Horror of horrors! My 2310 is hurt!

[irvingj]

Heard some new sounds today while in low range 4wd descending a hill... decided to look more closely, and discovered at least three of the four engine mounts are broken! Engine has shifted forward, and the sound I heard was a couple of front-plate shield bolts contacting the flywheel. Pics below, notice how exhaust pipe is contacting frame, and fan is just about totally outside the fan shroud.

Oh, well.. she's been great for about 3 years now and has 762 hours.... guess it was time for something to give, I work her pretty hard. Will try to post developments.

 

[Thomas]

Hellooo over the hill.
Is there some kind of recall of sort to help w/repairs?

 

[Omega Woods]

Very sorry, mate! As you say, they don't last forever. Do keep us posted!

 

[irvingj]

Nah, Thomas, I doubt it. She's now getting into middle age, no warranty I'm sure.

Couldn't sleep, worrying about that and other things, so went back out to play with it. Yep, now confirmed, all four motor mounts ("insulators" in the parts book) have failed.

Have no idea what caused the failure, though I'm sure those rubber mounts get stressed every time I go down slopes (which is often) in low range 4wd. That's when the engine would want to shift forward. Still have to check out the coupling/driveshaft that goes rearward and into the hydraulic pump; not sure how that's doing, but it's gotta be stressed, too. Glad it didn't pull loose!

Have begun search for parts and so far have found one source, @ $21.40 each, but have yet to get availability. https://www.yourequipmentparts.com/...-fuel-and-exhaust-system/engine-mounting.html

Interestingly, Jack's showed no listing when I searched their site, but I'll check again. In looking at it tonight it appears I can change all four without having to fully remove the engine... but that still needs to be verified. Sure hope so. Right now all I've done is put a floor jack and a wooden block beneath it to raise the engine a bit. (Of course, that was AFTER pulling the BH and the FEL --which I had just put on to pull some small stumps-- and the MMM!)

 

[mrmikey]

Glad there wasn't more damage.
It looks as if all the strain is on a bonded/glued joint, no backup in the design when it lets go like there wound be if a rod for example went thru the complete mount so it can't pull apart. Any chance it would be worthwhile trying to make something? If it did it once, it'll do it again............Mike

 

[irvingj]

Well, we're still assessing damage, but it does appear minimal at this point. My thoughts, too, Mike-- drill through the rubber and put a bolt all the way through...? Not sure if that can easily be done. Looks like 3 of them separated at the bottom, one at the top.

Pretty much worked through the night, and I just hit it with a degreaser to clean things up a bit. Later today I'll call Jack's (I did find the part, just about the same price) and ask if they have them (hoping...!) or if I'm going to have to wait a month. That would be most inconvenient. (Glad I just finished mowing the lawn before mounting the BH and FEL!)

 

[mrmikey]

My thoughts, too, Mike-- drill through the rubber and put a bolt all the way through...

That's what I was thinking also. You'd have to put rubber on top or bottom also to allow a bit of cushion when the motion is stretching rather than compression.......Mike

 

[pcwolf]

Dang, Irving, say it ain't so! Sorry to hear about near catastrophe but glad you got her stable and back in the workshop. One more thing to add to my pre-start checklist.

-Phil

 

[irvingj]

Yes! Looking back on it (ain't 20-20 hindsight great?), I now see where there were warning signs that I didn't understand... the chafing on my upper radiator hose due to the air cleaner box contacting it (why'd that happen? -- bent bracket slightly to add clearance), increased "rattling"/shaking in the ROPS lights (it's just cold today...?), the lowered ROPS itself (wrapped a bungee around it)... quite a few things related to what I'm guessing now were probably all related to increased engine movement.

Guess I SHOULD have looked at the mounts back then.... :confused3:

So-- all who have a similar-aged tractor... you might want to look at those mounts. Incidentally, it appears ALL the GC tractors use those same mounts, even the current 17XX series.

 

[ray66v]

Sorry for you bad luck.

