Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

[Stimw]

I have an old Craftsman Garden Tractor with a Briggs & Strappon 18 hp that I use to move trailers around my yard.
I found it on trash day about 10 years ago and repaired the stripped steering gear and junked the 44" deck that was badly rusted.
I had the 99 cent plastic drive gear on the starter go out yesterday.
To replace it you have to-
remove the engine from the tractor
Remove the mounting plate from the engine
Remove the front and left bank shroud
Should have removed the flywheel but I managed to get in with a wrench to remove bolts
Then reassemble.
This was a disgusting example of poor engineering! They must have designed this tractor/engine combination on an Etch-a-sketch !!!
It's a shame that engineers that design garbage don't have to repair it for the rest of their lives!

 

[TractorGuy]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

I hear ya!

My Craftsman 7500 ZTS is due for a valve adjustment but I will have to tear the whole frame apart to get the valve covers off. I'm just letting it go since it runs okay.

 

[stuckmotor]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

The guy who threw it out might have been onto something.

 

[mjw357]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

is that the 'inspector' in the last photo? :cat:

 

[B7510HSD]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

I have an old Craftsman Garden Tractor with a Briggs & Strappon 18 hp that I use to move trailers around my yard.
I found it on trash day about 10 years ago and repaired the stripped steering gear and junked the 44" deck that was badly rusted.
I had the 99 cent plastic drive gear on the starter go out yesterday.
To replace it you have to-
remove the engine from the tractor
Remove the mounting plate from the engine
Remove the front and left bank shroud
Should have removed the flywheel but I managed to get in with a wrench to remove bolts
Then reassemble.
This was a disgusting example of poor engineering! They must have designed this tractor/engine combination on an Etch-a-sketch !!!
It's a shame that engineers that design garbage don't have to repair it for the rest of their lives!

Ahhh come on now it couldn't be half as bad as working on that OLD Clark in the picture!!

 

[JRobyn]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

The starter bendix/drive is not available as a part on my Cub 1050 w/Kohler twin. Hafta buy the entire stinkin starter assembly! At least it's easy to R/R.

 

[Stimw]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

is that the 'inspector' in the last photo? :cat:

Yes, he wanted to know what was taking so long?
After all there is only a roll pin holding the gear on!!

 

[Stimw]

Re: Changing the Starter Drive Gear on a B & S /Craftsman Garden Tractor- 4 HOURS!

Ahhh come on now it couldn't be half as bad as working on that OLD Clark in the picture!!

Those Clark's are a marvel of engineering too!
The dealer can't tell you ANYTHING without a serial number!
That's why they mounted the battery over the place on the frame where they stamped the number.
The acid eats the metal and the number disappears!
Those Continental engines are tough and you can still get parts for them!
That truck runs on gasoline and has the large tires making it worth repairing.
It has one cylinder DEAD and smokes bad but I am afraid to go into it for fear of what else I will find.