Dead battery, broken exhaust stud, tow ports, gas tanks, welding, carbs.... YIKES!

[MossRoad]

My 2001 model year PT425 battery died. The metal battery hold down strap wore through the case and that was that. As many of you know, on this iteration of PT425 layout, the muffler has to be removed to get the battery out. Four nuts on four studs.... three came off... one stud snapped very easily. Ouch!

Drive to local tractor store... wanted 4 studs, 4 nuts, 2 gaskets....
They had 2 studs, NO nuts, and gaskets at their other location. They'll bring the gaskets from the other place tomorrow. OK. Walk over to True Value and buy nuts. Go home.

Go to AutoZone for battery..... $149.00 Ouch!

Go back Saturday morning for gaskets. O.K. Only spent $20. OK


3/8 of an inch of stud sticking out. Vice grips didn't work. Drilled into it and tried easy-out. Easy-out snapped in half. Ouch!

Decided to weld a nut onto the broken stud and use a wrench to back it out. But didn't want to weld in the garage and didn't want to weld with a tub full of grass clippings and debris. Can't move machine without opening tow ports.... never had to two mine before. Manual says to open the tow ports and connect the bleeder hose that was supplied with the machine.... the bleeder hose only has one fitting. The other end is just a cut hose. I know where the bleeder port is, but can't locate the fittings for the tow ports that the manual says are on the side of the tram pump. Finally figure out the tow ports are just plugged and there are no fittings installed on them for the bleeder hose to attache to... IF the bleeder hose had fittings on BOTH ends, not just one end.... Ouch!

Decide that I need two 90 degree male-male fittings, two caps, and one female fitting on the end of my bleeder hose. Head to NAPA store.

We can't put an end on your Parker hose. We only to Gates hoses. Also, we don't have and fittings that will work. Hey, Bob, do you want to take a look at this? NO! Says Bob. Go over to our heavy truck location 10 miles away. They can help you.

Drive to heavy truck location. Explain to the guy what I need and who sent me.
Was it that bearded %^&$!!that sent you? He knows we don't stock parts here. I hate that %^&$!!
Well, I'm out a 20 mile round trip...

So the guy that hates the bearded guy calls another heavy truck company across the street, sets me up over there, I go over there, they won't put an end on a Parker hose either, but they have all the fittings I need and make me a new Gates hose....

Two hours, 30 miles and $78.00 later, I have a towable tractor.... Ouch!

I install the fittings, the hose, put a ratchet strap on the FEL arms, lift it up an inch and am able to very easily roll the tractor out of the garage.

I drain the fuel tank and remove it for safety. Leaf blower to the tub. Simple green in a spray bottle. Let is soak an hour. Power washer with Simple green, and I have a nice, clean engine compartment.

Put the oversized nut on the broken stud. Roll out the wire feed welder. BZZ BZZ BZZ BZZZ BZZ the nut is welded to the stud. Backs out easily with a wrench while its still hot. Worked great!

Install battery.
Modify hold down strap.
Install new exhaust stud.
Install muffler.
Remove bleeder hose from tow ports.
Install caps on new 90 degree fittings.
Open top bleeder port and wait for oil to appear.
Close top bleeder port.
Open side bleeder port.
Install bleeder hose.
Put other end in tank.
Pull spark plug wires.
Crank engine a few times until no bubbles as per procedure.
Remove bleeder hose.
Install bleeder cap.
Top off hydraulic tank for good measure.
Install gas tank.
Fuel in tank.
Connect plug wires.
Fire up tractor.
It starts, runs 29 seconds and dies....
With no throttle, when I crank engine, fuel shoots up out of carb and belches fire.....
Ouch!

I need a carb rebuild kit and a fuel pump....

Fuel pump has been disconnected for 3 months, so I've been running by just keeping the tank full, which is good for about an hour and a half of operation.... but since I've done all this other stuff, its time to get a fuel pump.

Price fuel pump on line.... about $150! OUCH!! *%**#$(@($!!!!!!!

Hahahaha :laughing:

 

[California]

Ouch!

