Fix and start a 1988 16hp Craftsman II Yard Tractor (the 'Big Cube')

[DaltonTk423]

AWESOME, im getting one tomorrow for 125$, and all it needs is a new battery ( i already have one ) it will be fun to drive and pull stuff around.

[NicksGarageDoor]

"Gas out of a mustard bottle."

It's a Briggs running on mustard gas. :P

And it's pretty hard to flood a twin. When I coldstart mine, I give it a 3-5 second spray of starter fluid/carb cleaner (hey, never a bad idea to clean the intake.) reassemble the air filter, and when you crank it, it fires up within 2 seconds. I love mine.

[JagdtygerII]

Does anyone either have a manual showing how to attach the snowplow blade or are able to post a video of it on Youtube?? I got my friend's up and running but am not sure how to properly attach the blade to it.

[tylerervin05]

is the mower 6:30 for sale?

[brad45201]

you would defenatly know if u missed a spot on the cleaning

[malibuclassic99]

How much would a mower like that go for?

[wildbill23c]

I used to have one of those except it was the 18HP. It ran for 22 years before it threw a rod finally. The new Craftsman we have isn't built as well.

[kev2556]

hi do you think i can still get parts for craftsman lt1000

[smallenginemods]

i would love to buy a tractor from you guys, unfortunatly i live in north western canada:/

[bubbawinchester]

Is this the Murrsman LOL HA

[bubbawinchester]

Is this the Murrsman  LOL HA

[laxandsteffen]

hey im not an expert at garcen tractor but i i have one and that think u pull in at 7:45 what that do?? plz asawer me????

[P1ut0n1uM]

@laxandsteffen that's the height adjustment for the mowing deck

[laxandsteffen]

@P1ut0n1uM ohh okay cool :):)I:)

[wilXwyane]

man theres one on craigslist for 30$ and i want to get that one and fix it up! what kind of plow would fit on this?

[fordpower71]

I have 2005 Murray with a 5 speed Spicer.The transmission started to have a grinding sound so i drilled it and installed a grease fitting and pumped a whole tube of grease in it.The problem is it still grindes.Are these re buildable?.If so where do you get parts for them?.

[FordBroncoMower]

You know Lynol, you sold this tractor to me, and I sold it on eBay and someone came from Canada to pick it up! So this tractor is in Canada now. They drove 14 hours to pick this thing up!

[threestoogelover]

do u know how to fix the steering knuckles on those?

[bubbawinchester]

looks pretty bad ass. I've gotta twin 16hp briggs sittin over here

[xxtruckin93xx]

i had a 1990 craftsman 2 with the best engine a briggs v twin 14.5 hp vangard i took that motor off and put in on a 2004 johndeere

[johndeere211]

thats a craftsman for ya, doesn't run for year put a little gas in it and it starts right up

[stydel311]

it sounds pretty good at low idle with out choke, were there any exhaust leaks?

[skateboard12594]

hey i wonder if u can help me out, i have a 86 craftsman 2 14hp mower similar to yours. but i have a problem, when in gear the mower wont move unless i push in the cluch petal. everytime i let off of it it stops, n every mower i had u jus use cluch to change gears. what do you think is the problem? also the drive belt is worn and streched and wont grab the pully in back, is there any way to agusst the pullys on this model?

[1DirtbikeBoy]

old ass gas can lol, that was wen th US made quality items...

[jonycard1]

do you still have its twin fom 85 because i need the motor will 50 do

[matthebest018]

do u have any motor for sale like that

[mercedesfan650]

The last of the real Crapsman! lol makes me miss my 12 hp Craftsman II with custom paint job. Opposed twins are great too, I have a Kohler Magnum 15 hp twin (horizontal shaft) like your Roper GTK-18's engine, just a little bit smaller.

[SunnyvaleLife]

Nice piece of land you got there!

I wish I could live w/ you guys fixin' mowers, collecting mowers...

