Archive through May 31, 2009

[fcurrier]

Bummer. Blank page. 149 Tiller Tractor sheared a driveshaft pin, then it RAINED. Latest 123 (203110) became a recipient of parts from (189592). Actually, that's a good thing.
Caught up to latest posts (didn't take long). John's 127 stopped with a bang (anxious to hear more about that). Firing out through the carb can't be good. No Don T. for the last couple days. Ice Road Truckers road is melting. Gonna have to buy a Ford to keep the system honest. (Like that's gonna happen).

Hey, do we just have one Charlie?

 

[bbrigham]

<font size="+2">Hello</font><font size="+1">Hello</font>Hello....man it's slow here today. I have been looking at different muffler and silencer designs trying to decide how to proceed with the 73 exhaust. You wouldn't believe how far in depth some of the articles are that I've found on the net...makes my head hurt. I think I found the design I like the best.....

 

[lkortkamp]

Evening folks.

A simple question for the day:

Is there a real reason for NOT having deck wheels on a 149? My yard is a disaster and sure would help with the scalping issue if I could put wheels on the deck. There is the typical holes there for them, just not there(most information I've seen states no wheels, just runners).

Any insight?

 

[digger]

Larry K.
You put wheels on any deck with brackets like these.
They make them that bolt on and weld on as well.

 

[dtanner]

Morning all, i think i will spread a little paint today on my 129. I put the rearend back in and axle last week so it will go back together soon. I hope to spend some time on it this week. Later Don T

 

[ncostello]

The K301 on my 122 puts out a little puff of smoke when I rev it from idle to full throttle. It doesn't appear to be smoking under all other running conditions. When its warm its not as bad. But the worst case is if I bring it down from full throttle than rev it right back up. Am I in need of rings? Or other problems? Would any oil additives help, like Lucas Oil Stabilizer? Or perhaps switch to a heavier oil like 40W or 20W50? Currently I use 15W40 in all my engines (summer only). But most of this engines life has been with another owner. Otherwise its strong.

 

[dfrisk]

NEIL - The smoke Your seeing is from vacuum pulling oil above the rings in your engine when You throttle down. Yes, It's a sign that Your rings aren't sealing as well as they should. If that's the only problem You have with the engine I wouldn't worry about it.
Some people have cured that problem by switching to straight 30 weight oil like IH #1 low ash oil.
If You read the fine print in the Kohler manual the best test for engine condition is testing crankcase vacuum with the "U-tube Manometer". The Kohler manual for K-series engines is a free download at Kohler's website under "Classic Engines". If Your engine doesn't have excessive blowby or oil consumption there's probably a LOT of life left in Your engine.

I kinda had problems getting the lawn mowed the last two weeks. No tractor issues, just time & weather issues. Mowed Friday afternoon, grass was a bit longer than I like but mowed up really well with the 72 & 38" deck. Then yesterday, Sunday it was a PERFECT day to spray broadleaf weeds, warm (77 deg.) sunny, and NO breeze all day. I started about 9:30-10 AM, and had 225 gal. of spray down by 3 PM. Some how I have to figure out a quicker way to refll the sprayer. I'm thinking a plastic 55 gal. drum in a loader bucket with a quarter-turn 2" valve to dump the water in the sprayer tank. It can refill while I'm spraying.

 

[ncostello]

Thanks Dennis. I've had the download for sometime but have never read the troubleshooting section. I've got a manometer from my "motorcycle days" when I had to tune 4 carbs into sync. Maybe I can do that.

I've not ran it for 2 years really. I thought it was strange since I don't remember it doing that before. I figured maybe it would just "come out of it" after running for a while. Its a little better now that I've been running it. But it still does it.

The plug looks slightly oil fouled but not horrible. So for now I'll let it be and keep running it. The power is still definately there. Thanks!

 

[lkortkamp]

Thanks Digger.

I wondered if there was some strange reason for not having them on a certain model? My yard has some many dips and tapers that I find it has a hard time keeping the corners from digging in. I think the wheels would help.

Wish I could just doze it all off and start over and have it nice and level.

Guess I need to check some sponsors for spare parts. My deck already has the holes in the rear for brackets.

 

[dfrisk]

NEIL - If it's been siting for two years without being run the rings may have stuck in the grooves slightly. Since Your running 15W-40 oil, I suspect it's Rotella or some other diesel rated oil with a good strong detergent package, It should loosen up the rings with some more running. FYI, I run 15W-40 in all My Cubbies also, except the K321 in the #72, It gets Rotella SB 5W-40 semi-synthetic.

In the last 10-12 yrs I've inherited both of Dad's old FARMALL's, '51 M He bought brand new and the '54 Super H He bought used in '68. They both got oil changes with a good detergent oil on a regular schedule. And when I switched them both to 15W-40 Rotella it's AMAZING how much sludge I cleaned out of the engines the first couple of oil changes.

