Project: Gravely Model L

[88BlackS-ETA]

So here is a pretty good update!!!

I have been slacking A LOT on this lately because 'Murica... Any how, my brother welded the gas tank side so it looks better and he also did both brackets that hold the tank straps so they are now stronger and wont break.

I started work on the gang reel mowers. I started with the main reel. Redid the gear housing gaskets and put now Mobile 1 140 gear oil in it. I removed the rollers from all 3 reels and sanded the rust off the shafts (axles?) then put a coat of grease on them and reassembled it. I greased the bearings on the ends of the reels. All 4 belts got replaced with new.



I have almost everything plainted (2 selector bars left to paint then I'll be done) and the tractor assembled. I had almost everything to gether when I realized I put 2 brackets on the wrong bolts and had to take almost everything back off. Then today my brother and dad pressured me into starting it and see if the PTO worked. Well I couldnt move the lever to engage the PTO. So out came the acetone/ATF mix to take the pto handle apart. It is so worn out it would work anyhow. So came the other setup, which we slightly changed so it could work. Hooked up the 76" gang reel mower and tried it out. I never adjusted the reel height so it was very low, oooopssss.









At idle it has ~30 psi of oil, didnt look when I went ~half throttle. Starts first pull every time, got to love that. I still havent learned all the controls yet, there are 3 levers that swing forward and backwards that control forward and reverse, high/low.

https://youtu.be/PV1I-0xUqf4

[88BlackS-ETA]

I got everything put on, including the remote PTO setup, and used it for ~30 minutes before the carburetor started leaking fuel. So I ordered a kit and rebuilt it. Then the mower got a nasty miss fire and I had to find out why. So after much trouble shooting, I finally asked for help from other Gravely addicts. They were stumped also.

Compression is 96 which is very good for that motor. I set the valve lash, gapped the points, gapped a new spark plug, even took the head off to check for stuck valves (both move and spin freely). Well I turned the main jet in all the way plus 1/8th of a turn then turned it out 2 turns and now I cant get it to miss fire. So must of been a piece of dirt in the carburetor somehow.

I bought a New Old Stock hood that will be here some time. I used lapping compound and reverse spun the reel mowers to sharpen them. They cut so much better then they used to..



I pulled out the snow cannon that was bought with everything else. It wouldnt turn by hand so I drained the gear box (mostly grease and some oil), checked the worm gear and refilled with oil. Then cleaned out the rust,stones, ect and can spin it by hand. The chute would not move using the crank handle so I pulled that apart to find the chain so dirty that it popped off the gears and stuck almost straight out when I held it in my hand. A little shaky shaky in a bottle of gas and then soak in some oil and it works like new.

https://www.facebook.com/robert.he.3...2861645465159/

Then I pulled out the rotary plow. It would not budge either. I fully pulled it apart and cleaned the input shaft bearings and they are good. The vertical shaft and all 4 seals were shot to sh*t. So I ordered new and while I waited on those to come in I sandblasted most of the stuff and started to paint the gear box.

[flyboyx]

Sweet progress! 72" just seems like a lot of mower for 7 hp. I cant wait to see the rest of you attechment collection.

[88BlackS-ETA]

Sadly thats the only 3 attachments I have...For now...

But in other news, I bought a hood that has been in storage for many many years. I sandblasted it and my brother reinforced the front lip so it doesnt crack out like all the others and so it doesnt get damaged when I open it up.

[flyboyx]

why only the single gang reel? is your yard too small to run all three? do you have the sulky? it would be cool to sit behind the machine and just let it pull you around the yard. you could make one easily if you don't have that attachment.

[88BlackS-ETA]

I have a sulky and use the gangs to mow. Im in the process of sandblasting and painting the sulky. I have to take the gangs off so it will fit in its spot in the shed. The pictures with only the center reel on is because I put the hood on and mowed the night before with the gangs so I didnt need them on. It puts a smile on my face when I mow with it and all the people doing up/down my road slow down and stare at me.

[88BlackS-ETA]

Well I got the sulky done.



I sold a NOS (New old stock) cultivator in original box and also bought 3 things. A pair of wheels (rims/tires/tubes) and a steering sulky and a MuffleTone muffler.



This is my new setup. Dual wheels are required with a steering sulky. The steering sulky and gang reel mower makes it a zero turn,LOL, and if you are in 3rd or 4th gear and turn to sharp it will throw you off.




Video of me mowing my front yard.
https://www.facebook.com/david.helfr...7542599587920/

[flyboyx]

damn thats cool. what would you suppose is the value of everything you have in the last pic?

i noticed that your lawn is really flat. do you think this would have the power to climb relatively steep hills and also run that massive mower attachment?

by today's standards, it really lacks any sort of safety features. i suppose it an way that is kind of the point of having one of these. it has a nice rawness to it. pansy asses can suck it and go buy a new toro.

[LJ851]

That video is awesome, what is the width of cut with that thing?

[88BlackS-ETA]

Between what people pay for the parts it should be priced $1,000 easily as it sits. Its not a matter of going up or across a hill, you need to have a big pair of balls going on anything thats more then a slight hill. No safeties=more fun. If you fall off of it, it will keep going until it runs out of gas even if it hits something it will just spin the tires in place.

That video is awesome, what is the width of cut with that thing?

74" but with a slight overlap ~70" cut. I only use ~1/4-1/3 throttle ever.

[flyboyx]

Between what people pay for the parts it should be priced $1,000 easily as it sits. Its not a matter of going up or across a hill, you need to have a big pair of balls going on anything thats more then a slight hill. No safeties=more fun. If you fall off of it, it will keep going until it runs out of gas even if it hits something it will just spin the tires in place.

Hmm....too bad you cant gear it down more to take better advantage of the machine's power. A low gear that runs close to 3/4 throttle at the same speed you travel at 1/4 throttle might be an improvement.

I used to have an old 60's 10hp cub cadet lawn tractor. It was built like a tank, but so severely underpowered. The engine would die if you drove the deck into grass more than ankle high.

[M-technik-3]

Reel style mower gives such an awesome cut, when I was a kid my Mom bought a Simplicity Broadmor that was used and had a beat deck. We had 5 acres to mow, so we went by the local country club and bought one of their older tow behind reel units. Had the best darn grass in the area after that.

On my JD 318 with a 54 inch deck I put a speed up pulley to increase the blade speed and it's made a difference.

[88BlackS-ETA]

Hmm....too bad you cant gear it down more to take better advantage of the machine's power. A low gear that runs close to 3/4 throttle at the same speed you travel at 1/4 throttle might be an improvement.

That was 2nd gear. There are gear reduction wheels you can get and put on, they go stupid slow though.

[monticello]

Between what people pay for the parts it should be priced $1,000 easily as it sits. Its not a matter of going up or across a hill, you need to have a big pair of balls going on anything thats more then a slight hill. No safeties=more fun. If you fall off of it, it will keep going until it runs out of gas even if it hits something it will just spin the tires in place.



74" but with a slight overlap ~70" cut. I only use ~1/4-1/3 throttle ever.

Full throttle with a race seat maybe?

[88BlackS-ETA]

There is no need to use full throttle. This machine has no governer so if you need more power all you do is tap the throttle with your thumb. I can use full throttle if I wanted but there is no need to.