# Ford lgt 125 restore



## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Hi all so I just purchased a 72 Ford lgt 125 for 50$ seemed fair enough. Guy owns a Christmas tree farm one of his buddies had this tractor sitting at the farm no using it so he brought it over for the guy to use and let people get there picture with. Along came me asked him if he wanted to sell it he looked at me like I was half nuts. Rest is history. Now he told me it doesn't have compression. I asked how he knew and he said t"guy brought it over after sitting for years and the engine cranked over pretty fast sounding to him." What I'd like to know from you guys is was 50$ fair? How good of a tractor are these? Any weird functions? Just everything and anything you guys can educate me on I'm all for. I've restored stuff in the past and am currently working on a project but this is my first garden tractor always loved the Ford's so I considered myself lucky in finding one thank you! Did include a picture i think


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

The seat and tires are probably worth $50.00, so I think you did alright. It'll be a fun project to see if you can get it going. If you can, get yourself some paint and a can of elbow grease! Document your build and share it here if you like. We'd all like to follow along!
Welcome to the forum!
http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/4/1/1412-ford-lgt-125.html


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

for $50 you have a good platform to start with, for a nearly 50 year old garden tractor, it looks impressive, you got a bargain there.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

I've got a restored 1969 Ford 120. They're Jacobsens branded as a Ford. The K301 Kohler is a great engine and parts are readily available. The factory service manual, parts list, and K301 service manual are all posted in the Manuals Tab of this forum to help you with the restoration. Once you get around to painting it, take a look at these guys for a new decal set. For $60 delivered, they'll dress it up really nice and make the machine look like it just came from the dealer.

http://www.maplehunterdecalstexas.com/fordlgt125.aspx

If you can go back with standard piston/rings, here's an overhaul kit for $69 with shipping

https://www.amazon.com/REBUILD-Kohl...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583520388024626&psc=1

Here's the aftermarket carb for $12.50

https://www.amazon.com/GooDeal-Carb...01+carburetor&qid=1578510226&s=automotive&spr

Nicely restored LGT 125's go in the $500-$600 range depending on your local market, so $50 is a good start. Depends on the what's up with the K301 and if the drive system is in good shape. The LGT 145's and LGT 165's have really shot up in price the last few years. They start at around $800 and go up depending on the attachments that come with it....


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## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Thank you for the info will be looking into the decals for sure. To be honest I get it fixed up nice and running good I'll let my kids sell it when I'm dead I always loved the old fords. I'm hoping just for a stuck valve or something but if it needs the works that's what shell get will hopefully know this week!


Bob Driver said:


> I've got a restored 1969 Ford 120. They're Jacobsens branded as a Ford. The K301 Kohler is a great engine and parts are readily available. The factory service manual, parts list, and K301 service manual are all posted in the Manuals Tab of this forum to help you with the restoration. Once you get around to painting it, take a look at these guys for a new decal set. For $60 delivered, they'll dress it up really nice and make the machine look like it just came from the dealer.
> 
> http://www.maplehunterdecalstexas.com/fordlgt125.aspx
> 
> ...


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## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Bob Driver said:


> I've got a restored 1969 Ford 120. They're Jacobsens branded as a Ford. The K301 Kohler is a great engine and parts are readily available. The factory service manual, parts list, and K301 service manual are all posted in the Manuals Tab of this forum to help you with the restoration. Once you get around to painting it, take a look at these guys for a new decal set. For $60 delivered, they'll dress it up really nice and make the machine look like it just came from the dealer.
> 
> http://www.maplehunterdecalstexas.com/fordlgt125.aspx
> 
> ...


 also can anyone tell me why it has two keys? There's one above the steering wheel and one below


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Looks like something the prior owner rigged. That's supposed to be a "pilot light" that tells you the PTO is engaged.

Manuals Tab-> Page 4-> FORD 1972 Newer Parts List-> Page 56-> Figure # 4 (JAC159161 Light Assy, Pilot). See page 93 (same manual) for the wiring diagram

I would suspect there is a problem with the PTO Switch and they are using that key switch to turn the PTO on/off. They're kind of an oddball PTO switch and are hard to source if you don't know what you're doing....


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## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Could someone post a picture of the dash on it just so i have an idea on what its suppose to look like?


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

It looks as if you still have the pilot light. Follow up on the manual.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Pogobill is right, your pilot light is still there …… Still think the prior owner rigged that key switch in to replace the original JAC-158865 PTO switch. I mentioned that switch is kind of oddball, but I failed to mentioned it will give you heartburn when you see the price (if you can find it). I'd almost bet the PO said to hell with that and rigged in a $10 key switch.

https://www.kleibertractor.com/buy-parts/New-Holland-Part-JAC158865-INACTIVESWITCH-4296782/

You can replace the JAC-158865 with a Stens 430-508 for $17 that looks just like the original from the seat side. The LGT125 start circuit is simple wiring, it's only a *seat switch*(JAC-181259, Good luck finding that one at a reasonable price also) and *PTO off *for safety switches.

https://www.amazon.com/Stens-430-50...YC7B0TJHEJF&psc=1&refRID=6RMBSN8S8YC7B0TJHEJF


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## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Well it's definitely a broke connecting rod. Everything seems solid though so far.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Well that'll make it "crank over pretty fast sounding"... Used crank is gonna run you about $100 on e-bay.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Sad about the crank, but the rest of the engine looks to be good, most times when a rod seizes and snaps, the seized end will smash the bottom of the cylinder, the cam and most times will put a hole in the crankcase wall.

Enjoy the rebuild.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

The K301 used a "dipper" on the lower rod cap for splash lube rather than pressure lube with an oil pump. They were notorious for fatigue cracks at the base of the dipper. If you found one with a cracked dipper, you weren't supposed to just replace the lower cap. They were machined to match to the rod as a set. When the dipper finally failed, they usually weren't long for the world due to a lack of adequate lubrication, or the dipper blade flying around in the crankcase.


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## Bumper1990 (Jan 1, 2020)

Noted were probably bolted together then bored and polished as one piece. Here's another question for further down the road after I get this rebuilt naturally I want to paint the block has anybody tried magic from tractor supply they have the blue I like I'm just curious if it would hold up to the heat from the block or if I should stick with Ford manifold blue paint


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Dupli-color sells two different shades of Ford blue ceramic engine paint. Good stuff, bakes to a hard ceramic coating as the engine heats up. Just about all of the major auto part chains carry it.

Just bear in mind that you're painting an air-cooled engine. You can paint the blower housing/filter housing with out much in the way of problems. I've found that a heavy coat of paint on the cooling fins of the cylinder and the block will raise the operating temperature significantly. It was almost 30% higher when I tested it with an IR gun and that was on a cast iron block. Both Briggs and Kohler warn against painting any aluminum block engine.

You see lot's of guys do it on restorations, but those are "garage queens". They are for show over a couple of beers and not for mowing 3 acres in July


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