[NA]Yard mower mystery[NA]

Operator's manual for your mower is here:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/985238/Craftsman-917-20391.html?page=1

Parts list is here, including exploded view of all the parts.
https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/917203910/0247/1509200.html

I hope you're not relying on the continued existence of Sears, to get parts etc. That company is going to go the way of Montgomery Ward, and it won't be long now.
I bought a Sears Craftsman lawn tractor in 1992, and gave it to the new owner of the house when I sold it last year. The only things I did to it was change oil, change the battery every few yeas, clean the air filter, and fill the tires with that sticky self-sealing stuff, since there were cacti in the yard. The rods and strap that held the battery in place broke at some point and I replaced it with a bungee cord. I was amazed it lasted that long with so little attention and repair.
 
I bought a Sears Craftsman lawn tractor in 1992, and gave it to the new owner of the house when I sold it last year. The only things I did to it was change oil, change the battery every few yeas, clean the air filter, and fill the tires with that sticky self-sealing stuff, since there were cacti in the yard. The rods and strap that held the battery in place broke at some point and I replaced it with a bungee cord. I was amazed it lasted that long with so little attention and repair.

I'm still running a 42" Yard Man w/15HP Kohler from 1993 that was owned by my grandfather. I could have been the first one to ever change the oil in that thing. I have replaced the blade spindles, new front tires, and a new steering shaft last year. Still fires up within 2 turns of the engine. Transmission has likely never been touched, all belts are original. Most of the plastic body panels have broken off so she ain't pretty, but still keeps tickin' so I keep using it.
 
I don't know, but I am pretty sure my tractor mower would give a police vehicle a good run for the money.....:lol::lol:


If that’s yours, you’re one sick individual. I love it!
 
If that’s yours, you’re one sick individual. I love it!

No, not mine, I should have added that.

But a cool little tractor. And yes, I would be the one that tried full throttle...

Wondering what the little red button on the steering wheel does....
 
No, not mine, I should have added that.

But a cool little tractor. And yes, I would be the one that tried full throttle...

Wondering what the little red button on the steering wheel does....

That’s one wicked toy! Props to the dude who built it.
 
Bad to the bone Zeldman. Looks like one of Bill Elliot's toys...

 
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Bad to the bone Zeldman. Looks like one of Bill Elliot's toys...


Funny you should bring this particular race up. I know a little something about the fuel the Elliots were using that day. Hint: The fuel in the fuel cell wasn't anything that NASCAR knew anything about....;)
 
Funny you should bring this particular race up. I know a little something about the fuel the Elliots were using that day. Hint: The fuel in the fuel cell wasn't anything that NASCAR knew anything about....;)

Ya ain't trying if ya ain't cheaten', right? :cool:

So, spill the beans, I mean fuel....
 
Ya ain't trying if ya ain't cheaten', right? :cool:

The Elliots knew what they were doing alright....

The rule book said something like if it isn't in the rules, it's not legal. The Elliots engine builder said something like, if you don't get caught, it ain't cheating...
 
The Elliots knew what they were doing alright....

The rule book said something like if it isn't in the rules, it's not legal. The Elliots engine builder said something like, if you don't get caught, it ain't cheating...

Ernie?
 
That is what, in the vintage motorcycle hobby, is known as a common bodge screw. Many uses - not clear its use here.
 
It holds the thing to the thing.

--

From the looks of it, it might be just a few threads in. I don't think it's a setscrew. If it was being used to plug an oil or other reservoir I'd expect to see evidence of some kind of leak. Someone in a previous post probably got it right: somebody saw a screw on the driveway, figured it fell off somewhere, found a hole, and fit it in as well as he could.

It holds the thing to the thing.

--

From the looks of it, it might be just a few threads in. I don't think it's a setscrew. If it was being used to plug an oil or other reservoir I'd expect to see evidence of some kind of leak. Someone in a previous post probably got it right: somebody saw a screw on the driveway, figured it fell off somewhere, found a hole, and fit it in as well as he could.

Except the OP says there is no way to unscrew it, which points to someone adding this non OEM screw at some point while the thing was partially or totally disassembled. I am not clear if the part it attaches to spins or is a turning part, but it sure looks like a hack.
 
Except the OP says there is no way to unscrew it, which points to someone adding this non OEM screw at some point while the thing was partially or totally disassembled. I am not clear if the part it attaches to spins or is a turning part, but it sure looks like a hack.

Post 17 OP states he is the sole owner. I agree the screw was added prior to assembly.

Maybe the OP could look at similar make/model mowers and see if any of them have the same screw.

Or call the service center and ask someone who works on them why it’s there/what it’s for.
 
I hope you're not relying on the continued existence of Sears, to get parts etc. That company is going to go the way of Montgomery Ward, and it won't be long now.
Sears didn't build that mower to begin with.

Monkey Ward was a odd bunch. The last CEO said he was positioning himself in the niche between Walmart and Sears. I'm not even sure I could stick an index card into that niche.

I'm always amazed that the catalog department stores (Sears, Wards, JCP) missed an obvious jump between the catalog and the internet. Of course, Wards had already abandoned the catalog in 1985 (a little too early for practical internet), but Sears didn't pull the "Big Book" until 1993 and Penny's not until 2008. The big box retail has come and gone in the overlapping times.
 
Sears didn't build that mower to begin with.

Monkey Ward was a odd bunch. The last CEO said he was positioning himself in the niche between Walmart and Sears. I'm not even sure I could stick an index card into that niche.

I'm always amazed that the catalog department stores (Sears, Wards, JCP) missed an obvious jump between the catalog and the internet. Of course, Wards had already abandoned the catalog in 1985 (a little too early for practical internet), but Sears didn't pull the "Big Book" until 1993 and Penny's not until 2008. The big box retail has come and gone in the overlapping times.

It's hard to change your basic business paradigm. It's hard to admit you need to until it's most likely too late.

I worked for 2 successive companies (nowhere near the size of either Sears or JC Penny) that had built very successful businesses by integrating storage devices, controllers and software (which they built) into a turnkey solution. The leadership in both companies came from hardware vendors and viewed the software as supporting the hardware sales. Both companies crashed and burned when hardware commoditization and interface standards compliance made the integrated solution have little value. One managed to sell off the software portion to a software oriented storage company who did well with it, until they moved all development overseas. The other limped along with a very small crew for years servicing an ever smaller set of users who had existing systems.

After having lived it, I tried to educate the management of the second company as to what was coming and how to survive, but they couldn't believe that software had any value other than to move hardware and they couldn't believe that integrated hardware solution wouldn't survive-even in the face of multiple examples. They were convinced they were different and I was just alarmist.

John
 
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