Replacement Engine Flywheel mismatch questions

fergy59

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By the way, what Dixon do you have? I have some new and used Dixon parts left if you are in need of something.

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com

Mine is a ztr 4515b I think. It was given to me with the engine locked up from half an oil change.

By the way, how much gap should be between the flywheel and the coil?
 

Tinkerer200

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Mine is a ztr 4515b I think. It was given to me with the engine locked up from half an oil change.

By the way, how much gap should be between the flywheel and the coil?
\

Most people just use a business card, .010"- .014". I can send you a Service manual covering your engine(s) if you like. Address below put in proper format and remind me what you want, engine(s) model number.

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com
 

fergy59

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Thanks!

I got under the mower yesterday and man is there a lot going on under there! I removed the bolt from the shaft and the PTO clutch (I guess) came loose but seems to be hanging on a spring and some other apparatus that I'll have to figure out. I anticipate that the upper pulley will be a fun piece to remove too. It doesn't look like they left a big enough hole to remove the engine and "then" remove the pulley. I have the back of the mower up as high as my floor jack will get it which is just high enough to get my head under there and one arm to work with and knock dirt loose to fall in my eyes!

Have any of you had experience with the under side of one of these and have any bits of advice or warnings for me? I'm kind of discovering as I go along in this process. It is a Dixon ZTR 4515 B.
 

Tinkerer200

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Yeah, I am a former Cert. Dixon Service Tech. Fortunately I retired from that before that model came out. I have bought and sold, traded, in a few of them though. That spring hanging down and the other apparatus is the anchor for the PTO to keep the clutch from spinning ripping the wires out. I don't remember for sure but seems like you should be able to get the engine off with pulley in place. I think you are talking about the small pulley. IF it is "grown fast", I try to get a blunt air chisel bit in behind the pulley on the hub and knock it off. Hammer and pc of steel may work. IF that doesn't work, I drill a hole thru the pulley on each side of the hub out far enough away from the hub to get a washer and 5/16" nut on a grade 8 bolt. Drill matching holes in a pc. of 3/8" thick by 1-1/2" wide or so flat steel. Lay that across the end of the crankshaft insert bolts long enough to reach thru the steel pulley and tighten each alternately. Hit that pc. of steel a sharp blow over the crankshaft end.

I have some instructions on adjusting this drive if you want them.

Lots of luck

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com
 

fergy59

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Yeah, I am a former Cert. Dixon Service Tech. Fortunately I retired from that before that model came out. I have bought and sold, traded, in a few of them though. That spring hanging down and the other apparatus is the anchor for the PTO to keep the clutch from spinning ripping the wires out. I don't remember for sure but seems like you should be able to get the engine off with pulley in place. I think you are talking about the small pulley. IF it is "grown fast", I try to get a blunt air chisel bit in behind the pulley on the hub and knock it off. Hammer and pc of steel may work. IF that doesn't work, I drill a hole thru the pulley on each side of the hub out far enough away from the hub to get a washer and 5/16" nut on a grade 8 bolt. Drill matching holes in a pc. of 3/8" thick by 1-1/2" wide or so flat steel. Lay that across the end of the crankshaft insert bolts long enough to reach thru the steel pulley and tighten each alternately. Hit that pc. of steel a sharp blow over the crankshaft end.

I have some instructions on adjusting this drive if you want them.

Lots of luck

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com

I would like those instructions for sure. Once I get some light under there and can see, there may be a hole. Either way, I have a flywheel puller kit that I believe I can drill the holes in the pulley and probably remove it that way like you said. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
fergy P.S. the parts diagram shows a big hole in the chassis for the pulley so I'm going to believe it has one.
 
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Fergy this way is similar to what Walt said.... If you have a air chisel hold the pulley and use the chisel on the shaft..... The vibrations and you pulling on it should break it loose.......

CAUTION put a bolt in the hole so you don't mess up the inner threads............

Works like a charm for me on flywheels and pulleys all the time ~!~!~!

Let us know Mon Ami ~!~!
 

fergy59

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I'll see how it goes. Getting ready to go take a whack at it...
 

bertsmobile1

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Get it up higher and make sure you have it on some strong axel stands.
More men have died under ZTR's than on them.
The hydrostatic pressure from 400lbs of ZTR hitting your chest will crush internal organs even if there is enough space not to break all your ribs.
A PIA operation but jack- axel stands; jack on bricks raise axel stands; jack on more bricks.

Before you start get the front casters off the ground and some stands under the frame at the front enough to keep the casters off the floor.
ZTR's are balanced very finely on the rear wheels, I can generally put a shoulder strap on hooked to the front and lift it high enough to put some axel stands on the frame outriggers to the casters.
Where people come unstuck is lifting the back high enough to put most of the weight on the front casters then the machine will roll forward, off the jack.

You will find your car jack will work better than the floor jack, well I did anyway .

Like Bou, I find the air chisel works really well.
I ground an impact grade 1/2" socket extension to fit in my air chisel then put a bolt in whatever I am trying to remove, screwed out just enough to take the weight .
A socket on the end of the extension stops it bouncing off ( impact grade socket as well )

For pulleys in that space I use builders wedges ( 3 ) hammered under the sprocket till the sprocket just starts to bend then hit the shaft with the air chisel.
When the wedges come loose tap the pulley back on, some more penetrant, tap the wedges back in and repeat.
And when the new one goes back in , some nickel anti sieze on the shaft , just a thin smear will make this a lot easier in the future.

The shafts on the pulleys are made from a free machining grade of steel to reduce the cost of machining the key slot.
The down side is all free machining steels rust while you watch them.
 

fergy59

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I have it on jack stands on the front corners, and on my floor jack in the back. It is a higher than normal floor jack, and an old one that has a wide stance and lots of beef. I do appreciate the advice though because Lord knows, I've watched enough AFV to know there are many who need the extra safety advice!

I got the four bolts out holding the engine down and was able to shift the engine forward just enough to get the belt off the upper pulley and sure enough there was a large hole to not have to worry about removing the pulley before removing the engine. Took the engine to the bench and drained the oil and turned it on the end to work on the pulley and it just slid right off without any serious resistance! So now I just need to get the chassis cleaned up and the new engine is ready to put in. Done for today.
 

fergy59

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OK, new engine is installed and everything hooked up. Had to cut and splice the power/ground wire to the fuel pump? as the old wiring had them swapped in the connector. Oh, and I did find the spark plug cracked in half, might have done that myself when I removed it to check for spark when it wouldn't start, before I discovered the backwards wiring on the fuel pump. I installed the old spark plug from the old engine for now.
Anyway it started right up after the wires were right and it runs nice for 5-10 seconds and sputters to a stop almost like it is running out of fuel. It will start right back up in usually two tries and run again for 5-10 seconds before shutting down.
It is full of oil, up to the full mark on the stick.
It came with a new air filter and fuel filter already installed on the fuel line. Maybe I should replace all the fuel line up to the new stuff that came installed on the engine? Other than that, any suggestions? I am at a loss...
 
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