Archive through April 06, 2004

[wcompton]

Dave-
Bore and head look very nice, in fact if I could have got a J&E piston at only a .010 overbore, that'd be all I needed. Head bead blasted off and looks new, that's why I said detonation. I'm guessing it sucked in and burnt enough oil that it had some hot spots in the head and detonated.

 

[jchabot]

Wyatt:

I've seen quite a few like that one, it appears to be a typical kohler problem. My take on it is that is is the result of overheating, as it usually occurs on the side of the piston facing the valves where the cooling fins aren't as effective. That side usually has some oil film on it from the breather and when combined with grass clippings and baked in place eventually clogs up what fins are there.

Just my .02 on the subject.

 

[sblunier]

Ken,

That pic is very misleading...the hoses actually run under the dipstick/cam cover and then up about 2" to the top of the front frame cross member......probably 8" away from the muffler and in a place that you could stick your hand after mowing on a 90 deg. day and not burn it.

 

[sblunier]

Well, I got the 44" installed on the 169 tonight and started to level everything up. Ran out of front eye bolt adjustment, so I'll have to pull the subframe off and give it a good bending to get me into adjustment range. (I purposely didn't paint the subframe yet because I figured this would happen)

Couldn't resist the urge to throw a belt on it and wind it up out on the driveway........love the howl of Gators driven by a 16hp!!!!!

Had some real good help out in the garage tonight too!!!!

 

[hsimon]

Here are the pictures of my sweepster in action. Please excuse the 582's rough appearance as she had a bad hair day on Saturday and never fully recovered on Sunday when these were taken.

Thanks Charlie for taking these. Hope ya got your painting done.

 

[sshimon]

Travis

A friend of mine ordered some parts from you through your web site at the top of the forum. He ordered a lift arm and a lift pin for his 1250 on the 21st of March. He is an over the road truck driver and doesn't have access to the internet on the road. He wanted me to post a message for you to contact him as soon as possible on his cel phone. (515) 890-1683. His name is Dave Janssen. He can be contacted at that number anytime day or night.

Thanks
Scott

 

[dkamp]

Hey Steve! Nice job on the deck. Your young helper looks like he enjoys tractors just as much as my son Nick... he's what... 28mos now...

You'll get 'ta meet him at Prophetstown!

 

[dkamp]

Hey Everybody! Made myself a sleeve hitch tonight... well, got halfway through, did all the hard stuff... just have to make a 5/8ID receptacle for the pin. I didn't have the 3/8" x 2.5" strap-iron spec'd in a drawing I had, but found some nice 1/2" x 1/2" x 2" angle iron which I worked over with the torch, chop-saw, and grinder to make a nice U. I'll obviously hafta notch it a bit to mount the pin-tube, but I'll let that wait 'till I find an appropriate piece of tube... or whatever I can make work.

Boy, it's been hard to get things done after the bathroom renovation ate my wallet!

The distance between the center of sleeve-hitch's pin... {marked in red here} and the rearward face of the hitch... what's the maximum that dimension can be, before the hitch won't properly accept implements?

 

[wcompton]

Had an odd deal with the 169 last night, fired it up back out so I could change oil in the car and I moved 2 ft and it quit and wouldn't start. Spark plug was dry so I pulled the carb & blew it all out. After that it started right up, adjusted the carb and runs as good as ever. Seems as though that happens to that tractor about once a year.

Steve-
You'll REALLY like mowing with that 44 and gators, same thing I ran last year for the little mowing I did. Only thing I found is that I could mow less than an hour on a tank, more like 45min.

 

[wdeturck]

Dave K.

ref measerment) I measured the U bracket on a brinly plow and it's 1 1/8" from inside to center of 5/8" mounting holes. The mounting pipe(1" round with 5/8"+ bored in it) is welded tight on the bracket. Should be no problem with your 1/2 " material.

 

[sblunier]

Dave K.

BTW, that's my father and my son....Steve I and Steve III........I was the dummy behind the camera.

All:

Big Steve is back to work on light duty, should be 100% cleared for duty in about 3 weeks. (Just in time to plant his beans

)

 

[aaytay]

Steve-
That deck looks FANTASTIC!!!

 

[rking]

Steve-

Good to see Big Steve up and about.

And little Steve looks like he's growing right into that 169.

16 mo. Jack's working his way down to the footrests himself:

Pardon the small pic.

 

[rking]

Speaking of decks, but I'm putting in an order from Ken U. this week for some new blades for the 42", and this may sound like a dumb question, but are they shipped sharpened?

 

[bmcmeen]

Rich K. -

Define sharp. Yes, there's an edge of sorts, but no, it's not a razor.

But I've never had an issue using them straight from the box.

Besides, as I've said here before, if you spin a 2x4 fast enough you can cut grass with it...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Steve B., awesome job on the 44" deck!!!! Good to hear Steve I is doing well. Steve III is sitting pretty tall in the saddle. )

 

[rking]

Bryan-

Guess the question should have read are they shipped "sharp enough" for a season of mowing.

Since the ones being replaced are more akin to the spinning 2x4 you mention, and you haven't had any problems out of the box, I'll take that as a "yes."

 

[aaytay]

Rich-
I've learn from this forum over the years that it seems to be more the shape of the blade rather than the sharpness of the blade that gives a good cut. That explains why, years back, the old blades on my 44" deck wouldn't cut worth a hoot even though I was keeping a razor sharp edge to them by sharpening every 2-3 weeks. Turns out I was sharpening a blade that wouldn't cut grass no matter how sharp they were due to their shape!

 

[sblunier]

Rich,

Cute kid!!!! Lots of fun aren't they?!?!?

Kraig,

Steven III "drove" it back to the shed last night......he was very happy!!!! (even if daddy was sitting on the fender beside him)

 

[kmcconaughey]

Art, ummm remember the ag tire incident(s)? The same thing didn't happen with the mower blades did it? p