Engine is off a Bunton Mower. It used to run like a charm but last year developed an unusual vibration and started leaking clean oil. I pulled the engine to check seals and i noticed the flywheel could be moved slightly side to side. Is this just a bad seal issue or is it a bearing issue? I can't move the crank shaft at the bottom, but there is movement at the top by pushing on the flywheel.In fact, i could move it enough so that it would hit the coils.
I'm hoping it's just a seal issue because i don't have time to rip the engine apart. Any advice would be appreciated!!
That, unfortunately, was common for those engines early on. Happens when oil is not checked regularly and kept full. Today's engine's have a direct oil port to the flywheel side (upper) bushing, to give a little help to the all too common poor maintenance.
They can be bushed if you know a machinist who likes the odd bottle
I have bushed a couple of engines, just to check if it can be done and will hold up in use.
But cost wise you would be looking at about 1/2 to 1/3 the price of a discounted replacement engine
Recently did upper bushing replacement -polished and inspected crankshaft to be certain of condition. Measured crank o/d and bushing o/d and found metric bushing on E-Bay. $8.50 and 3wks later I received brass bushing. Had to do minor fitting and hone work to achieve proper fit. Engine has now been reassembled and ran @ WOT/ idle for aprox 2hrs. Everything seems A-ok , just need to find something to install it on (used Z ?) ck under real use . Engine is FH580v-22hp. Was a free test engine so I figured I had little to lose !
#6
StarTech
Since you have already figure out the bushing size would you apart with the dimensions used? I may need to do the same in the future here and would like at a head start on buying a bushing thru one my vendors.
Everyday it looks more and more like I need to invest in metal lathe. I just installed a carburetor bushing on similar two Kawasaki carb where I machine a schedule 80 1/8 brass pipe into the bushing needed.
I went back too my E-bay history to find bushing--most of my previous bought items are gone . However as I,m sure different series will probably have various crankshafts I would measure each to fit.
I believe I ordered 40mm x 27mm x 12mm but I have slept since then. No serious machine tools were used in fitting. Bushing used was a split bushing--slid fine emery cloth in gap and sanded both sides till bushing was snug fit in block. Once installed I used brake cyl hone in bushing bore and slowly fitted until crankshaft was proper (feel ) in block. I ck,d as i went installing bottom pan with gasket until crankshaft was able to be turned (no rods or pistons ,etc ) with light torque. This engine has oil pressure feed to upper bushing so I,m satisfied it will be happy. Please note--this is not a customer repair and I will be installing it on something to run and evaluate.
