Recent content by bertsmobile1

It is a case of elimination By removing the belts we eliminate the mower putting a drag on the engine When running along a slope it is easy to have the oil pick up in the air so the oil pump is pumping foam or just air The top bushing area has a small dam of oil and if it is not kept full then...

Take the nut / bolt that holds the flywheel on and check the timing key . The slot in the flywheel & the slot in the crankshaft should come together to make a perfect square . Remove the rocker cover and check the pushrods are in place and that the valves move in & out. The cam grinds are the...

I see black smoke so assume it is either missing, flooding or the choke is stuck on .

Sounds like the engine is toast Had you been driving along a slope just before you stopped ? To check that it is in fact an engine problem, pull both belts from the engine pulley A jambed up belt can slow the cranking down just enough to prevent the engine from starting

Try again but keep on giving it short shots of starter fluid for say a minute If it keeps running ( badly ) that confirms you are getting no fuel So the next thing is to check that the carb solenoid is retracting when you turn the key on At this time of year it is common for them to be gunked...

It was a humourious way of trying to say if we don't know what we are dealing with we really can not be of any help I note that Mark asked you for the minimum basic information that is needed to start to diagnose your problem over a day ago . You have managed to make 2 further posts but no...

Funny enough I get mine from Stens and they have a whole product line of aftermarket dragan fly heads plus adaptors to fit almost every trimmer ever made Dropped the numbers into the USA Stens site and they came up as "not found". Shame so once again the residents of the USA are forced to use...

Take the rocker cover off & check that all of the push rods are there When the valve lash gets really sloppy the rocker can fall off then the rod fall into the engine Some times they just sit there & some times they lock up the engine If it has fallen in & gotten chewed up you will have to...

Yep, they fall apart all the time and most don't notice it till the blade is cutting at a slop or chopping a slot in the deck. Washing the deck promotes this happening . And yes could very well have fallen off something next door & been sitting there just waiting to send you mad . Some baggers...

No What has happened is your ground cable is not working and the mower is making a ground connection from the dash via the deck engagement cable

Very few companies make their own spindles or blades so most are bought in items. So pop a photo in and see is some one can recognise it

We do not have HD in OZ. However it could be an Oz model that never made it down here & HD sold them off cheap .

And tracking will never be 100% When ZTR's were new they had a forward & rearward track adjustment plus lever adjustments. However they stopped doing this because it was an exercise in futility. On commercials with a single external pump & plumbing you can adjust tracking and it will stay in...

The Tecumseh engine repair manuals are all over the web for free Down load one & read it From what you have said that should be your starting point There are enough photos &drawings in the manual to work out which engine you have If you are really stuck the carb has a number cast into the side...

1) go to the Kawakasi web page and download the service manual 2) take the blower housing off & remove the kill wires from the coils . If the engine runs fine then you have an electrical problem with the mower If still no joy put a small ( 1/4 teaspoon , no more ) amount of fuel down the plug...

A common problem on Noname Mystery Mowers made by the Unidentified Engine Company Problem is terminal go to Walmart & buy another snow plow to trim your hedges with

Depends upon who put them in last time A replacement engine could very well have been a second hand rebuilt engine done by a monkey who thinks he is a mechanic .

It is a PTO (engine) pulley off something The hole in the side of the boss for the grub screw is a give away that it is not off your mower Most likely off a walk behind like a snow blower or roto tiller or even concrete mixer As previously mentioned way too rusty to have had a belt on it for...

If you just do what we ask you to do things will work a lot better SG asked you for the numbers off the tag because even the Poulan web page does not list a 500ex And just 500 returns over 50 pages Once we have a wiring diagram and real parts list we can work out what is wrong with your mower...

Belts are worn Replace both of them

There is a brake on the side of the gearbox Note it is not on the wheels it is on the gearbox layshaft It locks the diff same as the P position on an auto box so the wheels can only turn in opposite directions The brake is on the clutch pedal and works when it is fully depressed When you take...

John Please remove two of the posts you have put up There is a little green word "delete" in the bottom left corner . Multi posting gets people cranky like you are pestering them or demmanding an instant answer IT also becomes very confusing for the techs who post on the forum because we see the...

Now comes the hard bit If it has a rotary valve carb then the check valve on the high speed circuit is probably stuck closed and that ie a fatal flaw as they can not be replaced If you have a butterfly valve carb then the High speed circuit is out of adjustment If it goes fluffy , blows a bit...

After checking the oil as per above , spray a SHORT SHOT down the plug hole Engine should fire a couple of times if the valves are closed & the spark timing is right If an inlet or exhaust valve is not fully closed it will backfire out either end respectively . You said it was running under...

The CCA is determined by the surface area of the plates and the size of the grains in the paste Neither of which will make much difference to the battery life OTOH the number of plates will if they are stuffed into the same size case Plates vary in thickness from 2mm down to 0.5 mm Thicker...

Or the wire from the rectifier back to the battery has failed

Brass, steel , hardened steel , zinc

The mower throws a belt because the pulleys are out of alignment, the belt is router wrong, the tensioner is in the wrong place or spring is too weak or there is something stuck in one of the pulleys On Hydros you can add a bent fan blade

Don't do phone banking at all US banks might know about proper security but Australian banks definatly do not I ride with a techie from a major bank & he only ever does over the counter transactions. So it is cash or cheques for my customers . I do allow the commercial one to make direct...

If you have a 7 figure back account, you get a personal account manager , a dongle for computer banking and continual updates on how to make more money from your money If you have a 6 figure balance then you get ignored. If you have less than that you get done over The bank that tried to charge...

Use a draganfly head & precut lengths Sooooo much easier provided you use a good quality line & not some trash from Wally or HF The Votrex twisted line & the square or triangular line work really well in Dragon fly heads

Check them before you replace them Always best to work out why a failure is occuring before you got throwing new parts at anything and adding even more potential problems. Search the archives for Briggs & Stratton diodes if you want to replace them & not the whole shooting match I am dyslexic...

People get very confused with the multi grade ratings the first number is the viscosity at room temperature ( 20 C ) The second is a COMPARATIVE flow rate at 100 C ( or there abouts ) So what 10W 30 does at start up it flows the same as 10 oil at room temperature So a 10 W 30 will flow faster &...

Clean & lube the lift system with either Lithium spray grease or graphite powder NOT WD 40 or any similar product . Next check that the deck lift springs are not full of debris preventing them doing their job They are adjustable . Not usually a problem but the springs can back off On most...

Take the plug out crank the engine a few seconds then try with a fresh plug & no added fuel If it goes bang then we are good to go If not With a fresh spark plug, try that again with 1/2 TEASPOON , no more of fuel down the plug hole Too much fuel just floods the engine so the plug gets wet and...

It will most likely be the seat switch

The kill wire has diodes in it that like all diodes go bad with the effect of heat With some one in the drivers seat & parking brake on check the kill wire . With the key in the ON position it should be open circuit to ground ( check both terminals ) Get the person to release the brake, it...

Kohlers seem quite prone to loosing magnets One of my aftermarket suppliers now does a line in Kohler flywheels , mostly Courage . So check what is available from aftermarket suppliers as Kohler prices are a tad on the high side and being heavy item the logistical costs tend to be fairly high...

1/3 to 3/4 the price of nearly everything is advertising and marketing ( or greedy mark ups ) All those TV adds + race sponsorships in every motor sport has to be paid for by YOU the end user. Only one company blends SAE 30 mower oil down here The brands that have no advertising are 1/3 cheaper...

In DC electronics you can switch either side , power or ground and lot of mowers use ground switching

In short, Everything that you have done The problem with throwing parts at the problem without diagnosing the problem first is now you still have the original problem + potentially a pile more from the work you have done . So toss a small amount of fuel down the plug hole The engine should fire...

If the tank is full. tip 1/2 of it out . If it will not start at all then the lines you just replaced are wrong way round

Three techs here have both said most likely the seat switch or the seat switch circuit . Got cut whatever wires some brain dead moron on face book said to do but it will still not run & if you cut the solenoid plunger off it will still not run But if that is what makes you happy go ahead & do...

Not with a black V belt running around it .

OK So you have a flywheel PTO It is still not the timing key The timing key is 1/2 in the crank shaft & 1/2 in the flywheel The flywheel is the big round thing with the magneto magnets on the outside & the alternator magnets on the inside .

No It is finished Customer does not want to pay $ 1000 for a mower that barely moves Got quite a few jobs that have been sitting around for a few years because they came in just before I got really sick Those customers all have one of my loaners till I can get around to fixing their mowers ...

Next to no chance of repairing this by hand without a surface plate & scrapers If you know some one with a mill buy them a bottle of their favourite intoxicant Or take it to a machine shop Or a real mower repair shop But the difference between the above & replacement is not particularly big .

Remove the kill wire from the magneto If it starts & runs OK then you have an electrical fault in the safety switches somewhere. NOTE No kill wire = no way of stopping the engine if there is no solenoid on the carb JD change their wiring more often than I change my undies so we will need the...

