# Craftsman 917.252560 lawn tractor



## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Picked up this Craftsman a week or so ago. Good running 19hp Briggs opposed twin. The deck was off when I bought it, but all the parts were there, except for the deflector chute, which is gone. I knew the drive idler pulley was frozen, as was the shift lever & brake pedal linkage. Some rust & paint peeling, but I bought it anyway. Came with a brand new battery too, so bonus!

Brought it home, realized the hood was from a newer tractor. Hood paint doesn't match the fender & footrests. Some holes drilled in the fender for a battery tray or something will need to be welded over.
Took the seat & fender off to clean & degrease. Masked all the decals to preserve them. Used some Liquid Wrench on the moving parts & freed up the shift lever, deck lift linkage & brake pedal. 

Researched part numbers & ordered an idler pulley, deck belt & deck return spring on ebay. For $24, I think I did ok.

Doing a full paint job on this one. Won't sell if it ain't shiny. Valspar gloss black tractor paint going on the frame, still undecided on the hood & fender color. Maybe a gray hammered finish paint. My buddy has a good used drive belt from one of his tractors. He changes them every year, since he tows a pull-behind mower with his GT500. 95.5"belt, same as the deck. I always use kevlar on the deck, though.

More added as I do more...


































































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## T. Cruit (Feb 25, 2019)

That's a nice looking tractor. I have a 917.258862. My deck started cracking and I eventually gave up on it. Before that I patched it up with some 1/8" steel strips. You might want to reinforce it before it gets like mine. 
Looks good, keep it up.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Ground & sanded rust off the deck, fender pan, seat pan & frame. Treated the rusty spots with acid. Wirebrushed & painted the deck lift arms & deck engagement levers using gloss black tractor paint. Painted the plastic shift gate with Krylon Fusion gloss black. 
The parts I ordered arrived today, but I'm not ready for them yet.
















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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Got a bucket of water & washed down the deck, frame, seat & fender pan. Sanded everything & shot primer. While that dried, I removed the steering wheel to get to the column shroud. Found the steering column bushing was broken, causing slop in the steering. My buddy may have one on a Craftsman parts tractor. 
Shot 3 coats of Valspar gloss black tractor paint on the deck & frame. Painted the seat pan, column shroud, shift gate & seat cushion retainer. Removed the starter solenoid that someone mounted on the outside of the frame & moved it inside the frame. Removed the voltmeter so I can try to replace the clear plexi window, or just replace. Added a 2nd coat of black to the deck linkage.
Gotta fill the holes in the fender next. Then choose a paint for the fender, hood & footrests.
Getting closer...








































































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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Picked up an old Craftsman LT2000 carcass from a buddy. It has the steering column bushing I need, a battery hold-down, ammeter, wheels & tires, a working deck, etc. The steering wheel is nicer than mine, so I'm using it too. It even has a 3 hard bin rear mounted bagger. This will save me a few bucks.























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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Swapped out the ammeter from the donor Craftsman to the project. Opened it up & cleaned out the dead spiders & dust. Swapped the steering bushing to my tractor, installed the column cover & steering wheel after a 2nd coat of black paint. Reinstalled the headlight switch. Installed the new drive idler pulley & associated hardware. Masked off the footrests & shot a couple coats of Krylon black hammered finish paint. Looks more like a gunmetal gray. 

Installed the new deck belt, spring & linkage on the deck. Reassembled the seat. I'll have to find a couple small sheetmetal screws, drill a couple holes & screw them in under the seat where the plastic retainer attached to the seat pan. 2 of the originals rusted & broke off. No big deal. 
Wiped down the hood & masked the decals. The hood paint is ok, just doesn't match the fender. It will after I fill the holes in the fender & paint it to match.






























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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

You are worth more money TB, you do a great job of masking those decals and your repaints are great too.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

FredM said:


> You are worth more money TB, you do a great job of masking those decals and your repaints are great too.


Why, thank you. I appreciate that!

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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Excellent job looks very good.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

The hood has not been painted yet. Just masked. Looks gold because of the indoor lighting. Still need to paint the fender & hood. Snowed a couple days ago, then rain for a couple days. 

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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

TecumsehBriggs said:


> The hood has not been painted yet. Just masked. Looks gold because of the indoor lighting. Still need to paint the fender & hood. Snowed a couple days ago, then rain for a couple days.
> 
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I thought the same thing! I figured that the pictures were attached out of sequence!


