3rd & Final Pic for Now

smartguyz · May 6, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Snowridge-

( How did you find that out, Mark? It looks like the same muffler we have (sans jacket), and we were told PT built them themselves.)

At this point, I'm not actually sure that I'm correct. I'm only going by what the PT manual says (calls it 'by Kohler') and the large welded letter 'K' on it.

How much of what the manual says should I believe? I'm a bit skeptical about some of it, for instance, there are two paragraphs in one section (one right after the other) that each specify a different hydraulic oil weight.

Mark H. )</font>

Boy, PT needs to be more consistent in their labeling and documentation.

I, too, read the manual, and noted discrepancies.

A call to Terry in July of last year yielded the following:

* The muffler is NOT Kohler - it is a custom manufactured PT design, designed to provide better flow, and be more long-lived.

* The weight of oil used in the PT425 is 10-40, not anything else.

* The brand of oil is Mobil (Terry asked why I needed to know that, and I mentioned that some manufacturers have warned against mixing brands of oil, as some kinds of oil additives do NOT mix well together.)

I have found that Mobil 10-40W is REALLY hard to find here on the west coast. After calling GI Joes, NAPA, Shucks, and several other stores, the only store having Mobil 10W-40 was Autozone, about 15 miles from my home. You guys having any problems?

I have seriously considered moving to something like Mobil 10-30 or 20-50 (a little thicker, supposedly helps with torque) just because it is a LOT easier to find than the straight 10-40 (non synthetic).

Sincerely,

-Rob /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

blackwell · May 6, 2004

As long as the PT parts book gives you the part number of the muffler, and it works properly, who cares where it is made? The wrap contains the heat in the muffler and fresh air is injected on the other side which removes the heat from the engine compartment, the same as if the muffler was mounted on the outside of the frame.

FOURTEEN · May 7, 2004

"" I think I'll just cut a hole in the expanded metal ""

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Don't cut the expanded metal!! That's what arrests the B I G sparks!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

smartguyz · May 7, 2004

Hi Blackwell,

No offense intended by my commentaries and notes. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I wasn't trying to imply that anything was wrong with the muffler. It does work well. My point is that PT doesn't give very good documentation, and this can lead to problems. For example, I believe on my machine, the label on the tank says 20W-50. The book says 10W-40 in one place, and I think it even says 10W-30 in another. It also doesn't specify the type of oil used. I have seen what happens when incompatible brands and different weights of oil get mixed - in the example I witnessed, the oil got all foamy and started to smell and look weird, and I am sure the lubricating qualities were compromised.

Therefore, labeling is important, in my book. I spent quite a time trying to find the last two zerk fittings that didn't exist, and that was annoying, because I thought I was not giving proper care to the machine.

The mower had no instructions to grease the zerks - I would have hated to find out that I needed to grease them when a bearing fails out of warrantee - in fact, there are no manuals for the attachments at all.

I'm belaboring the point, but I make it a point to read all instructions that come with complicated equipment, especially if it has the potential to be dangerous. In the case of a muffler, it makes no difference, but in some of these others, it could be inconvenient, hazardous, expensive, or even tragic.

Frankly, if it were not for all the good guys like you on TBN, I know I would never have purchased my well-loved PT. I just wish Power-Trac would be a little more on the ball before someone has some kind of serious mishap.

Sincerely,

-Rob /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif