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Everyone is throwing away cool stuff because of Hurricane Ian. Here's a Dixie Chopper I got FOR FREE. I had to winch the beast into my light-duty trailer and then gingerly drive back home. I haven't looked at it yet because I'm working on another zero turn, Cub Cadet ZT1 that I just got running and moving! I didn't need more projects but here I go....

Got it up and running yet?

Chevychopper said:

Got it up and running yet?

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I got sidetracked with a slew of other projects. Today I got the Homelite XL Automatic out of mothballs and cut up a fallen oak. also, it's been super rainy here. Two hurricanes and then an all day rain a couple days ago. I got the battery charged and I';; put it in soon and let you know if it's a good machine. I sure hope so...

Looks like a Silver Eagle from the pictures let us know how it turns out.

I would at least make sure that it isn't sitting there full of water, before it is too late.

Fish said:

I would at least make sure that it isn't sitting there full of water, before it is too late.

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i pulled the plugs and no water. I need to hook up a battery and see if it will crank with the plugs out to see if it pushes water but I don't think so.

Engine with water is one thing.. need to check the hydro tank, pump, lines .. before it's too late

Chevychopper said:

Engine with water is one thing.. need to check the hydro tank, pump, lines .. before it's too late

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well, the cub cadet zero turn that I got from the same area is fine so i'm not too worried. I was busy today cutting-up a big oak that fell across my property line. The John Deere L120 did a great job hauling off big limbs into the street where the hurricane debris haulers will pick it up. The problem was all the vines that got tangled on the limbs I cut . I got much of it done though. The main trunk may have to stay there and rot. what a shame.. and I just got my heavy-bag hung on it too. i need some cardio badly. it's been about three months since I've punched myself out. Ian was an evil entity.

Good luck with the Chopper hope it works out for you

OK... i put a good battery in this mofo, squirted some oil/gas mix into the carb and it fired right up and ran until it ran out of gas. NOW... I need to change the oil. is the engine oil also used for the servos ? What weight is best for hot weather? I went all over the net and downloaded a user manual but couldn't get decent info on a simple oil change. I took a video of this thing firing-up which I will upload later.

I worked at a Dixie Chopper dealer once, and they put Lucas oil in everything. Draining the hydro oil was messy, oil went everywhere.

Fish said:

I worked at a Dixie Chopper dealer once, and they put Lucas oil in everything. Draining the hydro oil was messy, oil went everywhere.

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is the hydro oil and the engine oil from the same tank?

mechanizm said:

is the hydro oil and the engine oil from the same tank?

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No, The drain for the hydros was just above the deck. Luckily I was the 2 cycle guy, it looked like a messy job.

The owner of Dixie must have really loved that Lucas oil, hell he probably deep fried his turkey with it.

I use 10w30 in engine here in S GA... 20w40 or 20w50 for the hydros..

Dixie usually puts a oil drain tube on the right side of engine facing from rear, unless it's changed.

ok, so it isn't a dry-sump like my friend said, right? holy cow I could have burned up the motor...

I ran out of 20/50 so I put about a quart of some 20/50 diesel oil in there too. then I ran out of oil for the motor so I topped it off with 5w/30. I'm not going to work the machine like this only get it running so I'll let that circulate a bit then drain and fill with 20/50 too. I did notice that this machine has the original fuel pump! I'm sure that's bad so I'll change it too. But I got it thumping so it's going to be interesting to see if everything works. It's an overkill for my small yard but what the Hell...

The tank under the seat is the oil supply for the hydraulic pumps.. the engine carriers it's own oil separate ..

I have been asking this simple question and FINALLY got a straight answer. THANKS but i figured it out already. i wouldn't have tried to get it to fire had I known. I even watched some terrible videos on youtube that didn't answer this simple question. My lawn-guy friend told me that it was a dry sump! incredible....

Chevychopper said:

The tank under the seat is the oil supply for the hydraulic pumps.. the engine carriers it's own oil separate ..