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

The old pulley failed, not because it was plastic, but because it was stored outside & the bearing seized. Plastic pulleys work just fine as long as the bearings don't seize.

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Welded the holes in the fender with my mig welder. Lots of grinding, but got it done.























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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

After a few days of applying high build primer, sanding, repeat; painted the fender today. Painted the plastic nose on the hood after a light sanding & cleaning. Ran out of paint. Gotta wait a couple days before I can buy another can. Gonna let these bake in the sun for a couple days.























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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

More like soaking in the rain for a couple days...

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Shot some paint on the hood & a little more on the fender to match. Removed the masking tape after the paint dried.





































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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Installed the fender & seat today. Engine top cover & air cleaner were looking shabby, so I painted the air cleaner gloss black & painted the top cover hammered black like the hood & fender. Had to bend a couple tabs on the hood that were scraping the air cleaner. Cleaned the headlights, lenses & reflector, painted the reflector silver, then reassembled the lights in the hood. Also painted the footrest pads satin black.
Went to start her up & nothing. Battery good. I had previously moved the starter solenoid from outside the chassis to inside, but never ran the tractor afterwards. Pulled out the solenoid, cleaned all contacts & remounted it back inside the chassis. Starts & runs very well. Relief!
Another day or 2 & this thing is ready for resale.























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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Picked up 2 rubber grommets at Lowes to use as hood bumpers. One fit the hole that was in the control panel. Had to open the other square hole for the 2nd grommet to fit. Had to bend the hood sides in a little so the deck lift lever would clear the hood.

Also picked up an ultra fine point white paint pen to letter the freshly painted control panel. Don't laugh, I know it's not perfect. But at least you know what the controls are for.























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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Looks good TecumsehBriggs!


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

great job, would like to see your results restoring an old tractor, you have the touch.


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Not exactly a restoration, but the oldest tractor I own. 73 or 74 Ariens. A few newer modifications. One of my favorites.









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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Not an old tractor, but restored as much as I could. 67 Impala convertible.









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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Now that Impala is a beauty! Do you still have it? Listen, I'll take that old chevy pickup from behind the fence off your hands and you'll have lots of room to park it!!


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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

pogobill said:


> Now that Impala is a beauty! Do you still have it? Listen, I'll take that old chevy pickup from behind the fence off your hands and you'll have lots of room to park it!!


Had to sell the Impala to pay the mortgage & some bills after I lost a job of 8 years. Hard to find pay equal to what I was making, so I posted her for sale. Son was newborn, had to do it.

I'd really like to restore the 65 Chevy C-10. Got tons of extra parts including another cab. Just need time, energy & money. I would entertain offers in person, though...

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Well, it turns out the mower deck that came with the Craftsman is a newer model. Supposed to engage with a cable instead of linkage. I would have to convert this tractor to use a newer engagement lever assembly, of which I have 2, or use an older deck that uses linkage, of which I have 1 or 2. Either way is time consuming. I would have to grind & sand another deck, prime & paint or drill some holes & mount the new deck engagement lever. Good thing it's raining. 

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Trying to find a headlight switch for this thing. Everything about this son of a gun is a pain in the rear.

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

After not being able to find a large rocker switch for the headlights, I found out why. "Someone" ogled out the hole with a butterknife or something. Now I gotta make a plate to cover that ugly hole & make a regular mini rocker fit.










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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Dug out a mower deck from a tractor I sold a couple years ago with a snowblower, but kept the deck. It was already painted, used the correct type of linkage & was the right size & shape. It has 1 new spindle & a new pulley. Tightened everything up, oiled everything, adjusted a couple arms, installed a grass deflector. The deck wheels were missing, so I swapped them from the deck that came with the tractor. The deck I'm using has only one idler pulley. The other has 2. That means different belt routing & different belts. Looked up the tractor I sold & realized I bought a new 82.5" belt. Looked in the shed & actually found the new kevlar belt! What are the odds? Installed the belt, touched up the paint & let it dry.

Touched up a few scratches on the tractor, straightened out the front deck mount brackets, aired up the tires & drove it around a little. 

Need to buy & install headlight switch, adjust brake & install deck. Getting closer...























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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

It never ends with this thing.