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

So now I have a nice bleeder/tow hose, easy tow port access with the capped fittings should I ever need them again, and some knowledge on removing steel studs from aluminum heads without damaging the head. Always a bright side... :thumbsup:

 

[Spanner]

Phew! I thought there was going to be a catastrophic finale to that soap-opera...

So here's a tip for future readers - IF... the stud is so tight in the aluminium (or Steel) head that, when you turn the nut, the stud snaps instead of unscrewing itself with the nut attached - no amount of WD40 (other brands are available) or ezi-out effort is going to budge it. Heat is your 'friend' here.

You could have saved considerable mileage and a couple of paragraphs in the screenplay by applying the heat (welding a nut or oxy-acetylene torch) to the stud remnants and wound it out there and then.

Good work on the rest of the saga - particularly the fire-prevention measures. Stay safe! :thumbsup:

I used to moan at our Parts Dept. when I found they had, say, 3 studs in stock and no nuts. If an assembly takes 4 x studs and spring washers and nuts they need to stock 4 +4 + 4 of each as a minimum stock-level. A full set. If the customer only wants, say, three, then they will be sure to have them in stock and need only re-stock to maintain the desired minimum stock-level.

 

[Wagtail]

I used to moan at our Parts Dept. when I found they had, say, 3 studs in stock and no nuts. If an assembly takes 4 x studs and spring washers and nuts they need to stock 4 +4 + 4 of each as a minimum stock-level. A full set. If the customer only wants, say, three, then they will be sure to have them in stock and need only re-stock to maintain the desired minimum stock-level.

WHAT! Good Lord man, are you mad!?! That's just crazy talk. :confused2:

<I hope that the sarcasm in the above statement is evident... you never know these days.>

 

[Spanner]

Well they looked at me as if I was mad - "Why would we stock something the customer could need? We have one of each on hand and can order more.":banghead:

 

[Ken]

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Sounds like a normal day.
For myself yesterday Bush hogging field and hit a tree stump . Above ground maybe 4 inches.
Broke the FWL frame at the cross bar so wobblie and not useable . drove back to tractor shed to decide what to do . Noticed the bucket also has a crack about 16 long across the back where metal is bent to from the bucket.
Just had tractor repaired so the 2x4 whl. drive will work the shifter shoe falls out of slot to engage or disconnect the front drive. requires splitting tractor and dump hydraulics to get a 3/4th inch shift shoe JD cost 56 bucks and is identical to old Gravely tractor attachment part.
Order parts and wait 4 days drive 35 miles to dealer to pick up. failed to place order. Phone call earlier said parts were in .

as for your bolts why if 6 bolts are #12 wrench size one will be # 13 ? or is this just metric.

enjoy the day only 24 hours out of your life.
ken

 

[woodlandfarms]

I think you have hung out with me and my luck has rubbed off. I always know when one thing fails on my PT the failure only escalates.

Last time I saw my PT, battery was dead. Went and bough a yellow top (Holy $$$$$) and installed, started but was not charging. Pulled the side cover off and found a wire that suffered from vibration fatigue. Then decided to clean all the grounds. You get it... you have been there.

 

[MossRoad]

Turned off my fuel shutoff valve and cranked until it stopped spewing gas and I saw the fuel filter empty. Then let it sit overnight. Today, I opened the fuel shutoff, gave it a shot of starting fluid, and started it up with no choke right away. Ran fine. Mowed the lawn.

Pulled out the brush cutter for a rebuild now.

 

[MossRoad]

You could have saved considerable mileage and a couple of paragraphs in the screenplay by applying the heat (welding a nut or oxy-acetylene torch) to the stud remnants and wound it out there and then.

Had I done that there and then, I would have burned down the tractor and my garage. That's why I had to roll it out of my garage and power wash it before applying heat. And you can't roll these machines without installing a bypass hose on the tram pump or you'll damage the pump. So I needed a hose, fittings, stud, battery, etc... Hence the mileage. No other way at the time.

 

[Spanner]

 

[cqaigy2]

Very good. Thanks for running thru all of your trials. :laughing:

 

[BobRip]

The original battery lasted this long?

 

[MossRoad]

The original battery lasted this long?

