Spent a little time with the 1650 tonight. I can't explain it, but if it is sunny and clear, I struggle to work in the basement on anything! Tonight's effort was on the gas tank and gas line to the carb. The shut-off valve was clogged, so I pulled it off and of course destroyed the rubber grommet that holds it in place. Everytime I monkey with one of these shut-off valves on a tank - with a screen in the tank, the screen NEVER survives the trip on and off the tank. This one was no different. After I got the crud out of the valve, I found my spare grommet and reinstalled the on/off valve and the tank onto the tractor. From there I went to the carb. There is a 90 degree elbow that screws in the carb and it was full of crud too. I took it off and looked in the carb and there was build-up there too. Pulled the bowl on the carb and found a fair amount of varnish. Looks like I need to get one of these gallon cans of parts cleaner - they type that has a basket in it so you can lower parts into it.
Not sure if the carb on this tractor is a walboro or carter. I've got carter carb's that have the model number, i.e. 26, stamped on the carb inlet and walboro carbs that have the word "walboro" stamped on the carb near the top/side. This carb has neither. I'll get the numbers off the engine and drill into it another evening.
Mowed again with the 126 and am still getting use to the FAST 2nd gear. I've got another color gear drive tractor and 2nd gear is 3.2 mph. This 126 is 3.9 mph and that .7 mph is a very noticeable difference. The other color tractor feels just a bit to slow, the 3.9 mph on the 126 if great if the ground is smooth, but if it get's lumpy, the ride is right bumpy! I've noticed the wide frame 128's 2nd gear is 3.5 mph. That might be the right compromise mowing gear for the yard I'm mowing. I gotta figure out how to get a 128 in the basement without Momma chopping off my head...
Not trying to get the GREAT hydro vs gear drive debate going, but just sharing some observations. I only mow in 1st or 2nd gear on the 126. As I said above, 3.9 mph is FAST (to me) and 1st gear at 2.3 mph as compared to my other color gear drive tractor, who's 1st gear is 2.0 mph is fast too - for trimming. I find myself doing a lot of clutching on the 126 when slowing down for trimming vs the other color tractor. Don't know what harm I'm doing clutching an IHCC to control the ground speed. I can see that IH's own gear drive tractors could make the case for hydro at some level. The differences in gear speed is much more noticeable with the 126 vs my other color tractor. I can see where the hydro fills these wide gaps in ground speed on the 126 and helps make the case for the infinite speeds a hydro offers. I never really noticed this with my other color gear drive tractor. Probably all this dribble on my part is unnecessary and boring, but this IHCC has/is an interesting ride - especially as I get seat time on both hydro and gear drive tractors. It is also interesting to me the comparison to my other color tractors as they were competitors back in the day.
Donald T - I've been watching for a post on your zero turn. I had a situation a couple of weeks ago where my fleet of push mowers were down and I had to borrow one to finish my yard!