My advice to you is this: If you aren't mechanically advanced, better send it out! If you must do it yourself--good luck. First one i ever saw one, i almost took it back, unfixed. But, with some hard work, i finally got everything back on it, it ran and mowed, and everybody was happy.
As for the mower deck spindles, be sure they turn and spin freely! Anything less should be replaced. Some MFGRS did put grease fittings, but a lot more didn't, and if they did, they made them almost impossible to see. If they are hard to turn, they will smoke the belt on the deck!

rusty

rusty

I guess I'm somewhat above average in mechanical ability. And challenged by something like this tractor. I want it mainly because it collects clippings that I use for muclching roses.

I see the main problem with working on it is how to reach all those pulleys not to mention the belts. I guess the best way to do that is to turn it on its' side?

jimwny, :^) hard to tell if your closing remark was in jest or if it was serious. I (personally) have no problem with putting a machine on its side or end.......if that is what seems to be the ONLY or BEST way to accomplish the task at hand. However, you must keep several facts in mind. You must REMOVE the battery or you will have acid leaking out on the machine, on you, and on the floor (or ground). The fuel tank should be emptied (drain or siphon pump) and the remaining gas in carburetor bowl and fuel hoses consumed (by running engine til it quits). The oil in the crankcase should be drained out. If you leave the oil in the crankcase, you run the risk of filling the combustion chamber with oil which will result in hydraulic lock of the engine when you try to restart it later. You will need something to secure the machine in its abnormal orientation or you run the risk of having it fall (maybe on top of you) when you are loosening or tightening fasteners. This method of gaining access is a "last resort" measure and considering everything that must be done prior to "laying it on its side", it actually is not an easier way. You can bet that the OEM never intended that the machine be oriented other than upright and level during repairs or maintenance. So far as I know, ONLY Snapper has machines that are EQUIPPED for standing on their rear bumper bars for certain procedures.

mownie

Thanks for detailing why it would not be great to tip in on its' side.

A hoist would be nice but that's just dreaming.

So lifting the rear end a bit seems to be the only option.

But, I have an old barn with a lower floor open on one end, the doors are gone. I could cut an opening in the floor big enough to access the bottom of the tractor. Then make a hinged door to cover the hole.

Possibility but then maybe its' easier to just struggle
with reaching under the thing.

jimwny, if you have a "floor", you will probably be better off raising the machine up and supporting it so you can "crawl" under it. If your "old barn" has sturdy joists supporting the loft (it ain't a barn if it doesn't have a loft or "hay mow" :^), you can hoist the rear of the machine up with a "come-along" or other type of hoist. If you use a "come-along", attach it so that the come-along is next to the tractor and not up next to the overhead joist, it's much easier to work it like that.

The big barn for cows burned down before we bought the house. This barn must have been a machine shed. The overhead beams are not that big so may not be able to hoist something like a tractor.

But it has a concrete "basement" underneath with a concrete floor. The floor above has these thick wooden floor boards. So it would be easy to make an opening and work from underneath in the basement.

But the more I think about it that may end up being more trouble than just raising the back end to crawl under. And at least you would be laying down instead of reaching over head!

jimwny, if you are standing on the wood planked floor and looking up, is the overhead area "planked" or floored, or is it just "open"? What size are the overhead joists or beams (not the roof rafters)?

The beams supporting the floor are tree trunks, maybe 8" in diameter. The floor above is just these planks laid probably tight originally but now with cracks or spaces between, a quarter inch or so.

