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Rebuild AC314 or buy new?


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It's cheaper than a new tractor,AND you won't be happy with a Sabre or Ariens,etc.Sounds like you need a 720AC or 4040 Sim. a REAL BIG trac.,or even a Sunstar/Ultima for the type of work you are doing with the machine!The only troublesome trans. on these units is the shuttle,you don't have THAT one do you? Just my 1 cents worth. dlc
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I've got a 314 AC with an cast-iron Kohler engine that burns a lot of oil, and now I can't get it started. It has plow/tiller/blade. To have the engine rebuilt is $800+. I wonder if the trans will go next. My question is, should I put money into this beast, or just get a new sabre/ariens/broadmoor as a replacement? I use it to mow the lawn, as well as several acres of field grass (we normally rent to horse owners, but horses are fickle about keeping everything eaten; sometimes I need to knock patches down before it gets out of hand.) I just don't know if I've got a good piece of equipment that is worth repairing vs newer models. My gut feel is that it is a heavy-duty product, but my better half is frustrated by the thought of spending more money on it. I have no idea of the hours on it. Any public/private comments welcome.
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My usual advice, with little extra consideration, would be rebuild. You'd have to spend at least 5 times the amount of money you're talking about to get an equivalent tractor today, not counting the attachments.... But, the 300 and 400 series AC's are "unique animals" that were built by Allis-Chalmers using only limited Simplicity parts. Bottom line is that some of the parts are no longer available anywhere except used, off a salvage machine. So, before making this "blanket recommendation" of rebuild what you have, I'd recommend that you look closely at what you have.... 1) What condition is the rest of the tractor in, including transmission, bevel gear box, and sheet metal? 2) What condition are the attachments in -- especially the mower deck that I think is unique (unless it interchanges with a Simplicity-manufactured Homelite, which I've heard that it might)? If the rest of the tractor and attachments are in reasonably-good shape, then my recommendation would definitely be to fix the engine. Since this is a "somewhat rare" AC, it will likely hold it's value quite well, if not actually appreciate, over the next XX years. If, however, these other parts are questionnable, you might be better off replacing the tractor (perhaps with another that your tiller will fit?) and selling the 314 for parts... My 2 cents, Kent
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One more bid of information. Depending on the condition of the engine, barring any crankshaft work, a new oversized piston, cylinder boring, new exhaust valve, carb. rebuild should cost $400 to $500. $800?? sounds like all of the above plus new camshaft, crank regrind and more. Good Luck! MS
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