1250 Found A New Home (2)

[jsoluna]

Here is the 1250 that I just picked up two weeks ago. It is a carbon copy of my other 1250, with hydraulic lift but no other options.

It came with a 44" deck, 10.50 ag tires, and an IH front blade.

The pics are the original pics from the sale, before I had even seen it in person.

Year of manufacture: 1976.


The history for over half of this tractor's life is unknown. The previous owner did have this tractor for 18 years, though. He was a fireman, and as I was told, was someone who was somewhat diligent about addressing known mechanical problems. It is a high hour tractor, and the engine has been rebuilt once (.010 piston). Hour meter read 105 hours when I got it. That could be 705, 1305, or 1905 hours. I'm going to guess it's at least 1305 based upon the wear at the governor bracket and the hydro control linkages and the general condition of the unit.

Initial observations and fixes at this point:

1. Engine would bog under a full load. High idle was set too low, governor sensitivity was out of whack, and the timing was retarded. Using a digital tach and timing light, I set high idle from 2800 to 3600 and set timing to its proper setting. Moved the governor spring around to find the sweet spot. Valves were set a little tight. Adjusted and put new breather components in.

2. Carburetor float stuck open. Throttle shaft had excessive play. Swapped in rebuilt carb from the other 1250. Adjusted main and idle jets.

3. Fuel tank mount/firewall was vibrating and rubbing into the engine tins. Welded in new tabs to tighten it all up.

4. Exhaust elbow loose at the block. Muffler bouncing around violently. Threads mangled. Was able to rethread the elbow further into the block. Made a custom support brace to help keep the muffler support structure intact.

5. Pulled the head to decarbonize. Found lots of buildup and a little oil. .010 piston with some wear near the valves. Some cylinder scoring, but walls not glazed yet. Crosshatch still visible through most of the bore. Definitely has some piston slap. Will monitor oil consumption and know that it will need rebuilt before too long. Engine runs well and is very smooth at idle, no knocks or misfires.

6. After reinstalling the head, the spark plug hole stripped out! Removed and replaced head again, Heli-Coil repair on the spark plug hole. Replaced the Champion plug with an Autolite 216. In order to run the engine through a couple heat cycles (without remounting the fuel tank)I rigged up a remote fuel system with a low pressure solid state fuel pump. This makes the head gasket replacement process a little less tedious on the QuietLine models.

7. Steering wheel had been pulled at some point and was put back off-center. Adjusted toe-in and lubricated all the rusty ball joints.

8. Used some rubbing compound on the hour meter to be able to see through the plastic better.

9. Previous owner had wired the brake switch to a momentary toggle so starting the tractor required two hands. Fixed that issue. Bad ground cabling at battery and starter. Made new leads for both. Serviced the starter drive assembly.

Other known issues yet to be addressed:

1. Hydro leak. Most likely from the main cork gasket.

2. Hydro creep. Lots of work needed here from the trunion slot, to the linkages and pivoting brackets.

3. Driveshaft fan is gone. Some slop is evident at the coupler on the hydro input shaft. Seems to be in the roll pin/spirol pin. Rag joints and driveline bushings probably need replaced as well.

4. Fender pan sheet metal has been cut and is cracked in several spots. Some welding and fabrication here to bring it back to factory.

QuietLine owners will notice that there is one thing I've made no mention of yet.....

[jsoluna]

These pics were taken at about 115 hours, after the first round of repairs were complete and I had a chance to really work it hard.

[Alvy]

Very nice. 1976 was a great year.

Not mentioned- condition of iso mounts and cradle mod, flex plate?

[jsoluna]

Originally Posted by Alvy

Very nice. 1976 was a great year.

Not mentioned- condition of iso mounts and cradle mod, flex plate?

Bingo.

ISO mounts were replaced before I got it, and before the engine's oil pan and tins got all janked up. They look like the Cub replacement mounts.

The tractor runs remarkably smooth as a result. Cradle mod was not done, though. When the engine comes out for rebuild, the cradle mod will be performed.

This is also the first used Kohler I've bought that had the points cover wire grommet still attached to the cover. Just a neat little detail. There are places where you can tell someone cared about this thing at some point in time.

[darkminion_17]

You have been busy as your first post pretty much says it all!

[sawdustdad]

Originally Posted by Alvy

Very nice. 1976 was a great year.

Not mentioned- condition of iso mounts and cradle mod, flex plate?

It's a hydro--so no flex plate.

[Alvy]

Originally Posted by sawdustdad

It's a hydro--so no flex plate.

Come on Frank 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. He knew what i meant

[Ronnie125]

Sweet 1250. The hydro lift gonna 1250 is a nice option.

[jsoluna]

I really like the QuietLine tractors. I know there are some guys who are anti - side panels and sound/vibration dampening that make the QuietLine tractors unique but I personally think that is one of their better qualities. They are just as simple and rugged but are a little more refined.

[sawdustdad]

I'm another fan of the QLs. The covers and muffler shield, to some extent, negate the quiet factor due to vibration and rattling noise, so I'm not so sure they are all that "Quiet." Once you get them all buttoned up, and eliminate any rattles, they do earn the moniker.