# Craftsman GT



## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Picked up another GT the other day. It's missing the deck, all attachment arms & adjusting levers, the grille & hood. Those are the cons.

Here are the pros:
Good 18hp Kohler opposed twin engine, decent seat, newer battery & a 6 speed hi-low trans. Cost a total of $70. 

I plan to swap the motor into a slightly newer GT with a hydro & 50" deck. It originally had a 20 hp Kohler V-Twin, but the previous owner's kids locked it up. I paid $50 for this one.









After the swap, I'll probably put the trans up for sale, or trade it for something else I can use. More to come...


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Dropped the deck today & dragged it closer to the workbench, pulled the engine out & pulled the battery out of the donor. Hopefully, I will pull the engine out of the donor tomorrow.


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## TominDallas (Aug 4, 2015)

Looks like you'll come out with a good machine for not much money but a little work instead. Good luck and keep the thread updated. We're enjoying watching your progress.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Engine set in place...


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

I set the hood in place, but looks like I'll have to trim about 2" off the plastic funnel that goes over the flywheel/fan. There's a line around the funnel that looks a perfect guide for cutting.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Today I secured the air deflector panels, changed some wiring, took off the left & top engine tins (right side still holding fast), changed the fuel line from filter to carb & istalled a new filter. Gonna need a longer throttle cable unless I can modify the choke cable from the parts tractor. I also repaired the rubber breather hose with electrical tape.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Got the throttle cable & choke cable straightened out; installed engine mounting bolts; tapped a hole in the frame for an engine cooling baffle; got the wiring figured out(need to splice in a different plug).


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## TominDallas (Aug 4, 2015)

It's looking good and your progress is coming along well. As far as plugs are concerned, I've always thought most of them are mainly to allow for assemblies to be fastened together and plugged into one another. In that sort of application I believe you're better off soldering and insulating therefore removing a possible source for future failure. Aside from becoming intermittent I've seen an alternator or two burned out from a loose fitting plug assembly. That's when I just started soldering the wires.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Pulled the terminals out of the plastic plugs & rearranged them in the proper plug. They are the spade type that come out when you squeeze them sideways.









Trimmed 1 3/4" off the plastic engine cooling funnel so the hood can close all the way. There are part numbers on the top side of the plastic part that mounts to the hood. One funnel is 3 3/4" & the other is 2". So I cut the longer one down to 2".





































Working on the seat now. Stripped the seat pan on the green GT & removing rust prior to paint. The seat pan from the donor tractor did not have the center slot to adjust the seat forward & back. I'll use the cushion & cover from the donor tractor. When I'm done, the seat switch will work as intended & the seat will adjust to different height users.
















The deck is on the workbench now. All spindles are free, so I will clean up the deck, sand the rust off & paint it. Then the blades get sharpened or replaced as necessary.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Here is the top of the engine cooling funnel/baffle with part numbers...







So basically, I turned this part from a 161237 into a 161236.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Work has kind of slowed on this one. Got sidetracked with other tractors & leg issues. Cold & rainy now. Waiting on a few parts to finish off deck.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Deck wheels & brackets came in today. Still need new belts for the deck. Got a bunch of belts lying around, but don't remember which go where. Still gotta paint the engine tins, reinstall the blade clutch, paint the deck & install it. Also still need to redo the seat. Running out of time with fall coming. Probably would've gotten more done if my leg wasn't messed up.


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