1650 "refresh"

[kmcconaughey]

The "Quiet Line" series was a redesign that included a larger muffler than the 169. The side panels were absolutely all about AIR FLOW to the front of the tractor. The QUIET was mainly from the much larger muffler which had a pot-metal housing to mount it and help block off the heat from the motor. With all of the air moving forward -- this moved heat away from the engine, and exhaust & noise away from the operator. So it all worked together: side panels, large muffler in a housing, and sealed firewall for venting air flow out front. How could metal side panels keep anything quiet?

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Did you even read the brochure page that I posted? From what IH was stating in the brochure it was all about quiet.

 

[Greg Riutzel]

Glad to see another 1650 ! You're going through a lot of what I've done, especially the oil pan and engine mounts. You may find OEM mounts will give better service. The 16 Hp Kohlers are real thumpers and I'm sure some engineering went into them for enough flex to not allow frame and sheet metal fatigue but yet stiff enough to hold in place for many long hours of engine time. Lots of posts and owner's stories of going home made, after market, steel, etc but OEM had the best service. New flex couplers , rag joints, with ball swivels on the driveline will also limit vibration.

I've run mine with and without the panels and they are quite a bit noisier without them. I've measured with a sound meter and there's about a 10 dB difference which is a lot especially if you spend hours mowing acres. I can say the old cub is quite a bit quieter than the neighbor's new JD, which may in part be the deck as his mower really screams or so it seems from an acre away. The engine shroud is pretty tight and channels all the air through the muffler box, I can't see or feel any relation to engine cooling with or without the side panels. If they did, the owner's manual would have cautioned on leaving them off.

Keep us posted, great to read more!

 

[Bret McFarland]

Did you even read the brochure page that I posted? From what IH was stating in the brochure it was all about quiet.

I love that brochure! But the side panels were as much about cooling, as well as cutting down on noise. The 'Quiet Line' label was marketing for the complete new look (JD was also enclosing their tractors). The larger much quieter muffler made more heat, and without airflow it would cook the frontend decals, wiring, etc. And this would serve the next 10+ years where more cooling was critical for bigger engines like the Magnum and Onan twins that ran even hotter. The heat from the big muffler was enough to melt plastic IH replacement front emblems as people later found out. My wife loved her 1450, but to me it seemed about as loud as anything else. I didn't care.

 

[Greg Riutzel]

Great picture Bret!!

If they did, the owner's manual would have cautioned on leaving them off.

I got curious and went through the Owner's Manual again. It's a bit ambiguous, but there it is: