Now I really know I'm among friends here!

I pulled the front tins off and no critters to be seen. I'm a little worried about the side tins that bolt to the head. The first bolt I tried is seized I think. I may just pressure wash around them and spray some penetrating fluid in case they have to come off later.

I ordered a fuel pump and a carb kit. Once it's running smooth I'll put the seat on it and try to get it to move under it's own power. The hydro fluid is so clean I don't plan to change it. I think both fluids were changed when the PO parked it.

The trans has very little resistance so I have been rolling it around by hand. Is that going to damage the hydrostat? Do I need dollies to move it around?

I found the wiring schematic difficult to understand at first. Some of the switches aren't labelled and the details are vague. I'll modify the schematic and post it here.

Rob

Just don’t go very fast while pushing it. It will be fine.

Let the engine run until the head get to hot to touch and the bolts should come out.

The front isn't where the "critters" and dirt and oil hang out. It's in and around the flywheel, and plugged in the head fins.
PB the bolts now and let it sit. Then do your pressure washing to remove the excess penetrant.
You ain't going to hurt anything "rolling" the tractor around, it's the pulling it around the yard that's hard on them.
And or do what Tim said. But you should get those tins off and take a look around. But as the old saying go, "it's your tractor", do as you wish...

Looks like a very fixable machine. I love my 1811, it's everything you want except front remotes.

I'm considering a blade or blower for snow and I know the front hydro fittings would let me angle a blade. What other benefit would I get from adding front fittings? What would it cost to buy all the parts (used) from an 1812? I would want a complete set to be sure I got all the right parts.

Once I get her running smooth I'll warm it up and try to remove the tins again. I'm thinking of calling her Barney or Vinny since she was abandoned in a barn at a vineyard;)

Being able to change angle of the blade without getting of the tractor is great if your snow pushing pattern requires it. Sometimes you can just make a pattern that keeps things going in the direction you want without changing blade angle. So this depends on your particular situation.

You have to pull the engine, and spool valve and replace the mechanism and valve with a dual spool version. There are lines that go beside the engine to the front fittings. The frame likely has holes already, or if not prestamped knockouts for the fittings.

I see setups for between $150 to $250 for everything you need to convert the tractor. The good news is these are shipable. But then you need to modify a blade, or find one with a cylinder already on it. These may be harder to find than the tractor part, and I would estimate between $200 and $350 for the blade with power angle.

Others will have better insight but $.02

I converted my 1211 over to dual hydraulics last year. I bought a John Deere H2 spool valve off eBay for about $35 and then made my own lines and handles. If I can find then I will post up some pics later.

Today I pulled the steering cam pin and it appears it had never been adjusted cause it was worn flat on two sides. See pic. I pumped the worm drive full of grease and the wheel turns real smooth so hopefully the new pin I ordered will fix it right up. The steering was one of the complaints from the PO.

I greased the front wheels, spindles and axle. All seem fine with not too much wear. Looks like PO had 1" axles welded on the spindles.

I fired it up again and it runs real smooth but it dies without full choke. You guys told me to pull the carb so I got a rebuild kit that I'll install real soon. I tested forward, reverse, hydo-deck up/down and the PTO. Everything works!

I got most of the tins off and pressure washed the whole tractor. There's a mound of caked on dirt behind the hydro pump. Could it be leaking around the shaft? I'll check the next time I start it.

I don't know what a trunion is but you all were concerned whether it was worn. Looks fine in the pic. What do I lube it with?

Any reason I should replace the head bolts or lube them? They're pretty rusty, I wouldn't want them to break off if I ever have to pull the head.

Trunion looks fine. The spindles were 1" from the factory. Don't touch the head bolts unless you're planning to resurface the head's and install new gasket's, i will bet money the gasket's are blown and should be replaced anyway.