Engine Is Back In

SnowRidge · May 14, 2004

The engine is back in, and our PT-425 is running again. It was not fun.

The Kohler had spit the exhaust valve seat out of the right head. The engine shop put a new head on, but didn't bother to tell me they had broken off the lifting eye mounting bolt on the left head. They just installed the eye on the wrong head, where it is useless. Grrrr /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I didn't discover it until I got back from town. I was way too ticked off to go back and "talk" to them about it, so I tried to get it out with a screw extractor. Of course, the bolt was frozen solid, and the screw extractor broke off--firmly embedded in the broken bolt, thank you. At that point I gave up and rigged a temporary lifting eye as close as I could to the busted off location.

The reinstall went pretty much as I expected, except for the front pump. It would not line up. After beating my head against whatever was handy, I gave up for the day.

The next day I started using my head instead of beating on it. I finally realized that the engine had to have been moved on its mount. From the grime on the engine mounting bolts, it didn't look like it had been moved, but it had.

So I loosened the mounting bolts, and sure enough, the pump slid right in. Not sure how to align the engine pump combo, I decided to spin the engine on the starter with the plugs out, and hope that it and the pump would self align. That seem to do the trick.

The only problem was tightening the mounting bolts. There is virtually no room to work with the engine and mount in the PT, but short of pulling off all the hydraulic lines and assembling the pieces outside of the PT, there is no choice. Luckily, I had purchased a couple of sets of short wrenches during one of my forays to Harbor Freight. It would have been impossible to tighten the engine mounting bolts without them.

I had one more nasty surprise when I started the engine. The fuel pump started leaking gas. I pulled the valve cover and tightened the pump mounting screws, which took care of the problem.

The repaired engine seems to run well. I switched to Havoline synthetic oil. I'm convinced that using dino lube in these EPA-lean air cooled engines is not the best way to go.

Next step, investigate whether or not the muffler should get some attention--and mow, mow, mow.

SnowRidge

MossRoad · May 14, 2004

Again, sorry to hear of your troubles. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Glad you got it back in and running.

smartguyz · May 14, 2004

Snowridge,

You are an awfully understanding fellow and a good sport about this entire engine failure ordeal. I am saddened to hear that your <1 year old machine coughed blood on you - I am following your threads closely, as you and I have machines from the same production run.

I think I forgot to answer a previous question, which was 'how hot does your muffler get, Rob?' The answer is that it does get hot enough to ignite things, in my opinion, but the Pacific NW is so damp that this hasn't become a problem yet.

I really do need to put a fire entinguisher on this puppy. I have always prefer Halon fire entinguishers, as they don't require as much cleanup, but thanks to our friends at the EPA, they are hard to get unless you own a plane. I wonder how well the 'halotron' ones work. From my research, they are still not quite as good.

I'll be curious to see how your research on the Kohler muffler vs. PT muffler turns out. If it turns out that it is a cooler, less backpressure answer, I think it's worth the $50 to change it over.

Please keep us appraised, and congrats on getting it all back together.

Your Friend,

Rob /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SnowRidge · May 14, 2004

( I think I forgot to answer a previous question, which was 'how hot does your muffler get, Rob?' The answer is that it does get hot enough to ignite things, in my opinion, but the Pacific NW is so damp that this hasn't become a problem yet. )

ROFLMAO, I forgot you were in Beaverton. I withdraw the "dry" grass question.

I used to live in Salem, and later, Clark Co. WA across the "creek" from Portland. I first moved to Oregon in early October. The air was dry and clear, with a touch of wood smoke to perfume it. I had heard of the rains of course, and I asked someone where I worked, "When does it starting raining?"

"About October 15th," he said.

"And when does it end?"

"About June 15th." /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

He wasn't far off.

SnowRidge

toy · May 15, 2004

Did you use an easy out , or one of the screw extractors like sears sells that drills the hole as it tries to remove the bolt. If you used an easy out did you use a regular bit to drill the hole for the easy out? The reason I am asking and you probably already know this, but instead of using a regular drill bit to drill the hole for the easy out get left hand drill bits to drill the hole Most of the time when you use left hand drill bits to drill the hoole for the easy out the drill bit will spin out the bolt as you drill it. These drill bits is an excelent way to get out broken grease fittings. I got me a set when I broke off a grease fitting in my miniback hoe and am glad I did now I have them on hand should an occasion like yours arise.

duane · May 15, 2004

Snowridge,

A way to check the pump to engine mounting alignment is with a straight edge and feeler gages. The pump is held in a rabbited fit, so only the engine moves to align. The engine cannot be adjusted down, (only up with shims, but I would not worry about the the up/down, it came from PT with an acceptable height alignment). Lay a straight edge across the engine and pump couplings at 3 and 9 oclock, then use the feeler gages. Twist or move the engine side to side to get as close as you can, then tighten engine mounting bolts. Good luck and good job.

Duane

SnowRidge · May 20, 2004

( Lay a straight edge across the engine and pump couplings at 3 and 9 oclock, then use the feeler gages. )

Duane, I am at a loss as to how this can be done, since the couplings are not accessible once the pump is bolted up. The engine half is deep inside the engine, and so are the jaw faces of the pump half.

I can't see any way to get any kind of measuring device in between the couplings. Am I missing something?

SnowRidge

duane · May 20, 2004

Snowridge,

It must be a difference between the old models and the new pump/engine layout. I can access the engine to variable volume (tram) pump coupling. I cannot access the PTO/lift pump on the other end due to the driver mount between engine and pump.

Maybe the good news is, if you cannot get to it to align it, neither can Power Trac. Maybe the alignment is achieved via the mounting bolts, so no further action is needed. Give Terry at PT a call and ask him. Let us know, good luck.

Duane

SnowRidge · May 20, 2004

I think the difference is in the engines. Your profile indicates a PT-422, while we have a PT-425, old style.

As I indicated in the original post, I spun the engine-pump combo over with the engine mounts loose (using the starter with plugs out) to try and get it to align. As far as I can tell, that worked.

SnowRidge