No They are hard copy only sold via ebay Dealers down here can only print out single sections no more than a couple of pages

Not argueing that a carb clean would not hurt but the engine stalls when the hand brake is let off Brake + seat + magneto ( no change in carburettor opening ) PTO + seat + magneto ( carburettor opens fully )

It is always a problem I have a small ZTR been in the yard for close to 2 years now. The blades had been bent , broke the spindle & chopped up the deck. They just set it aside for heaven knows how long so the nuts on the air filter cover had rusted solid to the studs then they used grips to try...

In most places e-10 is fine during the season while you are mowing at least once a fortnight. Problems only come when it is left standing for a considerable time So run pump fuel through till autum then run you last couple of tanks for the season of expensive canned fuel ( if you must ) then...

I don't know how the marketing goes in the USA but at least once every 2 years Stens do an oil special , often down to 1/2 price so that is when I buy my oil . I get SAE 30 mower oil directly from the refiner / blender in 44's ( 202 L or 222 quarts ) It is around 5% more expensive that way but I...

No it is not That is the crankshaft PTO keyway The flywheel is on the opposite end under the blower cover .

Another pro tip Always buy bearings from a specialist bearing shop . engineering supply store or mower parts hop either in person or on line and never ever from AMAZON OR EBAY Bearings are the most counterfeited item on the planet . If you have never heard of the brand , google it A reputable...

While this is a good point Hugh, Fuel blockage can explain the engine dieing when the blades are engaged because that would open the throttle and thus the main jet which could be clogged . However dieing when the brake is released will not change the fuel requirements so that points to an...

Just depends what works for you. I got a grab pack of blade breakers cheap and usually I can hear them pop Being only slightly bigger than a fuse they fit nice in the tool box and of course I have them from 1A to 50A SO I double checked what proports to be the wiring diagram With the key off...

The fuel solenoid just plugs off the main jet so when your turn the engine off by killing the spark fuel is not sucked into the engine & blown out the exhaust . It accumulates in the muffler till the air : fuel ratio is within the combustion at atmospheric range then it ignites & goes bang . It...

There are a lot of inteks running around here with one of Lanni's gaskets on them . Very important now is to fit a fuel tap between the filter ( or pump ) and the tank. Should the float needle fail with a copper gasket fitted you can bend a conrod or break a ring should you try to start a...

When it stops pull the fuel line off If it blows out like a fire hose then you are getting a pressure build up in the fuel tank

Are you 100% sure the battery polarity is right way round ? pull the PTO pug apart & pull the plug off the back of the key switch Check their power wires for a ground short Pull the rectifier plug off and do the same Plug them back in one at a time One of the three will pop the fuse or light...

Not really so PT It is all about energy density No matter what technology advances happen you still need a certain amount of energy to move forward & push the air away from you Reducing that energy requirement is what streamlining is all about Small engines that will push a car along & get 40...

uncut grass between the blade overlaps is blade wear, wrong blades for the deck, mowing too fast and around this time of year down here the grass itself as it will be seeding and seed stalks do not cut well with rotary mowers The photos do really look like wheel ruts Also the front deck wheels...

Any single cylinder B & S engine will drop strait in & connect The only important thing it the length & diameter of the crankshaft PO extension Yours is a std 1" crank small engine suppliers small engine warehouse Both do surplus engines very cheap and both have detailed instructions on how to...

So are you on the East Coast where we have had 1.5 to 4 years annual rainfall in the first 4 months of this year ? Those look like wheel ruts to me caused by he gauge wheels The ground right now is really soft & springy so the mower itself sits lower in the grass Thus the deck wheels that used...

IF you have the gear & the skills go for it But for Joe Average it is a big loss maker Also be careful if trying to take a liner out of an original engine A lot of them are cast in and have ridges in them so they can not be pushed out I found that out the hard way Down side of having a 40T press

blades rotate so they can not leave strait lines Those troughs are your gauge / deck / anti scalp wheels running on the ground because they are set too low for the cut height. Mparr suggested that way back in post #4

Nothing IT is the copper coat washing off the gasket Run it for at least 10 minutes, a full mow would be fine, let it cool down then retorque the head bolts

There is a big difference between an aftermarket carb from a reputable supplier and the cheapest one you can find on ebay or amazon. I have never fitted an original carb to an engine for the entire time I have been running the business I do fit aftermarket carbs from my wholesalers and have...

A bigger problem for the US where all of your public officers get elected Putting some one in charge of the police or fire department because they are popular will never get the most compitent person in the job And this applies 20 fold to presidents & governors. Having a permanent public service...

The elephant in the room is the sheer number of people on the planet and the amount of resources they consume. No matter what we do for a power source there is a finite limit to the number of people the planet can support . The war in the Ukrane looks like it will cause thousands of Africans to...

In video 1 the lever you are moving is the bypass valve, not the brake The brake is on the other side There is no connection between the bypass lever & the brake The brake is electronic & connected to the lap bars via a module which regularly breaks down . with no load on the wheels they...

The motion control simply moves the swash plate inside the transmission. It is not spring loaded it just slides left right very smoothly The resistance in the lap bar is provided by external springs &/or air cylinders Go to Toro & download the service manual and the parts book

BAck in post #5 you were told how to check for over heating bars Bars overheat for 2 reason mainly 1) forcing a blunt chain to cut 2) not enough oil on the bar Apart from lubricating the oil removes a lot of heat Every season I get some Ebay junkers in where the bar has gotten hot enough to...

So after removing my foot from my mouth I went to the parts catalogue to check as I was sure there were O/S B &S pistons listed. I was right, they were listed , in the 2009-2011 catalogue from one of the local aftermarket suppliers. Not in any of the subsequent ones & the O/S rings vanished in...

It is a case of Belt + Braces If the float is leaking then the mower will run rich so it has to be fixed But a tap will prevent the sump filling with fuel A lot of mower & stationary engines come fitted standard with a tap Honda being one of them . I for one always fit a tap up stream from the...

Without the numbers all we can do is guess On some of them there is a wire retainer that passes through the steering shaft which prevents the plastic bush coming out . And I should not have to tell you than the mower you are using is barely able to meet residential use so trying to use it for a...

Email the image to yourself then try to upload the emailed image. Usually that will drastically reduce the file size Otherwise you are limited to people with newer computers I suppose there are photo editing apps for phones But I have no idea because my phone is used for making phone calls...

Some magnetism is not the same as enough magnetism And if you put just 1 ( well has to be 2 ) of them back in the wrong place then the drop in output will be drastic as will slightly too high or slightly too low .

Yes you got the polarity wrong or they are too high or too low or when they fell off they demagnetized

But does the fuel solenoid actually retract when the key is on ?

only move the left stick and don't forgrt to start with the wheels off the ground and the bypass open .

THIS INFORMATION IS WRONG AS WHEN I SAW "SPRINT" I IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED IT WAS THE OLD SIDE VALVE SPRINT ENGINE NOT THE NAME OF THE MOWER MODEL. There is at least one oversize and you can get oversized rings from places like Total Seal but you have to know the dimensions , bore width & radial...

Broken rings allow the charge to bypass the piston and pressureize the crankcase thus you get more fume pumping out the breather tube and the cylinder is down substantially on power A failed float valve is what puts fuel into the crank case & dillutes the oil

Well this is a bit different to the original post Try more purging on the left side It s very important to purge at the lowest speed you can run the engine. This prevents the oil foaming thus removes the oil better . I have taken several days some times to fully purge a hydro

If you upload the actual image then perhaps more people will be able to see it I for one could not see the image because Postimage will not link to my browser as the computer is too old Post image does have the facility to place the image in the forum or you can add the image yourself is you...

You are welcome to believe what ever you wish I have no intention of trying to change your mind or beliefs Steven Dawkins got it wrong because we have found there is a "god" gene . It is on the 6th chromosome and depending upon how active it is that will determine how gulliable the person is...

So now I am confused

Double check the gasket I get a lot of gaskets from Lanni and most of them are not fully soft I think he lazer cuts them which means he can use commercial soft sheet but that is still not full soft You can do it with a propane torch or a BBQ burner

You do not know anything is right till you check it TODAY The carb is flooding because the float is not shutting off the fuel as it should. The bowl has to have an air vent in it or fuel could not flow out and because of EPA laws that vent now is connected to the inlet tract so fuel vapours can...

Either the hydro is on its way out or the belt is worn too much & is slipping The left hydros always go before the right because the belt slips so the left is always running that tiny bit slower. Ao top of that the left side seems to accumulate far more dust & debris than the right so overheats...

You have messed up the belt routing

As you seem determined to preach When you can find any written book that proports to be the "Word of some sort of a God " from any religion that actually has the human reproductive system correctly described and does not call semen the "seed" then you have a 1 in 1,000,000,000 chance of...

