My 682 ready for the season

[Fordlords]

I don't think I have ever posted a picture of my completed Honda GX powered CC 682 here at TBN. If I have, just ignore it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Anyway, its ready to eat up the dandilions /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
-Fordlords-

 

[rswyan]

Fordlords,

It looks beautiful !

I've got a 782 in very rough cosmetic shape (but runs good) that I need to go thru myself.

 

[diesel_nut]

Looks a lot like my 1872. Color not withstanding /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Very nice looking tractor. How did you choose the color?

 

[Fordlords]

It is just the identical International Harvester Red the tractor was originally painted in, most of the '82' series early 1980's CC's (The last of the CC's to be built by International Harvester before CC name was taken over by MTD in '81) were red and white rather than the traditional yellow and white. Repaint was done in a modern base/clearcoat finish for durability and shine. My new 44" deck housing came to me painted in CC yellow, which had to be stripped off and it was then base/cleared in the proper IH white.

-Fordlords-

 

[KJO]

Pretty sharp tractor there Fordlords. I got my dad's 682 back together and used it to drag the yard the other day. It misses some...not sure if it is carburetion or ignition problem. It sat for many years with a thrown rod and this is the first time it has been out with the newly overhauled KT17. It is also the first time I have ever driven a 682. I really did like the feel of the tractor. You sit up high on a very comfortable seat, steering is totally effortless...almost like having power steering as our CC 3100 has. Very tight turning radius. The large tires absorb nearly all the rough spots in our yard. I like the pull choke as compared to the lever choke on my JD. No question about which is the choke or the throttle. The hydro works well and the placement of the lever is great...set it and forget it...good as the cruise control on the CC 3100. The Kohler twin sounds good except for the occasional missing and sputtering. Possibly the float is set too low. I hope I didn't get the valves a little too tight. I readjusted the ignition points, but in the Kohler manual it says .017/.023.??! Sooo...which is it...17 or 23?? I set the points for 20 thousands...could be the problem.
Next (once I get the miss out of the engine) I have to clean up the deck (50 inch) and get the hardware for hanging the deck put back on the tractor. Unfortunately the deck is not as good a condition as yours is. I don't think it was used alot, but the previous owner never cleaned it out and it is pretty rusty. Is that the original deck on your tractor?
I am sure my dad will like this tractor when he gets his hands on it...if ever /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

[Fordlords]

I set the points on the Kohler KT's to a lesser opening than spec- and make sure condenser is new. I do it by eye, and look for a minimal blue arc between the points when running. If you see sparks bouncing all around the points, you need to lessen the gap a bit, I know it's not fun to set. KT's will run butter-smooth when everything is right. Check coil and plug wires too if it keeps missing, spraying WD40 on to the coil and wires is a good way to give away problems there- if it removes the missing when sprayed on, the coil or wires are no good and need to be replaced.

The '82' series GT's are fun to run- it's like they had it so right 25+ years ago! Why we don't see the big camber on front wheels of GT's anymore is beyond me- it really does give the '82's a power steering like feel to them, and sharp manuverability, When one is on an old CC '82' or earlier or latter equal CC (or JD models of the same period), there is such a quality feel to the machine that is difficult to find in anything built today.

My 682 has a brand new 44" mower deck housing, (only one of a few still available from MTD) along with new deck mechanicals. The project was a once in a lifetime thing, and thus I'm embarassed to say I put nearly $1100 just into the deck alone, but it is thus a brand new deck. I have seen good deals on decent used decks for the '82's on E-bay though in the $150-200 price range, maybe just needing stripping and surface repainting. I had to strip the new deck housing I got in CC yellow (unknown) to repaint it the proper white- It really was a labor of love /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The deck hardware and remounting and leveling of the deck was by far the hardest part of my 682 resto job- but like I said, labor of love!

-Fordlords-

 

[KJO]

Well, I reset the ignition points for 22 thousands...didn't help. The points looked good...no pitting or anything, nice and clean. That should mean the condenser is doing its job. The plugs are black and when I turn the idle jet in and out...nothing happens. Doesn't make a bit of difference even at idle (doesn't idle down well at all). So, I am thinking I have carburetor problems here. Earlier, I disassembled the carburetor, cleaned the gunk out of the bowl, blew out the jets and put it back together, but obviously something is still not right in there.
You were luck to find that replacement deck for that tractor. A few years back my uncle called JD about getting a replacement deck for his 1974 vintage 112...they still had one for $600. It sounds like a lot of money, but if you check the cost of purchasing a replacement lawn tractor of equivalent quality...it puts it all in perspective. It doesn't take a high tech setup to mow grass and those old lawn tractors did a good job even 30 years ago. As long as there are parts, either new or used...what the heck.
I have an old JD 110 and a 112 and as you said, when you sit on them, you immediately can tell you are sitting on a solid piece of equipment which feels like a tractor should. No lightweight sheetmetal on either of those tractors. I also have an old Cub Cadet from the 70s...same thing here. It weighs a lot, is built like a tank. Nearly indestructible and still has a hydrostatic transmission. Those old tractors have stood the test of time. Even the cheapest tractors back then seem to have been made almost as good as the higher level ones these days.

