124 restoration project pictures
 

Last winter I rescued a 124 from a friend that was headed to the scrap yard. It was complete with a perfect 48" deck. He said it didn't have much power. I tore the engine down and found a very bad exhaust valve and rings with an end gap over 1/4".

I decided to do a restore. I'm blasting and painting every part of the engine and tractor. It's not completed yet, but I though I'd start posting pics of the progress.

Here's a couple of pics showing the original condition. I had already removed the engine and other parts before I decided to take pics of the tractor.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3941.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3942.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3943.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3944.jpg

Ed that's in very good shape! The original paint looks great! Maybe some wax and mothers cutter and make it look new again before repainting it? The fenders have some rust on them but the rest of the paint looks great! Maybe try a spot just to see?:bigthink:

Got the frame about stripped down.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3948.jpg

Starting to re-assemble

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3966-1.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3968-1.jpg

I sprayed the battery box with a spray in bed liner.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3967-1.jpg

It's too late. :bouncy:

I got the fenders on and new rubber.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3970.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3971.jpg

I used the spray in liner to do the foot rests also. Then I sprayed a semi-glosss black over them.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3972.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3973.jpg

Nice work
 

Looks like it is coming along , I really like your idea about using bed liner in battery box area and foot rests.

I see!:bash2:

Looks great tho!

Thank you Guys! :beerchug:

I should have more pics this afternoon.

Great pics, you are doing a fantastic job! Love the V61's and the rear ags! :beerchug:

Looking real nice. What brand are those ags? You must really like chainsaws haha

Works great I do it on everything. The only problem I see is the whole box needs to be covered or acid can still find its way to the paint and work its way under the liner. The texture won't be right but you can still paint over it so it will be yellow. Might take a few coats.


I have a truck that I coated the inner fenders and battery tray with the stuff. Even after a leaking battery sit in it till it drained dry all I had to do was pour some baking soda mixed in water over it (neuralize the acid) and hose it off. Everything still looks like the day I put it together and that was 3 years ago.

Looking good...

From a 'been there, done that' perspective, I would pull the steering column and leave it out until you get the dash on and assembled and the grommet in there. It will be next to impossible to install the grommet with the column already in place.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. :beerchug:
Yes, I like chainsaws a bunch. Building and porting them.
Here are a couple more pics of today's work.

Here is the seat bracket/tool box. I blasted it and coated it with the bed liner spray. Then I used semi gloss black paint over it to match the foot rests. I made a stainless seat hinge pin also. I used brass bolts to secure the bracket. All the rest of the bolts on the tractor that are not painted are stainless.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3975.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3976.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3977.jpg

Thanks, the ags are Duro's.

Be sure you are using the proper grade bolts when you a reassembling your 124.Stainless is not as good where strength is needed in a fastener.
Nice job on the paint.

Thanks, I'm using grade 8 where it needs strength and stainless for the light areas.

Grade 5 is what you need basically everywhere...engine head bolts are grade 8, and there are only a few non-structural or lightly-loaded things fastened with grade 2 bolts, like the voltage regulator.

You do good work, and you do it hard and fast. Somehow, I never have seen this thread. I really like your applications of bedliner. Especially on the seat plates. Got a Question: Why did you use brass bolts there?

Nice job! :beerchug:

figured out why I never saw this thread before! You definitely got my attention, though.

Awesome work! Keep the pics coming!:beerchug:

ED! hopefully, I can catch this one before it happens: DO NOT SANDBLAST THE ENGINE!! Tins, bolt on parts ok, but do not expose the internal casting to sand! Guess how I know... I heard the news after I did it, but the damage was done. There is no way to get the glass/ sand/ media out of the cast, and it finds its way around with oil flow.

Excellent point. On the same token, please tell us you didn't sandblast the rearend...same problems will occur...

I cleaned the block in an ultra sonic cleaner. The tranny I used cup brushes on the grinder. I used brass bolts on the seat bracket because I had them laying around for years now and figured they would be sufficient for the seat.

Brass bolts are not very strong...I would replace those with grade 5 bolts, which is what was originally used on there. You certainly don't want those to break while you are on it and cause you to get hurt.

Looks GREAT, :beerchug:

Nik,

me too!
 

I also am very motivated looking at your progress and quality of work. Looks very nice.:Salute:

I haven't had much time to work on it lately. I did manage to get the hitch blasted and painted.

I made the lift rod out of stainless. I still need to drill the pin hole.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3982.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3983.jpg

The original front wheels had the valve stem on the outside. I welded that hole shut and installed them on the inside for a cleaner look.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3984.jpg

Very nice! :beerchug:

Looks great keep those pics coming cant wait to see an entire tractor pic when finished!!

Where was that valve stem hole?:biggrin2: Yeah you do great work!

That thing looks great!!!!!!!! I love the Vredstrein v61 , I can wait to get some for my 1782 Diesel.:biggrin2:

Thanks Guys! I won't have any time to work on it today. Hopefully this weekend though. :beerchug:

I got it mostly back together. I'm having some starting issues. I did not run it much before I stripped it down, but I noticed the amp gauge would be way over on the + side, then the next minute on the - side.

Now when I turn the key on, the amp gauge does not move.

Once I start it, the amp gauge is showing -.

With a known good battery, it turns over very slow, once it hits the compression, it stops.

Even with a booster charge on a good battery, it struggles to turn over.

Once running, the engine sounds fantastic.

Any ideas what this could be? I believe all the wiring is correct. With everything painted seperately, could this be a bad ground situation? Or starter generator?

Ground wire.

Sounds like your points are in need of adjustment. My 149 recently rebuilt 14 hp is in the same boat. I set the points per the service manual, mine starts okay and sounds good, but when you go from idle to wot, she hesitates and bogs down. I am going to reset mine using MattG's method, I would post a link for you, but I am not smart enough to figure out how to out smart my smart phone....lol, I just need to pick up one of those cheap meters mentioned in his how to, find any post made by him, there is a link in his signature that will send you to his personal site.

Good luck, plus, your tractor is coming out real nice and have been enjoying your thread!

I went through all the grounds, they checked out good.

I borrowed the starter/generator off my Dads 108. That fixed it! :beerchug:
I've never been inside one of these, anything I should know or look for? One of the posts seems loose.

I'll get some pics up this evening.

Glad you got it figured out. Looking forward to your pics. :ThumbsUp:

Here are a couple pics of the bad exhaust valve compared to a new one.

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3988.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3989.jpg

wow, that valve's seen better days...