[Snoopy11]

Howdy!

I am new to the forum... although not necessarily new to tractors or... John Deere equipment.

I restored this 1995 John deere Lx176... it had broken frame tabs... so the rear-end was not attached to the tractor. All new tires, fresh paint with glossy clearcoat. It has a Hydro 165 Hood, which I really like, as it has a square look that I adore. I added the lights you see in the pictures. Everything works on this sweetheart. I had to change the coil and igniter to get this thing running, along with a full disassembly and reassembly of all components, including the engine.

Again, I am new to WF Machines. I am a member of another well known tractor forum, where I am pretty well known, especially with engines!

I hope you guys enjoy!

Don

 

[5540jd]

Welcome to WFM. I know what you mean about repairing frame on the LX models. I was given a LX186 that had a jerky transmission. Turns out it was the belt slipping when rearend was rolling forward from tabs on frame being broken.

 

[dhager4692]

Welcome to WFM.

 

[Snoopy11]

May I ask how you fixed it, @5540jd ...?

I just used L steel and welded new tabs on...

Don

 

[5540jd]

Angle iron with holes drilled to match ones in frame. Then welded angle iron to frame.

 

[Snoopy11]

Angle iron with holes drilled to match ones in frame. Then welded angle iron to frame.

Yes, that is what I did. I haven't had much of an issue with it since the repair. Hopefully I won't have any issues in the future...

Don

 

[Snoopy11]

Welcome to WFM. I know what you mean about repairing frame on the LX models. I was given a LX186 that had a jerky transmission. Turns out it was the belt slipping when rearend was rolling forward from tabs on frame being broken.

I just have to wonder... why the tabs break...? What exactly are guys doing that cause this issue?

Don

 

[DEERE317]

Welcome to WFM from a fellow 100 series loving Hoosier.

 

[gabby_in_wis]

Welcome to WFM from southwest Wisconsin. My first new Deere was a 175. Learned to love the Kawasaki engines with that tractor. Sounds like you are an experienced mechanic already so we will be asking you questions.

I have relation in Indiana/Ohio. I'll honk when I drive by ... Gabby

 

[5540jd]

I just have to wonder... why the tabs break...? What exactly are guys doing that cause this issue?

Don

My dad bought the 186 brand new in 1991, the year I graduated high school. I had been mowing the yard with our 1968 110 all through school. I guess he was ready for something newer with a bigger deck. It mowed his 2 acres for lots of years. Then my sister bought a house and he passed her down the 186 to keep her yard mowed till she got married and her husband had a zero turn. I think it’s just metal fatigue from the rocking back and forth from going forward and backward many times over the years. It has had two fans put on top of transaxle and a oil pan gasket on engine, a few belts and bearings on deck, but has been a dependable mower over the years. Still using it to mow my small yard at my lake home. The Kawasaki smokes some when you start it, but clears up after getting warm. I just add a little oil as it needs it. The plastic hood just sits over the engine due to hinge falling apart years ago. Not on of Deere’s better designs.

 

[Grant Baker]

Welcome to WFM Don

 

[TempletonJDguy]

I do like the hood conversion. I did that twice, very happy with it. Good tractors, keep an eye on fuel pump as they get a hole, leak onto exhaust and whoosh, bbq. Look forward to your posts! Cheers 👍🏻

 

[T-Mo]

Don, I'm glad you made it over from Red Square. The LX series were top of the line for lawn tractors, probably for the whole industry. They introduced liquid cooling to lawn tractors (lc was already on some garden tractors). The LX188 stood at the top of the line.

FYI, JD made a variant of the LX series for Honda, who just put Honda engines on them and had the tractor painted red.

 

[jetjoe]

Welcome aboard. It's nice to see the group is still growing. Hopefully, you chime in regularly. As for the broken frames, it's MHO this started in the '70s when Deere decided to make a few more bucks using light and softer material. The issue is not exclusive to the LX series for sure. As I found out the hard way it's very common on the later 300 series and also the 400's. I guess I'm a bit surprised to see the issue with the smaller machines. I have come to believe it was a problem with the larger machines and simply asking them to do too much. But I doubt if you've been pulling any plows around with your LX. I would guess the rougher the terrain being mowed the more likely the frames cracking. Not a lot of cushion down there to absorb the shock.

 

[Snoopy11]

Hi there @T-Mo !!!

Yes, I am very glad I got a WF Machines account. I would love to get a liquid cooled version of the lx176 at some point...

Of course, I will be keeping my eye out for one...

Thanks fellow John Deere gurus! I am very glad to be here!

I haven't had an issue with the tabs since I fixed it, hopefully, I won't!!!

Don

 

[Snoopy11]

keep an eye on fuel pump as they get a hole, leak onto exhaust and whoosh

Oh, wow. Now that is some good advice.

I did have an issue with that as a matter of fact, except... the fuel line had a hole in it... and was leaking. I caught onto it very soon though... so nothing happened.

I do hope to do some exhaust work at some point... as the muffler is not in very good shape for its age. I would like to remove it, and do a exhaust stack...

Any thoughts on that, my good people?

Don

 

[DEERE317]

Just thought I would throw out what an LX188’s blower shroud and fan look like afterwards.

 

[Snoopy11]

Just thought I would throw out what an LX188’s blower shroud and fan look like afterwards.

Oh wow... That looks... pretty bad...

Don

 

[DEERE317]

Oh wow... That looks... pretty bad...

Don

On the flip side people get rid of stuff when that happens so we got a free LX188 so that looks pretty good.

 

[TempletonJDguy]

I think I have 3 that burned. I also have a runner with a leaking pump and carb. Hopefully I can get that going this winter. I have a bunch of different hoods, hopefully I can make one good one out of parts and strengthen known weak areas with epoxy before they shatter.