Start with the fuse Good chance that you managed to short something while swapping the engines over . Then check that the ground strap has been replaced .and is done up tight

Now we are getting some where So either the decompression is not working or the carb is flooding & hydrolocking the engine or the starter motor has the wrong gear on it , one of the valves is not working Gremlins loose inside the engine . Now to eliminate the mower from the engine. slip both of...

Take the bolt out of the flywheel & check that the timing key is still intact The key way should make a perfect square . Then do a leak down test , a blown head gasket can do this Loosen the carb and see if fuel drips out past the manifold gasket Was it a genuine carb, a certified good carb from...

Hopefully if we can educate enough people they will stop buying junk off the platforms specifically built for criminals to offload scrap on line then either the platforms will change or the vendors will give up .

If it burns off the fuel you splashed in & dies then the carb solenoid is prime suspect If once started it runs fine then the choke is the prime suspect For the choke it is a case of loosening the throttle cable clamp and sliding the cable forward till the choke closes fully ( or the choke cable...

Again this is not a Western Union telegram service that charges by the word so how about some more specific detail ? Runs bad is not much to go on .

The problem is most techs can spot a refurbished carb or defective carb from 10 foot away Most DIY home mechanics can not . Even worse often the photos that are used on Evilpay & Ammozone are not the actual item being sold but a generic photo Thus you don't know it has been repaired till you get...

Does it make any noise at all when you turn the key ? Did you touch anything electrical other than the engine to mower & PTO plugs ?

Well I was trying to make things a bit easier Try carburetor Briggs & Stratton Also try with the correct TT spelling . Some will list it as replacing Walbro LMT others will use the B & S number Stens brought up 3 pages with the more general search

Yep All about shifting money from the pockets of the poor into the pockets of the rich Either through direct purchases or via taxpayers money handed out to the rich for not doing what they were supposed to do . And no one wants to look back past yesterday for the cause let alone 5 Presidents...

If it works in the first place A bit hard for fuel to get through a main jet that has no hole in it OR through a venturii tube with no hole in it An idle circuit without the blanking off plug from when it was machined tends to run a little lean . But yea even $ 15 recycled scrap cab can be...

Depends upon the construction . You can replace individual dead cells in a battery pack just the same as we did with Ni-Cd or Ni-Metal hydride battery packs . However you can not recycle the individual cells on an industrical scale and when you do it is not economic to do except in a third world...

B & S Say 0.002" There are two different things that get conflaited Flatness & smoothness B & S Heads are flat But they are not smooth because they are fly cut to make them flat The grooves left by the cutter hold the paper gasket tight The copper gasket will need to be annealed before you...

And to add to what Chris has said. The detergents can only hold the tiny solid bits of debris ( usually carbon ) against the force of gravity for so long . Leave it sitting for a long time & it will form a sludge On a car engine no problems because the oil pick up is above the floor of the sump...

No it is debris that is slightly magnetic and should be removed

The simple answer is buy from an honest vendor All of the after market parts suppliers do aftermarket carbs from 1/4 to 1/2 the price of a factory one So go to the Rotary , Stens, Prime Line & Oregon on line catalogues and look up Walbro LMT carburettor . Then at their home page look up "find a...

You should be able to fit any one of the points eliminators . The trick is some of the older models ran a different polarity spark The eliminators are polarity sensitive so you have to flip the magneto over . When Atom was still making them they made a unit for reversed sparks . The magneto...

This is an internet forum , not a Western Union telegram . You are not charged by the word so how about a few more ? Does not crank ? Cranks but does not fire ? Fires a couple of times but does not run ? Runs if you put some fuel directly down the plug hole ? Has a spark a the plugs ?

You do not need a lot of bar oil and too much causes a whole series of problems itself. have a close look at your bar in the cutting zone If you see blueing on the bar and you have not been doing those last few cuts with a blunt blade because you are too lazy the change it for a sharp one or...

It is to pretend they are doing something about air pollution & climate change . If they don't keep on making up stupid laws some one might think they have no purpose and sack them all. As I have said many a time, one single jet landing & taking off pumps out more pollution then every chain saw...

You have refitted it wrong some how so the governor is no longer controlling the engine

Assuming you have a ride on mower assuming what you mean is that the starter cranks the engine for 1/4 a turn Then it would be a bad safety switch or the wiring between them Assuming that the engine cranks 1 & 1/2 revolutions then stops or even bounces back a little Then the decompressor is...

Std oil $ 2 / bottle Synthetic oil $ 10 / bottle Which would you rather have 35% of ? Synthetics are very good but putting them in an old engine will not make it run better In fact putting it in a new engine will not make that run any better either Being a thinner base , you will get more leaks...

IMHO Synthetics are a complete waste of money for mower engines Oil burns because it gets past the rings &/or valve stems and enters the combustion chamber Standard oil burns & leaves a carbon deposit Synthetics blow out the exhaust un noticed till there is not enough oil left in the sump =...

Loose plug = lower compression Lower compression = less power Simple as that grey oil will either be water or metal Water is no problem Metal means some thing is wearing out very rapidly

See answers in the other section you put this post

You can weld it back on but it is tricky to get things in the right place

IT could also be the fuel pump check valve failing Having said that I have only ever replaced 2 faulty fuel pumps in 11 years but it does happen on occasions The fuel pump has 1 or 2 check valves in it so fuel can only go from the inlet to the outlet Try blowing backwards through it If you...

Well you will be 1/2" lower at the back which will cause the blade to heel so each blade of grass will get cut twice once by the front and again a the back 1/2" lower Note this effect gets less as you go left right Some times this can cause a problem with catching & throwing OTOH if you can...

It is just a better heat treatment process Probably a cryogenic one They may either be using a different grade of steel There are thousands of grades to pick from but it is always a compromise Stronger steels wear the dies much faster and they are very very expensive Weaker steels do not...

Nope it just pulls directly off Some can really stick on hard

A carb is a card is a carb is a carb is a carb. On two stroke hand held devices they can be a problem swapping around but on a mower you could shove a 4 barrel Holley on there if you could make a manifold to fit it.

Troubles ? hard to fit failing in service falling off ???????

I use an Hydrovane compressor ( oh so quiet ) on 3 phase power When I replaced the single phase compressor with this one it knocked near $ 100 a quarter of the power bill. It feeds into a 8' vertical receiver . When I bought some retractable 1/2" air hoses from a truck repair business I noted...

Keep us in the loop please

Not a bolt on box but most trailer companies make dedicated equipment trailers ( not cheap ) I assume you are in OZ or NZ so check out Gumtree, Trader & Face Book at this time of year you can generally get an old one cheaper than new, Most go for over 1000 . Now if you are not going to tow i...

Take it back Probably just a stuck float needle but just incase there is a major problem you need to get a warranty history happening .

This is what happens when either the carb solenoid is not opening up or the timing key is broken. If the key is broken the plugs should be wet after cranking & /or the engine will not fire when you put fuel directly den the plug hole If the key is good & the solenoid is not working then the...

Flat yes Remove all of the mill marks no They actually hold the gasket in place just so long as there is no continous "tunnel" to allow the gasses to escape .

Fix for that is to change the way the legs are held to the crane For cheapness most come together to make a V at the boom The yard crane I use came from a factory and the legs are on a U shape so they straddle 2 pallets . The cheapest & easiest route would be to cut the legs off a HF engine...

Lugbolt With due respect Lugbolt, yes what you said is correct about self loosening . However that would only be the case for a blade that has just been installed and not used to cut grass . Once the blade starts to work it will self tighten due to the drag applied to the blades by the grass...

Rode the 1943 out today 20 miles to vote Was having such a nice ride ( no traffic ) I ended up riding to the far end of the electorial district ( 75 miles ) voted , had me saussage & lammington then rode back home Just started to clean the reocker cover gasket off the Courage single & it...

Add to that, the torque should be different depending upon what type of plug you are using , the thread size & thread length. For parallel threaded plugs with a crush washer it makes no difference what the head is made of because all you need to do is crush the washer to make an air tight seal...

Probably both but the wheels will wear faster than the drive rollers . Remember bigger rollers = faster mower Bigger wheels = slower mower As they are plain wheels you should be able to get replacements of some sort if they are a common size,=. Down here that would be 6" , 7" , or 8" Treads on...

The next hing is to check both side of the battery cables Ground straps falling off is not uncommon and either battery cable corroding in the middle under the insulation is also common . Easy check is to run a jumper lead from the battery - to a good ground near or on the engine . Problem goes...

Yep. Every day you get the spam from IT hackers who for a few US $ will give you 100% good feedback on ebay or amazon. Any retail system that allows the vendor to hide their real identity is purpose built for selling stolen , counterfeit or defective goods . Allibaba OTOH and AlliExpress and...

I came via the same path as you Motorcycles , mowers should be the same right ? wrong Engines were a walk in the park but it is all the other bits that had me tearing the hair out .

Take the rocker cover off and see if the noise goes away .

