Advice needed on PT425 that's been sitting too long

[dsmith3]

I have a 2003 or 2004 kohler powered PT425 with 444 hours on the meter (but more likely a couple hundred because of the times I left the key switched on after it ran out of gas). Almost all that use was in the first 10 years and I did the regular filter changes but never changed the hydraulic fluid. It's been stored in a garage where the temperature and humidity are fairly stable.

The last time it ran was probably 2015. It was leaking a little engine oil while operating so I took the muffler and some other parts off to get better access to the engine compartment so I could diagnose. It might have been a seal on the shaft to the pump.

Anyway, my big landscaping projects had finished and I wasn't using it for mowing so I never got back to it. One year rolled into another year, and well, ok it just sat there in the garage for too long without running or a fluid change.

I think the engine is not the issue anymore, it's that it's been sitting there with the old oil and all the other issues that come with letting things sit. I don't want to put the muffler and starter back on and crank it over and have the pump seize up or seals blow out.

Any advice? List it for sale, as-is, and let an experienced PT owner get it running (It's located in the northwest)? Take a chance and crank it up? Rebuild and recondition it myself? Winch it onto a trailer and find a hydraulic repair shop that's unfamiliar with the tractor?

 

[ponytug]

I guess I think the first question is are you up for fiddling with it a bit?

If it didn't create a large pool of oil in the decade that you weren't using it, I personally would bet against a pump seal, especially given the hours, but it could be.

If it were me, I would gently try to use a pry bar at the starter ring to try to move the engine to get a feel for how "stuck" it might be. (If you have the version that has all the pumps on one side of the engine, I would do it with a socket and a breaker bar instead.) If it were me, I'd put (spray) a small amount of oil in each cylinder and leave the plugs out (with a towel on top!) a day or so before hand. That would give you an idea of what you might be up against.

After that, I think it depends. If engine and pumps move ok, I would change all the fluids, paying special attention to the bottom of the hydraulic oil tank to get it clean, and go from there. My bet would be that a driveable tractor is worth a lot more than a non-running one, so I personally would want to put a few hours in to getting it running.

Confession time- I'm a sucker for getting older items running. If you were closer, I would come by.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

I would call Terry at PT to see if he has any advice.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd pull the engine dipstick and look at the level and color of the engine oil first. If it's still clean, OK. If not, do an engine oil and filter change.

Then I'd look at the level and color of the hydraulic oil. If it's clear, OK. If not, I'd be tempted to drain it out into a clear tub and look at it. Look in the bottom of the tank, too, while it's empty. If OK, refill with old oil. If not, clean out the tank and replace the hydraulic fluid.

But if all fluids look clear, I'd pull the spark plugs out, put some fogging oil in the holes, wait a while, and crank it over very briefly a few times. Just bump the key with no spark plugs in it. If it spins easily, you're probably good to go.

At that point.... Have you ever changed the hydraulic filter and if so, do you know how to bleed the hydraulic system after a filter change? You should do that once you get the engine to spin freely and before you replace the plugs.

Replace the plugs.

Drain the fuel system. Replace with fresh gas. Spray a quick shot of carburetor cleaner down the carb throat. Not too much spray. Just a spritz. Give the key a turn and see if it fires. If it does, you know you have spark. Try starting it on gas.

 

[m5040]

In my opinion, you don't need it, it is paid for, so sell it as is and cut your looses. Parts have gotten very expensive. If you try to fix, you may be into it for thousands and a lot of labor. Will you recoup the cost? Who knows? If you are looking for a project, dive in and have fun. If time is short and you have a gazilion other things to do, pass it on.