Ariens GT17 garden tractor repower

The pulleys are 5". So the two clutches I'm looking at with warranties should work.

 

Don't call me any names, but between your time and parts money...nevermind, you are on a mission!!

 

Oh, you don't need to remind me.

Now this $100 clutch, and a few dollars of spacers and a little time, is my breaking point... For now.

If this doesn't do it, I'll find a decent used mower and just run that until I feel like tackling it again.

 

In order to get a equivalent new machine you would have to pony up some big bucks. In my opinion you're still well in the black.

 

If you can fix the leak I still have a jar or 2 of wire harness smoke kicking around somewhere.

 

The smoke is easy to come by...but do you have the smoke pump to put it back in?!
The instrumentation guy at work claimed to have one (I never seen it though) but he got sick and died and nobody can find it now!

 

Yes, a new version of what I have with a 48" deck, rear wheel weights, weight box, and the 48" 2 stage snowblower will be easily well north of 10k. Plus, the new orange or green ones are still not built as well.

 

New clutch and the new gas cap are on the way. I should have the clutch by Monday. Got them both for $113.

 

Clutch and new gas cap are here today. I installed one of the two items in a minute.

I'll work on the clutch tomorrow. I'll need to find some 1-1/8" bushings. The local fleet farm has 1" or 1-1/4", but not 1-1/8". I could see if maybe northern tool or some other local place has these instead of having to buy them on Amazon or elsewhere. I don't know how much bushings / spacers I need. I'll know that as soon as I put the clutch on and get the belts on. The belts should self align it. The crapsman had about 1" length of 2 total bushings.

 

Progress...

Old clutch off.

New and old clutch side by side.


Mmmm BBQ.
Burnt ends. They don't smell good though.

More side by side shots



The new one is possibly a tad shorter. Shouldn't be an issue.


Test fit , the bushing didn't want to fit in. I didn't want to try too hard without gloves. That thing is sharp.

But it does show it fits. Now the new clutch has a key built into it. The only issue with that is that the key is "short" . If you get what I mean.
I hope that won't be an issue.

Side angle. It has enough room to get the belts lined up.

The bracket at the top on the clutch is the "anti rotation" bracket from the crapsman.

I took it off, and tried to get the clutch on over the sleeve.


It looks once I get this buttoned up, that it should work, right?

 

This is as far as I could get it by trying to put the spacer on first. I think I'd rather try it the first way, and maybe just use a longer bolt to cinch the spacer in by pushing it in with the use of a washer.

I was running out of daylight and the skeeters were getting bad by the garden area.

Enough for today.

Here's the gap because of the step down bushing.

 

That key is gonna be a no flyer...you say its built in...I doubt it, that would be very abnormal...it is probably just a very tight fit. You will need to get the right key in there...

 

Let's see.. I don't have a good picture now of that key. Here's a close up of the eBay picture

I'll have to get a picture with my phone where I can zoom in.

 

A lot of split taper bushings have a built in key. With today's steel casting abilities a lot of once impossible crap is now possible.

 

In your second pic, if you look through the handle of the dipstick you will see the hose that leads to the Pcv Reed valve located under domed valve spring cover that I was referring to before.

 

Yes, I cleaned that before I put the engine into the ariens.

It's raining here, otherwise i'd get that clutch off to get a better picture of the key on the clutch.

 

Hmmm...I guess I haven't run across enough split taper bushings lately...

 

How 'bout an update...this thing cutting your grass now or what man?!

 

I'm on vacation

Some dude with a zero turn was to mow before Sunday.

I was waiting until after the 4th and I'll get my thinking cap on again.

 

Trying again now....