Get rid of that section of the lawn Put a row of bricks or blocks around that spot toss a trailer load of sandy loam in there and pack it chockers with shallow rooted flowering annuals . We have politicans & accountants here to make your life impossible so don't make their job easier by creating...

Belts burn because they sit stationary against a spinning pulley This happens because the tension is too low so when for instance the blades jamb because of build up under the deck rather than stalling the engine the engine continues to spin and burns the belt . Usually you can smell & see this...

Pull the deck and inspect all of the mounting parts in particular the double bent pin Inspect the holes for ovaling In use the left side tends to lift because of the belt rotation , and this is common to all belt driven decks . And has already been mentioned try backing all of the adjusters off...

If it is really a metric crankshaft then it was probably made in Japan or China or the Phillipines if it is a 13 year old engine . We get the USA made Hondas down here + the Asia -Pacific + the EU . Most USA web pages only have the USA models on them and that is right across the board with B &...

The bulb does build up pressure Pull the input line off the carb & pump the primer Fuel should gush forth If not the line or filter are blocked

Close It is actually Model 31C707 Type 0?54-E1 Code 040320ZE made March 20 2004 So you are missing a digit Go to Jacks Small Engines & click on the parts look up link on the right side When the window redraws go down to engines and click on B & S This brings up a numerical listing of the...

JD produce an idiot proof manual for all of their mowers. Costs about 2 to 3 hours of technicians charge out rate & will save you that the first time you use it . Kawakasi have all of their service manuals available on line

Made in China does not mean the item is junk Chinese factories make WHAT THE CUSTOMER ORDERS and if the customer is Walmart who orders "the cheapest possible part" then that is what they make . If the custoer is Harvard University and they ask for " the highest precision possible " then that is...

The only unique part on this engine is the sticker you posted a photo of . On the rocker cover is the numbers Mark asked for stamped into it If the letters OHV are upside down then it will be on the bottom

Old chargers that allowed you to set both the voltage & current are done by making a trasnsformer with multiple secondary coils and a very complicated switch to bring individual or multiple coils into the circuit . Tis is why they weigh a ton, got to be 40 lbs of copper wire in them. Modern...

The mounting holes are the same size regardless of engine size for OHV engines The small increments in Hp ratings are done by choking down the carbs with restrictor plates . So you have 5 Hp ratings for 31 series engines that all have the same bore stroke & compression rating . Some have...

You never leave it Ashes to ashes dust to dust

The float valve on the carb has failed and allowed fuel to enter the sump First remove the carb & clean it You may need a new needle &/or seat Then once the carb is good replace the oil. Mow about 15 minutes or so and change the oil again + the filter Get an in line fuel tap and turn the fuel...

And the reminder will not reset . I will display for a few hours then vanish till the next one is due

In you photo Take the spring out of the black plastic bit & put it int the loop in the piece of wire to the left The spring is connected to the wire & only the wire is connected to the carb

All depends upon what you call dead When a machine is doing your breathing & pumping your blood, clinically you are in fact dead . A comma is a dead body that can no longer run itself which may or may not still have electrical brain activity . My father died during a failed stent surgery . He...

Glad we guessed it right . And thanks for coming back it is a big help to others who are too timid to post but read the archives .

You have to be really good to insult me or even ruffle the feathers When people become obnioxious I just withdraw . I use the same stragity with my customers I will tollerate all sorts of nuisence customers who don't listen & perpetually bugger things up, till they start becoming abuse at which...

The PTO clutch is permanently connected to the power side of the battery and you turn it on & off by connecting it to ground. So if you have a bad wire it can be making a ground contact thus completing the circuit Way way back the clutches grounded via their body through the crank & engine but...

In thou ≈ .062 ≈ .058 ≈ .040 The last is full hard stainless wire The thicker ones are half hard zinc plated A while back I did a Dixon which Husqvarna discontinued and it had the stainless wire I had to go to my cable maker to get the wire from him as it was not a size my wholesalers...

As I am not familiar with Zooms I had been staying out of this However on the first photo I notice there is no return spring on the choke . If you get a rebuild kit you will see there is a small clock spring that goes under the black plastic top You notice there is a step at the front for...

Recharge the battery . Get a can of carb cleaner and go mow when it won't restart squirt a SMALL amount of carb cleaner down the carb and see if it fires You should not need to turn the mower off to open a gate When the parking brake is set you should be able to get off & leave the engine...

Start by checking the fuses

Having been "dead" on 3 separate occasions . 1) shot , arrived DOA at casulty 2) electrocuted , revived on site by night watchman 3) road accident & bled out on the side of the road & again revived in casulty . I can definately say , nothing happens after you die, if you can not be revived then...

Take photo of the entire thing + the wiring before you touch anything . Basically it is the 4 mounting bolts + the PTO bolt . If there are spacers between the pulleys lay them ( & the pulleys ) out on the ground and photograph them as well . Most drive pulleys are symetrical but some are not so...

No mower company actually makes mowers They all assemble them from mostly bought in parts This naturally includes the blades . MTD probably makes more of their mowers than any one else. This is what happens when the rent seekers take over any company, they sell off all of the manufacturing in...

You either have a short in the wiring that flattens the battery when standing ( usually the rectifier ) Or the alternator is not generating / recharging the battery Specific to Kohlers Most models mount the rectifiers into the plastic blower housing and then run a brass strap from the rectifier...

Different way of doing the same checks as Rivets is doing 1) remove the spark plugs & try again 2) run a jumper from battery - to a good ground near the starter & try again 3) with the above jumper still there run another from the starter motor to the battery + Best done that way because you get...

Sounds like you have a broken wire that makes & breaks contacts randomly , This is going to be a right royal PIA to find . Easiest way is the remove the deck & belt get the mower up in the air and very stable . The start pulling /pushing wires , particularly where they plug into the clutch and...

Cranks but does not start at all Won't crank at all Fires a couple of times but won't stay running

The lap bars are linked to the parking brake so you can not drive off with the brakes applied which destroys the brakes

No Such hing as the universal "Best Blade" There is the right blade for YOUR grass and the way you mow And you find it by trial & error , make notes so you can compare different blades latter on .

While I don't think he will pull the big ref trigger remember his "nut job" is sitting on the second largest arsonal of nuclear weapons on the planet . A difficult problem & President Putin has been planning this for decades. He has gone a long way to divide & destroy the USA by his support for...

Sounds different when you speak Russian.

Apart from cleaning the arm at the axel end so it travels the full distance . Some times they get crud in there Check all of the linkages for excessive wear , replace flogged out parts .

Take the old one off fist and have a good look at the dash end Some can be replaced easily while others have the lever moulded around then thus are not repairable. There are 3 different diameters of inner wire & then there is the nylon lined inner or outer so look before you open the wallet

So you are saying no continuity S to C or H to brake Broken wire or bad terminal crimp The wires will pull out of the plugs so get some terminals & run new wires Could try some contact cleaner and repeated unplugging & plugging as the contacts are supposed to be self cleaning I will not try to...

Yep your assumption is correct , they have shortened the cable Usually the inner is around 2" longer than the outer at the carb end with the dash end hooked up If you are careful you can usually cut the outer shorter using a Dremel type tool without the entire cable becoming too short. Not...

Glad you sorted it. Now you see a reason for buying from a dealer

The ones I mentioned are all good K & C is also good but I just never seem to order from them Small engine warehouse & small engine suppliers are great for engine parts only , no mower parts Jacks will show what is in stock BEFORE you place the order Anything that comes up "ships in X days "...

You will go mad trying to get the mower to track strait in both forward & reverse When ZTR's were new they had adjustments for both forward & reverse tracking This is expensive & time consuming so they got phased out

Usually a franchise dealer can not sell aftermarket parts for the franchised brands SO a Toro dealer can not sell aftermarket Toro parts Add to that Toro ( or any other maker ) may refuse to supply parts to a distributor if they also distribute after market parts for their brand. So for instance...

Take your big wallet to the parts shop & buy a new one or pull the plunger up as high as you can and cut it off. Then when you finish mowing push the throttle down to the minimum count to 10 and turn off the engine . If you don't do this the unburned fuel will accumulate in the muffler and...

because I can't remember the actual thread size I won't mention it but there is no difference internally between the solenoid & no solenoid carbs So all you need is a bolt to hold the bowl on . If no one chimes in with the thread ( think it is a fine pipe thread or conduit thread ) take the...

Agree with Star on this The kill wire links the two coils together When the coils fire they send a ripple down this wire which cause to other to fire at the wrong time As Star mentioned there is a diode inside the coils to prevent this happening Yours has failed open circuit Because of that...

Look Not difficult to pull off the blower housing or the air filter to check both of them . Keys are a couple of bucks but the trick is to check before you pull the flywheel. More people break the key replacing the flywheel nut / bolt than break them in use

It is a common practice to have power on the PTO all the time & switch the ground to turn the clutch on & off Remember the switch can be any where in the circuit People are used to household AC where the power side is always switch to prevent you getting a shock But DC can be switched anywhere

It is a std SUMP NUT spannar. You will find them at most auto stores Theory being that an inhex plug would not catch on things & get torn out ( car sumps ).

