Murraymountain's Deal Flipping Thread PT2

> I threw one on the floor to see what would happen and it shattered

I assume this is a plastic gear. Maybe they did make it of plastic instead of nylon?

What year is the Malibu? Sort of looks like wife's former 2005, same color 4 door.

Yeah definitely made out of plastic. Got two OEM ones and they actually look like the factory gears lol.

Malibu is a 2000. One generation before yours.

I did get word the bonded title won't work so it's not looking great for it. However I did just spot a Oldsmobile Cutlass of the same generation at the scrap yard about 2 hours ago so I will be stopping by early Monday morning in hopes to get some really cheap parts. If I can then I should have most of the parts I need to finish it. As for now I put the panels back on it and parked it out of the way and mostly out of sight behind a shed.





The two Yard Machines are pretty much done and ready to go. The black one's deck engages REALLY hard but there's not much I can do about it. The Red one's parking brake doesn't work but I also don't know what to do about that because I thoroughly inspected the entire speed selector system and could not find a single thing missing broken or bent. Anyway I put the belts on the black one and had to clean the carb one more time and it was good to go. The red one I put a new carb on and changed all the belts and it's all good to go! I'm gonna clear coat them when I wash them in a month or two and put them for sale. Same with the Murrays.




The 14/38 Murray I was indeed able to repair the carb on. Very happy about that. I got my new gears in and got it running and driving now. The knock quieted down so that's nice. All the tires are holding wind now. All I need for it now is a grille, clutch pedal pad, starter cover, and a deck belt, all of which I have lined up. So it will be done pretty soon.




The 12/38 Murray I got my new spindle and pulley for. Got it all on and everything fit correctly except the pulley was pretty much a whole pulley width lower than originally. No problem except the brake did not line up now. So I ended up having to take the bracket off and shorten it. Now it's better. The belt alignment is trash but it's a Murray so it'll be fine.




Got it all put together and was able to mow with it for a while. Didn't have any issues except for it running pretty trashy. So I took the carb apart and the float had fluid in it. So I have a new one on order and that should be the last piece to the puzzle on this one. I'll test it out again once I get the float in and then I'll go park it with the Yard Machines until it's time to wash, clear coat, and list them.


I stopped by a house a couple weeks ago to ask about an early 90s Chevy Lumina that was sitting in the yard. The owner of the car wants $600 for it and it's just too much to ask for a car like that in that condition so I had to pass on that one. However, I found this bugeye Murray sitting on the property when I asked about the car.



So I asked about it and he said he'd let me know. I came back a few days later to see about the price on the car and he hadn't gotten an answer yet from the owner but he said I could have the Murray. So today I took Alfredo over and quite literally yanked it out of it's spot. It had 4 tires off their beads and it was buried. Gave Alfredo a good workout. Anyway, here it is now that I got it home.





Yep, you saw that correctly. The back section of this thing is TRASH. When I pulled it off the trailer with Alfredo once I got home, I yanked it one time and it ripped the whole plate off on that one side. The entire rear section of the frame is that way. So I really don't know what to do with this thing. I'm gonna spend some time assessing the condition of everything else on it and see what all it actually needs. If it doesn't need that much to get it going, I'll see what there is over at the junkyard and see if I can just get a whole new frame and swap everything over. If I can't find a frame, I'll just strip it for parts. This is by far the rustiest Widebody I have ever seen.

May be time to rip that one apart for the parts and scrap the rest.

The ol Tacoma frame special eh? Murcoma? Tacurry?

> I found this bugeye Murray sitting on the property when I asked about the car.

Now that you mention it, it does look like a cicada.

MightyRaze wrote:

May be time to rip that one apart for the parts and scrap the rest.

That’s most likely what will happen. A frame swap honestly doesn’t scare me very much as I could do the whole thing in a single day. It just depends on if I can get one and if everything else is in good shape. But if either of those are not the case then yeah I’m just gonna strip it and scrap the frame.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

The ol Tacoma frame special eh? Murcoma? Tacurry?

Lol, you know it. I like Murcoma.