These little Kohlers, being air-cooled engines use the quart and a half of oil they carry as a coolant, oil temps are typically much hotter than in a water-cooled engine. I normally don't try to stretch the oil change intervals beyond the recommended 30 hours of run time except in the K321. Depending on what I've used it for it gets changed around 40-50 hours.

 

[klejeune]

Larry K,
My 44A deck had the rear wheels but just the runners on the front ends. Man, those runners can really scalp a yard backing and turning at the same time. I had some scrap 2 x 4 tubing and cut it up with an angle grinder to build brackets similar to what Charlie posted pics of. I added some ball wheels and it works great now. I really like Richard Christiansen's swivel wheels idea if I had a 50" deck, I'd do that for sure.

 

[lkortkamp]

Keith, I'm thinking making the brackets myself also and just buy wheels. We have the technology.

My deck(42") was missing the runners(bolt on) when I bought it and have been wanting to get some/make them, but I might just do the wheels instead. I'm thinking just the rear wheels for now.

The more I use the tractor, the more things I find I need to fine tune.

 

[T-Mo]

Keith,
Nice job on those gauge wheels and brackets. The swivel idea is also a good one.

 

[rchristensen]

I've had both the solid front gauge wheels and the swivel and the only thing that works for me is the swivel ones.

Since I irrigate I have berms all around my yard and I have to mow up and sometimes turn around on the berms and the swivel wheels go up and down at any angle and prevent any gouging of the grass.

I just build the brackets and then buy the swivel casters at Harbor Freight and they are very reasonable. I have them on all of my 44 and 50 inch decks.

 

[vthomley]

Did someone say Mower Deck Wheels? I have yet to test these cool custom ones, they are on a non running 782 I recently picked up. The right side one is extra nice...

 

[podenbach]

Had this 73 follow me home yesterday, completely apart but did not notice any swerving traffic behind me so it may still be all there. Picked it up for 100 bucks even got an antique 1964 cranberry box with it (why the heck not right?) but not sure of the plow make. Has a rear lift with spring assist and a complete deck. Most of the parts where outside and needed a rake to find them, engine and hardware was stored inside. Now it is in my sick bay for the duration. Time for me to go mooch some paint supplies off a friend.

 

[podenbach]

Vincent T. I would have just used hole saw cut outs and a magic marker

 

[pbell]

Larry K
Gage wheels on a 42" deck mounted on a 149, will probably (<font size="-2">actually they will</font>) hit the rear wheels/tires of the tractor unless you have narrow rear wheels/tires, or unless you mount them inboard of the tires which really doesn't help you a lot.

 

[dfrisk]

VINCE - I've made wooden "ROLLERS" for both the decks I mow with but never replacement Wheels, the frt roller on the 38" deck for the 72, just cheap pine 2X4 cut out with a large hole saw, and I put an additional roller under the back underside of the 50C deck on the 982 this spring, welded up brackets to bolt-on the deck housing, and used Expensive OAK left over from a salvaged shipping pallet to make the rollers.

I also have the spherical gauge wheel kit Charlie posted the pic of but didn't install it again this year. Think I bought it 3-4 yrs ago....What I can't figure out is why MTD spent the money to POWDER COAT the brackets when You have to grind them down to bare metal to weld them on, then touch-up the paint?!?!?

I do have home-made brackets on the front of the 38" deck on the 72 for using the spherical gauge wheels and also have the OEM gauge wheels inside the rear tractor wheels on the back of it, but I really don't have problems with the runners on the 50C digging in on turns. I do run both decks suspended off the ground when mowing all the time. The only time either deck mows lower than they should is when I drive straight over the hump from the front yard into the ditch along the road, if I go at an angle neither deck scalps. The hump is sharp enough the only cure is to raise the mower decks slightly.

 

[dfrisk]

PAUL B. - I have the rear gauge wheels mounted on My 38" deck in the same position as the pics Porter posted of His new CC 73 & deck, etc. If I remember correctly the rear gauge wheels have different mounting positions when attached to a 42" deck, gets them closer to the ends of the deck where they're needed, But even in the position shown in Porter's pic's I'd say they help a lot compared to decks I've run without gauge wheels. The 38" deck off My old 70 I ran for YEARS is sitting in the shop, no gauge wheels on it, or the 38" CI ended deck it replaced.
I had gauge wheels on the 44A deck on My old 129 and it had 10.50 rear rubber, the spindle bolt & nut rubbed on the outside tread of the rear tires, chewed them up quite a bit but there was plenty of rubber on the tires.

I'd say ANY gauge wheels to support a deck are better than nothing. Unless Your lawn is totally smooth & flat, like concrete or blacktop painted green.

Biggest obstacle I have in My yard is about a dozen trees, Maples, Pines, Locusts, that all have exposed roots, Just no smooth way over something like that sticking up 3 inches tall!