1882 Project Super Size Me!
 

Finally found a "super" size Garden Tractor and couldn't pass it up. It's a 1882.

I put a hot battery in it and did get it to fire. But I think the carb needs a good cleaning. It say for 4 years according to the seller.

The deck spins good.

Allegedly he quit driving it because the power steering started getting stiff. After taking the shaft cover of last night, I see that I have a long road ahead of me to fix leaks and all. It didn't look like the filter had been changed in years. Couldn't even see it! Lol.

I also noticed that it has the wrong size tires on the front. It has 16's and should be 18 inch tires. Also on my list to get some new tires to go in it.

I found a 26x12-12 industrial tire on sale at wally world and ordered another to match for the rear. I tried to mount it at home last night. No luck at all. 8 ply is very stiff.

1882 Project Super Size Me!
 

Great find! Always good to rescue those mistreated Cubs and give them a new life. You have your work cut out for you, however it sounds like you have the right kind of energy and enthusiasm to really make that 1882 into something very special.
Please keep us apprised of your restoration as you progress along the way to achieving the final result!:biggrin2:

Good grief!!
What a fricking mess!
Time to break out the power washer, huh??!!
Even at that, nice score!!

Pretty neat you have one that can talk.... :biggrin2:

Yes, I do have my work cut off for me on this one. But, it is in better shape than my 149 was in when I saved it. I'm being positive about it.

I will be power washing it once I get some decent tires so I can roll it around some. Are there any areas that should be avoided? It has the on- motor fuel pump bypassed, but no caps on it. I will put some vacuum caps over those ends to keep water away.

:biggrin2::biggrin2:

Congrats on finding a super here in the south! What part of Bama are you from? Good luck and keep feeding us pics too.

FWIW:
8 ply tires is not what you want on a garden tractor/mower
That is way too stiff, besides riding like they are made from solid concrete, they will not flex to confirm to the dirt/turf to allow good traction.
Return them and get garden/lawn tractor tires.:beerchug:
Don't complain too much about the oil coated underside, it prevents rust! :biggrin2:

While power washing ( which I don't like,) because it injects high pressure water in places it shouldn't be like seals.shafts, bearings and things that turn and should have lube, not water/rust in them.
So use common sense where you direct the nozzle.
It sounds like your mechanical fuel pump wore out and someone decided to abandon it for for something else.
Mechanical pumps are good, and myself, I prefer them to electrical ones in that application.
But not everyone enjoys the same music so to speak. :bigthink:

Looks like a fun project. Keep us posted on the progress.

I'm in Elkmont. Just a few minutes from the TN state line.
I was thinking that about the rust!

The stiffness hit me when I tried to mount it! But I'm gonna go ahead and commit to it. If I decide I don't like the tires i'll sell them.
After I get it running I may switch back over to mechanical. I don't like the extra wiring and the way the electric pump is rigged up.
Will do!

1882 Project Super Size Me!
 

I too would advise against using 8 ply tires on a garden tractor. There are NO SPRINGS on these tractors to cushion your butt. Unless you have an air ride seat you are making a BIG mistake!

No ground surface is so smooth that you won't feel like you are being jarred with those tires. To let you know how serious this can be, I will tell you about a time when I was rolling my lawn, going this way and that to smooth it out. After a little while, I had to stop to go to the bathroom and when I did, I was peeing blood! I had to see a urologist to be treated for a damaged urethra, which was no fun, especially when the doctor shoved that cystoscope you know where to check things out.

I put no more than 10 psi in my rear tires and I now have an "air ride" seat. It consists of an old front tire tube from my tractor with a little bit of air in it to support me with my groin in the center of the tube (where the hole is) to keep the "vitals" off the seat. The tube is held on the seat under a nice Cub Cadet seat cover. I simply can't be in that seat without having the tube on it now. Since then there have been no problems!

Listen to those members on the OCC site who have more knowledge and experience than you have at this time, or you will probably be sorry before long! Experience is a great teacher that takes a considerable amount of time (and pain) to develop, as you may soon find out!! :biggrin2:

Ouch! Seems pretty serious. I ordered another tube to go in my leaking down tire turf for the time being until I regroup on this. The other is still holding air at pressure.

I have 8 ply Firestone 23* tires on one of my 982's that I use for plowing and I don't notice any difference in the ride. I got a super deal on them on Ebay but I did have to take them to a tire store to get mounted because I couldn't do it.

1882 Project
 

Oak, I'm guessing that you don't notice a difference because when plowing, you are on a smooth surface. Most lawns have bumps and uneven surfaces.

My driveway is perfectly smooth so no problem plowing with loaded R4 tires. Going over the rough area of my lawn in back or through a field, well the those loaded tires are less forgiving. Have to go a bit slower to avoid jarring. Hard tires = a hard ride, unless of course happen to have your own seat cushion built in! :biggrin2:

Gary, down south we don't plow our driveways we only plow our gardens.:biggrin2: That is what I was referring to.

1882 Project
 

That's right Oak! I remember now that you are north of Atlanta Georgia, so you wouldn't see much snow.

On another note...sure wish I was able to get those parts for the power steering that you so generously offered. Oh well...you tried, but the postal service dropped the ball on that.

I lost faith in the US postal service ever since I gave my mail carrier a $20 gift card for a local coffee shop. Turns out that she had someone sub for her the day I left it in the mail box. When I asked if she got the gift, she replied, no. She checked with the sub who remembered picking up the Christmas card with the gift card in it and she said, I don't know what happened to it, it's gone! I think she stole it...:angry:

From that point on I personally hand my mail carrier whatever gift I give them.

Have a great time plowing your garden this year Oak! :biggrin2:

Now I'm torn between the two. I'm going with a tube in my old dry rotted tire for now but, I really wish I had another set of wheels so I could try out both options!

I ordered V61's from Miller Tire for the front in the proper size 18x8.5.
Ordered hub adapters from Xtreme motor works.
Ordered new front 8x7 wheels from Northern Tool.

All of that should be arriving within the week.