@Murraymountain

Too bad you are over a 1000 miles from me.  I have a frame, not the greatest but usable you could have.  LOL.

I have never seen a mower frame rot like that, jeez. I have dug stuff out of the dirt in better shape.

Doug wrote:

I have never seen a mower frame rot like that, jeez. I have dug stuff out of the dirt in better shape.

Yeah I know right. Definitely the worst I have ever seen. I’ve only ever seen surface rust and some pitting. I know what causes it though. The battery starts leaking acid and then the race is on. That explains why it’s only the rear section of the frame. The MM started rusting pretty good too and that was just after 6 months exposure. This shows what happens when you get like 10 years of exposure.

From a rusted frame to a bent frame… I picked up another one. Paid $40 for it. This one had nothing wrong with it Tuesday evening. Got hit by a drunk driver early Wednesday morning. The mower seems to be the first thing she hit and she hit it head on. It took it better than I thought it would but she’s toast. We’re gonna see if we can resurrect the motor since it was a 24HP and maybeeee try to straighten the frame a little just to test the trans. I was told it doesn’t seem too healthy so it will get scrapped if we can’t test it.

The aftermath of the wreck.





And the damage pics.






Right from what I can tell, to get it to run again, it’s gonna need new valve covers, an intake, all throttle controls and an oil drain as it’s busted off in the block. I haven’t seen any cracks in the block or heads as of yet, but I do imagine the heads will probably be cracked underneath the covers. Probably where the rockers mount to is my guess. Hopefully not, but we’ll see. Unlike the Murcoma, there’s pretty much no question of saving this one… it’s junk.

Wow, on the positive side, no one was on any of the mowers or they would have been killed. Looks like she MOWED down the stop sign too?

Just a thumbs up for showing the result of not thinking about the welfare of others when you get behind the wheel.

I would wonder if the rear axle is not damaged from the impact. That mower had to either go airborne or pushed under the car and dragged.

> an oil drain as it’s busted off in the block.

If you are talking about the 3/4" steel pipe nipple, I would say the block has to have cracks, it takes a bit just to bend pipe, never mind shear it off.

Was the woman seriously injured or was it all property damage?

Glad you’re alright man.

I hate drunk drivers.

That's crazy, glad you're okay and didn't pay too much for it! I'd tell her I just paid $200 for it so pay up! Lol

JB_4x4 wrote:

Wow, on the positive side, no one was on any of the mowers or they would have been killed.  Looks like she MOWED down the stop sign too?

Just a thumbs up for showing the result of not thinking about the welfare of others when you get behind the wheel.

I would wonder if the rear axle is not damaged from the impact. That mower had to either go airborne or pushed under the car and dragged.

> an oil drain as it’s busted off in the block.

If you are talking about the 3/4" steel pipe nipple, I would say the block has to have cracks, it takes a bit just to bend pipe, never mind shear it off.

Was the woman seriously injured or was it all property damage?

Stop sign and street sign. I got what was left from the grille of her new Honda and took the emblem off. I don’t know about the rear end but I think it’s fine from the collusion. Nothing seemed damaged on the rear. The guy said it was having issues before the accident. The woman was fine I think. So yeah all property damage, luckily not my property. I live wayyy off the road.

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Glad you’re alright man.

I hate drunk drivers.

Me too bud me too.

Brianator wrote:

That's crazy, glad you're okay and didn't pay too much for it! I'd tell her I just paid $200 for it so pay up! Lol

I think I said that wrong lol. I didn’t own it until after the accident. A guy two miles from me whom I pass by daily had it and I went by Wednesday morning and it she was in the creek and the police were there and the tow truck and all. So I stopped and checked it out on my way back and bought it the next day for $40. If I did have it when it got hit tho, I definitely would’ve been making her pay .



Yesterday I stripped it and got everything I want except the motor. The pulley is rusted on. So once I get that off I’ll throw the frame on the trailer cause I’m about to take the scrap load.




