, got a dud, but at least it works good enough to run it. I plan on eventually taking the parts from it and using them to rebuild the original Kohler carburetor for it.

 

[dschwandt]

I would clean that area really good.
That rust scale is hard stuff and I would not want it floating around inside an engine.
Both the throat and the surface the carb mounts to and use new gaskets.
Carb looks to be in real need of a complete rebuild.
Pull the head, inspect and resurface.
Check the block for cracks leading into the valve area.
Check the fluids for water.
That unit may have even been underwater for all we know.
Good luck!

 

[Jake Olsen]

You could have hit or miss results with one of those cheap carburetors, though it looks like the one you took off the machine is already one of them so I guess you don't have much to lose. In my personal experience, the carburetor that has been running my 107 since I got it back working in 2020 is one of those cheap knockoffs. It's had it's share of hiccups, including the plastic float being unreliable in the way it mounts (and having to purchase and swap it out with a brass one found in the flea market area of a show I had it at just recently).

It's always run the tractor fine, but the big issue is the idle circuit does not work at all. It has to be tuned solely off the main. It does not care whether the idle screw is completely closed or removed from the carburetor entirely, it will not affect how the engine runs. Some people have good luck with them, I personally, got a dud, but at least it works good enough to run it. I plan on eventually taking the parts from it and using them to rebuild the original Kohler carburetor for it.

I have had the same problem with the knock off carburetors that the low side does absolutely nothing. You probably will not be able to use anything off of it to rebuild the original one. Sae vs metric

 

[David Collard]

Been a week so I figured I'd give an update. Over the weekend I swapped out the carb and changed the oil. Happy to report the oil other than being dirty was free of any containments. The tractor fired up for the first time strictly off of fuel and runs. It runs rough. But it runs! Very exciting. I then began investigating the ignition system and put an order in for a complete redo as its clearly long over due for a refresh. Once that's done I'll see how its running and determine my next move.

I am not a huge fan of the choke clip. I managed to crack two of the tabs trying to reattach the choke cable. I have a 3D printer so I am contemplating making a new one that might be a little more durable.