The barn is built on a slope with concrete walls and floor for the basement but no wall on the down hill side. Now open as the doors are gone or rotted away.

jimwny, I have scratched out a diagram of what I think your hillside barn could look like (even if it's not, it will serve to illustrate). If you can get your machine into the "basement" to do the work but aren't sure if the overhead floor beam (tree pole) will support the weight or your tractor, you can add some "temporary" supports to beef up the overhead. All you need is one (if you work close to a side wall) or two (if you want to work in the middle of the room) 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 to shore up the overhead beam. Cut the piece of lumber so it is about 1/8" LONGER than the distance from bottom of overhead beam to the surface of the floor. If you choose to work on the concrete floor, all you need to do to hold the support in place is to put the top end of the support against the bottom of the beam and hammer the bottom end of the support sideways until it is straight and vertical. It will hold itself in place because of the "jacking effect" you gave it. If you choose to work on the wooden floor of the upper level, you hammer the support into place the same way but you must position the bottom end of your support so that you are hammering in the same way the floorboard runs and not accross the grain. If you choose to work in the middle of the room and use two supports you may want to secure the top end of your support to the beam with a couple of deck screws (or size 16d nails) so that the first support doesn't fall out of place when you hammer in the second support. You might not even need the extra supports (if the beams or tree poles are still in good shape) but it would take the guesswork out of the equation. .{{gwi:349403}}

How old is this machine?Is it an older non-MTD made unit? I couldn't find the model #. It seems as though this is a bit much to change belts imo.

mownie

Thanks so much for all your help and the time it took to do the drawing.

I had a look at the floor supports. It has a 10" main beam running under the center of the floor then the 7" cross beams above it.

I think that wouldn't need any support but just in case I have some heavy posts that would easily do the job. Seems even to be hardwood as they are so heavy I can hardly lift them. Left overs from what used to be a farm.

I don't have a come-along but seems like handy tool to have.

All of this to change a belt - also, if those joists can't support a 500# to 800# tractor, better stay out of the barn it ain't safe.

This may be a dumb question as I don't know anything about working on tractors, but why can't you just get some car ramps that you drive a car onto to service it and back the tractor up on them? Unless you have to take the weight off the rear wheels this would be a cheap and easy way to get under the tractor.

jimwny, from the dimensions of the framing "lumber" you have, I don't think you need the extra support members. Come-alongs can be bought in the 2,000 Lb or 4,000 Lb capacity for less than $35.00 (cable type). I need to add that no matter if you use a hoist, come-along, automotive floor jack, or a couple of strong men to raise the vehicle off the ground..........you should ALWAYS use some type of jackstand or similar stable means of assuring that the machine does not fall or lower on you while you are under it. If you use a hoist or come-along to lift the machine from an overhead beam, you can use a couple of lengths of suitable (load capacity rated) rope tied to the beam and the tractor to serve as the "secondary" support means. An advantage of suspending (one end only) of the machine to work under it is the open space afforded by this technique. You can approach from any angle that you need to access the components without anything being in the way. I worked in a motorcycle shop for a few years back in the 1980s. The shop had 4 pneumatic lifts to raise the bikes as high as 42" off the floor. We used those lifts for every kind of service or repair where the work was located toward the mid or lower section of the machine. Very handy indeed. Now I wonder if the person who first thought of that idea ever heard someone say "Seems like a lot of trouble just to change the oil (or chain or brake pads). Why don't you just get down on your knees, you big sissy?" Here is my "disclaimer". The described procedure outlined herein may not be right for some individuals. Only you can decide if it is right for you. Always consult with yourself before using this or other work method. You have the right to a second opinion. If you wish to obtain a second opinion, ask yourself again tomorrow. :^)

Hi Folks,
I have a 1300# elect. hoist from Harbor Freight.....A friend fabricated a hanger for a 4x4 beam between 4 ft on center ceiling joists.....That baby has paid for itself many times over.....I use long vee belts for slings from tractor up to the hook.....I work on discarded mowers to resell and keep my taxes paid.....It's fun except for the occasional nasty headache job.....It's always a gamble when you work with junk.....Elmo

Well thanks all particularly to mownie.