What I’m keeping





I pulled something in my back the other day trying to load it so I’m taking a break for a while. So I tested the 12/38 Murray out after replacing the float. Did great! So I parked it and took the battery and it’s ready to go!

Spent about 3 hours stripping the Widebody down partially today. Tried to get to run too but it has no spark. Eliminated all likely possibilities except a dirty coil. I believe the coil is simply just shot but both bolt snapped so I wasn’t able to determine if it is yet. I know it needs a carb as well.



Considering the rest of the mower, the deck is phenomenal. All it needs is a spindle casing and bearings on one side. I’ll clean it and paint it and oil it up while I’m there.




The rear wheels came off without too much fighting. Did have to hammer them off but they came off pretty quickly. The front ones wouldn’t even spin. The list is long and I really shouldn’t take this on but I most likely will lol.

Now that is a rusty pulley. Though I think the crack is beyond JB Weld, though, you never know!

The pulley crumbled out of existence and I cut the hub off lol.

Got the Murray fully stripped and am now slowly putting it back together. Got the frames swapped and everything sanded and painted. It’s looking real good.






These brakes were locked up solid. They’re smooth as silk now.





I’m going to swap the back plates from Alfredo over to this frame and make beefier ones for Alfredo. Been needing to do it and this gives me one more reason so figured I might as well knock it out.



Coming along nicely. I’m not in a big rush with it so I’ve just been doing a little here a little there. Been quite enjoyable.


I now have to get these washed up and put the last few parts on the 14.5/38. Then I’m gonna clear coat all but the black yard machine… I’ll wax that one. Then they all go up for sale.

I see your green tool. I have been thinking about getting the Ryobi 1/4" ratchet myself. How do you like yours?

The 18+ sawzall has saved my bacon twice now at farm auctions and cutting stuff down (steel and brackets) to size. I usually use the 1/4" impact for removing LT/GT nuts and bolts, but, sometimes it just does not fit in some areas. Or is too strong to put small bolts back on. I ended up getting the cut off tool for my current build since I have to deconstruct a lot of stuff and grind welds. I have only needed the 1200# impact one time on a LT.

The small 18+ air compressor has been perfect for LT/GT tires so I do not have to haul out a hose or fill my mobile tank to go fill up one tire.

It is good to get projects out, I am whittling mine down before I got and get the 3 I just bought :-D Hoping the orange Ariens runs well. I looks like a keeper (42" and 17. HP) vs. a parts machine.

I may wax and polish my silver craftsman and the black Murray I just bought ... after I wax and polish my wife's car, of course !

JB_4x4 wrote:

I see your green tool.  I have been thinking about getting the Ryobi 1/4" ratchet myself.  How do you like yours?

The 18+ sawzall has saved my bacon twice now at farm auctions and cutting stuff down (steel and brackets) to size.  I usually use the 1/4" impact for removing LT/GT nuts and bolts, but, sometimes it just does not fit in some areas.  Or is too strong to put small bolts back on.  I ended up getting the cut off tool for my current build since I have to deconstruct a lot of stuff and grind welds. I have only needed the 1200# impact one time on a LT.

The small 18+ air compressor has been perfect for LT/GT tires so I do not have to haul out a hose or fill my mobile tank to go fill up one tire.

It is good to get projects out, I am whittling mine down before I got and get the 3 I just bought :-D  Hoping the orange Ariens runs well.  I looks like a keeper (42" and 17. HP) vs. a parts machine.

I may wax and polish my silver craftsman and the black Murray I just bought ... after I wax and polish my wife's car, of course !

I like the tool, definitely like my impact better. However the next day my brother broke that tool and the impact has been broken for a while so I’m in dire need of some power tools right now lol. I like the Ryobi stuff for the most part. They’re hit or miss. My little hex head drill I’ve had for a while and it still the first one I’ve had. We’re about to get our third impact gun. We’re currently on our third drill and sawzall. The two drills that died were both about $100. First one was great, second one was brushless and was trash. The one we have now was $30 online brand new with no battery on Amazon and may be the best lasting one of all 3. I would try other brands, but that means buying more batteries and I have about 6 Ryobi batteries so I just keep buying Ryobi lol.