Thank you I stand corrected Although most of the sectioned diagrams show Idlers with double row bearings I am yet to come across one less than 40 years old with a double row in it

firstly you need to be careful what you read and question what your read. Black sooty plugs are a sign of rich running or a retarded spark in just about any internal combustion engine . However mower engine have had fixed carb jets for over 20 years so the only way to have a rich mixture is a...

Check the brakes are releasing fully

You may have several problems Runs for 15 seconds & dies a symptom of having the exhaust plugged by dead animals or wasps It is also a sign of having water in the float bowl IF you get black smoke as well then a plugged air intake would also be suspected No power at all would be a blown fuse ...

5204 ? typo for 6204 ?

Apart from his glass jaw, Brian is fine. In fact I wish more would post like his original one Engine make & model numbers + a photo of what he found difficult to describe makes providing assistance really easy .

Really so what do you expect to get for that money ? Trash that some one has doctored up to get rid of like your Cub is all you will get for that sort of money . He who buys cheap pays thrice .

Yep.Did that last week during the rain. Got the diamond burrs out with the Dremel (and haven't their quality gone down the toilet ) to remark a pile of taps & dies so I can read them .

Also get a new plug At compression pressures the fuel mix now days is almost as conductive as a wire so once a plug gets really wet the spark will run down the side of the electrode rather than jumping the gap because electricity & myself share a common characteristic, We are both lazy & take...

Make sure it is the right module There are a lot that look very similar On a mower it is not too much of a disaster but on a line trimmer that spin 3 times as fast that poofteenth off correct time can quickly cause it to go bang big time .

Cool it Slowie. I can & have been just as wrong as the next man, just a bit less often I hope But I am big enough old enough & ugly enough to fight my own battles & I was hoping not to start one here The support is nice but without the others who post here the forum would be just as bad as the...

All of the representations of the belt routing are from above looking down on the mower from above. Of course when you are under the mower the belt run is a mirror view of the diagram because you are looking up. It is a more common problem than many would imagine

Not a criticism, a fact . Try to tell me you do not do a call out and see a dozen problems with equipment that the customer has not noticed . I have walked more people through repairing their equipment than you have had hot breakfasts and this includes a lot of disabled people many of which were...

The carb end is in the wrong place. It goes into the loop in the connecting wire

Yes , in theory you should not have to do it and our mower will not blow up if you don't. However it is a good habit to get into just like wearing a seat belt or helmet . I go one step further and advise my customers to stop their mower by turning the fuel off & starving the engine. If you were...

Yep, Thems the ones It is a loop from the grounding bolt to the on - off switch and back to the kill tab. Every time the magnets pass by the coil it should throw a spark, regardless of the position of the timing key If the key is broken the spark will just happen at the wrong time. Inside the...

You won't see it if you don't know what to look for That is the difference between techs and home handymen

Broken gear or shift keys Easy repair but filthy PIA of a job

20 years ago that mower could have been made by Murray , Noma . Garden Way ( Bolens ) , AYP ( husqvarna ) or MTD if not more so we will need a little more information as it could be a full gear transmission, a hydro with single speed transmission , a full hydro . The numbers off the ID would...

You are searching the wrong way They were fitted with a GXV 390 So search GXV 390 There are plenty of carbs that will fit Most will require a longer fuel pipe as the inlet stub will be pointing in a different direction Most of the Loncin ( Toro & MTD ) 13 Hp carbs will fit as will almost any...

Usually that will be floating debris in the tank forming a plug . The next most common cause is overheating because of debris under the blower housing blocking off the air supply. After that is is an air leak around the carb &/or manifold .

Starting to sound more like a printing error . If you get under there and have a good look the rod usually goes to an arm which slides on a protrusion in the case. That protrusion will have a detent in the run position to hold the bypass lever in the run position Usually when you pull the wire...

Sorry about that All of the ones I have played with were in for drive & out for push .

Numbers are not inches On some mowers they over come this by using letters

Checked ? How ? Was there battery voltage both sides of the fuse holder with the fuse in place ? Prime suspects on a first mow of the season is mice nesting in the mower over winter and having a midnight snack on your wires . Second suspect is corrosion particulalry of the ground cable . Next...

Stick a pencil down the plug hole & turn the engine by hand Either the flywheel is spinning freely on the crank shaft or the piston is no longer connected to the crank shaft .

The carburettor has 2 circuits, the idle circuit & the main jet Despite being called idle , the low speed circuit supplies all the fuel till you turn the blades on or go up a big hill . For far less than the price of a single magneto coil you can get a HF leak down tester . While not the best...

Other way round You pull them OUT to dissengage and push in to engage So they come out and the ring prevents them pulling back in so you can push the mower

Don't forget about Big Brother. Every prescription that gets filled in for you is recorded on a state and perhaps even a national data base . So some pencil neck on the 22nd floor in a government building will be keeping tabs what you are taking to ensure that the doctors are not contraveining...

Think about it If you are talking about the magneto magnets on the outside of the flywheel. Every time the magnet passes the coil you should get a spark So if they are on opposite sides of the engine, one will happen near top dead center & the other would happen at bottom dead centre Why would...

I for one am confused "Replaced everything" means exactly what ? "Turns over like crazy " means strong or really fast like there is no spark plug in the engine ? "No fuel or spark " plug is dry and does not throw a spark ? "Died , just shut down" Like it ran out of fuel or like you turned the...

Well done Most solenoids are not polarity sensitive , yours obviously was Thanks for the "case closed " post

I have actually done some thing similar before You lash the planks only on the front so they can pivot then tie them together at the trailer end so they make a triangle Then loosely tie to the trailer just tight enough to stop them bouncing off . Usually I would put a strap side to side on the...

As I said before but your SOTL obviously prevented you believing it. YOU are not Kohlers customer and they have no warranty obligations to YOU the MOWER factory is Kohlers customer & they have the warranty obligations with them. You have been told how the warranty system works but prefer to...

Symptoms and timing point to a clogged fuel solenoid in the carb Over winter they get full of sticky varnish & tar deposits which prevent the plunger fully retracting when you turn the engine on. Usually they will clean out by squirting them with carb cleaner then working the plunger by hand ...

Well it is obviously the wrong meter. Now Scag could have changed the meter and issued an update to the dealers on how to retrofit the new meter . If it is just an hour meter & nothing else then there are dozens of alternative aftermarket ones that may fit . After all Scag did not make it they...

You are putting too much load on the drive system so the tensioner arm lets off the tension in the belt the snatches it back after the belt slips a little A new drive belt, & tensioner spring should fix the problem And of course the pivot must be in good condition and well lubed . The tension...

The engine pulls the belt directly off the right hydro so no matter what the right hydro will always spin at engine speed. The left hydro gets pulled by the right hydro which is taking energy from the system Because both the left & right pulleys are resisting rotating the belt tensionwill e...

A strong pencil light works wonders for finding the anchor point wear marks . If the spring has cut a grove in the frame I usually weld a washer over the hole & build up the hole as once the first spring goes, replacements only seem to last a season or two.

And now you understand why quality costs money and why I have a hard time not reading the riot act to clowns who want to know which mower under 2k is the best quality .

in residential range the only two to chose between are Toro & JD and possibly Spartan if Toro has not trashed them since the take over . Everything else is junk. When you go to entry lever commercials then there are a lot more choices

How long is a piece of string ? At 5K you should be able to get a top end residential / bottom end commercial new I would definately not consider paying anything less because under that most are trash. OR as I describe them temporary diverted land fill . You should also be able to get a good...

In the first post you said the fuse blew This is very often caused by bad grounds & corrosion This was the first problem that is probably still there They you decided to replace the starter solenoid at which time I am assuming you wired it incorrectly The solenoid should be open on the...

There are 2 connections to the fuel tank One supplies the fuel via the pump. The other is the tank vent that allows air to enter then tank to replace the fuel . To comply with EPA requirements that vent now goes to the manifold usually so it is a closed loop and fuel vapours can not escape to...

The wiring at the solenoid It has to be wrong if both of the wires at the BASE show power when disconnected

and the purging above must be done with the engine running as slow as possible to prevent the oil frothing

Belt life is dependant upon so many variables your post is meaningless . Belts fail for a particular reason and the mode of failure will be indicated by the damage to the belt We need to see the dead belts if we are going to be of any use to you And telling us which belt is failing would be a...

Thanks for fessing up. Glad it was a simple as that Mental note to yourself When you start to do any job you have not done before or do very infrequently take photos before you start , while you are pulling bits off and when you have finished . Probably a 1/4 of the posts here are "where does...

If you post the model numbers from the ID tag we will attempt to find a schmatic for your model. Never heard of a Z-beast but looks very much like fully imported bottom line mower that arrives without wheels so the factory can bolt wheels on then whack an "Made in the USA " sticker on it . At...

