How to clean up an old tractor engine?

[fordguy1910]

I have an old 1977 Sears 10/6 garden tractor that isn't currently running but with a few tune ups hopefully it will.

It has seen a lot of hours. I am going to replace the cylinder head gasket, another side gasket, the air filter, and (hopefully) clean the muffler.

I also purchased a fuel stabilizer for it, hoping it can help clean the engine. My question is, what methods would be safe to clean the engine (ie degreaser etc.) Its an old engine so I hope it can take these cleaning fluids I put in it.

Im afraid the engine will just blow up (although I have no facts to support this other than the fact that it is 32 years old). I just want to make sure that putting cleaning fluids into it will not hurt it. Can an engine really blow up or is this a wives tail??

What is the best way to clean out a muffler? I took it off, and it sounds like there is a bunch of rust flakes inside of it. (Mind you this is a different muffler than what came with the tractor if you care to look it up). Its more of a muffler that you would see on a bigger tractor. My grandfather put it on but I don't know why.

FInally, this muffler obviously didnt come with the tractor, so it doesnt connect directly to the muffler pipe (if this makes any sense). All I know is that he connected the muffler to the engine with some kind of black, rubber, tubing. Does anyone have an idea of what this is called or where I can get it?

Thank you so much for your help. Im 17 and still very much a newbie to this sort of thing, but I like to work on it if I can.

(And for the record, my grandpa is dead. Thats why im not asking him, lol.)

 

[ToadHill]

You may be better off with that old engine, I have a couple of 1960 vintage garden tractors and the engines still run strong. I pressure washed the engines just making sure not to get water in the carb or the oil fill and dipstick. If the engine doesn't leak oil to the outside then it shouldn't leak anything into it through the gaskets. Good luck and have fun with your project.

 

[jimbo64]

I have an old 1977 Sears 10/6 garden tractor that isn't currently running but with a few tune ups hopefully it will.

It has seen a lot of hours. I am going to replace the cylinder head gasket, another side gasket, the air filter, and (hopefully) clean the muffler.

I also purchased a fuel stabilizer for it, hoping it can help clean the engine. My question is, what methods would be safe to clean the engine (ie degreaser etc.) Its an old engine so I hope it can take these cleaning fluids I put in it.

Im afraid the engine will just blow up (although I have no facts to support this other than the fact that it is 32 years old). I just want to make sure that putting cleaning fluids into it will not hurt it. Can an engine really blow up or is this a wives tail??

What is the best way to clean out a muffler? I took it off, and it sounds like there is a bunch of rust flakes inside of it. (Mind you this is a different muffler than what came with the tractor if you care to look it up). Its more of a muffler that you would see on a bigger tractor. My grandfather put it on but I don't know why.

FInally, this muffler obviously didnt come with the tractor, so it doesnt connect directly to the muffler pipe (if this makes any sense). All I know is that he connected the muffler to the engine with some kind of black, rubber, tubing. Does anyone have an idea of what this is called or where I can get it?

Thank you so much for your help. Im 17 and still very much a newbie to this sort of thing, but I like to work on it if I can.

(And for the record, my grandpa is dead. Thats why im not asking him, lol.)

degreaser on the outside will work fine-follow can instructions- i wouldn't change the head gasket unless it needed it-all filters need changed-fuel filter maybe more then once based on what crap you suck up through the fuel lines off the bottom of the tank. Change the oil, and give it a whirl- if it turns over, you may be home free-luck-let us know how you make out-----Ps -just me but i always put a little of a product called Seafoam-[walmart] in all our engines once a year- they smoke a little after this but run better.

 

[ajmbonaire]

I sprayed mine with wheel cleaner and rinsed it off. Looks like new again.