k241a from 106 into 71

[cub1961]

i found a 106 that is really rough but the engine runs great. i want to swap it into my 71 that is pretty much the opposite condition. both tractors have really munged up wiring harnesses so i want to start fresh on the 71 because i plan on doing a full restomod on it as a project. not really concerned about originality because i also plan on painting it with a mccormick deering gray/red scheme. original paint is long gone.

question is since they are (were) both key start, i think ordering a harness for a 71 with lights will work good.

anyone see any issues with that?

and any recommendations for a source of good harnesses?

 

[jkoenig]

CC Specialties should have a wiring harness for you.

Digger wouldn't put up with an inferior product.

 

[mgwin]

A 106 engine should work fine in a 71. And Charlie (CCSpecialties) is a great source for just about anything.

 

[cub1961]

thanks guys.

what about a clutch/driveshaft swap from the 106 to the 71?. the 106 has the disk brakes so not sure if that makes a difference. i haven’t pulled them to compare but the clutch on the 106 works great whereas the one on the 71 is whooped. be nice to do a complete swap while i am at it. i am documenting the process and plan on doing a thread once complete. probably going to take me a while yet. i want to get some run time on the motor before i take both of them down and tie up the shop space

 

[mgwin]

Should swap out OK.

 

[lpalma]

You will have to shorten the throttle cable, and you may have to bent the corner of the muffler shield on the left front of the engine, a minor inconvenience...

 

[charles germer]

having a 71 also with a very tired engine that could have been a scetter chaser,i found this place and scored a major rebuild kit helping keep the machine 100% stock Ultimate Engine Rebuild Kit for Kohler K161 7HP

 

[cub1961]

that looks interesting. i want to rebuild this engine but have never done that level of work before. i was going to do the 12hp swap and then try to find someone local who could guide me while rebuilding the 7hp. i have another 12hp that will probably need a rebuild at some point as well. i am just getting started on this hobby and have a lot to learn yet and using this as a learning exercise. i have a few friends/relatives who want a vintage cub so i am collecting stuff to play with. still getting my shop tooled up as well.

 

[jkoenig]

Roger, rebuilding an engine is one of the most rewarding things you can do. To hear an engine come to life after you have worked on it is very powerful. Working a tractor with an engine you have rebuilt reminds you of that feeling every time you start it up.

...and leads to consternation when other things go wrong like starter solenoids, fuses, bat trees, ...

 

[cub1961]

jim, i can imagine it is. i get enormous satisfaction just taking one that barely runs and looks like crap to one that looks and runs great. i've done it twice now. fortunately they were relatively easy fixes. the reason i got into this hobby is because this is the kind of thing i want to do when i retire in a couple years. not for profit, but just to revive an old, neglected relic that was once someones pride and joy and turn it over to someone to appreciate it for what it is.

 

[dfrisk]

Putting a K241 where a K161 lived is one of the most simple things to do. The clutch in the 106 should slide right into the the engine, the choke & throttle cables attach right to the carb. The only problem I had 40 years ago was modifying the mounting bracket for the starter/generator. OR you can try to find a bracket off a K241.
The first 2 Cub Cadets We had, a '63 "Original" and a '65 #70 both needed rebuild about every 3 years just because they ran wide open full throttle ALL the time. The #70 got a K181 replacement engine about 1973 or '74. That silly one extra HP made a difference in longevity. They would last 4-5 years.
In Summer of 1981 I bought a brand new Complete K241 off the salesman who handled the IH Louisville Cub Cadet account for Kohler. I was at the bottom of a lengthy list, I get the call it's done and Wife and I make a nice Saturday drive to Sheboygan, WI. And get the engine for Dad's Cub Cadet. I get his tired old 10 hp from a used 100 He bought. I rebuilt that K241, mowing terribly over-grown grass, blowing snow for many years without a creeper gear, plowing gardens,half dozen Cub Cadet Plow Day's, and years and years of normal mowing, lawn sweeping, spraying weeds, over 1400 hours per the Hobbs hour meter I installed with the engine. It was still running fine when I pulled it to install my Killer Kohler K-321 14 hp about 1999. SON pulled the 10hp apart, took me a couple years to get the K241 block bored and engine assembled and into the old #70 for SON to use. It was crazy how much cheaper STENS parts were than OEM Kohler parts.

 

[charles germer]

well! i'm in sussex county NJ and sure would not mind helping someone rebuild their K . simply put i'm willing to share my 55 years of mechanics and racings hard learned lessons ,
K series are easy, only one major thing that is a MUST DO correctly,the very first time, make sure where the con rods oil dipper hole faces , the cam shaft,

 

[cub1961]

wish you were closer