Since yours seems to be the exception, perhaps your mounts are defective. And, perhaps AGCO will give you new ones?

I'd ask.

 

[irvingj]

Yeah, it's a bit of a mystery, Ray. Can't say as I've ever seen motor mounts --that weren't on a high-powered competition machine-- fail like that. All four....

 

[cdaigle430]

there's lot of vibration from these engines, are you the original owner?

 

[irvingj]

Yep, since day one.... back in Feb of 2008.

 

[irvingj]

Still waiting for factory parts...

In the meantime -- and because I NEED my tractor (withdrawal??) -- I decided to go at it again. Jacked the engine up, removed the front two mounts and, after much playing dangerously with a pocket knife, screwdriver, razor & a pair of vise-grips, was finally able to remove the one metal plate that was still bonded to each one. Chocked the rubber blocks in a vise and --surprise!-- was able to drill a hole through them. I then used two 5/16 x 2-1/2 bolts with fender washers, nuts and locks to re-install them.

No, it's not right, but at least they're holding the engine in its proper position while providing some cushioning. Now back to mowing.... and waiting for the right parts...

PS-- it sure looks naked without all that red sheet metal!! :laughing:

 

[mrmikey]

You use locknuts?..............Mike

 

[irvingj]

On the top where the nut is.

 

[ray66v]

That's probably better anyway.

 

[AxleHub]

Irving, you're fearless. If that happened to me I'd be having nightmares imagining the hidden damage of an engine pulling itself forward (or falling itself forward as the case may be).

You just jump right into the fray.

My question would be - this seems like a significant thing and I can't imagine if one came loose that the other three would just do the same unless it happened over a long period of time. it would seem that there are seals in connecting components being stressed or fits being separated with an engine actually moving. Even wires being stretched.

While your warranty is certainly long ago expired - its hard to believe that just going down hills would be a cause - and I'd think checking with a good service department might give an idea if there isn't some issue established for checking for this or some incident reports or maybe a recall of selected units. Imagine what wouild be the cost of this - if you weren't skilled enough to service it yourself. Parts are a small part compared to labor on something like this.

As a preventive maintenance thing - how would an operator even be able to check on something like this ?

 

[irvingj]

Thanks, but definitely not fearless... at least not as much as I used to be, for sure! It's just that my lawn is getting taller and I'll be da$#@ed if I'll pay somebody close to $200 to mow it for me, and I'm having doubts about how soon I'll get those factory parts. Necessity often gets me motivated! (Hey, I may be cheap, but I'm CHEAP!!)

Now when it comes to one of my "restoration" projects, a 1971 Honda CB 100 (yeah, a 100, a real monster) that I just got running fairly well recently... yesterday the kickstarter shaft broke clean off. That means a full engine removal, tear-down and case split, and I'm not really sure if I want to tackle that. Just don't have the confidence I used to! (Getting lazy in my old age??)

As far as preventive maintenance on the motor mounts... no maintenance, but it might pay to take a look at them every now & then. You're right, I'm sure one broke initially, placed more stress on the remaining mounts, and progressed from there. Still not sure why, however; just wish I'd picked up on it sooner.

As far as damage due to the engine shifting, no, at least not that I could see. My biggest concern was the driveshaft, connected directly to the engine crankshaft, that goes under the floor to operate the main hydraulic pump (the one with the plastic fan on it). Fortunately, there's --apparently-- enough splined-shaft length in there that it didn't pull out completely. Now THAT would have created some REAL issues -- I shudder to think of that scenario!

 

[flyerdan]

Those look like the common bonded isolation mounts you can get at McMaster Carr for around $2.50. Chances are that one failed due to fuel or oil contamination and allowed more movement which exceeded the movement range of the rest, causing them to let go. What you've done with the thru bolt is how it should have been done from the start. Granted, you might get a few harmonics that you wouldn't get with a true Lord mount like the PA-22 has, but you won't have the engine wandering.