[fetters18]

how much do u want for it

[jacquesryan]

thats the the same tractor i have, mine is the 18hp twin though. i got mine from the original owner who garaged it. should check out my vids and see it!

[trucklover9]

thats a sweet tractor, i wish it was mine, how much do you think i could get for a craftsman rear engine riding mower, that needs a little work. ???

[LynolsOffice]

@trucklover9 I don't know. No ones seems to want rear engine tractors. I had one (a Craftsman too) I was going to fix up and sell, but I saw perfectly running ones this spring not selling for $100 so I didn't bother.

[benrobinson72]

@LynolsOffice what was the loud ticking at idle the valves it was pretty loud

[MegaSierra123]

@LynolsOffice Do you know how much I would get for a 1987 craftsman thats in great condition with a 12 hp briggs and stratton? plz respond!!!

[triplex4286]

@LynolsOffice do you have any two stroke lawnboys running just wondering

[ericwps]

I have a 1988 craftsman lawn tractor with an 11hp engine, works great and i love it, but one day the breakes went, any idea how that happened or i could fix it?

[brian242]

I wish it was June right now..

[killxx2]

Do a video on that power washer!

[mikeyz1251]

ok thanks for the help

[mikeyz1251]

i have a 1995 murray 18hp briggs with 46" dek and a hydro and was wondering if you would be able to give me an idea on how to rebuild my hydro trans or if you know where i can get a new one thank you love the vids

[LynolsOffice]

Never opened up a hydro before, I've not had one die. They are pretty simple inside, but I hear getting parts for them is difficult. You can look on eBay maybe find a used hydro.

[Motorfordtoyota]

@mikeyz1251 hahaha. This sucks, I recently had a hydro out of a 99 Murray that I was gonna sell, but it was thrown out by my dad who didnt pay attention to me when I said DONT THROW IT OUT. lol. I was gonna sell it for like 100 dollars.

[MrCcc2011]

@Motorfordtoyota i would have bought that from you lol

[Motorfordtoyota]

@MrCcc2011 hahaha, yeah. But, my dad decided everything had to be thrown out, so it all was! :(

[MrThebull09]

can you please tell me what solinoid is?

[mrlawnmowerman89]

purr like a kitten

[zachsuckit]

nice john deere!

[Blumoon106]

what do u want for it ?

[LynolsOffice]

I sold it last month, sorry.

[animebsd]

clean the carb!

[LynolsOffice]

Why? it runs great. If you run the gas out of it before you park it, it should be good when your ready to use it again, and clearly it was.

[animebsd]

wen u took the choocke off a little it almost died

[LynolsOffice]

Yeah it was cold. That's the way all these older twins are, you can't take the choke full off right away like i tried to do. Even the ones with rebuilt carbs seem to do this.

[animebsd]

really!?!?!  huh.........

[counterman4]

i think u said u sold this one but did or no

[LynolsOffice]

Yup, sold it two weeks ago.

[yamaharules163]

how much?

[LynolsOffice]

$150

[DieselsAndDiodes]

I like this mower! really want an opposed twin. with that 5 gallon tank you could take this sucker on a serious road trip.

[LynolsOffice]

Yes, we sold it this past weekend.

[FordBroncoMower]

Whats a solenoid?

[jksnow500]

it makes spark for the sparkplug

[animebsd]

no thats the magneto

and the silinoid is a relay for the starter

[BushBoneYard]

She sounds good..................

[GEARHEADGUY92]

god what a nice tractor!!

[microsoftfreak19]

my friend and i are trying to fix the 1983 version of that

[iamdigitalman2]

I am curious what model number this machine is. I was looking at getting one of these, and it appears to be the EXACT same model. Craftsman II 16hp, 44" deck, hydrostatic trans, and it even looks the same.

[matts6887]

Thats pretty good that it still ran as well as it did after sitting for several years covered in dirt and whatnot...Cool! :)

[Motorfordtoyota]

1:25 mr.clean magic eraser

[mercedesfan650]

You got any 18 horse cube tractors? Those usually have those side shaft twins and a more decent gearbox. That's a nice crapsman though, hold on to that thing. and put some straight pipes on it!

