# 68 SS 12



## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

Need a carburetor ( which I may can rebuild one I have). Also the original metal tank , what’s best way to clean em out, or can I find a replacement one made of plastic. It’s my pops ole riding mower. Thanks in advance.


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## HarveyW (Sep 15, 2014)

Good Morning Gillis,

You can find replacement carburetors on the internet. Ebay has quite a few. That metal tank is probably full of rust. Remove the tank and rinse it out with gas. It's very difficult to get all of the rust out of a tank. If your engine has a fuel filter, replace it. There are a lot of fuel tanks available on the internet, your problem is finding the exact one...


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

This forum is seeing a run of the old SS Suburbans lately..... A lot of those old SS came with Tecumseh engines. Early models had the HH L-head engines(late 60's) and later models had the OH overhead valve engines. Both were decent engines for their time, but the down side to either one is if they came with the infamous Tecumseh "SSI ignition". I won't go into much detail in this post, but you really need to search the inter-net to understand what this means before you invest a lot of money into restoring a lawn tractor with one of these engines. The ignition system on these is a ticking time bomb. When it fails, viable replacement parts become a nightmare. Take my advice for what it's worth (free), but understand the risk involved with that 50 year old ignition system. 

To answer your other questions.... 
*Carburetor*
The HH & OH engines came stock with Walbro carburetors. Both kits & after market replacements are readily available for less that $20. Click on the link below and match the picture to your carburetor for detailed instructions if you decide to rebuild...
Tecumseh Carb Rebuild Instructions

*Fuel Tank Rust*
There are all kinds of knuckleheads on the inter-net posting video on how to remove rust from a fuel tank. I've tried about everything over the last 30 years and come to the conclusion electrolysis is the way to go. It's simple, cheap, and works every time if you give it long enough to work. It sometimes takes 48-72 hours, depending on the level of rust. You also don't run the chance of creating a pinhole, or seam leak, like you do with acid. This link is to a short/simple video of how to do it and works every time....

How to Do Fuel Tank Electolysis

Pay attention to what I'm telling you about those Tecumseh SSI ignition systems. There a literally 1,000's of guys out there that wish somebody had told them about it before they spent a ton of $$$ and ended up with an engine that essentially becomes a boat anchor when the ignition fails.....


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## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

HarveyW said:


> Good Morning Gillis,
> 
> You can find replacement carburetors on the internet. Ebay has quite a few. That metal tank is probably full of rust. Remove the tank and rinse it out with gas. It's very difficult to get all of the rust out of a tank. If your engine has a fuel filter, replace it. There are a lot of fuel tanks available on the internet, your problem is finding the exact one...


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## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

Thanks a bunch!!


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## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

Bob Driver said:


> This forum is seeing a run of the old SS Suburbans lately..... A lot of those old SS came with Tecumseh engines. Early models had the HH L-head engines(late 60's) and later models had the OH overhead valve engines. Both were decent engines for their time, but the down side to either one is if they came with the infamous Tecumseh "SSI ignition". I won't go into much detail in this post, but you really need to search the inter-net to understand what this means before you invest a lot of money into restoring a lawn tractor with one of these engines. The ignition system on these is a ticking time bomb. When it fails, viable replacement parts become a nightmare. Take my advice for what it's worth (free), but understand the risk involved with that 50 year old ignition system.
> 
> To answer your other questions....
> *Carburetor*
> ...


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## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

Yessir. I haven’t been on lately due to “ life’s roller coasters “. My dad pretty much ( with help of our cousin, who was an ole school mechanic) re-painted the ole SS. It had never gotten in rough shape. Always sheltered and kept running. The deck got “mistakingly“ tossed by a couple of 14 yea old young men, who were told to clean up the home place. I sure have regretted that!! Gas tank, and carburetor getting a good cleaning, is all it needs. Your prior posts , earlier this year, were very informative, and i admire your HONESTY! This “planned obsolescence “ crap that this country has really adopted hard, the last 20 years is pure criminal. Thanks again, and I’ll try to get some pics up soon.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Gillis said:


> Yessir. I haven’t been on lately due to “ life’s roller coasters “. My dad pretty much ( with help of our cousin, who was an ole school mechanic) re-painted the ole SS. It had never gotten in rough shape. Always sheltered and kept running. The deck got “mistakingly“ tossed by a couple of 14 yea old young men, who were told to clean up the home place. I sure have regretted that!! Gas tank, and carburetor getting a good cleaning, is all it needs. Your prior posts , earlier this year, were very informative, and i admire your HONESTY! This “planned obsolescence “ crap that this country has really adopted hard, the last 20 years is pure criminal. Thanks again, and I’ll try to get some pics up soon.


Not really a case of planned obsolescence, after all it's lasted 50 years. I'm just trying to make it clear that once that ignition toast (and it eventually will), there are very few options for a replacement.


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## Gillis (Dec 15, 2020)

No sir, I surely didn’t mean that for the older tractors, mowers etc. I meant more so on newer mowers. Friend of mine bought a 2015 John Deere, 42” cut. Starter went out. Actually the “plastic“ gear shredded. I looked up a whole new starter for him, and the starter on it from factory, was rated to crank like 7 to 15 hp engines. But it was mounted to a 22 hp engine! I thought to myself, this stuff is planned to fail !?


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