It's going to take some getting used to how the catalog and lookup tables are organized.
I haven't had a device with an optical drive in some time and should have put the whole thing on an sd card or external hard drive when I did.

 

I just played around with it a little bit and found a few things just by flipping through sections. It's definitely not as bad as I expected. It certainly isn't "dumbed" down like the factory wiring diagrams I have for my Ranger though.

 

Why not just get a tire gate? Or a tire carrier bumper like jeeps and 4runners have?

 

Put it on the roof of the cab???

 

I think that would look better than the tailgate or bumper carry versions. Maybe build a nice roof rack?

 

Swapped the t-case on Rusty today. So, oddly enough he has the t-case that he came with. But, it was rebuilt and I was told that was the t-case to use so put it in Dad's truck and the original one from there in Rusty. However, that's the one that is cracked and leaking, so I pulled it and put the rebuilt one in. No more red puddles on the shop floor or ugly stains in the driveway.

And, while I was getting the rebuilt t-case and tranny jack out of the attic I saw the aluminum wheels and tires for Dad's truck just sitting there. Since I really dislike the whine and rumble those 31 x 10.50 Cooper Discovery tires make I swapped them for the 30 x 9.50 Starfires. And, as I was hefting the two tires I noticed quite a bit of difference in weight, so checked. The 31 x 10.50's on the steel wheels weigh 68 lbs each, while the 30 x 9.50's on the aluminum wheels weigh just 54 lbs. Wow! The larger tires weigh 25% more.

Why all of this work on Rusty? Well, the machine shop said they may have the parts ready on Friday, so I'm getting ready for that trip of about 60 miles. Then, around Thanksgiving I'm headed over with a trailer to get that 50 Chevy pickup, and that'll be about 200 miles round trip. Between then and now, but after the weather cools a bit, I'll start taking Rusty up to see Dad just to work the bugs out. And, I'm curious how the MPG is now that I've dialed the carb in a bit.

 

Matthew, it is, that's who made Craftsman 143 source engines. Probably an HH100, Craftsman 143.629012.

 

Not sure why Craftsman always used Tecumseh engines. I've always liked B&S much better.

 

I've seen so many bent rods in tecumsehs...

I love these new kawasaki they are putting on the scags, but then again I worked at a scag dealership for awhile..and stihl..which is the best chainsaw/ weedeater ever.

 

Cost. They got a better deal. I effectively lived (many 100-hour weeks) at the Sears headquarters for over two years and got to know them quite well. And they did everything for cost. If they could save a penny they did it. So I'm confident every decision was made because of cost, including who made the engines.

 

I have a testimony for a B&S engine. A 20" Lawnchief push mower that my dad bought new in 1977. It's a 3.5 HP vertical pull start B&S. That engine, got two oil changes a year, it wasn't babied but it wasn't abused. It got run pretty hard sometimes. It went 30 years without ever having the carburetor taken apart. It went 30 years without any major servicing other than regular maintenance. The original sparkplug and points lasted 23 years (which was about 740 hours of run time) At 30 years, the original deck was fairly shot, the wheels would almost bend 90 degrees they were so worn out. Still started first pull every time and ran great. So, that deck was done. I pulled the engine apart. Everything looked like brand new. Crosshatching still in the aluminum cylinder bore, no scoring or scratches on anything at all. Bearing surfaces looked like new. This is no BS, this is a one owner engine. I had the rings off the piston, back on, original rings back in, original head gasket. 8% leakdown after all of that. I use it weekly on a new deck that is similar, but 10 years newer. That engine now has about 1200 hours on it. I use it weekly. Many, MANY years it sat over the winter with the SAME old gas in it and it was a 1 pull start after all winter. I have used many lawnmowers in my lifetime, particularly push mowers, and I have never had one engine beat that little 3.5 HP B&S's reliability. The only items that are not original to that engine are : bottom oil seal, crankcase cover gasket, ignition coil, points, and sparkplug. Everything internal is original. I'd like to see a Tecumseh or a HONDUH do that! I also forgot to mention, it at one point had 5 gallons of outboard motor gas run through it. The combustion chamber in the head was filled flush with carbon when I took it apart. Didn't run a dang bit different then as it does now with it all squeaky clean.

 

My snowblower is from 1975 and has a Briggs motor; and we just replaced the carb but it didn't need it. Runs like a top. Nothing replaced. My 1985 Honda 200X three wheeler still runs and that thing has been flipped and rolled and flooded with water beyond belief and it runs excellent. This bike is as stock as your going to find.

 

Everything I own has a B&S. 5 years ago I bought a $10 lawnmower, actually it's the deck that my 3.5 HP B&S sits on now, and I used that engine on another deck I needed a replacement engine for. That engine had 1/4" of rust and varnish in the bottom of the tank, cleaned that all out. Thing was abused it's whole life. Took me 5 minutes to get the dipstick out of the block, what oil was in there was watery and black as sin. And it didn't have much. 15 ounces of oil added later, first pull! I bet that guy thought he sold me a junk engine. I wound up putting a new set of rings in it, and new valves a couple years back. Rings were done 5 years ago, on Halloween night. The bore is loose. Last time I had the head off I could get a 0.008" feeler gauge past the piston. But, it runs real good and I have run the ball bag right off it. Piston slaps when it's cold, but never a problem from it. I now have a Pulsa Prime carb on there as the plastic Choke-A-Matic was a rich running PIG and it would turn the oil black after 5 uses. I always thought it had bad blow by causing that. been 8 uses with the new carb and it's still see through clear/clean. I have had vast experience differences from the big metal Choke-O-Matic and the small, plastic Choke-A-matic. The Choke-A-Matic was both made in metal and plastic form, and it's a POS. The big one night and day better. This engine is a 3HP, but the same block as the 3.5 HP. Just a different carb and the standard recoil. Now has a 4 HP carb on there. Uses less fuel and has more power over the original.

 

My Honda sat for 9-10 years gas in the tank and fired right up when we tinkered with it. Crap gas, nasty oil etc. Those things are mad reliable. She's a tank. Nothing like a Honda trike.

I have mixed feelings on Tecumseh engines.
My go cart has a Tecumseh Powersports 6.5hp motor on it and its ok; my push mower had a 3.5hp motor on it and it never runs right. It really depends.

I think they are all fine if you take care of them.

 

I've worked on a couple of Tecum****s, if you take really good care of them they're alright. I'll stick to my Briggs though. I've known how to start that thing, check the oil, add the gas since I was 4. I was strong enough to start it by myself on the first pull too.