My 682 ready for the season

KJO · May 4, 2006

Ok on the grease zirks. I hate it when they use those press in zerks. I have had times when the grease gun wants to hang on instead of let go and it will pull the zerk right out. My mower is new yet so haven't had to look for those.
As far as weight...I am going to save my back and use a come-a-long to lift it for cleaning. I could see someone getting hurt trying to lift and balance that deck. Mower decks take quite a beating. I know, I have many of them at home that are beat to h---, so I hesitate to say that this 54" Cub Cadet deck is overbuilt, but I think this might be a case where the mower deck may actually outlive the tractor.

Bob_Bainbridge · May 4, 2006

( Ok on the grease zirks. I hate it when they use those press in zerks. I have had times when the grease gun wants to hang on instead of let go and it will pull the zerk right out. My mower is new yet so haven't had to look for those.
As far as weight...I am going to save my back and use a come-a-long to lift it for cleaning. I could see someone getting hurt trying to lift and balance that deck. Mower decks take quite a beating. I know, I have many of them at home that are beat to h---, so I hesitate to say that this 54" Cub Cadet deck is overbuilt, but I think this might be a case where the mower deck may actually outlive the tractor. )

I hope that's true. I rusted through two 44R decks in 26 years
The first lasted 17 years and the second was just starting to show some daylight through the deck after 9 years. I started regularly washing under the second deck. That makes me a little leary of the deck-wash system - which I don't have on my 2004. I asked the dealer about adding it myself and he wasn't sold on getting all that water underneath,

Bob B.

KJO · May 5, 2006

I was wondering about that deck wash business also. In some cases, if you just get the grass wet but don't get it flushed out of there, it could be worst than if you just left it alone to begin with. I used the deck wash system once and it didn't do too well, but this was on first cutting grass and it was STICKY!. Even the pressure washer had trouble with it.

Fordlords · May 6, 2006

I have to admit the deck housing was well shot on my 682 at time of replacement- but it was 25 years old, and I couldn't ask for more. I was glad at least MTD had a new 44" housing available, and it was a little thicker gauge than the original. For any of the classic JD's from the late 70's early 80's new deck housings are long gone from JD, making fully restoring and old JD GT to mow about impossible without a F^$k'ed over welded rebuilt deck.

New small engines for tractors have an electric fuel shutoff solenoid on the carburetor, to prevent the carb from overflowing in the event the float needle or seat is worn. My new Honda includes this, once the key is shut off fuel flow is cut to the carb, eliminating the need to close the tank valve for safety. This was a problem with many old tractors, the fuel would gravity flood into the cylinder and into the oil if the float needle was shot.

A new engine for the CC 82's MUST be in the form of a retrofit unless it is a new KT17 or KT17 SII. (Or possibly Magnum 18.) The Small Engine Warehouse Honda kit includes a bracket to fit the Honda GX610 V twin (18 HP) engine to the 682 frame and align the crankshaft to the position of the KT17. It also includes a new original fit muffler and cooling shroud, a 20A alternator, a fuel pump, and a bracket and bushings to be able to re-use the original PTO clutch, along with wiring made to snap into the original connectors on the tractor. The flywheel also includes the boss to mount the driveshaft. Thus, you can't just buy any engine to retrofit into an old '82', and unless you can machine all that stuff yourself, the $400 SEW charges for those things on top of the approximate $950 cost of the Honda GX makes the kit one **** of a value to repower a 682/782. A new KT17 SII is well over $2000, and still is not all that great of an engine (gas hog L-heads and still oil issues) despite it having a pressurized oil system over that of the original KT17.

I for one do not like using water to clean my mower decks- making those deck wash systems senseless to me. I put the tractor on ramps, and use a dull scraper with compressed air to clean the deck. (Works for about 25 yrs LOL.) Water is not good if it gets into spindle bearings, and only promotes more rust in areas where clumps of crud don't come off.

-Fordlords-

KJO · May 8, 2006

Well Fordlords...if we ever come across another 682 with a tired Kohler, we will definitely be changing out the KT17. With a better engine, full press lube (the Kohler we have only has a pressurized camshaft and spray oiling for the crankshaft) hydraulic lifters so no valve adjustment issues....this is one case where there would definitely be in an improvement by chucking the old one in favor of something modern. The rest of that tractor seems bulletproof, so it would no doubt be a winning combination which will mow for a long, long time.
You gave me a good idea on the deck cleaning. Water makes a terrible mess and as you mentioned, it increases the possibility of a rust problem. I just bought a decent air compressor from Sears and I think I might have enough air capacity to clear that grass from the underside of the deck. I have a long (30 inch) air nozzle which I use for cleaning the combines before putting them away after the season. Next time I am going to try that and see if I can get that grass out of there. I will let you know....

KJO · May 8, 2006

My only complaint is trying to grease the wheel pivots on the two deck front wheels. The fittings are recessed and a standard grease gun tip is too large. I tried to install longer fittings but the holes are not tapped and use a pressed in fitting. I may remove the wheel shafts and tap the holes for standard fittings unless I can find some kind of adapter to fit my gun.

Bob...I looked at his on my 3100...and son of a gun..you are correct. A standard grease gun will not fit on those zerks...the ones on the guidewheel pivots. Other than trying to find a greasegun with a smaller tip...I don't know what else you could do there. I have been mowing with those guide wheels suspended so they don't do anything anyway, but that is a botch job the way they put those zerks in there. I hate to buy another new grease gun. I might try and tap em out like you are doing, if I can find another zerk that is longer.

Bob_Bainbridge · May 8, 2006

I jacked up the front of the mower, removed the two deck wheel spindles and drilled and tapped them for threaded zerk fittings. A standard zerk fitting with the hex base extends the fitting just enough that I had no trouble getting my gun on it. I run with the deck on the ground so the wheels get a pretty good workout.

Bob B.