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Thrilled, getting Educated, but need a little help


cdirian

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Wow! I've been snooping around simpletractors for the past few days and it has helped me answer the heaps of questions that I have about the Simplicity that we have inherited. Wifey-Poo's grandpa has be-gifted us a 990314 Landlord with 285 deck, starter generator, rear lift group (see, I have been checking out the site) and 42" plow. I believe that the serial number is 1007433. I have been unable to find the following information. The PDF on Simplicity's website of tech pubs for this model - the link doesn't seem to work. The actual engine number is..........? The front plate shows Model 23D Type 012901 and Serial 65590 - this doesn't seem to equate to anything on the Briggs website and I don't seem to be able to find a six digit code "lightly" stamped into the engine shroud, though it does look like a second, smaller id plate may be missing from area to the right (starter side) of the plate above the front PTO from which I gained the above numbers. Now before any jealous person rushes to reluctantly offer information to the lucky stiff who inherited a gratis 64 or 65 Landlord, please read on... The tractor was rolled rather unceremoniously off the back of the pickup and put into a spot where I watched grass grow around the wheels and rubber tarp that I tossed over it. Wifey occassionally bugged me to "get it running", but I was certain that my time would be better spent sharpening my sickle to mow the meadow - it was and is in sad shape. I only started on this project when father-in-law expressed disappointment that it wasn't being used. It had been his and he had given it to his father when he bought a new Simplicity in the early 1980's. He obviously thought that it had plenty of life, value, and mileage left. Problem is that grandpa isn't know for regular maintenance, or irregular maintenance, or ANY maintenance. A brief description of the sorry beast follows: Front right tire replaced with a wheel-barrow tire, front left tire severely gouged, every belt cracked nearly through, latex house paint used to repaint the wheels (light grey, flat), bird and mice families have shared the area around the steering gears at various times, the battery was connected to the cables by old jumper cable clamps (not attached to the wires, just holding them onto the battery posts), dented, rusted (except for the light grey flat latex house paint on the wheels), and looking pretty much like it didn't deserve a moments attention or a dollars investment. But wives and fathers-in-law being what they are I started my first token efforts to get it running. I found this website, began researching and actually began to get enthused that I might just have a diamond in the rough. I became impressed that the Landlord seems to be a scaled down version of a farm tractor! I removed the deck and rolled up my sleeves. New battery with proper terminals attached to the cables, replaced the starter generator belt, cleaned out foreign (as in extraterrestrial) substances from fuel tank, installed a fuel filter, and gave the carb a good blast of carb cleaner. Unwelded the points, installed a new plug and before you can repeat the dictionary, it was actually running. It took alot of choke, but eventually it cleaned out a little, though I suspected that there was more of that space goo in the bowl of the carb. The $10 foam air cleaner was installed and.... Two trips around the field and sure enough it was operable. I took a good look at the mower deck and guessed that I needed new blades and a few odd fasteners that grandpa didn't find important to replace. The blades, I found out, were up to a full 1.5 inches shorter than their intended length (which explains why there were always strange, though uniform skips in grandpa's small estate. Blades were ordered and I decided that full change of fluids was in order while I waited. The engine oil was thinner than water and smelled of gas, rotten gas. Grandpa, what were you thinking? But the engine had passed the finger over the spark plug hole compression test and obviously ran. I drained the bevel gear housing and expected to see 16 oz of gear oil fill the pan. Only 4 oz came out and I shook my head a little. I opened the top fill for the trans and removed the drain plug. No, that's right, no oil came forth. I panicked and opened the rear inspection hole and still no oil!\ Grandpa what were you thinking? I sprayed a little carb cleaner into the upper fill hole on the trans and braced myself for what would come trickling out of the drain hole. Nothing. In fact, the carb cleaner didn't even go in. After a little finger and screw driver probing at all three of the holes, if finally dawned on my dark little brow. The trans had been filled with...................... Grease. As in very heavy high temp grease. Grandpa what were you thinking? I sat down on the ground and shook my head - any enthusiasm that I had felt for this project and it's initial successes was beyond deflated. I dug as much of the grease out of the holes as the little screw driver would allow and, with nothing to loose, I aimed a torch at the bottom of the trans case and let it sit there for three hours, studiously checking for problems. The upper case temp reached 390 degrees and only precious little of the grease leaked out. I removed the torch, installed the lower two plugs and filled with kerosene. After an hour, I drained it out. It was slightly discolored at best. Grandpa, what the @#$% were you thinking? Having confirmed that there was some space around the gears, I filled with about 20 oz of gear oil (which was waaaaaaaay over the inspection hole) and discovered why grandpa had greased it to begin with - the left side axle tube seal was leaking. This doesn't justify why he greased the bevel gear housing, though it too took 8 oz of earl. The next evening, waiting for the blades to arrive and feeling way over invested in this project already, I replaced the trans drive belt and the center pto belt. Then I greased the front spindles which were also obscenely loose, the center pto pulley and the rear axle tube. All of these points needed more than a full tube of grease. Apparently grandpa ran out of grease when he filled the trans and bevel gear box. At least the engine was running half decent. Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa... The blades showed up and I installed them onto the deck with new stainless hardware. A little manuevering got the deck back on the tractor with the belt installed. She fires and we're off to knock an inch off of the meadow. The carb starts acting up and it loses power - adding a little choke does provide the fuel, but limits the power. It also eventually breaks the choke cable. And that's where I'm at now. I need to dig around and clean or rebuild that carburetor. I've learned not to open such devices without a diagram and parts list very close at hand. A manual helps too. Which is why I tell you my sad story. I need the engine number so that I can get the PDF from the B&S website so that I can check out the carb diagrams so that I can get this thing running and put the wind back in my sails. I do, after all, happen to like this thing. And I needed to vent. Grandpa what were you thinking? So, how about it guys? How about a little help for the poor bastard with the problem child? Any love out there? TiA Dean
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Dean, I cant help ya w/ your problem...but your one helluva storyteller! And ya spell good too!...lol.. Rick
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Not too many parts inside to keep track of. Only trick to know is taking the emulsion tube out without damaging it or the threads. Need a small straight screwdriver with the sides ground off. Take the main needle valve out (on the bottom of the carb) first and then remove the tube down in the hole. Then you can take the carb apart. Get a Briggs antique engine repair manual and it will have the info you need on the carb plus a whole lot more. Great story. Brent
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The model of your engine is 23D.... it's a 9HP, making your tractor most likely a 1964 Landlord. The foot-draggin' Clubhouse Custodian...