[oymeit]

do the headlights work?

[LynolsOffice]

No, I think it's got a bad ground.

[jvanderman]

u got a mower deck in the bushes?

[TRACTORMAN4444]

what state are you guys in or city?

[LynolsOffice]

Maybe like 30 to 36 inches.

[Cheveyman224]

are you willing to give any working lawn tractors or engines for free??? i need some.

[slowride55]

you should straight pipe it, it would sound even better

[LynolsOffice]

We do this part time, since we both have full time jobs. Most of the work we do is with lawn tractors, we usually buy them, fix them up and sell them. Or part them out if they're too junky. So we mostly just sell used tractors and parts, but we do a little bit of repair mostly for people we know, like the John Deere you see in the background.

[RainJetSprinklers]

What do you do full time?

[LynolsOffice]

Just had it off the first time, to make sure the starter wasn't going to get stuck again. Engine was running for about a minute and a half. You can see at 6:49 that I put the shroud back on when I put the hood on. The shroud also keeps the oil dipstick from falling out, so yeah it certainly is necessary.

[TractorWorld]

what does opposed twin mean?

[JustinsDIY]

googles your friend

[themaritimeman]

2 Cylinders, that point opposite of each other.

[fredbear18]

Hey, electronic ignition? That's pretty bitchin'!

[Roushfan5]

Is that a John Deere I see just on the edge of the frame? Did you finally get a John Deere?

[FinalRanger]

i picked up one similar a month ago but the tractor is crap it has a 18hp it sat for 6 years put a fresh tank of gas in fired up with some prime those were great engines its a shame no one wants to buy it.

[Ajaces]

It sounds great.

[suchfunstuff]

Ha, "weekend rain, right on schedule".

Same thing here in PA.

[1944johndeerel]

did you get a deere?

[LynolsOffice]

No, that JD belongs to a guy we fix stuff for. He hit something and busted a mandrel.

[1944johndeerel]

do they put grease fittings on the spindle bearings yet? my vintage jd decks have no grease fittings. i kinda wish they did.

[LynolsOffice]

Yes, this new[er] JD has greasable mandrels!

[76hotrodF250]

I wish I could find a CUBE tractor around here where I live, most craftsmans around here are the later 90s model after they made it look a little more aerodynamic looking. Those cubes are cool yet funny to look at!!!

Best line ever, "Soap is Overrated"!!!!!!!!!

[LynolsOffice]

That must be a GT. What attachments does he use on the 3pt hitch?

[suchfunstuff]

More likely an FF tractor, unless it's from the 70's.

[LynolsOffice]

I think the FF looks more like a big LTV/10 lol! I saw an FF/20 in person, it's truly in a league of it's own. Most heavy duty Craftsman tractor ever built. I have an '82 Sears catalog the FF/18 was $3,999, and the FF/24 (which was advertised as the most powerful gas garden tractor on the market) was a staggering $5,299!!! And don't forget those are 1982 dollars. That would be over $11,900 in today's money!

[suchfunstuff]

FF, GT, and LTV appear to have the same basic hoods with only minor differences. An FF was more like a GT in stature/ but overall longer, with more goodies. 1982 was still in the recession territory, but definately saw a difference in dollar value.

[LynolsOffice]

Yeah, same hoods, only the FF had a shorter grille. And guess what we just picked up last night? AN FF/20!!! Some idiot painted it flat black though, but it's in otherwise good shape. Sat for 2 years, has no spark right now, need to clean the points and try it again.

[suchfunstuff]

You would be doing a public service to make a vid of the FF. There aren't many good examples around, because of being so uncommon.

[giberish9]

Do you plan on repainting it? I found that duplicolor makes a shade of silver thats a very close match to the factory paint.