Got the 14/38 Murray finished today and got all 4 washed and clear coated and going for sale tonight! Big thanks to  @JB_4x4 for meeting me this morning and giving me an extra hood and grille for the 14/38! I got right to work on it and swapped the grille to the original hood. (I don’t know why my pictures have been uploading sideways lately. They didn’t before and I haven’t changed devices or anything.)




Got to washing them all and finally clear coat.






The Murray 12/38 looks 1000 times better..




All done and sitting pretty!

Aaaand I have since sold all but the black Yard Machine. The 12/38 went for full price of $400, the Yard Machine for $500, and the 14/38 for full price of $400. I delivered all of them for a total of $80. Turns out, delivering the mowers has been a really good deal for me. Most of the time I don’t go home with an empty trailer. I came home with not one, but TWO free mowers from when I dropped off the Yard Machine. I got a Troy Bilt Pony and a Poulan. Yesterday after dropping off the Murray, I came home with a Husqvarna that has been sitting for a LONG time. I’m not complaining though. What’s there to complain about after selling 3 mowers for full price and getting 3 free mowers to replace them. Here’s the pictures:







Deck is gone on the Husqvarna.



Not too bad. I haven’t had a chance to look them over yet. I want to finish Alfredo, do what I can to the frame swapped Widebody, and part out the L130 I got a while back as I sold the deck off of it. Then I’ll pull all these in and get to work on them. I pulled all my John Deeres up too. Like I said, I’m junking the L130, I’m going finish the little odds and ends on my L110 restoration, and I’m going to start on the 115 restoration when the frame swapped Murray is done or mostly back together and not blown to pieces across the floor.

> What’s there to complain about after selling 3 mowers for full price and getting 3 free mowers to replace them

Awesome! Good seeling prices too. That red Murray was pretty sharp looking. I really do like that red metallic.

If I offer any for sale again, I may offer delivery because the person that needs one might not have a trailer.

About a week and a half ago I went and bought a Cub Cadet I was supposed to buy last year. It's not too bad. I paid $100.



The fleet was MASSIVE last week around this time. I have since dealt with 8 out of 10 (Alfredo included). I sold the black Yard Machine for $250. I just wanted it gone at this point. Stripped the L130 down so it's gone now as well.



Then I pulled my L110 in and got to work. It needed a revival. Cleaned the carb, pulled the MASSIVE mouse nest out of it, put a fresh battery in it, put the L130 hood on it, rewired the headlights and got new bulbs, straightened the muffler guard, sealed up two of the tires, changed the oil and filter and fuel filter, and then had to put belt guides on the deck and adjust the deck brakes as they also partially act as the disengagement spring for the deck clutch. I put a fresh coat of clear coat on it as well. It's looking, running and cutting very well now. Ready to cut some grass this season.



Put the last part on it today which was the fuel filter and went and parked it behind the house with Alfredo.




After I got to a stopping point on the L110, I started on the Cub. Starting with removing the mouse nest.



I found a fuse blowing issue with it and diagnosed that quickly. PTO was shorting to the frame. Taped up the frayed wires and replaced the connector and that was sorted. Put a valve stem in a tire, swapped the leaky fuel pump and cleaned the carb. Tried it out and was able to go cut some grass. Brought it back in and dialed/adjusted some things. Washed it off and clear coated it. Went to drive it and the carburetor died on me. Dumped a massive amount of fuel in it out of nowhere. So I just pulled it back to the shop and pulled the carb off and valve cover gasket as I found it to be leaking. I know, a Kohler Courage valve cover gasket, leaking... unheard of. Anyway I pulled it apart and also did a tune up as parts came in. My valve cover gasket and carb should be here within the next 2 days. So by Thursday it should be all finished up and for sale. Gonna ask $650.