Oh, heck no!
-Original 2001 battery went 6 years, so about 2007.
-2007 battery went 4 years to 2011. That one bothered me a bit, but it still had warranty, so they sold me new battery at 2011 price, so pretty cheap before the price of batteries went up.
-2011 battery died in 2017, so 6 years, and, it really didn't die, it got a hole worn through the case, so who knows how long that could have lasted.

So I bought another one just the same. I figure for how I use it, how long it sits sometimes between uses, and how well it does start in extreme cold, its been a pretty good battery. I'll start being more diligent on checking the metal battery strap. Maybe I'll put some rubber around it so there's something between the battery case and the metal strap.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm gonna convert from the mechanical fuel pump to vacuum fuel pump very soon.

I've priced the mechanical fuel pump replacement.... there is just NO pump only replacement, or better yet, just a diaphragm replacement. You have to by the whole valve cover. Best price I can find is around $75 after shipping. I picked up a vacuum pump for $20 locally. From what I've seen, you pull the valve cover, remove the pump guts, gasket in the pump plate back on the valve cover, and re-install the valve cover. Then you plug one of the two 1/8 pipe thread fittings, and slip a vacuum line 1/4 fuel line type hose over the other fitting on the valve cover to provide vacuum pulse for the vacuum pump. Then its just a matter of finding a good location for the new vacuum pump, mount it, and then install the IN and OUT fuel lines and off you go. So I'll take some pics when I do that conversion.

 

[jfh28]

you made me go and pull out my manual.....under towing instructions it says "the variable volume pump mounted to the bell housing end of the engine is also the pump used to tow the machine. Open the tow valve two turns." then it shows a picture of the tram pump with the valve location..........no where does it mention using a bypass hose........now you've got me wondering if theres a step missing in the manual or if they changed the design from your machine to mine or if it's a difference between the low boy and the high boy.......mines an '05 model......just curious.......I've only had to tow it once and all I did was what the manual said.......Jack

And you can't roll these machines without installing a bypass hose on the tram pump or you'll damage the pump. So I needed a hose, fittings, stud, battery, etc... Hence the mileage. No other way at the time.

 

[aczlan]

you made me go and pull out my manual.....under towing instructions it says "the variable volume pump mounted to the bell housing end of the engine is also the pump used to tow the machine. Open the tow valve two turns." then it shows a picture of the tram pump with the valve location..........no where does it mention using a bypass hose........now you've got me wondering if theres a step missing in the manual or if they changed the design from your machine to mine or if it's a difference between the low boy and the high boy.......mines an '05 model......just curious.......I've only had to tow it once and all I did was what the manual said.......Jack

If it's like zero turn mowers, all you need to do is open up that valve. I suspect that there was a design change between your two machines.

Aaron Z

 

[ponytug]

In the FWIW bin:
I have a piece of rubber, basically rubber conveyor belting, between the battery and the back of battery box/holder. It stops the rubbing and movement of the battery for me. (~3/16" x 8" x10") It could have been smaller, but it is what I had lying around at the time. I think any moderately stiff, but still flexible rubber would work to keep the battery from shifting, which would cause wear on the battery case.

Sometimes, as batteries age, a cell will swell, bulging out the battery wall at that point, making it more susceptible to wear.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

Saga continues...
Removed the valve cover with the fuel pump on it... or tried to, at least. One of the valve cover bolts snapped off effortlessly. It snapped off deep in the hole. No chance of welding on it to get it out that I can see. It's in an "ear" on the side bottom corner of the head with open air about 3/16" wide behind it. Drilled all the way through the bolt. OK. Tried an EZ out and it snapped inside the bolt.... Good Gravy!!! So now I got an EZ out stuck deep in a hole in a bolt stuck deep in a hole with no good options.

So I proceeded to remove the fuel pump from the valve cover and gut EVERYTHING fuel pump related from the valve cover. There's a spring, an arm, a diaphragm, and two valvey looking things in the pump housing. Removed one of the 90 degree fittings from the outside of the pump housing and installed a 1/8" pipe thread plug. Used RTV gasket maker and ran a bead around the pump housing and installed it back onto the valve cover. So at least that is ready to go back on and act as a vacuum source for the new vacuum fuel pump while I try and figure out how to get the broken EZ out removed.... or buy a new head.