Vintage Sears Garden Tractors
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GT18 rear end problems

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Post  alansz400 March 26th 2014, 8:37 pm

Hello, This is my first post. Long time Sears owner and today I bought a real nice ( I thought ) GT18. It runs GREAT and seemed like everything was working good. I was putting it away tonight and something went wrong in the rear end. The shifter is all crazy. If I move the shifter to 3rd gear it locks up and the belt slips. Same in 2nd. Nothing in 1st or reverse. If I put it in neutral it moves but makes noise. I can not find reverse at all. Its weird the shifter moves fine but is all screwed up. The PO said something like his son always had problems shifting but he never did. Makes me think it was screwed up before. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. Alan

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
Registration date : 2014-03-26

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Post  Georgia SS March 26th 2014, 10:06 pm

HI ALAN
WORKED ON VEHICLES 60 YEARS SO I HAVE SEEN EVER KIND OF VEHICLE GEARS LOCKED OR CROSSED UP, GEARS DID'T CROSS UP THEIR SELF, OPERATOR DOES. YOU DID NOT SAY WHAT YEAR, IF SUBURBAN OR NOT. IF IT IS THE 80+ YEAR MODEL WITH THE LONG CROOKED SHIFT LEVER IT COULD BE WORN FROM USE OR ABUSE. PROBABLY THE TRANS. IS STILL OK. WHITCH EVER ONE YOU HAVE YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE SHIFT LEVER,( 4 BOLTS CLOSE AROUND THE SHIFT LEVER GOING INTO THE TOP OF TRANS.) AFTER REMOVING THE SHIFTER YOU WILL SEE TWO SQUARE SLOTS THAT SLIDE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. TAKE A LONG SCREWDRIVER AND LINE UP THE TWO SLOTS IN CENTER OF HOLE. AT THIS TIME YOU SHOULD ROLL THE TRACTOR BACK AND FORTH TO LISTEN FOR ANY GEARS SCRAPING ALSO TO BE SURE THE TRANS IS IN NEUTRAL. PLACE THE SHIFT LEVER BACK IN PLACE WITH THE FINGER IN THE SLOTS. IF THIS WORKS YOU WILL NEED TO REMEMBER THIS AND ALL TRANSMISSIONS HAVE A (H) SHIFT PATTERN NOT A (X). DRAGGING THE SHIFTER ACROSS IN THE (X) PATTERN WILL HANG YOU UP. IF YO DECIDE YOU HAVE INTERNAL GEAR PROBLEMS, GET A USED TRANS. INSTALLED, DON'T THINK ABOUT HAVING IT REPAIRED $$$$. YOU WILL NEED SOME MECHANICAL ABILITIES TO OWN A GT18, WITH A LITTLE CARE THEY WILL RUN A LIFE TIME. OIL AND GREASE IS CHEAP SIDE OF REPAIR COST.
GOOD LUCK
JIMMY IN SOUTH GEORGIA

Georgia SS

Number of posts : 222
Registration date : 2011-09-15

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Post  alansz400 March 27th 2014, 8:46 pm

Thanks for the info. I pulled the shifter out today and found out why the gear shifter was all over the place.GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140327_162530_034_zps85e9cb7a" />
I pulled one out of my extra rear end and it was cast and looked like new. I was real happy it felt like it was shifting good. I did a few small things to the tractor and fired it up. Still no reverse or first gear. 2nd and 3rd are good. Pulled the shifter back out and I can see the gear on the 1st and reverse shaft has the teeth ripped off. My guess is when it got in two gears at once the teeth got ripped off. I have a extra rear end that has old style axles in it that use the old style hubs. Any chance the gears inside the old case will work in the new one? Looks the same looking down the shifter hole.

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
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Post  Georgia SS March 27th 2014, 10:40 pm

HI
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR WE ARE WORKING WITH TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT INTERCHANGING TRANSMISSIONS. THE OLDER TRANS. WITH KEYED AXELS ARE GOOD, THE KEYED AXELS ARE STRONGER THAN SPLINED AXELS FOR TRACTOR PULLING. IF YOU HAVE A GT18 SEARS SUBURBAN JUST STICK THE OLDER TRANS. RIGHT IN, IF YOU HAVE A PLASTIC FUEL TANK YOU WILL NEED THE CROOKED SHIFT LEVER. IF YOU HAVE A GT18 CRAFTSMAN THE TRANS WON'T INTERCHANGE, CASE IS WIDER. ALSO INTERNAL GEARS ARE DIFFERENT. IF YOU WERE IN THE SOUTH I WOULD TRADE YOU A TRANS. FROM A GT20 CRAFTSMAN IF THAT IS THE TYPE TRANS. YOU NEED.
HANG IN THERE
JIMMY IN SOUTH GEORGIA

Georgia SS

Number of posts : 222
Registration date : 2011-09-15

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Post  alansz400 March 28th 2014, 3:22 pm

This is the tractor with the problem

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140326_165405_806_zps31254a6c" />

This is the donor tractor if I can bring myself to part it out. I also have a old orange custom 10 that I would part if that rear end will work?

