Did I fry my engine?

[Gt boy]

Deere gt 275, Kawasaki 17 hp fc540v engine. Checked oil before mow and thought it was just a little low, did a lot of mowing - 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Started to smell hot, then immediatedly saw slight smoking - no knocking or unusual engine noise. Turned off. Engine very hot. Checked oil again. Much lower but still showing on dipstick maybe 1/4 or slightly more to full. Added oil, let cool down. When I tryed to start it the starter engaged but stopped Immediately like something was stuck/seized. After sitting overnight I tryed to start it again. Same thing. I next took top shrouding off to expose cooling fins, took spark plug out (came out very easily) and tryed to turn the fin plate/flywheel. Could only turn very slightly by hand. Did not try to force it or use anything across the fins as I am new to this and did not want to risk breakage. No melt wires. Any thoughts anyone? Any suggestions as what if anything to do next? Thanks for your time helping this newbie out.

 

[Carl_NH]

Doesnt sound good but with some oil in the case it may be OK. I would spray some PB blaster in the spark plug hole and then insert a wood dowel 1/4" and try tapping the piston and turning the fan to free it up.

WIth the plug out you should be able to turn by hand easily so you could have seized the crankshaft bearing. If you cant get it to move at all by light tapping with the wood take the head off and go from there. May need reboring and rings and crank bearings. One other thing, if the piston is at the bottom of the stroke, the wood dowel will not push anything and a tear down is likely.

Best of luck and sorry for your misfortune.

 

[Gator6x4]

Try and see if you can spin the engine forward or backwards. A valve seat could have dropped out. You may also remove the starter and see if the starter is jammed into the flywheel preventing the engine from spinning freely. If the starter is not readily accesible and removeable by removing a couple of bolts only remove the starter if every thing else fails.

 

[Gt boy]

Carl, Thanks for the reply. I will give it a try in the morning.

 

[Gt boy]

Gator6X4' , Thanks. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

 

[JDTank]

Deere gt 275, Kawasaki 17 hp fc540v engine. Checked oil before mow and thought it was just a little low, did a lot of mowing - 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Started to smell hot, then immediatedly saw slight smoking - no knocking or unusual engine noise. Turned off. Engine very hot. Checked oil again. Much lower but still showing on dipstick maybe 1/4 or slightly more to full. Added oil, let cool down. When I tryed to start it the starter engaged but stopped Immediately like something was stuck/seized. After sitting overnight I tryed to start it again. Same thing. I next took top shrouding off to expose cooling fins, took spark plug out (came out very easily) and tryed to turn the fin plate/flywheel. Could only turn very slightly by hand. Did not try to force it or use anything across the fins as I am new to this and did not want to risk breakage. No melt wires. Any thoughts anyone? Any suggestions as what if anything to do next? Thanks for your time helping this newbie out.

As others said, that doesn't sound good.

Considering you can barely move it even with the plugs out and the compression being released, almost certainly something seized up.

Good excuse to convince the wife it's time for a trade in

 

[jenkinsph]

Deere gt 275, Kawasaki 17 hp fc540v engine. Checked oil before mow and thought it was just a little low, did a lot of mowing - 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Started to smell hot, then immediatedly saw slight smoking - no knocking or unusual engine noise. Turned off. Engine very hot. Checked oil again. Much lower but still showing on dipstick maybe 1/4 or slightly more to full. Added oil, let cool down. When I tryed to start it the starter engaged but stopped Immediately like something was stuck/seized. After sitting overnight I tryed to start it again. Same thing. I next took top shrouding off to expose cooling fins, took spark plug out (came out very easily) and tryed to turn the fin plate/flywheel. Could only turn very slightly by hand. Did not try to force it or use anything across the fins as I am new to this and did not want to risk breakage. No melt wires. Any thoughts anyone? Any suggestions as what if anything to do next? Thanks for your time helping this newbie out.

I think it would have been better to disengage the pto and slow down to an idle to see if it would cool down before stopping it when it is that hot.

Was the engine getting enough air through the shrouds to allow for good cooling?
I agree with using the dowel rod LIGHTLY to see if you can free up the piston. You still need to know what caused it to get hot though, I doubt the low oil is the problem if it was still on the stick.

