SO 76 Help!

[sbutcher]

Hey guys, i have been reading through your posts here, thanks for sharing all this valuable information with everyone! This is the only place i can find any info on my spirit of 76!

I have a few questions for you guys if anyone could lend a hand i would greatly appreciated! I have a so76 that i got from my grandfather when he passed. I used to ride it around his yard as a little boy. It has been sitting in my fathers backyard now for about 10 years.

I recently pulled it out and got it running after a carb cleaning, coil, battery, starter and solenoid. I got it started last night, and when i put it in gear it only goes backwards! Even in the forward gears! It worked fine when parked. Any thoughts? Im not even sure what type of oil to change the fluid with...

Also the choke lever seems to be working in reverse, slow seems to be higher rpms and fast is slow....i cant seem to find any info or a breakdown of the connecting linkage on the side of the motor by the governor, im wondering if something is messed up there. I vaguely remember it being like this before, but while i am fixing the tractor i would like to correct it.

Has anybody run into these issues or can anybody give me any advice? Thanks in advance!!

 

[mbounds]

ScottB: Congratulations on resurrecting another of the Spirit Of 76 Bicentennial Lawn Tractors.

1) You need a copy of Section A of TC-157, Parts Manual.

2) You need a copy of IH GSS-1436, Service Manual.

3) A copy of the Operators Manual. The one your Grandfather got with the tractor has a red/white/blue cover. It is the exact same manual as the standard IH Cadet Model 76, without that patriotic cover.

4) I strongly recommend you have the Briggs & Stratton Single Cylinder Engine Service Manual (good photo's of carb linkages...)

We are gonna have a better answer about that reverse business when we see a photo of the under side showing the belt arrangement.

Items 1,2 & 3 can be found at www.binderbooks.com. Most small engine distributors can get you the Briggs Engine manual. I also think I've seen it at Books-A-Million and/or Barnes & Noble.

Myron B with a SO76 that goes forward and backward

CCSupplyRoom

 

[sbutcher]

Hey Myron!

Thanks for the quick response! I have poked around in the other posts on this forum and came across the belt layout for the 76, i noticed my belt is on tensioner pulley twice, where as in the diagram it only shows it once, but this is the way it was, if i recall someone in the past couldn't find the correct size belt and this was their solution, and it did work like this before...

i attached a pic of the under side of her, maybe you can see something i cant! I drained the fluid in the rear end (looked like mud) maybe that helped bind it up! But now im not sure what to replace it with! Smelled like gear oil to me...

I plan on purchasing those books this coming week, i saw mention of them in other post.

Scott B with a SO76 that only goes backwards

 

[mbounds]

Scott...

1) The belt is too long. You should have and need to get a 954-3009 (1/2" x 67 1/2" L&G belt) from the intermediate drive pulley to the Transaxle pulley.

2) My guess is that that the "too long" belt, shown, came off and was incorrectly reinstalled. Flip the belt at the Transaxle so that the belt coming off the right side of the intermediate pulley is the part of the belt that feeds onto the top of the transaxle pulley. Hope this makes sense.

Please hit the enter key after each photo, then the rest of us won't have to get a new mile-wide monitor to read the forum page......

Myron B

 

[sbutcher]

Myron,

I will dig up a belt, local dealer should be able to get it for me, for the mean time i will try to flip it, what oil does the rear end use? I was thinking 80 wt gear oil?

Thanks,

Scott B

 

[mbounds]

Scott...Sorry 'bout that..I should have told you that the SO76 Operator's Manual Says: HY-TRAN !! for the transaxle. See, that is an example of why you need all those manuals..Most everything you normally need to know is in them... and the lube chart is only found in the Operator's manual...The manual doesn't say how much Hy-Tran...just fill (to the bottom of that plug hole).

Myron B

 

[sbutcher]

Thanks myron!

Will get her filled up tomorrow and see what she can do!

Scott

 

[mbounds]

Scott B...

I can send you a Hi-Res version of this extract from the B&S Engine Operating Instructions if you want.

