My first Wheel Horse (Lawn Ranger) restoration

[Paul Adanick 32]

2 hours ago, Terry M said:

See if the chrome is still in half decent shape....if it is,try to see if it’s possible to remove the remaining  paint without damaging the chrome.   Then try polishing it with some very fine steel wool.    This worked well for me.

Having stuff re-chromed is very expensive!!! 

Unfortunately, the chrome is deeply pitted and in terrible shape.  I'll get a quote from a chrome shop, but I agree with you on the cost.  Wondering about a bright zinc finish like the linkage on my John Deere X series...

 

[Paul Adanick 32]

I would like to thank everyone that has responded so far...I've learned a lot about the "little things" (and big things) concerning the Lawn Ranger.  Please keep them coming!

 

I said I would try to document the restoration, but I don't wish to bore anyone with yet another photo of a pile of parts from a disassembled tractor!  I have her stripped down to the component level and I'm now prepping and painting some small brackets. I'm pretty happy with the color of the Rustoleum  IH Red paint (and the adhesion).  I've been chemically stripping the paint and wire wheeling it off, but I'm going to grit blast the frame and a few other components. 

 

Funny, this was supposed to have been a "winter" project, but I keep squeezing in a bracket here and there to work on.

[rjg854 11,385]

9 hours ago, Paul Adanick said:

I said I would try to document the restoration, but I don't wish to bore anyone with yet another photo of a pile of parts from a disassembled tractor!  

 

Please bore us 

[Paul Adanick 32]

Seems like my world is turning red...especially the filter in my air filtration system. 

It will be raining all week in KY.  I'll just let everything sit and cure out before I bolt some of this stuff up, replace grease fittings, etc.

 

Curious...has anyone weighed the transmission in a Lawn Ranger? 

[305 380]

That nice of a restoration deserves a new seat from Bob Ellison

[Paul Adanick 32]

Have one on the way!

[Paul Adanick 32]

A nice surprise from Bob Ellison in the mail today!

[Paul Adanick 32]

More great mail today...decal set and a replacement lift quadrant.

[Howie 886]

I've got to find one of those!

[Paul Adanick 32]

Well, she's starting to look more like a lawn tractor.  I do have many more brackets, etc. painted and ready to go than I have installed.  I seemed to have gotten slowed down by the normal issues in rebuilds: I stumbled on a broken Clutch Rod Pivot (missing piece), an odd drilling of the steering shaft by the previous owner that had to be welded up, turned down on the lathe and re-drilled and a terrible "fix" of the battery box.

 

I've ordered everything from a replacement Clutch Rod Pivot, new gas cap, shifter boot, steering linkage and seat cover. After trying to pull a 25 gal sprayer with my JD lawn tractor today, the little Lawn Ranger is getting a pair of Carlisle Super Lug tires on the rear. Many thanks to dclarke for the patient guidance.

 

I also have had to "revise"  my shop for this type of work: over the years, the shop slowly migrated towards woodworking.  It started out as a metalworking shop (I retired from the metal stamping industry), but as I built  furniture over the last 20 years...well, it just wasn't what I needed for this project. 

 

The little tractor will have to take a rest...I'm heading to GA and AL this week to do some botanical research (that's what I do in retirement).  Will get back on it next week.

 

Paul

[Snoopy11 5,714]

On 6/4/2021 at 10:23 PM, Paul Adanick said:

I've been wanting to restore a small tractor (preferably a Wheel Horse) for a long time. I finally bit the bullet and found a 1967 Lawn Ranger in fair shape and very complete.

My goal is to give it a "frame up" restoration.

 

I'll try to document the project as I move forward.

 

That thing looks great, especially compared to the one I restored...

 

Mine was a complete rust bucket...

 

LOL

 

Don

 

 

[Paul Adanick 32]

30 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

That thing looks great, especially compared to the one I restored...

 

Mine was a complete rust bucket...

 

LOL

 

Don

 

 

Yep. I got lucky on this one.  I have a feeling things won't be so smooth when I start looking for a Suburban to restore next.