I will get a come-along and some strong ropes,cables?
They should make it easy to work under the barn, in summer. For this winter I may chose to do it in my heated workshop. Big enough for the tractor and the overhead beam a 4x6
supported by my 8" post. Or maybe two of them!

mowrman31: How is that HarborFreight 1300 lb hoist working out for you? I have need for an electric hoist, and for the money, that looks very attractive. Please let me know. Thanks!

jim_w_ny: There is a difference between an come-along and a hoist. A hoist is exactly what you think it is... a hoist. A come-along is used to "bring things" to a certain point. They can be used as a hoist, but they are NOT recommended. They have a tendency to hang up (snag) when you're trying to bring your heavy load back down. This happens especially with the cable ones. I have a come-along myself, and I'd like to throw it along as far as I can! It is pretty much worthless, and very dangerous to use as a hoist. Please rethink getting a come-along. Buy a decent hoist for your safety.

windcatcher, I have been using a cable type "come-along" for more than 15 years to "hoist" engines out of forklifts at my place of employment. I use a come-along rated at 4,000 Lb to lift engines weighing 304 Lb. I have not had any problems when lowering the engines back down. If the reverse pawl and ratcheting action of your come-along is not smooth and tends to "snag", I opine that there may be something at fault with regard to uniformity of the "teeth" on the drum and the associated mechanism for choosing in or out direction of travel. I do agree that a hoist is far more convenient to use. I have 2 of the Harbor Freight hoists at home. The first one I bought is a 440 Lb unit and is "permanently" mounted in the loft of my "barn". I use it to hoist items to and from the upper level (through a 4' X 4' "trap door" in the upper level floor) if the item is too large or heavy to carry up the stairs. The second hoist I bought is rated at 880 Lb and is "semi-permanently" mounted to a pair of "ceiling/floor joists" on the lower level (work area) of my "barn". If jimwny has "household electricity" available in his "barn" and wants to purchase a "light duty hoist" for occasional lifting of his tractor, so much the better. Even if using an electric hoist a secondary means of "holding the load" should be in place before working under the load.

Thanks mownie for the update. I agree, something must be wrong with my come-along. I've had three from Tractor Supply, and all three experienced the same problems. I should have taken the third one back when I had the opportunity, but it became back burner fodder. It now gathers dust on some lonely corner of the work shop. I just finished ordering the HarborFreight 1300 lb hoist mentioned above. I hope to get good service from it for what I need it for.

windcatcher, I believe you will be quite pleased with your electric hoist. By the way, my come-along is an old model made by Maasdam Co. It was marketed as "Power pull".

To my knowledge, only the Maasdam come-along is rated for LIFTING loads - and Maasdam clearly states that no one should ever be UNDER the load. Come-alongs are meant to move loads horizontally. Hoists are intended for lifting loads.

Unfortunately, I have a Yardman YardBug - I should stop right there. However, the ONLY way I've found to replace the drive belts (yes, there are 2 drive belts) is to tip the machine over on its side, and remove the drive pulley with an impact wrench. Prior to tipping the mower over, I remove the battery, drain the gasoline, and drain the oil. I've done it several times, and never had a problem.

I have a Maasdam come-along and have used it to pick up one end of my Husqvarna and Deere lawn tractors so that I could reach under the deck to remove blades. I do not put my head or torso under the machine, although I've never had a problem with the Maasdam slipping. (BTW, a Maasdam will set you back $40 or more, but is hell-for-stout, reliable, long-lasting, and replacement parts - if ever needed - are readily available from the manufacturer.)

twelvegauge, thanks for the additional info. FWIW, I bought my first Maasdam "Power Pull" for about $22.00, at K-mart...........in 1969. :^)

Wow! After reading all the bad reviews on the Yardbug it makes me wonder if I did the right thing. I bought my used Yardman, Yardbug back in May of this year and it has set beside our backdoor since then. Bought it from a firefighter about 80 miles away and found it on Craigslist. He had it torn down with the double rear pulley removed and a new belt which he said was probably all it needed and maybe a new battery. It looked to be in good condition otherwise. John Deere green and yellow seat and a large caliber cartridge (spent) for the shift lever.

