The saga begins on the 1811 refurb. The reason it was parked in the barn 11 years ago was because the oil light came on. Due to the cub's age and the 2400 hours on the clock, they decided to buy another mower. My friend Ken decided to give it to me.
I picked it up yesterday. The 50" deck was half buried but after digging it out I found that the blades still spin smoothly. (hooray zerk fittings) We pumped up the tires and thankfully they hold air. The rear wheels were locked and I thought it was due to the hydrostat so I looked for the valves to loosen. I couldn't get a big wrench on them so I loosened the lines instead. No fluid came out. I learned later that the brakes were actually locked, they just needed a good whack and they work now. We used a WWII bomb loader truck to winch the cub up the new $50 Harbour Freight ramps into my pickup.
Once I got home I jacked up the rear while still in the truck and found the seized brakes. Once they were unstuck I rolled her down the ramps and started pulling all the sheet metal off. It's filthy from top to bottom but both oils look clear and to the full mark. The air cleaner is still in great condition. The gas gauge cap still works and I found it was still half full. I popped the fuel line off the filter and no fuel came out after checking the valve. I blasted some compressed air up the line and fuel started to flow. What to do with 2 gallons of old gas? I decided to remove the tank so I could shake it around with gas in it to loosen the crud which worked well.
I got out a body hammer and straightened out the headlight screen which was all bent up. I hooked a battery charger to the battery cables and turned on the headlights which now shine straight ahead. I also tried the starter but got no click from the solenoid. If I jump the batt. to the starter terminal the starter jumps so I have some troubleshooting to do. I noticed the steering is very loose and it gets stuck on either side of the loose travel. I turned the cam follower adjustment pin all the way in but it didn't help so I may have to rebuild the steering shaft. The pin was actually loose so I will inspect/replace the pin first.
Now comes the questions:
Should I just replace the oil sensor and try to start the engine?
What is the relay under the left side cover?
Two safety switches are bypassed, one for reverse and another near the deck lift shaft (see image middle-left below). Is there another switch preventing the starter from engaging?
Where can I get the white and yellow paint to touch up the old girl? Small rattle cans would be fine.
I plan to pressure wash the whole thing. Other than capping the muffler and carb, is there anything else the worry about?
The steering shaft may need a rebuild. Can I pull the shaft without pulling the motor?
The headlamps probably draw a lot of current (they seem to get hot). Are LED headlamps available?
Is there a good rust preventative I can spray on the deck and other places? I've seen adds for an oily spray that I may try.
Should I get out the black tape for the ripped seat or is there a better way? I don't plan to spend $100 for a new seat. It's ugly, butt it works
Should I have begun this novella somewhere else?