Swapped a washer & hitch pin from a parts tractor, then adjusted the brakes. Brake pedal not returning, so I swapped the return spring. Old spring looks like it was from an old screen door. Didn't really help. Oiled up all the linkage. Still not helping. Had to remove the muffler & heat shield to install the spring. Then I notice a crack on the front axle! 
Slid the deck under the tractor, then remembered there were no blades on it. Went to sharpen the gator blades that were on the (wrong) deck that came with the tractor. Mangled, bent & oversharpened to the point of rusty dullness. Took a pair of mulching blades off another Craftsman deck & sharpened them. One was bent, so I bent it back the best I could. Installed them on the deck & installed the deck. Adjusted the engagement lever. Mowed the lawn outside my fence. Realized the 2 right tires were flat. Filled with air & mowed a little more. Ran out of gas. Filled the tank. Mowed some more. Engine quit after engaging blades. Starving for fuel. Not sure if it's dirt in the carb or vapor lock due to the engine side tins missing. Gonna change the fuel filter & slide a larger hose over the fuel hose & reroute the fuel hose.
Anyhoo, tomorrow is another day.
















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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Changed the fuel filter & fuel line. Replaced & added a couple hose clamps. Changed the air filter while I was at it. The old one had a bunch of rust in it. Rerouted the fuel line away from the cylinder & secured it with zip ties. Wiped it down & took a few pics for the craigslist ad. Wiped down the seat & plastic grille with Armor All wipes. 

A couple things left to do; replace headlight switch, right front & right rear tires don't hold air very long.












































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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Removed the right rear wheel to swap it with one from the donor Craftsman my buddy gave me. The one on the donor has an inner tube, as does the left rear & right front. The left front is almost bald, but holding air. Probably just going to use a new tube, which I have & put the donor wheel back on the donor. Dropped the mower deck off the donor, too.

While I had the wheel off, I adjusted the brake rod. While my son stepped on the pedal, I watched the operation. The washer on the rod was catching on the frame. Put a smaller washer on & slightly bent the rod. Took the brake assembly off & broke off the longer of the two. Oiled the assembly mercilessly & disassembled. One brake pin was stuck in the bore, not moving at all. Took everything apart, cleaned & filed out the holes, wirebrushed everything & slathered anti-sieze on the moving parts. Got out the propane torch, heated, oiled, loosened with vise grips, repeat, repeat, repeat. Finally loosened when I tapped the vise grips clockwise & heard a squeak. Oiled it & tightened/loosened til it came out. Success! Looked in my inventory (a large orange storage bin with assorted parts) & found a bolt from an MTD. It worked. Reassembled the brakes & hopefully no more brake pedal bind. Had to take a break. Tomorrow I will install the tube & reinstall the wheel on the tractor. I plan on swapping the right front wheel tomorrow. Still need a headlight switch & to clean the carb/fuel pump. Then install the bagger & take a couple pics for the craigslist ad.
















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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Installed a new tube in the right rear wheel. Had to take the tire off completely & file/sand down the inside of the rim. A million little welding splatter nubs covered the inside surface. Nice quality AYP. Mounted back on the tractor & moved to the front. I had planned to just swap the right front wheel from the donor tractor, but the inner wheel bushing was so ogled out, it wobbled like Hillary. Going for a new tube tomorrow. 

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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Yeasterday, I hunted down a new tube for the front. Found it at O'Reilly auto parts, along with a headlight switch. Installed the tube at my buddy's garage. He has a small tire changer from hf. Took it home & mounted the wheel just before the rain. 

Today I worked down the switch plate my buddy cut out, sanded it down, drilled some holes, primed & painted it. Mounted it using 1/8" pop rivets. Headlights work. Yay. 2 bolts on the instrument panel were missing nuts, so I replaced them. Added a rubber bungee to hold down the battery.



















































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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Thoroughly cleaned out the carb & fuel pump. Nothing really out of the ordinary. No rips in the fuel pump diaphram, no "stomach acid" (as my son once called it) in the bowl. Ran a tiny wire through the passages & blew out with air. Started right up. Adjusted the idle. Went for a mow. Everything worked as it should except for the brake pedal still sticking. One more adjustment.









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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Took apart the idler pulley pivot assembly. All full of rust. Cleaned it thoroughly & applied anti-seize. Adjusted the brakes again. Everything working like it should. Had the wires switched on the ammeter. Showed a discharge instead of a charge. Went for a mow. Hopefully this thing sells soon.









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## TecumsehBriggs (Jun 17, 2011)

Sold sold sold sold sold!!!!!

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