This may be a wordy report so if you don't have a few minutes maybe you might come back later when you have more time. :-)

I went out today under the prodding auspices of my wife who was saying things like maybe the tractor was a bad buy and that it may never run again. Heck! Only paid $150.00 for it and the weather has been too hot and then too cold for an arthritic old gent to work on it. I really have good intentions though and can see myself cruising around the yard on it happily..though I understand it moves quite slowly. The guy I bought it from had a quite small postage stamp front yard and just a small back yard so I can see why he didn't want to try to maneuver the behemoth bug through and around his flower beds. We have a bit more area but not so large as to take a long time to mow like some I have heard of with and acre or more. I had a ramp and he got behind it and pushed it up into my Dodge Caravan. He barely got the rear wheels to go inside..I was beginning to have other ideas about buying it but it was already loaded and I forked over the $150 bucks. He had originally advertised it at $250. But I called back later and he dropped the price and hooked me.

Well I lifted the body off of the engine and mower compartment to survey the work field. First off the positive terminal on the battery had a bright blue feather like head dress. A bit of scrubbing and scraping took care of that. Hooked my sons charger up to it after checking fluid levels and began charging at the 10 amp rate. It started out at 4 amps and after about a half hour dropped down to .6 amps. A good sign. I tried meanwhile to remove the gas cap...stuck tight...remove the oil dipstick..stuck tight..will get my big water pump pliers on them later. Everything seems in order in the way of parts with the exception of the self threading screws used to secure the deck belt cover. I should be able to find some of those..probly in my basement jumble of bolts and screws. Rolled the body back into position and crawled into the seat. Reached down and turned the start key and a good healthy turn of the engine with a growl. Good sign. Engine turns freely, starter works and battery seems good (only 2 years old.

Well my work area is beside the house where I can roll the tractor up against the back concrete porch and jack up the rear end high enough maybe to where I can sit in a chair to work on it. Use jack stands to stabilize it. So looks like I need to lube all the points listed in the manual, replace the belts and pulley that have been removed. Check all the pulleys for free movement and swing. Change or add oil and gas up the tank...got to check the air filter too and it needs a restraining nut or wingnut.

Am I nuts to do all this? After all I was looking for an older tractor of any smaller size...well the bug ain't too small...but should be fun to get it out there mowing and purring again...I think! What do you think?
Paul

More info...Briggs and Stratton (said it was a 9hp) engine. MTD Model 13A-328-402 serial# 6L209I10085 Made in Canada and sold in Ohio I think.

Also the previous owner had torn the screen off of the top engine shaft bolt or nut and had a socket on it. Wish I would have paid more attention to why he did that..I thought you had to remove the nut on the bottom pulley and drop it to put on the new belts..could he have been using the top socket to back up the engine shaft from turning? Wouldn't think you would have to do that, would you?
Thanks
Paul

Yeah, if he had no other way to keep the crankshaft from turning while he tried to loosen the bottom bolt, yeah, he'd do that!
I made up a flat piece of 2x6, with severa; holes in each end, and a larger hole in the center of it. In that hole, i recessed some of it, and bolted in a large steel hook. At the outer holes, using large lag screws and large flat washers, i bolted that plate up under the outside top of the overhead door opening. Then, using 2 flat steel plates, about i" by 6" i screwed them into the plank, to reinforce the area around the hook!
Using my cable "come-along" i use it to pull up the front or rear of anything i want to raise for working on it.
As for working on it, i use large pieces of corrugated cardboard. I go around on garbage/throw out anything night, and look for those moving boxes that folks throw out after moving in a new place (or old). They make wonderful creepers, or things to lay on when working on lawn tractors and other stuff. A car creeper puts ya up too high, usually, so i go for the cardboard type.
You had best replace the top screen, or numerous mousies, looking fer a nice place to winter over, will surely stuff it full of lint, paper, fibreglas, and rags, not to mntion chewing off the insulation on the spark plug wire, which they consider the best dessert, or the icicng on the cake, ya might say!And of course, they use the coil and flywheel as their urinal and terlet!

