Archive through April 02, 2012

[jchamberlin]

Harry (the Hydro)--
OK, OK, Already! You and Jeff Baker have convinced me that I need to de-carbon my heads. I'm still going to try every short of opening it up before I do, though. After I get it open, I'll be ready to seal it back with a piece of 1/4" plate glass and a flat bench underneath it. I'll also have a torque wrench handy to re-torque the heads when I'm done.

In support of my concern, Jeff's photo offers evidence of what can happen when a guy goes throwing wrenches at things without a good idea of what is going on or what to do about it.

For instance, I thought I saw evidence of the head gasket leaking in Jeff's photos. I'll bet the previous owner failed to (1) flatten the head, (2) re-torque the head bolts, (3) use good quality gas (without Ethanol, if possible), and (3) add MMO (I'm a believer).

I guess there is no replacement for physical inspection, but it is also true that there is nothing more destructive than an ignorant mechanic. And as smart as I THINK I am, results over time have proven that (1) I'm not perfect, and (2) I often get in over my head.

When it comes to mechanical things, theory and understanding are important, but EXPERIENCE and care and even more important. You've got to know what you're doing, and you've got to take the time to do it well.

My two-cents-worth.

Like Donald Tanner, there is a lot I've still got to learn.

(P.S. I'm trying to insult you, Don; I'm trying to offer my support, in a back-handed way.)

 

[jbaker]

Thanks for everyones comments on my engine pics, I have new oem pan and head gaskets. I have cleaned up the head per procedure also did the same to pan. I also removed the loose balance gears
I will clean up the engine side of the top end tommorow and post some more pics.

Now a lesson for me, When a Kohler engine is bored 10 over does that increase horse power and if so how much?

 

[drohacek]

Wyatt and Kevin thank you both for your help. I was able to use the diagram for the 4 wire voltage regulator and just like Wyatt said, leave the (L) terminal empty. The Gen wire hooked to the underside of the VR and the other two to the Bat and F terminal. The ground hooked to the foot of the VR and presto it starts and charges! Thanks guys. No matter how many times you do this you can still learn something. I love this forum!

 

[jbaker]

Harry so you say that the double pto spring is normal? I have not come across this before and thought it was a PO improvment.

The baling wire worked but I think I will correct it.

 

[drohacek]

My grandson enjoying the 108 now that it starts and charges. Thanks again guys!

 

[kfreeman]

Jeff

A stock K321 (14 hp) has a bore of 3.500" and a stroke of 3.250" for a displacement of 31.27 cu. in.

Bored to 0.010 over, it would have a displacement of 31.45 cu. in. This is a 0.6% increase in displacement. A 0.6% increase in HP is 0.08 HP.

Therefore, your maximum HP may be all the way up to 14.08 HP.

 

[jbaker]

Ken,,, cool now I have a 149.08 cub

Thanks for the info

 

[bjamison]

I pulled the oil pan off my K341 on the 1650 and here's what I found:

Can I assume the balance gears are gone?

 

[drohacek]

Yup ....looks like they are gone. Relax you don't need them anyway. Many guys toss them. Some rebalance the crank and some don't.

 

[wcompton]

Bill-
Some late QL series did not have balance gears. I'm rebuilding a 1450 engine that had plugs driven in place of the balance gear shafts. It would appear as your K341 was equipped the same.

 

[hydroharry]

Dennis F - can we have a great oil (capacity) debate??? I know the Operator manual and probably the tag on the side of the shroud of a K241 claims a capacity of 3 pints, but since the 10hp has the flat oil pan I believe 2 or maybe 2 and 1/2 pints puts it at the full mark. I know you mentioned having run a K241. Are you saying you filled it with 3 pints? I believe the few K241's I've had over the years were always at the full make with 2 to 2 and 1/2 pints. Can we hear it from the masses out there??? If you have a K241 engine how much oil capacity do you have when filled to the F mark on your dipstick (2, 2 and 1/2 or 3 pints)??? Also, is your oil pan flat on the bottom or do you have the style that has a dished area on one side???

