149 question
 

Got a 149 to restore for a customer. Had some question well a few.

The frame cover (between your legs) seems not to be stock. Its a fabricated replacement. Which is fine but it seems to be lacking a lever? In the operators manual page 7 (item 12) is listed as a release lever? Well the cover lacks one as well as a hole. Removing the cover doesn't reveal anything out of place.

The OM Says to pull up on it to move the tractor when not running and not leave it up when running the engine page 15 of OM.

So is it missing or just doesn't have one?

S/N 2050047U421793

That kind of looks like the factory cover but appears to have been modified for some reason, the lever is probably just missing.

I'd pull the tunnel cover and see if it has the automatic relief valves. If it has those, you don't need the lever. I bet someone replaced them with the automatic ones. The 149 came with the manual relief valves, you had to use the lever in the tunnel cover the push the pins down, so you could move the tractor with the engine not running.

The factory cover looks like this.....

As you can see in this pic, the rear of the cover slides in under the seat pan.
You will also need the cover for the shifter hole (on gear tractors).

Its not a factory pan it has crappy welds on under side or seams its homemade for sure. I can clean it up and reuse it no problem.

Cover and rear fenders are pulled. Pictures attached its missing the "hydrostat" spring. For give me for not knowing name been reading as much as I can and its all cobbled together.

Not sure on the auto relief valves. I can push it easy when off.

Also looks like I am missing the yellow square cover right under the seat.


They hydro fluid looked clean. It will get replaced as well as filter.

Plans are rolling resto. Repaint frame, rear, motor as one. Then powder coat the fenders and sheet metal. Then detail kit etc.

It can fine and moved around on its own. The steering needs attention I'll check the box.

Might pull the head to decarb it.

Also it has a 42'' deck but its missing several items. And I will have to fix blade fences underneath it. Missing the belt covers (will need a set as he has a boy he wants to use it and don't want him loosing any fingers or toes. Also lacks the wheels on the back of the deck and the guide rails on either side.

Hard to tell because of the crap on your relief valves but I think I can see a button. If there are buttons, they are manual valves. The crud may be holding the buttons down and that is why you can move it. If the buttons are up and you can move it you have bigger problems. Auto relief valves have no buttons.

The "hydrostat" spring you are referring to are called trunion springs. There are two that go in that square hole in the "trunion", which by the way is trashed. It can be fixed.

You got a lotta work ahead of you!

If your doing a restore for a customer id buy the correct cover, why have a restored tractor and put that terrible looking cover back on? You should be able to get on fairly cheap.

Just depends on the price. I can make this on look good for 1hr worth of time vs buying a decent used one. So I will weight the cost of perfecting this one vs buying a decent used one. So if a used one is $20-30 then go that route if not I can fix this one for that labor wise. Also owner not to worried about it as I already informed him about it. Its not a show tractor. So price determent's what gets done etc. He has a budget to work within.