Long live rustyj!! Better commentary than Andy Rooney (no offense to either party) :^)

Thanks Rustyj, Don't think he had any luck dropping the motor pulley but not sure. Will find out soon. I may need to buy another short belt also. I am thinking about getting a hydraulic bottle jack and a couple of jack stands to start with for getting its hind end up high enough to work on. Used to have all that stuff till my arthritis got so bad I gave them all to the kids. Now that I am getting somewhat into remission I guess I'll get me some new equipment. Isn't that always the way it works out. I'm 70 years old since the 29th and a retired Sears service man so have done a few Garden tractors in my day. Guess that was about 16 years ago. Man those old Craftsman tractors ate belts and trannies quite often. Not to mention tires. But tractors weren't my specialty though I got many of them on my call sheet from time to time. I hope to get this little bug running soon. Anyone got one of these YardBugs that really likes them and has a few good words to say about it?
Paul

pipsydog, unfortunately, I, too, have a YardBug. I have 6 years experience working on it, and over 50 years of keeping various lawn machines running. Not meaning to sound too negative, but negative is the only way to be on the Yardbug. If you will go back to your "My Page" and sign up to receive emails (gardenweb sends emails to you, and does not directly divulge your email address), I'll be glad to help you out wherever you can.

That said, I wouldn't invest too much in equipment to lift the machine. It's easier to drain the tank, remove the battery, and tip the machine over on its side. The ONLY way that I've been able to remove the pulley is with an air impact tool, and you have to remove the pulley to install drive belts (there are two).

I wish you luck.

Thanks Javert, The double pulley is already off the machine. I figured I might have to use a hammer to knock the wrench around on the motor pulley. Not sure I even need to pull that one yet. Just checked with NAPA and they can get both drive belts and the large deck belt. $11.99 for the smaller drive belt and $26.29 for the larger belt. Glad to find this out.

Heading down to Schucks because they have a two jack stand and one hydraulic floor jack for $20 bucks. Been wanting a new setup like that for a while anyway. Don't think it would be very easy for me to turn the bug up on its side with my arthritis and all.

Someone mentioned that it was possible to bypass a switch so it would mow in reverse and also some adjustments to the cable to increase speed. I am more interested in working on and playing with the bug than in actually cutting grass. That would be secondary to my fun. This is cheaper than a vintage car and much easier to work on I think. Haven't played mechanic in a long time and think it might be fun to get my hands dirty again. I spent most of my life rebuilding washers and dryers and refrigerators then go home and crawl under my cars till arthritis messed me up. But I am heading into remission now I hope though my hands are still messed up some. Wonder how my bug would look with some car fins and tail lights out of the fifties..ha! Might consider a headlight though and putting a small trailer together for it. I am wondering if a good greasing and lubing of all rollers and pulleys and exact belt alignment would give longer belt life. I would bet that you should let the deck blade come to a full stop before reversing direction to avoid belt burning though. Another idea I had was in putting an auxillary manual seat switch so if I wanted to get off, without killing the motor and overusing and wearing out the starter prematurely, I would just turn the switch on and get off while the engine continues to run. Then when back aboard flip the switch off so I still had the fall off kill switch action for safety. Wonder if I could have it running when I wanted to pull the grass basket out and dump it? Would that be safe? Would think so as belt cover should be in place for protection. And how about a safety parking brake for that situation? Guess I am thinking about re engineering a machine. That should be much easier than building a new machine from the ground up, huh?:-)

For those who just want to cut grass this probably sounds silly I suppose. Maybe it might be..we'll see.
Paul

pipsydog, I full well understand having a project vehicle, and this old YardBug is probably a good one.

Two things to point out: There are 2 identical drive belts, and 1 deck belt; and you can dismount from the mower without killing the engine by disengaging the blade, placing the transmission in neutral, and locking the brake down. By doing this, you can remove the grass container and empty it with the engine running.

As far as the trailer goes, the drive belt pulleys are right up against the rear part of the body, so it would be difficult to mount any type of hitch; not only that, I doubt that the transmission would stand up to pulling a load. Don't forget that this is a riding lawn mower, not a lawn tractor.

