Archive through June 08, 2010

[dfrisk]

GERRY - I did plugs in my S40 Volve a year or two ago, Coil on plug ignition, they're under a plastic cover on top of the engine. Few bolts or something and they came right out. Now the oil filter.....or air filter..... something that needs tending after every 3000-5000 miles. "Let's bury them INSIDE the fan shroud!"

Having worked on all manner of IH equipment for 40+/- years, I will say IH stuff is designed to be built, not really designed to be serviced. Some stuff gets a little cramped, but then it doesn't need servicing often.

Typical comment like "To remove waterpump from FARMALL H or M, securely block front frame rails behind front wheels, remove steering shaft, radiator support stayrod, remove radiator hoses, remove eight capscrews between frame rails & front bolster, roll front wheels, bolster, & radiator assembly forward. Yes, THAT is a lot of work, but I have 56 and 59 yr old FARMALL's out in the shop that still have the FACTORY waterpumps on them, and it's easier & quicker to just remove the radiator and have it cleaned & rodded out or replace it than to split the tractor.

Same thing with my IH diesel-powered Ford pickup, to R&R the vacuum pump to run the power brakes, the Helm manual starts with "Drain & remove radiator". But there's plenty of room to remove the pump with the pulley installed if you use common combination wrenches on the three bolts. Then remove & install the pulley with the pump in a vice. Took me an HOUR the first time. And it takes TWO hours to drain the eight gallons of coolant! Just make sure you install the three mounting bolts BEFORE you install the pulley on the shaft!

 

[kweaver]

Jim D -

Kid_e - As for your neighbor ... I dislocated my right shoulder putting a brake line on my '99 Silverado ... had to get Kathy <u>out of bed</u> to come lay under the truck to get her small hand in there to put the line in the anti skid dividing block.

Gary's ok in my book ... you all know how my book reads ...

... and I can't resist this !

 

[dgallagher]

Does anyone know the size of the battery cable wire on a Model 72? I am working on one for a neighbor that has burned up several wires. The wires that are on the battery look to be about a 10 gauge that seem awfully small. Thanks in advance.

 

[bproctor]

Guys I need some help.


I'm trying to reassemble my K181 and having trouble finding the timing mark on the crankshft gear. The cam is clearly marked. The only thing I see on the crank is a spec of dirty, white paint (looks like paint) on the counter balance close to the gear. I installed the valves and springs to figure out how everything is working. When the timing mark on the cam is visable it sits at about 4 o'clock (do to valve spring preasure). Both valves are slightly open. Then if I slide the crank in and align the tooth nearest to the white spec and the cam timing tooth the crank pin is at or close to TDC.

Does this sound correct?

 

[mmorrison]

I would like to oder some ambition but non of the sponsors have any. The 122 is still wating for pant.

 

[kweaver]

Mike - The sponsors lack ambition ... if they had any they'd sell it.

Bob G - Do you have the manual for that little feller ?

 

[fcurrier]

David G: Good question! Parts lookup doesn't give guage sizes, so I'm going to wing it, here, and suggest a 6 guage wire.

 

[bproctor]

Ken

I have the Kohler and Cub service manual. The pictures are bad and they talk more about the larger engines. They didn't help me much.

 

[gsmyth]