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Great story.As they say every piece of stuff has a story.If we don't know the correct story we are glad to make one up for you.Bob
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Thanks guys. I piddled with the carb this evening and almost learned the hard way about the emulsion tube/jet. All apart, all clean and all back together. I won't say the it runs well, but it runs. Now to get the carb set up properly - cool blue flames are coming out of the muffler when at part throttle. I'm guessing that at some point (this winter) I'm gonna have to tear down the back half of the tractor and I'm sure that there will be loads of you-oughtas. So, nobody knows of a likely engine number that I can take advantage of what the good folks at Simplicty Tech and B&S offer in their PDF manuals? The carb pic is a big help and thanks for the link to PERR.com What is the handle on right side of the steering wheel? I'm guessing parking brake? Should this model have come with headlights? So many questions - so little time. Dean
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Welcome to the club Dean. It's a great place and you have a great tractor! It seems that the B&S site doesn't get enough requests for info on engines as old as your model 23D to post it. I have a model 19 and ran into the same thing. I did email them (I think from the same briggs site) and as I recall, got a reply with a phone number at briggs which I called. When I asked for info on a model 19 they sort-of laughed, asked for my address and the 'Illustrated Parts List' arrived in 2 days. The numbers you found are all the ones that you need. Good luck & have fun, John(ri) John(ri)
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Dean, Welcome to the club and the --thrilling-- continuing sagas of fixing, removing/replacing others neglected and jerry-rigged items of venerable 35 + year old tractors. About those mouse nests, I hope you have checked the cooling system for old mousey bedroom linens. My Landlord 2110 was so impacted, that NO air was coming out the head/cylinder fins! Guess that would explain the blown head gasket and severe warpage on the head. Keep use apprised of your adventures! Tom (PK)
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Grandpa is a dear fellow with a failing memory. I'm just about the only person outside of his kids and grandkids who gets a little name recognition. He only remembers our daughter's name because she is named after dearly departed grandma. Grandpa resides in a "managed care facility" which is really just a converted old hotel with a nursing staff. I look at it as more of a "minimum security facility" and my wife and I stop by to bust him out whenever we can. Warehousing old people really bugs me. Grandpa served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy and then stateside guarding German prisoners near Philadelphia to finish out WWII. I'm the only one whom he will talk regarding his service life - and that is rare and brief. It took reading Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation" to begin to understand what his younger days were like. Grandpa worked for a local trucking firm for many years - though I'm sure that it involved nothing mechanical considering his lack of solid maintenance on the tractor. Chances are he doesn't remember owning the tractor, much less working on it. I could never say anything disparaging to Grandpa, though, under my breath, he has been in my thoughts daily as of late. Thanks for all of your help. I'm going to have to build a library of resources if I'm gonna keep the Landlord running. Dean
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I have a 990314 Landlord as well, as near as I can tell mine is a '64 Landlord. There is a picture in my gallery, still haven't gotten around to shining it up. It is used every weekend. The engine numbers on mine were (203087 226324) Engine type 0129-01. I think you are just missing the hyphen. I have since replaced it and am not sure of the new engines number but it is also a 23D. I will check this weekend. I have had the same problem on the Simplicity PDF website. If you phone them up let us know if you get your manual. Enjoy your tractor. Putter
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I did some surfing after your question and found the Illustrated Parts List at http://www.briggsandstratton.com/ipl/pdfs/MS5611.pdf Have not been able to find the owners manual but sent a request to B & S Putter
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Dean you are a very humorous communicator. applause You painted a funny picture of Father inlaw and wife looking at that tarp and the gift and the sorry state Grandpa is in and the only thing that is of some brightness for the inlaws is that tractor being in running condition. I too have a inlaw Grandpa, who lives with us. I cannot keep anything laying around or he picks it up as his. I had a pull behind grass sweeper that was not used much and he took a hammer to it to get the handle off it. No matter how many times i tell he we own this place he thinks we are invading his home. He never did have a tractor, Grandpa did his gardening with a hoe. The neighbors say his crops were different varietys of weeds. But i know he did all he could with what he had. Implements never were of any use because he never had anything to hook em up to. He does talk of the horse he had during the gardening season only to sell it just before winter so he wouldnt have to feed it when he had no work for him. Back when grandpa was younger the mechanizms were built to last. When you bought a lawn mower it had oil in it. He didnt worrie about maintence either. Leroy
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10Q X 2 http://www.simplicitytechpubs.com/6767PRINT/PDF_files/TP_100_1319_01_LL_S.pdf I tried this link in a new window and low and behold the treasures of the earth were laid out before me. If this link does not work for you let me know I'll help you out. Putter
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