Then I moved to the Poulan. This one turned out way better than I thought it would. I was told it was spitting oil everywhere and yeah they weren't kidding. First thing I did was check the oil and there was just as much oil in the crankcase as there was gas. Came out with the viscosity of water. it was so overfull the PCV was pumping it straight into the carb. The carb had also had the entire combustion chamber full of gas too. Surprised it didn't eat the head gasket. Anyway, I cleared it out and heard it pop off and run for a second on it's own tank even. It had fresh gas in it. So I then changed the oil and from there it was a breeze. It runs GREAT. No knocks or noises whatsoever. So I starting doing all the odds and ends it needed. It was a bunch of little things I won't mention.

Good wash..




Then I gave it the ol clear coat after a little body work. The shine is incredible.




Got it all tuned up and everything. All I'm waiting on now is a new carb as it flooded again and filled itself to the brim and shot a geyser out of the intake when I tried to crank it. Luckily wasn't flooded long enough to get into my fresh oil. So I need that and a seat and it'll be finished as well. Going to start at $500-550 range. Market seems high this year down here.




Then it's sibling, the Troy Bilt. I swore off Troy Bilts after the last one but this one has been good so far. I literally just threw a hot battery in it, hit the solenoid to get it turn over and it fired up, ran, drove, and mowed. My freebies have gotten better. This one does knock, but it'll be fine. Oil was also very gassy and thin. Aired up the rear tires (they've held since), dropped the deck to clean it and sharpen blades and slap some paint on it, got the lights working properly again, tuned up the motor, got it running smooth with the old seafoam down the yap, swapped the seat over to a newer better not cracked one, adjusted the steering wheel and tightened up the loose steering and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. Washed it real good and hit it with the clear coat and it's looking sharp. Just waiting on pulley covers for the deck and a slightly larger rear belt as it's not holding the speed it should. After those two things are done, this one will be going up for sale too. Probably start at $500 and come down due to the knock.




As for the frame swapped Murray which I realize I don't have any pictures of right now, I have it mostly back together. I'd say we're about 75% there. Engine is on and fully tuned up and has a new carb and no spark condition resolved. I probably shouldn't have done all this having not even heard the engine run before but we're just going to pray it doesn't smoke or knock. Just got my trans brackets in and put the transaxle back in. Shifter feels awful but hopefully it's ok. Got a spindle coming in and rear tubes so in a couple days the deck will be back on and it will be on all fours again. I did however get the wrong steering gear and ignition switch, so I need to reorder those before I can try it. But it's definitely coming together.

And I have not yet touched the Husqvarna or 115. I just pulled them in today. Since the Murray is getting close and is not in a million pieces anymore, I am going to start messing with the Husqvarna as it will need to come pretty far apart. The motor is seized so I filled the cylinder with ATF Thursday and it has been sitting in the motor since. Hoping it's enough to break it free. We'll find out this week. If it doesn't, the tractor is pretty much guaranteed to be junked.

How everything currently sits... Except the L110. Like I said I finished it and it's with Alfredo now.





Anyway, I'm sure I'll have another update later this week or next week sometime.

@Murraymountain what type of clear coat are you using? It really brings those bad boys to a shine

Yes, and do you mask that off or just let the overspray fall where it may?

ranch king pro 08 wrote:

@Murraymountain what type of clear coat are you using? It really brings those bad boys to a shine

Just this normal stuff you get at Walmart. Each mower only takes about 1-2 cans.

TechnoChicken wrote:

Yes, and do you mask that off or just let the overspray fall where it may?

Depends. If it’s something I’m not going to spray then I mask it. If I am going to spray it or don’t care one way or the other I’ll leave it and just spray over it anyway.

Thanks, I was wondering about the clear coat too.

I am surprised you actually have John Deere mowers with hoods. I picked up one hood off a mower (think it was the lx- 173) and it literally broke a 12x12 chunk off in my hands. So, I think that makes it 3 out of 3 with no hood. At least the grill survived.

The CC LT1042 looks very nice. I guess that is 12+ years old going by tractor data.

I bet it takes some doing to keep all those batteries charged if you have one in each mower. I made a check list where I do all the batteries in my mowers and trucks once a month. Plus, the spare cell phone, Ryobi 18+, Atlas, etc.