There is a spring that adjusts the balance between the brake & clutch Jack the rear up and adjust is so the brake comes off just before the wheels start to spin . There is also a pedal return spring which may need replacing . The brake is not progressive like your car brakes . It is either on...

You are not the customer . You did not pay Kohler directly for the engine The factory is Kohlers customer they wrote the cheque to Kohler not you. You wrote a cheque to pay the mower factory for the mower so you are the mower factorys customer and it is them who have the warranty obligations...

As Star said Most of us have a Bore-O-Scope for these types of problems so we can look inside the cylinder. Had a Kohler injest a screw from the throttle butterfly . It bounced around inside the cylinder for ages and eventually it broke away sections of the piston . Usually the screw will pass...

I have never seen this either Forwards or backwards is just a valve that sends the oil left or right from the pump to the motor so I can not see any reason why it would be slower in reverse apart from the valve not opening . The only bad reversing i have fixed was due to wear in the control...

I teach my customers to tip their mowers handlebars to the ground . Now the arrangements might be different down here but just about every mower sold here will stand vertical if the handle bars are tripped forward and in many cases the catcher flap will go back to stabilize it That way the...

It is your mower & your grass, we got all the time in the world . Take a photo of the solenoid I can almost be certain that some one has wired it wrong. At the base should be an orange + white wire that shows battery voltage when the key is in the start position and nothing with the key in any...

Dip the oil and tell us what the level is . Smell it to see if it smells like fuel rub it between your finger to see if it feels thin or hard Get back with the findings

Take the kill wires off the coil If there is still no spark then the magneto is dead No other testing unless you have a good osiliscope, signal generators and the required resistors .

One valve could be bad or one head gasket could be leaking They usually go between the cylinder & the pushrod tunnel

Thanks for that Star much better at least I can read wire colours on this one. Now we just need Roland to come back to confirm which PTO he has so we now if the wiring diagram is in fact correct The parts book I down loaded show it as being a manual PTO but there are a lot of models listed as...

Usual culprit will be the diodes in the rectifier failing open circuit Pull the connector apart at night in the dark. If you get a nice big spark you have found the problem. To confirm it either check the rectifier or just leave it unpluged for the week. If the battery is fine then replace the...

It is the same stuff 00 lithium grease packed into a tooth past tube and sold for a massive mark up Some makers specify 000 grease, often called liquid grease or pouring grease because it pours . I have never seen a trimmer head damaged from using the wrong grease & I only use 00 as I buy it in...

Check the manifold The plastic ones are prone to cracking on the cylinder side .

Did you measure the new belt against the old one before you installed it ? Belts barely stretch , they wear thin as you have noticed . With the clutch in the belt should be very loose , if not the belt is either wrong, routed wrong or the spring is in the wrong position which is really easy to...

You needed the second bowl of Uncle Tobys oats for breakfast

Before you stretch the bolts on an alloy mower engine you will cause the hole to collapse in on itself, which is the way you know if they have been overtightened in the past . As for thread length put the bolt through the head / rod . If the thread is better than 1 full turn inside the head /...

New York elephant repellant is the term that comes to mind The story is the same as fuel breakdown it is dependent on so many different climatic conditions it is impossible to make a blanket appraisal. They are needed for some thing like 5% of the country. At best they will do no harm if used...

No Domestic epoxies have lower temperature ranges than loctite. Silicons are more temperature resistant than epoxies If it is pulling out that is because the casting was defective from the start or the engine is overheating

FWIW I measure out the stated quantity of oil & put that amount in At worse there will be a small over fill as you can never get 100% of the old oil out . The manual covers a lot of variations on the basic theme Some will have overlfow reseviours & / or dipsticks and some won't . It all depends...

Roland This is going to be a bit tricky depending upon how good your understanding of DC electronics is And further to this, the wiring diagram they you & star has found shows an electric PTO However the parts diagrams I could find all show a manual PTO so it may or may not be the same wiring...

You can swap any engine over provided that the PTO shafts are the same length & diameters . Some have different alterrnators but they al mount the same so you can swap the new one for the old one if the new one is smaller capacity .

Thanks Star but it is the same unreadable diagram as we have already found Can you make any sense of it ? Looks like the magneto is controlled by the seat & brake switch relays so not grounded via the key and the cranking circuit is a std key -> PTO -> Brake => solenoid -> ground But I can not...

yes Time for a leakdown test Bad valves or blown head gaskets are high on the hit list .

E 10 has nothing to do with reduced pollution he reason governments went gar gar about it was to reduce the volumes ( $$$$$ ) of imported fuel but that is a hard sell to Joe public So they took the cowards spin and quite truely stated that it reduced the TAILPIPE emissions which is factually...

Take the rocker cover off and check that the valves are moving when you pull the starter rope That drive belt system is very reliable but it can break or even skip a tooth .

No only power side is fused Sorry for the dud link, I should have checked so shame on me And yes I could only find that same bad reproduction . Hopefully some one with dealer access will come up with a better one But to do that they will need the model number off the tag under the seat . The...

Cub uses to grease via the spindle shaft JD mostly grease via the housing Toro seem to be all over the place

In the bottom left side of the white region where your text is there are three words in green type Report , Edit , Delete Hit the delete then when the pop up window shows write double post in the reason and click the Delete / OK button ( shows differently on different systems ) And it will be...

I get quite a dew mowers with horizontal engines & shaft dives offered to me for parts because they have a magneto / wiring problem & the owners could not face the hassel of removing the engine to get the cover off. A lot of them end up having cooked heads because they were never cleaned and the...

Well they are on 87 & 87A so would be NC thus shorting out the stator when the ignition is turned off Not the best way to electronically brake an engine

Any old car one will do provided it has an external battery connection.

It happens to all of us I have run multiple tanks of fuel through a mower and not had a second of problem then the owner takes it back and the problem reappears. I have even gone to the customers house to watch them . It is very frustrating, particularly for a dealer in a workshop where all they...

Same as Rivets In extreme cases I have made a plug to fit in the filling port and connected it to the sump pump the encourage the air to come out. I had a Rider Pro here one time that took several days to purge and 2 full tanks of fuel. Then engine must be turning as SLOW as possible This...

If you soak in diesel remember to degrease before you apply the penetrant of choice because most will not work on oily or greasy surfaces .

Watch the muffler & the drive Running under heavy load that reduces engine speed causes carbon build up On strait shafts it chews through the bevel gears On bent shafts the drive shaft tends to come loose at the swages either end Consider a solid blade the smallest diameter that will fit or fit...

Weather ethanol will cause you any grief is totally dependent upon the actual formula of your local fuel and the microclimate where your mower is stored. Rule of thumb is using the e-XT fuel regularly will not cause grief Letting it sit for a long time will and this includes the cans you use to...

Please delete the same post in the mower repair section HAving the same thread in two different places is confusing & I for one will not answer either of them till one is gone

Did you purge it with the wheels off the ground ? There must be no load on the pump & motor in order for the oil to replace the air and air does not pump particularly well .

Timing The flywheel should have a key cast in it These can shear & put the timing off Put some lines on the flywheel with a paint pen against some sort of marker corresponding to TDC & 1/4 either side of it Ground the spark plug & hook a timing light up to the spark plug wire This way the...

Take both the kill wires off the coils If the problem goes away you need to replace ( or fit ) diodes to the kill wires . The kill wires can pick up FR from the opposite plug causing the coil to fire at the wrong time or fire twice .

Over time the pivot hole for the throttle plate floggs out oval Because this is after the main jet has added the fuel you end up with an air leak & lean mix And of course as the carb body gets hotter the air leak gets worse. As you can't get oversize jets to compensate then you either have to...

If you bought the fuel filter of ebay / amazon it could very well have been a defective part rejected at the factory then sold as scrap wholesale after which it gets resold into the second line parts system as was the case with the fuel pump so the blame for it belongs to Americans ( Amazon &...

It really sounds like a fuel starvation problem both in your description & in the video Considering what you have done so far it sounds like the supply is fine so that leaves the carburettor itself three things come to mind, in no particular order 1) blocked air vent to the float bowl it is one...

The OP needs to answer the questions asked way back in replies 3 & 4 . IF & when he does that then I will chime in but I am steadfast in the approach that if we ask people do do something & they don't do it then we are wasting our time & there are plenty of people who actually want & appreciate...

Lemon juice , vinegar , both mild acids that will clean zinc & aluminium Boiling expands the passages so stuck in crud can got back out & the mechanical action of bouncing around in the pot aids this. I used to do the same thing with dishwasher tablets which actually works better than an acid...

No Magnets are not affected by rust coating them If it was a problem they would have some sort of surface protection applied at the factory Same story for coils. I have seen laminations fanned out from severs rust & the coils work fine As for your mower, change your winter lay up routine At the...

Leave the magnet alone The rust makes no difference unless it is thick enough to touch the coil as it passes. Wire brushing magnets is not good for them If it was a problem they would be painted at the factory .

