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

[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.