1450
What a firestorm. Permit me a few more lines.
What I was trying to convey was that to repair a Cadet requires that the person gets involved. It may mean cash, time, tools, and/or information. I wasn’t trying to offend. I stand by my engineering statement. It’s not that engineers of that time didn’t care, but they didn’t have access to the equipment that is design commonplace today. The tractors were designed to do work and do it for a long time. They do that. Today’s computer generated cost/design “what if” scenarios largely were not even written and if they were, would be given a lower priority than to consider some guy trying to fix that Cub forty years hence. As one example, screw and bolt sizes that were specified then were common and cheap. Today the computerized inventory control in Western PA hardware stores means (as you all well know) that more than a few of those very same items aren’t even carried. That is certainly not the fault of the engineer then, but it is a major pain in the rear today when the options are traveling twenty miles to a different store, ordering on line (in box quantities) and waiting, adapting something close, or doing without as a last resort.
I do mostly wood working, the better I get at it the fewer power tools I want to use. Why? Precision, better control, knowledge, feel. I have many, many hand tools and I’m guessing 50% of them are at least sixty years old. Why? Because they are tested, tuned and of quality when compared to some of their counterpart tools today. But in wood working if I screw up, a judicious tweak or cut or a different piece of wood is relatively easy to fix a problem. But when you have only one (non-working) tractor, cash is limited, the grass is 9” high, neighbors are complaining, and I hate to look out the window, the fun aspect fades and I want it to be easier to get what needs to be done, done. When it finally dawned on me that I was driving myself into a tizzy, that what I had (and have) to do requires more effort than a trip to almost any lumberyard, it was an epiphany and that was the crux of the post. That tractor is what it is. Deal with it.
Lastly, thanks in no small part to the people here I am more comfortable. AND yes, when things turn around, I’m looking for an additional 1450. (and a metal lathe, MIG welder, sheer, brake, blast cabinet, winter heater, etc., etc.)

 

[kweaver]

... ah he's just bucking for Hydro Harry's title of long post , but Dennis runs in 2^nd place

Gary - I know for a fact that Detroit automakers engineers use to send people out to the "back alley" shops to see how they fixed cars ... then they went back to the computer and re-designed parts NOT to be fixed without the correct service tools that only the dealerships had / could afford / had factory training on.
A friend of mine use to teach automotive mechanics to the dealer mechanics in Dearborn.

So what we have are 40 year old machines that the dealers / parts suppliers / EPA , either didn't think would still be running in the 21^st Century or didn't want them to be running. So we have to do the best we can to keep these good old AMERICAN works of solid iron running.

---------------------------------------

I always buy new tools when I work on something ... need a Delta table saw or 5hp shop dust collection ?

 

[bproctor]

This is the white dot and the bump or nub, if you can see it. I'm holding a piece of paper next to it to make it stand out more.

 

[bproctor]

this might be a better picture

 

[fcurrier]

Bob: 1.) Does your K181 have balance gears? 2.) Do you have the Kohler engine manual? If yes to 1, very confusing. If no to 1 and yes to 2, still confusing! (I'm looking at my manual, and it's no clearer than your pics).

 

[bproctor]

Gary

Now that you mention it, its seems like every time I work on one of the Cubs I end up having most of my tool chest out on the bench or floor. I do love it that way though!

I also have a "lawn" tractor that I keep in excellant mechanical condition. A 1993 Bolens (before MTD) ST 125, Hydro (by rocking foot pedal), 12.5 hp Kohler Command, 38" deck and a sticker on the fender, from the factory that says "MADE IN THE USA". I wish we would see more of that. My lawn is also small enough that I can push mow if I have to.

When a Cub goes down, fortunately I don't have the pressure to repair it ASAP.

I think I understand what you were saying.

 

[bproctor]

Frank

Yes I have the Kohler engine service manual but it covers 8 engines and as you can probably see it's not very detailed. No the K181 doesn't have the balancer just a 1 piece crank.

 

[fcurrier]

So we're in Section 12 (reassembly) and page 12.5? Figure 12-15?

 

[bproctor]

Yes,
but i believe my engine starts on 12.4 (without balance gears) and i think figure 12-11 is similar but the pictures are so grainy i dont really know what there showing me.

 

[jdiederichs]

Reference figure 12-17, shows the mark on crankshaft (the primary and secondary marks align although not illustrated clearly)
Disregard the balance gear crap as the 181 never used balance gears.

Simply locate the marks on crank as illustrated in 12-17 and place a small paint mark on the gear to easily align with cam.

The manual writer must have been from IH previously

We've discussed this at the "K"

 

[bproctor]

PRIMED

 

[bproctor]

I'll go look again but I don't see anything more than the pic's I sent.