Jeff B - yup, sometimes the PTO clutch came with 2 springs. Here's a pic I stole from Charlie's site. I think it was on the higher hp engines. Yours does look to me like the springs aren't tightened down enough. You do have to set them with the special gauge from a rebuild kit.

I also noticed and forgot to mention, I hope you covered your fuel inlet fitting on the carb when you cleaned up the carbon. I just barely saw it in the lower part of the pic with piston and valves. And by the way, I didn't send you a 169 link with a K301. Mine has a correct original K341A.

Jeremiah - ok already on the water treatment to clean up carbon. It's just that it scares me. I have to think that to much could warp, break or crack something. I know if you take a garden hose and spray the outside of the engine you'll likely end up with a cracked block. But I suppose a light spray mist thru the carb isn't really the same thing.

David R - glad you got your wires uncrossed and everything seems in working order on your 108. Oh, I noticed in the pic that you're missing your air cleaner and cover. I'm recommend getting one installed as soon as you can. The dust from the air will score things up internally.

Hydro Harry
Old Cubs Never Die (but ya gotta keep the carbon out of the engine and the right amount of oil in the engine)

 

[jchamberlin]

Harry--
The water treatment scared me too, but Dennis Frisk, Donald Tanner, and Wayne Shytle talked me into trying it. I had run MMO through the Magnum motor for about a year before I squirted water through the carburetor; I didn't notice a great deal of carbon blowing out the muffler, but I didn't do it at night, either.

The manual does recommend de-carboning the heads at 500 miles, I just had no other reason to open up the motor. I had just spent a significant amount of time and money working on a 16 HP Briggs & Statton mower only to have it blow up on me before I had even 10 hours on it. So I was really gun-shy about opening up another motor so soon --and doubting my own mechanic skills.

I wish there was a way to determine if the carbon is building up in a motor short of disassembling it.

Since I have other reasons to open up the 14 HP K321 (checking for balance gears being one of them), and I have a spare 12 HP K301AQS motor, I will probably be checking for carbon build-up soon. I probably haven't run a full tank of gas through the K321 since I bought it. It is my back-up mower and I'm still trying to get it working correctly before I try to restore it.

 

[jrlewis]

My wife will not help me mow until I polish the 582 IH or paint one of my 1450's. She wants to look pretty I guess or is that just a women thing. I use one 1450 it does not look very bad just has the fiberglass dash with a crack in it. Are any 682 IH built, or all of them CC? I have found one that someone has been working on and it has the steel rear end under it, not aluminum. I need input before I go any further on buying it, the serial number tag has been removed.

 

[drohacek]

Joe, IH made 682 before they sold everything to CCC If the 682 is red it could be made by either IH or CCC All red ones will have the IH cast iron rear. Hard to tell without the serial number.
If it is IH it should have IH on the grill instead of CCC

 

[jrlewis]

David, The grill is missing the IH it was almost dark so I could not tell for sure if it had been on there or not. Just like the back of the fenders no IH there or CC so I am not sure with tag missing, what about motor it is a KT-17 series 1 does that tell us anything?

 

[wheinsohn]

Hydro Harry, my 106 has a K241 with a flat bottom pan and holds 3 pints to get it full. I just changed it last weekend so I know for sure. I poured 1.5 quarts in and checked with dipstick. It was right at the full mark.

 

[tstewart]

Got my 1000 back running with the new mwsc clutch, thats been an experience. Since I had the tractor all apart I put on the super steer axle I had laying around waiting transplant for a while. Also slapped a creeper drive in there.

Question on the super steer upgrade. I went to mount up the mower for my long overdue first mowing (the grass is about as tall as the 16" front tires). Well I can't mount the mule drive. The pivot bolt of the axle sticks out too far not allowing the mule drive to latch in.

I know some others have done this upgrade, how have you got around this problem?

 

[tstewart]

Oh forgot the pic I took...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Tristan, two words: Angle Grinder.

Under edit: Grind the head of the bolt down so it's thin enough to allow clearance for the mule drive.

 

[wcompton]

Tristan-
I put the bolt in the other way around with a jam nut. The jam nut I've drilled and tapped for a small set screw.