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140328_151249_669_zpse02f9142" />

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
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Post  Georgia SS March 28th 2014, 10:35 pm

HI
YES EITHER TRANS. WILL WORK. IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THE CUSTOM 10 MAYBE YOU CAN ROLL THE TRACTOR BACK AND FORTH WITH TRANS IN GEAR BELT OFF TO LISTEN FOR EXCESSIVE GEAR & BEARING NOISE. THE 10 WILL HAVE A SMALLER BELT PULLEY, YOU MAY USE THE SMALLER PULLEY & BELT GUARD WITH ABOUT A 81" BELT FOR MORE GROUND SPEED. (RUN FASTER), DON'T THINK YOU WILL WANT TO USE THAT BAD CROOKED SHIFT LEVER IN THE 10. IF THE 10 HAS 3 BOLT WHEEL HUBS YOU MAY WANT TO SCRAP UP A PAIR OF 5 LUG HUBS. FOR HEAVY WORK. GIVE IT A GO.
THANKS
JIMMY

Georgia SS

Number of posts : 222
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Post  alansz400 March 29th 2014, 8:16 am

Got is done last night about 11pm. Used a Custom 7 rear end I figured with a 7 hp. Tecumseh engine that hasn't ran for 5 years that I have owned it and if its like most never ran very good anyways that it would be a good low hour unit. Pulling it out went real good since I didn't care about the tractor and could lay it on its side to work on it. My buddy showed up to BS and I put him to work getting the GTs out and swaping the brake rod, Pulley and shifter. I wish I would have left the small pulley on but I was thinking bigger was fast. With 10 chain driven motorcycles in the garage you think I would have figured that out and I ruined that small pulley getting it off.  Sad The only other thing that is not the same is the axles are 1 inch shorter over all so 1/2 inch on each side. Not a big deal but might make tire chains a tight fit. I hope the 3 bolt hubs hold up I may swap out the hubs and tires off the Yellow tractor just to be safe. That tractor is a sad story. I loved that tractor and worked the balls off of it. Kept the fluids changed and took good care of it. One day the engine locked up. The bearing on the PTO side went out. Bought a new one started the tractor it ran good for a min. and locked up again. I think the oil pump went out or for some other reason its not getting oil to the bearing. Thanks again for all your help.

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140328_182118_800_zps88ef09b2" />

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
Registration date : 2014-03-26

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Post  alansz400 March 29th 2014, 8:39 am

This is the work mule that replaced the yellow tractor. Kind of ugly but its a worker. I was going to put the V twin on the yellow tractor but was hoping ( and still am ) to find another engine for it. I really like how easy it is to get on and off this tractor. I have one other sears that I have a 3 point hitch on for doing  3 pt. work. Its old and ugly also and is only 10 hp. but its a worker. I will get a picture if it ever warms up and I get to do some work with it.

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140302_133850_021_zpsc30079b6" />

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
Registration date : 2014-03-26

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Post  alansz400 March 29th 2014, 8:51 am

found a picture of my sears from a few years ago.

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems 0518001557c_zps67d732dc" />

alansz400

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Post  alansz400 March 31st 2014, 9:05 pm

Worked on the GT18 today after work. Took the tires and seat off the yellow tractor and put them on the GT.  I was going to change the hubs but the hubs on the new rear axle are rusted on pretty good. I figure if I brake one I will change it then.  The front wheels on the orange tractor are different then the other two tractors. The bolt that goes into the axle is left hand thread on the left side. Found that out the hard way by twisting it off with the impact. Lucky as I was drilling it out the bit caught and backed it out. I welded a nut on what was left of the bolt and screwed it back in.

GT18 rear end problems <a href=GT18 rear end problems IMG_20140331_190828_032_zps272599a4" />

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
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Post  alansz400 October 9th 2014, 10:14 pm

Well I have been playing in the dirt all summer and now that it is leaf season I figured I put the deck back on and do some yard work. Its like a step back in time out picking up leaves with the old girl.

GT18 rear end problems IMG_20141006_172417_679_zpsdad81d05

GT18 rear end problems IMG_20141006_174336_245_zpsaa64b972

I will hit it with the pressure washer next time I use it.

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
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Post  ss12 January 9th 2015, 12:23 pm

I had the same problem. It was the actual shifter itself was worn
ss12
ss12

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Post  alansz400 December 31st 2015, 5:55 pm

The GT18 is still going strong. Worked it all summer and picked up leaves with it again this fall.

Just about lost the Vtwin this summer I didn't turn off the gas and float stuck filling the crankcase with gas. Luckly I caught it before I started it.

Picked up a FREE parts tractor on CL this summer. Shes rough but has a lot of good parts.

Happy New Year.

alansz400

Number of posts : 15
Registration date : 2014-03-26

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Post  alansz400 May 14th 2016, 6:42 pm

Been mowing with the sears this spring and last week I heard the local street fair was having a tractor pull and they had a stock twin cyl. class so I pulled the deck off bolted my pulling hitch and wheelie bar that I built for the other sears, put a new belt on and headed to the pull. My son wanted to pull and haven't pulled in a few years so I didn't know how much extra weight I would need. Turns out I didn't take enough. We were 100lbs light of the 1050lb max. I did put a little stiffer spring on the governor but the tech inspection caught that. I still may have been a little over the 3500 max but nothing like the way I had it running before the inspection. So 6 tractors in the class. 3 twins and 3 singles that also pulled in the single class and did real well ( not right if you ask me ) The boy was nervous I was nervous and the old sears kicked ass. Ended up 2nd. Got beat by a twin cub that one of the guys that runs the pulls owns and was way more then stock as were most of the other tractors in the class. We were the only tractor that still had the mufflers on and the only tractor that was still a lawn tractor. Boy won $50 and trophy. I was happy the rear ended didn't blow out and I can go back to mowing next week.

GT18 rear end problems IMG_20160513_201936386_zpse1vwqpfg

alansz400

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