daugen
Super Star Member
My last mowing job of the season was about half an acre of six foot overgrown weeds, affectionally called a "meadow" by the property owner.
Going along just fine, doing the last pass, but going through a thick patch of some large weed that created an enormous cloud of white fluffy material, so much
so that some blew across the road nearby and I bet folks wondered where the snow was coming from. I didn't think much of it, only an hour long job and my Gravely was perfect
going into this job. In a period of ten seconds, I smelled something funny, and then the motor quit like a light switch thrown. I got off the tractor and looked in the rear and just
did a real "oh no". Air intake 100 percent clogged with white stuff, inside of air cleaner clogged, and a pile of seeds off in the corner. Smoke pouring out of the engine but luckily nothing lit off.
What really worried me was looking down at my glass gas filter, and seeing the gasoline boiling merrily away. Not good. It turned over just fine, no strange noises, but no spark.
I think I cooked the coil or the condenser; at the shop now. I asked them to change the oil too, and check the fuel lines; got way too hot in there for my liking.
Since I figured I cooked the electronics, now was the time to install Kirk's electronic conversion kit I have had for more than a year, never getting to it.
Kirk Engines, Inc. >> Garden Tractor Performance Parts
Really hoping I didn't warp a head.
Probably a good time to take the head off and clean in there anyway.
Really annoyed me screwing up one of my favorite pieces of equipment. Just never thought it could happen that quickly. Live and learn.
and I hope I didn't breath too much of it...: Dogbane contains cymarin, a cardiogenic toxin that causes cardiac arrhythmia in humans
Thought it was milkweed, and maybe there was some of that in there too, but next year, I mow at least a month earlier to avoid this.
Going along just fine, doing the last pass, but going through a thick patch of some large weed that created an enormous cloud of white fluffy material, so much
so that some blew across the road nearby and I bet folks wondered where the snow was coming from. I didn't think much of it, only an hour long job and my Gravely was perfect
going into this job. In a period of ten seconds, I smelled something funny, and then the motor quit like a light switch thrown. I got off the tractor and looked in the rear and just
did a real "oh no". Air intake 100 percent clogged with white stuff, inside of air cleaner clogged, and a pile of seeds off in the corner. Smoke pouring out of the engine but luckily nothing lit off.
What really worried me was looking down at my glass gas filter, and seeing the gasoline boiling merrily away. Not good. It turned over just fine, no strange noises, but no spark.
I think I cooked the coil or the condenser; at the shop now. I asked them to change the oil too, and check the fuel lines; got way too hot in there for my liking.
Since I figured I cooked the electronics, now was the time to install Kirk's electronic conversion kit I have had for more than a year, never getting to it.
Kirk Engines, Inc. >> Garden Tractor Performance Parts
Really hoping I didn't warp a head.
Probably a good time to take the head off and clean in there anyway.
Really annoyed me screwing up one of my favorite pieces of equipment. Just never thought it could happen that quickly. Live and learn.
and I hope I didn't breath too much of it...: Dogbane contains cymarin, a cardiogenic toxin that causes cardiac arrhythmia in humans
Thought it was milkweed, and maybe there was some of that in there too, but next year, I mow at least a month earlier to avoid this.