1977 sears mower..im in love!

[reddragon]

just bought another $100 mower...a 1977 sears made by AYP [of course]....18 hp onan...had a 48" deck originally ...but now has a Ford 42" tractor deck.....6sp with hi-low...starts /runs and mows great...true heavy metal:laughing:...im thinking of doing a FORD blue and white paint job....has original owners manual and receipts..."JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OUT...THEY DRAG ME BACK IN!":laughing:

 

[KennyV]

Quite a deal... and should be a fun adventure... with it done in Ford colors... It will have a lot of folks guessing what Ford model it was.... :smile:KennyV

 

[noma]

Hay Reddragon

That is a kool looking mower ,where do you find those mowers for $ 100.00 bucks? I guess some people find all the deals:laughing:

 

[reddragon]

that damn craigslist!:confused2:....i was trying to stop buying these...and stick to the repair business....but they keep popping up:confused3:...theres no parts for these ..so i have to be inventive about repairs and treat her nice:smile:

 

[Kingwood990]

That tractor was not built by AYP. It was built by Roper way before AYP was a company. Those 18/6 Sears tractors are great. They have really good rearends that are hard to kill. You can put a 3 pt hitch on the back of it too. Good score.

 

[reddragon]

thanks for the info!...i found a bunch of AYP part numbers for this and just assumed they built it....did they buy up ROPER's factories or tool and die stuff or something?...i love the history part of all this too:thumbsup:

 

[Kingwood990]

I beleive Roper ended up getting merged in with AYP. Roper built the Craftsman GT's until I want to say 2002 or so but don't quote me on that. What I would do with the rearend on this tractor is I would change the fluid before you do to much with it. The rearend holds five quarts of SAE non detergent 30 weight oil. Make sure you use non detergent because there is no filter in the rear end. There is a drain plug on the bottom of the axle. The fill plug is on the side of the axle next to the left rear tire. I would remove the tire to help add the new oil. When you drain the old oil, add some mineral spirits to the axle to help break up all the old crud inside. It will take a couple of hours to add the new oil.

 

[reddragon]

will do....thanks alot for the help and info!:smile:

 

[Kingwood990]

will do....thanks alot for the help and info!:smile:

Any time. Just make sure you drain the mineral spirits out before adding the oil.:thumbsup:

 

[fastback]

I also have a 1977 Sears, but mine has the 16 hp Onan. It looks just like your SS/18. My tractor was given to me. It came with a 48-inch deck, 42-inch single stage snowblower, 3 point hitch and a snow plow, but I don't think it is a sears. I got it maybe 13 years ago it was running at the time. I believe that is a problem with the fuel pump. I have been planning for a complete rebuild. Right now it is covered with a Tarp. I never really liked the original gold and off white paint but I have not picked a color yet. It is a very well built tractor. The last time I checked Sears still sold some parts ie. belts, blades and seals. I was able to buy a universal replacement seat at Lowes and yes it was built by Roper.

Paul