The parking brake has to be manually disengaged because the switch will continually engage it as it is timed . No doubt it was a knee jerk addition after one rolled out of some ones garage & did some damage

Unfortunately Lost never came back so we would assume that one of the replies fixed his problem . For you it is the same . When presented with your symptoms I firstly determine if it is fuel or electrical . A couple of ways to do that 1) rig up an alternative fuel supply above the engine ( easy...

The variator belt is loose at stand still To make it go your foot tightens the belt . Jack the mower up and run the mower rear wheels off the ground If they turn in opposite directions then the parking brake is engaged .

with the bypass open a time cutter will roll easily under it's own weight

Not meaning to nit pick but the float is HDPE not nylon. Most carbs come in 2 forms Gravity feed which usually have a lighter float or smaller needle Pump feed that has a longer needle to shut off tighter because the fuel is delivered at a higher pressure .

Thank you

WE are going off topic a bit but you may have noticed that I have been saying that EV's & ETools are not the answer to pollution for as long as I have been on this forum Being an ex-metallurgist I keep an interest in the metals industry and subscribe to a lot of journals . The world can not go...

I some times wonder what sort of retard mower companies pay to make these total rubbish wiring diagrams No wonder people have troubles understanding the electronics So they show a solenoid with a trigger wire & no ground. Must be for Californian self generating electricity .

take the belt back off the left ( non discharge side pulley ) Reattach the tension spring Pull the entire tension arm to stretch the spring Slide the belt over the left side spindle pulley It is much easier done this way Use a hook similar to what Star has shown and slip it over the tension arm...

At the front corner I can see what looks like a white plastic tab Pull it down If it reveals a blade contact then that green goes to the blade No real need for the insulated plug as it is a ground wire .

You start diagnosing electrical problems with the wiring diagram Yours should be some where here . General stuff 1 run a jumper from the battery - to a good ground on the mower engine Problem goes away = bad ground connection . 2) you can put a switch anywhere that you like in a circuit , It is...

I remember reading a repair manual for one but that was a long time ago & was not sure if it was Dixon or Dixie. And yes after reading the manual I hoped I would never see one Both of the factories down here that make friction drive mowers played with friction drive ZTR's but AFAIK they both...

During the energy crisis back in the 70's petrol was abolished an replaced with "fuel" Fuel is a mix of volatile hydrocarbons one of which is toluene Toluene is the main solvent in paint thinners and has a boiling point around 110 C Benzene ( which is real petrol ) has a boiling point around 80...

Glad we could be of service Switch comes as a unit but be careful that you get the correct one as the open > closed ones are identical to the Closed > open ones Be very careful using the mower without a functioning switch as it is the only thing that protects both you and others around you...

The only thing pulling the fuel line off would fix is a non venting tank Check this by loosening the fuel cap with a tank 1/2 full so it does not slosh around

Was't there a Dixon that used friction drives some time ago ?

Yep sounds like a loose or chaffed wire to me You get different vibrations with the blades running than you do blades off. So some times while turning on the blades makes a short happen , the short may not actually be in the PTO system.

First things first. When you apply a heavy load and the engine revs drop, the governor should relax and allow the throttle to open up wider to provide more power . So firstly we need to know if this is happening . We need you to watch the governor arm and see if it is moving in the open...

Not for a walk behind or for that matter an old fully mechanical drive ride on It is hydros that gobble up fuel

IF no one can help you there is a Murray only group called Murray Owners world It is English only and you will have to join the group to access the archives but they claim to have archives going back 40 years Murray Owners World

IT is not a model I can recognise can any body ID it ? Could of course be an EU only export model .

And the war in the Ukrane will make things even worse as a lot of electronic parts came from Ukranian factories and a lot of rarish metals are mined in the Donbas region which is why Putin wants to gain control over it .

The ghost in your case resides in the yellow / yellow-black wires From the circuit diagram you see the magneto gets killed via the seat switch & the parking brake switch The path is ground > green wire >brake switch >yellow / black wire> Seat switch> yellow wire > magneto When the brake is off...

No sounds what so ever points at a blown main fuse The main fuse will be found on the wire that goes from the battery + post either at the battery or the starter solenoid . It will be plain red not the blue or purple one that will be the trigger wire for the solenoid . the 30 second check for...

Pull the rocker cover off & check that both valves go in & out A slightly loose one could have dropped off and will cause the symptoms you describe

I would try fitting a Time Cert which is a solid insert much like a reducing bush Reason behind this is they are solid not wire so if you break through the case it will not leak through the insert The inserts are more expensive but the tools are cheaper as it is just a drill and a tap

Never had a problem with any genuine Gates belts Have seen fake Gates sold on ebay I rarely have problems with aftermarket belts but mine all come via my wholesaler and down here warranty is a legislated mandate so it is rare to get a bad part from them The problem we do have is too many people...

It does sound typical of a transmission on its way out Does the tranny howl ?

It would help a lot to know what engine you have & even more which carb is fitted to it . Fire related a couple of things come to mind 1) throttle cable cover got soft and the cable slipped under the clamp 2) plastic throttle connection to the governor rod got soft & the hole elongated

Do as the dealer suggested Fuses can blow because they were bad from the factory Check for the obvious. alternator wires not plugged in tight , loose battery cables at either end of both cables.

Have you downloaded the the wiring diagram that you will find at Cub Cadets & More web page so we can be singing from the same song sheet ? When you have then get back & we can go through the electrical troubleshooting .

It is because Joe public really do not know the theory Higher performance engines usually run higher compression, in fact a lot of older engines came with a choice of pistons from 7:1 through to 11:1 which is about the limit of petrol which is why we used to run methanol so we could go from 11:1...

Turn over means rotate in your terminology ? I am thinking a bad charging system running down the battery till there is no power left or a bad ground or power supply So start by attempting a jump from your car / truck If that works then charge up the battery and get back to us for a pile of...

Which is what makes me think it is a main jet problem of some sort as the mower will be running on the idle circuit until a real load is put on the engine. Doubt it is a safety switch unless thee is a loose wire flailing around from the wind flow / vibrations of the deck running . It is also the...

Looks good & sounds good Somewhere between the bob weights and the carb throttle plate something is not connected properly

Get some one to sit in the seat, hold the operator presence lever in ( I have no idea what an Apex 60 is ) start the mower then hold the governor arm with your finger . Push the governor arm slowly to open up the throttle If the engine stumbles & dies then you have a carburettor problem . If...

You mentioned fuel pump so that means it must be a ride on mower or wide area walk behind And you mentioned Craftsman so the engine could be a Generac, Tecumseh, Kohler Loncin or Briggs So now we have narrowed down the field to around 4000 by eliminating Honda, Kawakasi & Yamaha engines Of...

As a long time motorcyclist I laugh at the idea of a water proof joint As an ex- metallurgist I laugh at the whole idea of them for anything other than sensors that have very small voltages , like O2 sensors. Metals corrode because they form a galvanic cell For that to happen you just need two...

Get one from Rotary, Stens,Prime Line or Oregon. Chances are they are the same carb from the same factory but these ones usually have has some sort of QC applied to them and of course come with a real guarantee . A lot of the stuff from vendors who use platforms like Ebay & Amazon are actually...

The kill wire is a ground wire so it is either open or closed to ground which makes it easy to test I strongly suggest buying the JD technical manual for your mower It costs 1 to 2 hours of technicians labour charge so pays for itself the first time you fix something Very unlikely to be the key...

The solenoids very rarely fail The just get gummed up You spray them with your CRC then work the plunger in and out till it all evaporates and repeat till the needle clicks back when pressed down The carb will need an ultrasonic bath clean or a boil with a couple of dish washer tablets Plain...

Enough fellas. There is nothing special about me and nothing that you can not do yourself. Start with dropping your face book news feed because all you will see is what it thinks you want to hear If you subscribe to a news feed , make sure you add one that is not what you would normally listen...

And the thing with wires under the carb is a shut down solenoid It stops fuel LEAVING the carb via the main jet , it does not stop fuel entering the carb filling the float bowl till it pours out of the vent hole

Yes . You can go too far down the bigger is better road Oe of the local makes just kept on putting bigger & bigger engines in their mowers Originally they were 7 x 24" , 8 x 30" 8.5 x 32 They ran standard polly V belts so were cheap to run and despite having the small decks can out cut most 42"...

From the top 1) fuel can not leak from an auto choke because it never gets any where the auto choke mechanism 2) using a You Tube video of some one elses problem is almost as silly as going there for advice. Blind & ignorant leading the uninformed 3) the problem depicted is fuel leaking from...

In a car or motorcycle about 3 weeks in a mower about 5 years

Sounds like the starter trying to engage Remove the finger guar and see if you can rotate the engine 2 full turns by hand pressing down on the screen with your palm .

You are looking for the B & S L head single cylinder manual It can be found on the web as a free download in various places Other than that the Scientific Publications / Hanes lawnmower manual has a more explanitory section on B & S engines. You can usually find one in a thrift shop for a couple...