As a long-time owner of a YardBug, I'm pretty negative about the machine. I keep it running only because my wife likes it. In my opinion, however, it does have two good points: the engine is pretty good, and the steering wheel seems sturdy.

At my house, if my wife liked it....that would be "good point #3". :^)

Javert thanks for all your good points. I read a report somewhere of a guy who hauled wood and other items around behind his YardBug for quite some time without any problems and he was attesting to its great useability for hauling. Looking at my manual it shows a triangular plat that attaches to the rear deck by two bolts and the corner sticking out back has a hole for attaching a ball hitch ass'y I presume or maybe aa hook type setup. In the manual for Model LR927 which looks just like mine..it lists as MTD part number783-0561 Hitch Plate. My model is a 13A-328-402 Serial Number 6L209I10085...not sure where they find the LR model number but that is the number on the manual listed as Riding Mower..Internal Bagging System. This book is for a 13A-328-190 machine. Can't see any difference between mine and the book diagrams. It is the White Outdoor Operator's Manual. My machine was made in Canada. Well it rained here today so didn't get to work on it but did go down to Schucks Auto parts and bought a two ton floor jack matched with two lever lock/ release jack stands for $29.95 that looked like they might be helpful and can use them for the cars too.
One little thing that I'm curious about is whether I turned the key all the way to the off position when I tried it yesterday. Gonna be a dead battery again if I didn't. Better check it before I go to bed tonight.:-)
Doubt my wife will ride it but maybe she might and shorts don't even enter into it.:-)
Paul

Ah, pipsydog, I see you've been digging around in the archives. I'm surprised that the mention of shorts is still there. Offhand, I don't even know if the picture is still posted. Nevertheless, that's the main reason I keep the ol' YardBug running!

Ha! No didn't see any picture but saw the mention in a post. Set inside with a cold today and am hoping to get out and dirty under the machine tomorrow. One statement I made earlier about smoking the belt by switching into reverse quickly is probably in error since the blade doesn't change direction it some how loosens the belt to stop the blade when backing up. Haven't been able to pin down how this is accomplished yet. It is not apparent in the manual. Think I have all the belt locations laid out in my mind now. Still don't know if I am short a belt yet oe not. I saw some neat video's on youtube of a yardbug like mine pulling a neat trailer around behind it. Just go to youtube.com and type in ' yardbug' in the search box. The title for the two videos are..almost 90?..and Madi rides the yardbug. Looks like this one runs fairly fast and pulls a good size trailer behind it. I think I will for sure put on a plate and hitch to pull a trailer with. Wonder how it would be for pushing snow? :-)
Paul

Well I replaced the battery today and cleaned up the rig. Oil was up enough for a test start. Added some gas to the tank and cranked it about 6 times but no start. Probly got some bad gas that was left in the tank. Wonder if gas stabilizer would help the old gas to fire more readily? Tomorrow I will pull the battery and get at the spark plug to see if clean or replace. Will check carburetor and filter and lines too.

Could see the mechanism for the blade brake shutoff. Found I have all the belts so just need to put them on when I get the engine running. Downloaded all the manuals for the mower and B/S 9hp engine and engine parts list off the internet tonight. Starting to get enthused to hear this little green baby run. Noticed the air/ball grass full indicator is missing from the catcher basket..that would have maybe been helpful to have. Will have to check into that.
Check back with tomorrows news!
Paul

pipsydog: stabilizer will NOT rejuvenate stale gasoline; get some fresh fuel. That little pingpong ball to indicate a full grass bag never worked on mine - and I mean never worked at all.

This thread of jim_w_ny's has been hijacked. May I suggest that you start a new thread in which you can update us with your progress?

I'm sorry, jim_w_ny's, had no intention of taking over your thread. Just we were all on the same wavelength. How are you coming along with your bug? Hope things are working out well for you. I envy you that you have a barn to work on your little machine. Mine is perched outside beside our back door. I have a little garage but unfortunately it is packed full of stuff right up to the door. Bout the only thing I can get to is my power chair sitting in the last available space. Ha.
I will take my meanderings to a new thread.
Carry on!
Paul