Engine Mount fun

[woodlandfarms]

Well, as my tank was getting its coating of POR-15 I decided to tackle the motor mounts. What a mess.

First, here are the motor mounts as they came out.



As you can see, the top is a good motor rubber and the bottom is what I was left with



Now comes the fun. First, notice the weird scraping on the bottom of this mount?



Guess what is missing from this picture?



It would be the bolts. The first motor mount only had one bolt (didn't think anything of it as I did not know better). Second motor mount had nothing. No bolts. Yup, my engine has been riding along on these little legs for years. Who knew? Clearly not me.

Anyway, I had to rig up a poor mans engine hoist to get the engine high enough. Thankfully the one bolt was left (and oddly it was a domestic, 1/2" 2 1/4 long course grade 5). The little legs are tapped so with some cajoling it went back together.



So there is is, yet another fun day of PT repair.

 

[mapper]

Is there any thing in that engine compartment that doesn't need repair?:shocked:

 

[woodlandfarms]

Actually I feel I am in pretty good shape. I probably over share but I don't feel I am alone in dealing with tractor issues. 15 year old tractor that was abused before me and abused with me.

 

[MossRoad]

Its interesting how we abuse these things. I'd never think of doing to a traditional tractor the things I've done to my little PT425.

 

[woodlandfarms]

They do a lot for very little. It is amazing to me how amazed my neighbors with conventional tractors are. I get calls all the time to deal with things they cannot get access or their equipment won't get.

No, my PT has not lead an easy life, but I do take good care of it I think. I just post alot of what is going on so other people can learn from my mistakes. It is my father and mother in me, who were both teachers. They said to always share, someone might learn from your mistakes.

Oh, here is a picture of the mount correctly in.

 

[MossRoad]

Get some simple green cleaner in a spray bottle in there and give it a good soak, then rinse it out with a hose or power washer. Then re-grease everything, of course. :laughing:

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: I presoak in Dawn overnight and then power wash it.

+1 on that! I do things all the time with my PT that I would never even dream of doing with a conventional tractor, like last night, dumping dirt down and off a slope, and then using the PT bucket over the edge and below the PT to push the dirt farther away, while facing downslope at 20ish degrees on wet, muddy soil. With a conventional tractor, I would be worrying about missing a gear shift in a location with no forgiveness, not to mention the lack of four wheel drive traction to be able to hold the position and then easily back up and away.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I like how there's no brakes! :laughing:

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have brakes. Nasty things. They come on when the engine dies. Trust me I have been nose down and have stalled out (and I mean nose down) and was so thankful for those auto locking brakes.

Yeah, I will hit the tractor again with a round 2 of cleaner. Somehow I have a minor electrical issue that I am trying to track down (probably a bad ground)...