Myron B

 

[sbutcher]

Myron,

I got out to the garage tonight, changed the transaxle fluid, rerouted the drive belt, and now i have a so76 that goes backwards AND forwards!! Until the belt falls off that is!

I will be purchasing a new one on monday (the correct one)! Also i dug into the carb linkage and found the spring between the governor and the linkage had popped off! A quick re-connect and now i have a throttle linkage that works correctly!

Thanks for your help and ill put some pictures up when i finish the fiber glass on the hood. Now on to the rotted out mowing deck......shes going to need need a bfh and some new steel!

 

[mbounds]

Great...Looking forward to the pics....

The paint for the hood, wheels, deck, etc., is IH 935 White and the red is IH 2150 Red.

Decal kits with the Blue stars,etc, are available from several sources incl Tony Giletto at [email protected].

I had to have my seat recovered and the antique auto re-upholsterer I selected used auto vinyl top material in "GM White" color... Its a perfect match including the texture!.

Take good care of that white steering wheel and white steering wheel cap....They are NLA and basically impossible (especially the cap) to find....

Myron B

 

[sbutcher]

Got the new drive belt today and got it on! Works great, no slipping. Now of course i realize that the brake pads are completely gone!

Anybody happen to know the part #? I am going to order the parts and service manual this week, but was hoping to get the pads ordered up soon!

Thanks, Scott

 

[mbounds]

Scott:

The brake plate assembly kit (2 new plates and pads) is 759-3393 was still available a few months ago b-u-t the price is likely to be about $87-90.00...Ouch

I suggest you probably could go to a clutch & brake shop, get some small pieces of flat brake or clutch material and with some Liquid Nails glue yourself some new pads on those brake plates...

But first!!, double check to see if you need new pads or just adjust the linkage and assembly that compresses the brake plates/pads to the brake disc....That's what I had to do....worked for me...

Myron B

 

[sbutcher]

OUCH! thats a bit overpriced! The making my own pads idea sounds the best! I have some old motorcycle pads laying around that will probally work fine!

There is no more adjustment, i removed the wheel and fender to get to it, turns out the threaded rod that connects the pedal to the caliper is bottomed out on adjustments and the pads are almost gone......

Thanks once again myron! I would not have thought of that idea!

 

[sbutcher]

So, i got out to the garage and dis-assembled the brake caliper setup on the so76 today. While i was dis-assembling it i realized there was more than 1/2 of the pads left, but the oem setup wouldn't let them be used!

So i decided instead of gluing pads on the old plates or buying INSANELY expensive replacement pads that i would use the rest of my existing pads.

The factory setup would not allow the pads to come in contact with the rotor b/c of the two sleeves that space the pads apart were two long, and my pedal adjustment was all gone.

So, i trimmed the 2 sleeves by 1/4 inch, now i have pads making contact with the rotor, and 1/2 of my pedal adjustment back!

If and when i ever have to put new pads on it, i will shim them out a bit w/ flat washers, but these pads have 33 years on them, so if i get 33 more out of the 1/2 a pad that's left, who cares right! (then it will be worth the $90 price tag!)

Anyhow, works like a dream! I wrote this up in case someone ever has the same problem with one of these machines, may be it can help!

 

[mbounds]

Scott B...I haven't had that problem that I know of, but I printed that and filed it in my SO76 binder for future reference..Thanks for sharing that with us.

Myron B

 

[tmzahn]

I have owned a 76 for a couple of years and have noticed that the rear end is real noisy. A kind of grinding noise. I checked the fluid level and it was full. Does anyone know what the problem is?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Tristan, perhaps the brake pads are gone and the disc is rubbing on the brake pad brackets? The brake assembly is behind the left fender, between the fender and the frame.

 

[tmzahn]

Thank you Kraig for your responce!!

I will check the brakes. If indeed the brake pads are worn, do you know where I could find some replacements?

 

[sbutcher]

Triston, p#'s as well as prices are listed earlier in this thread, they are a bit pricey, i recommend taking myron's advice and making your own if you are so inclined!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Tristan, I'm not saying it's the brakes, I only threw that out there as a possibility. It could be a bad bearing somewhere, it could be a bent pulley rubbing on something or any number of other things.

THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL.