Search results

I found a big chunk missing from my deck belt last year, and replaced it. I couldn't believe how much further I had to move the tensioner pulley to get that new belt on. With the old belt, when I hit the PTO, it would squall a bit at first. With the new belt... nothing. So I agree, belts are...

I already use a leaf blower after every mow. That doesn't help. I can't get to the cooling fins without removing stuff. I think the whole cooling fin clogging problem has been due to oil leaks. I've been on a mission to eliminate all oil leaks. So far, the oil leaks have been winning. The last...

In hindsight, yeah, I was wrong. I should have cleaned the fins during the initial repairs. Roll bar. Bumper. PTO clutch. Fuel line. Starter cables. Muffler shield. Weight of the engine. It's a 750cc V-twin with EFI. It's NOT light. I can lift the engine straight up off a dolly, but if it's in...

I'm aware of the need to keep cooling fins clean. This mower is a great machine for mowing. It's a terrible machine for servicing. It's a pain to get to the cooling fins, which is probably why they were so clogged. The previous owner probably never cleaned them. Since it's such a pain to get to...

Yeah... when I saw the broken cam gear, I knew what caused it.

The cooling fins were almost completely clogged with oily dirt. I bought the mower, fixed a few things that HAD to be fixed, then used it for a half season. During the off season, I did a more thorough service on it, and found the clogged fins. I had the engine off, so I cleaned the fins really...

I don't want to derail this, but do you know anything about the earlier Confidants? I have a 2016 EZT750. It has some of the features you tout for the Kawasaki... dual element air filter, aluminum block with cast-iron sleeves. I don't know about bearings and tolerances, though. I've had some...

I finally got this engine back together. It was a pain. After having the thing apart, on my bench for a week, while the camshaft was being delivered, I noticed that the governor gear was damaged. And then I noticed the oil pump gear was damaged, too. So I ordered those, and had to wait longer to...

I don't have any good advice on the repair, but I have a Kohler engine that did the same thing. 4 engine mounts. 3 of them were stripped when I bought it. I helicoil'ed them.

Not all ZTRs suck on side hills. The steering wheel ZTRs do MUCH better. I have both, a lap-bar ZTR and one with a steering wheel. The steerable front wheels are a game changer on hills. A ZTR with a steering wheel is better on hills than a tractor style rider, as the engine sits lower, and both...

This is called tractor therapy, and it's not weird. I do it as much as I can.

This, IMO, is a bit of an exaggeration. My ZTR is an entry level commercial/prosumer model (CC Pro Z100), and it weighs in right at 1000lbs dry. 2500lbs is more like my utility tractor. The point is valid, though. The OP doesn't need a big heavy ZTR for 1/2 acre. This IS one of the advantages...

Wow! Did you keep them greased? If they were covered under warranty, then I'd have to guess that there is a problem with them. I have a Pro Z 100, likely with the same wheel bearings. It's WAY out of warranty. Should I buy a spare set of wheel bearings?

I'll 2nd the recommendation for a Snapper RER. Even that will be overkill for 1/2 acre. Oddjob is right that riders require more maintenance, but RER's are the lowest maintenance option of the riders. Tractor-style (LT's, GT's, etc) riders are next. Zero turns are the highest maintenance. I'm...

Ok, my preference for a rider DOES assume that it takes less time to use the rider. In this case, I'd be using a push mower too.

This. I'm surprised, too. I'd give those spindles a VERY good inspection. I'd still be surprised if they were all undamaged Yeah, but it's nice to be able to go out with 15 minutes of sunlight, and knock out the mowing. Even if you run a bit into darkness, you have lights. I used to think...

I was going to say Kawasaki all the way, but this is a pretty cool feature. Most mfrs say to not exceed 20 degrees on any slope. So now I'd say, if you need this feature, go with the Briggs. If you don't, go with the Kawasaki.

Forget the mask. This is a job for a respirator. I finally bought one a couple of years ago, mostly for mowing in dusty conditions. After using it, I wondered why I hadn't bought one years ago.

I had this problem on a Kohler Confidant. At the end of the season last year, the engine was using an unusual amount of oil. When I serviced it over the off season, I found the oil filter loose. Now I do a filter tightness check as part of my pre-mow routine.

I don't completely disagree. New engines are not like the old flatheads. However, I think that if this engine hadn't overheated, and had been properly maintained, this wouldn't have happened, and it would still be running just fine. The crank (with rods & pistons connected) turns over smoothly...

#%$^& $#@^. I found a chipped tooth on the oil pump gear. It's only chipped, and not obvious unless viewed from the right angle. If there's any gear in the engine that I don't want to fail.... If the oil pump stops pumping, I won't know it until the engine locks up. Grrrr! So now I need to...

I don't have the valves & valve springs out yet, but looking through the valve springs, I can't see that any of the guides have moved, and I was looking for that.

I've pressure washed the engine already, and have found dirt & grease that I missed. I plan to pressure wash it again. I want it spotless when I get through so I can identify any oil leak.