[LynolsOffice]

Yeah I certainly am going to repaint the FF. I'll have to look for that Duplicolor silver, i see that brand in a bunch of the stores I shop at, so should be easy to get.

[giberish9]

I think I got the paint code. EDSFM236 SILVER CHARCOAL MET. If I remember correctly this was the paint I used to touch up my GT6000.

[olpasi]

Cartman lawn tractors what do you think of that

[kkenyan]

sounds nice, i would love to hear it without a muffler.

[nardp96]

a car spark plug? lucky he didnt through a rod.

[genmac1]

you can always depend on your briggs and strattons

[dangeroustoys56]

Yepper mandrels are $100 each from both sears and the local tractor parts place- they use a gilson type mandrel i beleive as a replacement.

The 86 has a regular handle lift like yours- the GT6000 has an electric lift/ linear actuator and NO handle lift - the wiring diagram on that looks like a nitemare as well.

Someday ill drag it out n tinker on it- i need to clean it off to see how the fuel pump is setup( where the vaccum line goes in- fuel goes thru)

[richthecardude94]

i have a 42in deck on mine its a 94 craftsmen II gold 13hp gold orig motor

[GearHead1625]

is that your john deere?

[LynolsOffice]

No, that John Deere belongs to a lawn care guy we do some repair work for. He hit a pipe with the deck and damaged a mandrel.

[GearHead1625]

looks like a really nice mower

[digitalrailroader]

I bet those JD Mandrels are a Pretty Penny!

[lawnkidd]

what ever happened to the wheel horse ztr

[LynolsOffice]

The electrical system is a complete mess, probably going to have to start from scratch on that. I don't know how it ever worked the way it was. That thing has been a generator of frustrations since the day we got it. Just going near it makes Dave and I angry.

[lawnkidd]

even though i dont mess around with riders i know how you feel

[Titliest07]

Actually looks new and runs like new. I like it!

[fargof06]

I think all that gunk worked better as a paint preserver!

[vo1dfc]

Thats the same as mine just i have a 18hp V-twin ohv, with 6 speed fender shift and no deck. You would'nt happen to have the 2 gears on and next to the stearing shaft. Mine jump on a hard turn and i need some tires mine are rotted out. You should look at my videos of Lisa [the name i piut on my tractor] lol

[RTdeluxe]

i love power washers!! nice tractor, and good clean up job too!

[yamaharules163]

i like these vids, see how (or if) they still run

[mk2passat]

eat spam lol

[dangeroustoys56]

Amazing that its still in great shape and runs.

Mine was in alot worse shape- all rusted - same for the deck- im gonna use MTD mandrels to fix my deck- the originals are all junk PLUS to buy new theyre $100 EACH- hopefully the GT6000's deck will be in better shape.

Hey y wouldnt happen to have a 86 GT II wiring diagram around would you? I looked at the sears website and thiers is too blurry and not all laid out easily- Im gonna ditch the saftey switches, but mine has a electric deck clutch tho

[LynolsOffice]

$100 mandrels!? that sucks since there's 3 of them! Can't help with the wiring diagrams, I have yet to come across one of those '80s GTs somehow. Does yours also have the electric deck lift?

[jvanderman]

hey lynol was thoes tires aired up when you went to start it or did you have to air them up

[LynolsOffice]

The front tires were good, but one back tire was flat and the other was low.

[dangeroustoys56]

I got the 86 running on its own today- wired the ignition separate from the clutch and even the lights are separate switched- only way could figure out how to do it.

Its amazing for as bad as it was when i got it- on how well it runs and drives now.

When i first hooked up the fuel pump i had the hoses on wrong- lol- i swapped em around.

I used a piece of clear tubing to the carb to see if it was flowing- now i need to put a filter in . Now i need to work on the deck.

[justin3zelda]

That thing is a Tank!

[99minerkc]

So, you're putting it up for sale?  Nice job cleaning it .

[chodge90]

looks good as new with a wash!

[Evmoy15]

i want one of those old big craftsmans! Soap is overrated lol.