 

[Fordlords]

Sounds like the KT is running way too rich. The JD 317 used nearly the same KT17, and many of the carb parts are still available through JD and Kohler. If you blew the jets with compressed air, they are destroyed and have to be replaced. The main jet needle can also be an issue on the Kohler carbs as if it gets twisted in too far, it kills both the needle and the jet. I'm thinking the miss you are getting is a condition where the cylinders are flooding up with excessive fuel. If you have time/money invested into rebuilding the engine, I would replace the entire carb with a brand new one as rebuilding carbs most often ends up with a carb tossed in the trash. The KT complete new carbs are still available. This ends up when one adds-it-up overall, the best way to go on the old machines is investing in a new powerplant to keep them alive rather than fighting with rebuilding on old engine only to have to troubleshoot everything else often producing poor or mediocre results or you get stuck in the, "What could it be," endless loop. When I looked at every option available to me on the 682 project, in knowing that the KT17 was not all that great of an engine to begin with, rebuilding it or replacing it with another KT just was not going to fly.

With all the repainting, the new Honda GX610 engine (it's an azz-kicker, believe me) and the new deck plus other items as new seals on the hydro etc-etc I have spent as much on the old 682 as a brand new 2544 would cost. But, I ended up with what could probably be the very best L/G tractor of its size on the planet right now /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I think there is more metal in just the 682's frame rails than the total amount of metal of a dozen 2544's!

-Fordlords-

 

[KJO]

How many HP is that new Honda motor? We have a newly opened Northern Tool Company here in Fargo and I see they have Honda OHV 20 HP twins for just over $1000. That is half the cost of a replacement Kohler KT17. The Honda has a V configuration rather than the KT's flat twin. I think the Honda also has hydraulic lifters which is a tremendous step up from the valve design on the KT. Of course...you can also buy a new V twin Kohler Command with the same features as the Honda...but not for $1000 you can't. I haven't spent a thousand dollars fixing the old KT yet, but what I have spent is countless hours overhauling the old motor.
On the carburetors....unless the throttle shaft is worn out...it should be rebuildable. There really isn't much to go wrong with it as I see it. As long as the float is ok, the needles and seats are replaceable. You can replace the throttle shaft, but I am not sure on that one whether there are throttle shaft bushings or not. I have the numbers on it...I can call and see what a replacement carburetor costs. After spending alot of money on the mechanicals, it seems like a waste to have to put up with a mediocre performing engine due to something like a worn out carburetor.
Since I have both the 682 and the new 3000 series Cub (much similiar to the 2500 series)..right along side each other. I can compare the two. The old tractor, in my opinion, is substantially heavier made with one exception. The mower deck on the new Cub is definitely got the edge on the old design. If I could get the old 682 and the new Cub deck married up....that would be a real machine. The new Cub deck is 4 inches wider (54 inches) compared to the old one, but the most obvious difference is the weight of the new deck. I don't know about the decks on the 2500 series, but the 3000 series have an extremely heavy, solid deck with an excellent roller and caster system on it. It is much heavier than the one on the 682 and the decks on either of my JD tractors also. It is so heavy that it is difficult for me to handle the deck after having removed it from the tractor. To move more than a few feet I have to hook a chain on it and pull it with the tractor. Removing it from the tractor is also easier...pull three pins, remove the PTO shaft and slide the deck out. I really don't miss fighting with that drive belt.
One thing I don't like about the 682...you may have come up with a solution for this one. The way my dad's tractor is set up and I think it is original, you have to pull the LH side panel off the tractor to turn on or shut off the fuel at the bottom of the gas tank. It isn't that hard to get the side panel off and on, but it seems like there should have been an easier way. When we first got this tractor, if you filled the gas tank all the way up, it would siphon off into the motor which is definitely not a good situation. I have thought about putting an inline shut off valve up near the top of the motor just before the fuel line enters the fuel pump, but as of yet I have not found such a valve.

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

I second your comments about the 54 inch deck weight. I've removed the deck on my 3235 twice since I bought it 2 years ago. The first time was to get access to the reverse no-mow switch to disable it. I just removed it again, after 2 years mowing 1 acre, to clean it underneath. It wasn't all that clogged up underneath compared to the 44R deck on my old 1450 which I had to remove every month or so for cleaning. I believe the specs say that the 54 inch deck weighs 280 pounds. I know it was about all I could handle to stand it up vertically for cleaning. My only complaint is trying to grease the wheel pivots on the two deck front wheels. The fittings are recessed and a standard grease gun tip is too large. I tried to install longer fittings but the holes are not tapped and use a pressed in fitting. I may remove the wheel shafts and tap the holes for standard fittings unless I can find some kind of adapter to fit my gun.

Bob B.