I must not have described this clearly. With two thumbs pushing down on the valve springs, I can get the valves to move, and they all seem to be moving freely. I don't have the cam out yet, but the new one has been delivered. Hopefully, I'll get to it this weekend. It's supposed to rain...

I have a Cub Cadet Pro Z 154S with a Kohler Confidant EZT750-3011 (747cc, 27HP, EFI) engine. I believe the previous owner neglected it. At 385 hours, I found that the cooling fins were almost completely blocked. I cleaned them out, adjusted the valves, and did the typical year-end maintenance...

Sorry to hear about Bertsmobile. I often enjoyed what he had to say. Oil... I used to fret over what to put in my OPE. Now, I just use oil from the mfr. I use Kohler oil in my Kohlers, and Briggs oil in my Briggs. Yeah, it cost a bit more, but I know the oils have the right formulations.

If you have enough engine access, like on a typical front-engine mower, I'll agree that pulling the engine is not needed for replacing head gaskets. On this mower, that is not the case. It has a large bumper, ROPS, and a fuel tank on each side of the engine. It's a very capable mower, but IMO...

A few years ago, I bought a used Cub Cadet Pro Z 154S with a Kohler Confidant EZT750-3011 (747cc, 27HP, EFI) engine. I got it for a good price because it needed repairs. I did the repairs needed to get it into service, and used it for about a half season. It seemed to run well and cut well...

In the video, Taryl shows Briggs & Kohler OHV heads. I agree that the photo is an L head, but that's not what the video shows at the point I saved it. You'll have to click on the video.

I'm in my 60's. I don't have the strength I once did. Taryl has stated that Briggs valve springs are easy to compress by hand, but Kohler's are not. Taryl has a video where he demonstrated removing Briggs valves by hand, but then said that he needed a compressor for the Courage engine he was...

Recommend me a valve spring compressor. I need to do some work on my Kohler Confidant EZT750-3011 (747cc, 27HP, EFI) engine. While I have it on the bench, I'm going to do a valve job. I need a tool that will work with this engine. The best candidate I've found is this...

You must be from Alabama. I was living in Madison in 2011. Luckily, we lost power for only a week.

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions.

This sounds like the most likely cause. I'll have to check that. I seem to remember from when I rebuilt the carb that the fuel line was molded. Is that the case? Or will generic fuel line work?

I replaced the needle valve. The old one looked good, but my eyes aren't good enough to see microscopic wear, and since I had a new one, I replaced it.

I've never replaced it. I got the saw a couple of years ago from my sister. Sometimes it runs great so I haven't suspected the plug.

I pull it with no choke, no throttle. Then with throttle. Then with choke, no throttle. I know this will flood it... that's the goal. Then I pull it with no choke, full throttle, which should clear the flood after a few pulls, resulting in the right fuel mixture at some point in the process.

ZAMA - REBUILD KIT RB-69

I have the above chainsaw. Last year, it was hard to start all the time, so I rebuilt the carburetor with an OEM rebuild kit. It then became easy to start cold and hot. When cold or hot, it starts just as it should. When it's in between cold and hot, though, it can be very hard to start...

I prefer beginning of season. I also check the shroud and cooling fins to make sure Micky & Minnie haven't moved in.

Both my riders have Kohler engines. I don't go for the 300 hour oil. I prefer to change it every year, and 300 hrs would take me 5-6 yrs to accumulate. So I go with the "short-interval" oil, and change it every year.

I have a Cub Cadet steering wheel ZTR, and an older Husqvarna traditional lap-bar ZTR. The CC is easier to control on slopes. The lap-bar ZTR will sometimes slip & slide around. The CC will track where you point it. It's not a Ventrac, but it's also not $20000. IMO, it's a good step up from a...

Post #4 also mentions: "If this were a really old plain bearing engine you'd need way more oil in the mix than 100:1 could provide."

Do the blades spin freely? Do the engine RPMs drop right before the PTO disengages? These things shouldn't cause this problem, but might still point to the problem.

Where are you getting 100:1? Most modern equipment recommend 50:1. For the old chainsaw mentioned, I'd probably go with 40:1. The oils today ARE better than what was available 25 yrs ago. I'm with the "it depends on how it was cared for" crowd. If you use E0 and a high quality oil (I used Echo...

Thank, @Auto Doc's. Not the answer I wanted, but I'd rather have the right answer than to have a useless lawn ornament.

The ad is on Craigslist, and the model plate info was not provided. I have had manual reel mowers, and I have sharpened them, so I DO have an idea on how to sharpen them. I already have two conventional ZTR's. One is over 20 yrs old, and is getting hard to get parts for. The other is 8 yrs old...

There is a 70” Gravely Triplex Hydro Reel Mower for sale locally. Are parts still available for this thing? I've experimented with a push reel mower on a small area of my lawn, and I like it. But my lawn is too big to mow with a push mower. This would fix that.

Idler pulleys should have very little vertical play.

I have a Champion generator, which, of course, doesn't get used that often. The manual has 3 storage procedures. One for short term (up to 30 days), one for mid term (30 days to 1 yr), and one for long term (more than 1 yr). I always use the long term procedure. I say "always", but so far...