That should be a pretty good mower and I would likely repair the motor before buying a new machine.

 

[Gt boy]

I think it would have been better to disengage the pto and slow down to an idle to see if it would cool down before stopping it when it is that hot.

Was the engine getting enough air through the shrouds to allow for good cooling?
I agree with using the dowel rod LIGHTLY to see if you can free up the piston. You still need to know what caused it to get hot though, I doubt the low oil is the problem if it was still on the stick.

That should be a pretty good mower and I would likely repair the motor before buying a new machine.

Reporting in: I took the starter off this morning. It was not hung up. Next I sprayed some PB Blaster down the spark plug hole, let it set awhile and tryed to turn it by hand. No change. Tryed the tapping with a dowel but that only loosened it slightly. I can now turn it back and forth 2 1/2 teeth vs less than one. I spent about 5 mins. moving the flywheel back and forth, sprayed more PB Blaster, tapped a little more, etc. No change. Something I did not notice yesterday. There is oil coating the dip stick tube top to bottom and slight oil on the side of the top part of the case between the dipstick tube and the starter. It does not go beyond the gasket to the lower part of the case. I know it did not come from adding oil as I am always very careful to wipe off any drips as I am
about making sure the cap is screwed down fully.There was also some carbon on the dowel after tapping.
So here is my question today - how difficult is it to rebuild this engine? I tinker around with my old vw bug - timing, valve adjustment,replaced wheel cylinders, brake shoes,adjusted the carb - minor stuff like that but have never "cracked the case". I am good with my hands,average intelligence and can follow written instructions well. I like this mower and all other aspects of it seem to be in good condition. Am I way out of my league to give it a go? Where could I get a manual - Kawasaki? John Deere dealer? If I do tear this down what to I want to replace as a matter of course even if it looks ok? Thanks everyone. I appreciate your taking the time to help.

 

[Eric Barney]

As a very capable automotive engine builder/tuner/diagnostic/repairer, I say that engine rebuilding should be done by someone who knows them, and has experience doing so. Modern engines are different than their older versions. They require a bit more attention to details for a successful rebuild.
That being said, It depends on what has failed in your engine, and what is required to repair it to it's original condition. If pistons siezed in the cylinders, there will certainly be damage to the pistons, and the block. The cylinders may be distorted and heat stressed. Aluminum from the pistons may be embedded into the cast iron cylinder liner(s) and will need to be removed by acid etching. In many cases of engine failure from a severe overheat, it is not worth the cost to fix the engine.
If the damage is oil related, siezed rod or crankshaft bearings. The repair may be a bit more cost effective. But only if the damage is confined to the crankshaft and connecting rods.

The cost of rebuilding an engine that failed is usually too high. Rebuilding an engine that still runs, but may be a bit 'tired' (Low compression, smokes, low power) is a bit more cost effective, but can still be quite costly if done corectly. A new or good used engine may be your best choice.

 

[Gt boy]

As a very capable automotive engine builder/tuner/diagnostic/repairer, I say that engine rebuilding should be done by someone who knows them, and has experience doing so. Modern engines are different than their older versions. They require a bit more attention to details for a successful rebuild.
That being said, It depends on what has failed in your engine, and what is required to repair it to it's original condition. If pistons siezed in the cylinders, there will certainly be damage to the pistons, and the block. The cylinders may be distorted and heat stressed. Aluminum from the pistons may be embedded into the cast iron cylinder liner(s) and will need to be removed by acid etching. In many cases of engine failure from a severe overheat, it is not worth the cost to fix the engine.
If the damage is oil related, siezed rod or crankshaft bearings. The repair may be a bit more cost effective. But only if the damage is confined to the crankshaft and connecting rods.

The cost of rebuilding an engine that failed is usually too high. Rebuilding an engine that still runs, but may be a bit 'tired' (Low compression, smokes, low power) is a bit more cost effective, but can still be quite costly if done corectly. A new or good used engine may be your best choice.

Eric. Thanks for your reply. I have thought of looking around for a used one as new is no longer available. It seems a bit of a toss of the dice though.