Yes . Tip some out in a bowl next to another bowl of regular pump fuel and see the difference in evaporation rates and residue . Also it will be as fresh as the day it was made and there will be no contaminants in it It will also be exactly the same day in day out . And at the price they...

Fuel does not SUCK anything from the air What your get is basically dew forming inside the float bowl & fuel tank Just th same as it forms on the grass outside. As temperature lowers the moisture in the air condenses on cold surfaces, like the carb body Repeat the process a few times and you...

TRS does very informative posts and are really worth the pain of watching If you don't understand what is going on after atching any of them then get some one else to fix your gear. Just unfortunate that is voice puts me to sleep .

My 3/4 " goes up to 400 ft lbs and the 1" goes up to 450 ft lbs However both of those are well above the tensile strength of a 1/2 grade 9 bolt so I would double check that number 350 in-lbs sounds a bit more likely Why inch & not foot ? Because it implies a higher level of accuracy

No Gators do not throw particularly well If you want to run Gators with a bagger you really need a blower Fallen leaves are really light and they need a lot of wind to move then and the best way to bag them is with a lawn vacuum The other trick is to do what we old farts had to do before there...

Using a lower octane fuel than specified CAN cause the engine to knock under load, Note the use of the word CAN Using a higher octane rating will make no difference except to your wallet but can make life easy and of course the more things that use the came fuel, the fresher it will be . Ignore...

If the primer is slow returning then there is a blockage The pick up tube has a filter on the end of it which gets clagged up Other than this new diaphragms are in order . Be wary of NOS ones as they can be quite hard from age I have sent more than one back Because they are getting on, the...

That is an old mower so those fuel lines are probably well past their replacement dates Take the carb off,pull it down and give it a good clean Check that the fule solenoid is working properly and if it is then pull the kill wires off the coils and see it that ends the problem. At that age you...

Only if it is applied each & every time the mower is used as liquid lubricants will not stay on the rack to prevent metal to metal contact . As for the WD40 product, I do not use any of them so I have no idea if it will work. Silicon sprays are best kept for plastic & rubber lubing. Because of...

First of all leave the stabilizer for winter storage It does nothing but cause problems if you are using it right away Next fuel itself can be bad right out the pump and no goop added to bad fuel will make it good fuel If you are some where that uses substantially different brews summer to...

As he surging takes a while to happen this suggests that either the fuel supply can not keep up with the demand of the engine Or expansion is allowing an air leak to happen The check for the latter saturate the manifold area with WD 40 from a trigger spray pack, not an aerosol can If the engine...

You got an old US army oven at your place ? I play with vintage & veteran motorcycles and the oven method is SOP for most bearings in alloy cases

You need two pots, the bigger the better Firstly degrease the carb really well Boil one pot and add a couple o dishwasher tablets into it When fully dissolved drop the carb into the water & keep it on a rolling boil ( provides agitation ) for as long as you like but 1/2 hour is usually more...

The magic stuff is called "Liquid Electrical Tape" applied over the bolts & terminals . any place where wo different metals touch there is a potential to create a galvanic cell when ever there is an electrolyte to complete the circuit. The electrolyte can be dew, rain, acid fume from the...

Thanks Sam I like to communicate with people and even more to see why they think what they think Having had an engineering & science based education I try to keep an open mind and accept what has been proven to me as fact till proven otherwise . Starting at college I attended a lot of public...

Depends upon your grass & the ground underneath If yours is quite solid then you can go higher If you have soft soil then go lower to avoid ruts

If the housing is out of the deck you can stand them in your oven at 400 deg Within an hour you will hear the bearings fall out then flip them over so the others can fall out . Warning This will stink the house out of burning grease which may not be a smell SWMBO finds appealing and grease...

Short answer is no That is the tamper proof switch Long answer is there will be videos on You tube because some think that bypassing them is a massive blow against the state an an advancement in the fight for freedom . The question is why do you want to bypass it ? On occasionsI extend the...

OK I missed the video Your governor is not working That engine is chronically over reving & you are lucky it has not gone bang already Double check that the governor is adjusted properly If it is adjusted properly then the governor internally is buggered They are not expensive just a PIA to...

You can easily replace the manual system with an electric one. it is just 2 pulleys a switch & a clutch retainer Pulley size needs to be the same as the manual one The alternator might need an upgrade because manual engines usually have a 5 Amp alternator that will not be able to keep up with...

It comes down to the weird philosophy that maintains that people are some how not part of the natural environment and not another animal in the food chain. Most people have no problems understanding the concept of over stocking a farm or over grazing a paddock, they can even understand over...

Yes

No And all Honda cables are available down here And because of the large number of Honda clones most are available as after market cables as well . Having said that I make my own because I have rolls of bulk cable & a soldering pot . But before I realized I could use the motorcycle stuff I used...

When I get into these situations I instal a spark tester or Colour Tune Clamp the saw by the bar making sure it can not move ( some times I also support the engine end with a stand Then it is a case of starting the saw & watching the spark tester Some times I even video it so I can play back...

There has to be some governing force because without it the engine will race away at an uncontrollable speed then blow up The normal full speed is 3500 rpm at around 5000 rpm the engine explodes because the con rod is not strong enough to go that quick. As your engine has not blown up I have to...

The parking brake is rusted on The brake locks the layshaft which locks the diff so the wheels can only turn in the opposite directions

Pull the blower housing off and check the timing key It should make a perfect square With unused motors I start by shooting a VERY SHORT shot of carb cleaner down the spark plug hole If the engine fires normally then the spark timing is good If ou get a flame out the carb then the intake valve...

FWIW He is from Hungry and is looking for service information on the Murray in the photos Google translates his request thus. So I guess he is seeking engine identification & service information.

You use a dry lubricant Most will use dry Lithium spray grease You can also use dry chain wax from a push bike shop but that is more expensive You do not want to put anything there that stays wet or sticky because that will collect dirt & dust which will becomes a grinding paste

Yes they have been talking about his for decades As of yesterday no one has actually cracked it and I seriously doubt any one ever will but it is always worth doing the research because the more we look the more we see & hopefully understand. The idea of pumping it underground does not fix...

Take it off. Clean t up really well then take it to a panel shop & get them to weld it for you Most tanks a HDPE which welds very easily & well provided you have not tried to fix the leak with any elephant snot in a tube . Most cloudy milk bottles are HDPE and that is what is use cut in strips...

Yet to get the 3rd made an appointment to get the double jab Flu + covid next week. The further apart the jabs the stronger the immunity and of course the better the vaccines . I ride motorcycles mostly so am in the sunlight . UV kills covid I work mostly alone outside so not much chance of...

NATO has been expanding because the countries around Russia do not trust the Russian government, for good reason. Putin is trying to reinvent to grand old Soviet Union just like Hitler was trying to "return Germany to it's former glory" The only difference is he invades to "protect the Russians...

If you really believe this then you need to have a serious think about where you source your information from or how you rationalize what you read or both of them. The world by and large does not give a tinkers curse about who is President of the USA . Some vested interests would prefer one over...

Not quite with you here With the throttle set at 1/2 speed the engine speed should increase when you push that loop towards the spring The further you push the loop the harder the governor should be pushing back against your finger Is this happening ?

Some of those decks run with belts tight enough to play a tune on them with a fiddle bow . Remember you have to stretch the tension arm spring to get the belt on V belts do not stretch very much they wear thin on the V edges So a very old B section can get to almost the same thickness as an A...

Probably because everything down here is hardwood I rarely ever see skip tooth . If a customer wants it then I buy a loop Only keep semi chisel chain on rolls . Bought a ton of it when Stens changed their supplier really cheap so I can price match most good quality chains on line . However...

The brake switch is connected to both the seat switch & the lap bars 2 individual circuits The first one prevents you driving away with the parking brake on as it destroys the brake or on drum brake can cause the mower to flip The second circuit prevent the mower running away if you fall off ...

Head gasket is blown between the cylinder & push rod tube Easy fix if nothing breaks when you try to undo them .

Well you have a dead short In the diagram above check the red wire that goes to the B terminal Pull the plug off and jump from the B socket (red wire) to the a socket ( orange wire ) If the fuse dose not blow then the switch is at fault A word to the wise here Before you start, remove the...

The tension pulley will need to be stretched so the belt can go over it Some have a square hole for a breaker bar to go in to give you more leverage If not hook a ratchet tie down the the tension arm and use it to stretch the spring Some times you can get a wrench on the nut & use that for...

A little hint As you should clean the fins every season, take the blower housing off after the last mow of the season. If the mice nest behind the dash then remove the hood as well this will make the mice find some where else to reside Better still is to get a cat and lock it in the shed /...

If they use the system that we developed down here, which is highly unlikely because the USA by & large refuses to use technology developed outside the USA , this is what the local cameras do 1) check if the vehicle is registered 2) check the vehicle is not stolen 3) check if the registered...