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Here's a site I use for parts, they're based out of Florida..
They've got excellent CAD parts diagrams, look up your serial number (should be under seat on frame) just these might help you some. Since it seems like a unfamiliar mower to you .
Click on previous catalogs to find your silver eagle

Chevychopper said:

Here's a site I use for parts, they're based out of Florida..

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Excellent... THANKS! and yes, I've never owned a zero-turn let alone a monster like this Dixie Chopper until Hurrican Ian had people throwing them away.

They're excellent mowers, especially the early to mid/late 2000's.. commercial side in that era are built like a tank for just general mowing. I've put thousands of hrs on those when was I still mowing for a lawn care/myself business..
Silver eagle is a middle based model but still very good.
If that deck was under water, grease those spindle housings really good before engaging blades. Make sure there's no water trapped in them. And grease everything else with a zerk..

Silver Eagle is not a homeowner based mower. I work for a Dixie Chopper dealer and we have hundreds of them in the marketplace. They use 15W 40 Lucas oil in the engine and the hydros as well. If changing the hydro oil you will need 2 68140 hydro filters and about 1 1/2 gallons of the 15w 40 lucas for the hydros and 2.4 Quarts for the engine as well as a 070185D Generac oil filter for the engine. You will have to drain the hydro tank by taking the filters off. That can be messy. You can take a gallon oil bottle and cut one side out and screw one filter part way off and drain the oil until bottle almost full. Tighten the filter back up and empty the bottle. Then do it again until the tank is empty. Fill the tank to 1/2 inch under the baffle in the tank. You will them need to purge the system of air. To do this you need to open the release valve on the pumps. They made two different pump on the SE. One was a hydro gear and to open the valve look for a bolt head with a hole through the side. It takes a 5/8 wrench. The other is a white. If it is a White it will have a jam nut on the valve that takes a 17 mm wrench to loosen. In the middle of the nut is a 8mm bolt head. You will need an 8 mm wrench to open the valve. Open the valve 1 and 1/2 turns. Raise the mower and get the rear wheels off the ground start the engine and swipe the levers 8 to 10 times. Lock the relief valves and you should be good to go.

will do... got to get gas and a fuel pump before I continue.

hlw49 said:

Silver Eagle is not a homeowner based mower. I work for a Dixie Chopper dealer and we have hundreds of them in the marketplace.

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excellent info... THANKS

hlw49 said:

White it will have a jam nut on the valve that takes a 17 mm wrench to loosen. In the middle of the nut is a 8mm bolt head. You will need an 8 mm wrench to open the valve. Open the valve 1 and 1/2 turns. Raise the mower and get the rear wheels off the ground start the engine and swipe the levers 8 to 10 times. Lock the relief valves and you should be good to go.

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do you have to loosen the jam nut to get the 8mm bolt to unscrew? I did and now the left side isn't moving. also do I tighten the jam nut before shutting off the mower? what do you mean "swipe the levers". you mean forward and reverse? I'm worried that i f'd the left side up.

That's the bypass valves on the pump that he's referring to...if you have loosened them the wheels won't turn once loosened.. run your sticks/handles back and forward to clear/purge any air in the pumps Retighten them once done. Crank mower and give it a test run.

Chevychopper said:

That's the bypass valves on the pump that he's referring to...if you have loosened them the wheels won't turn once loosened.. run your sticks/handles back and forward to clear/purge any air in the pumps Retighten them once done. Crank mower and give it a test run.

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OK, so i have to open the bypass valves then start the mower then run it forward and reverse (wheels not turning) THEN retighten the 17mm and 8mm bolts, right? I got confused by watching some youtube videos.

Sounds right..

ok, the bypass valve wasn't opened enough so I turned it about 3 turns out and got the thing moving again but now it's running really poorly. I suspect the carb. I went through the carb twice... one plug is very sooty the other looks ok. I'll change the sooty plug and see how it goes. but at least I have the hydrostatic drive working...

mechanizm said:

ok, the bypass valve wasn't opened enough so I turned it about 3 turns out and got the thing moving again but now it's running really poorly. I suspect the carb. I went through the carb twice... one plug is very sooty the other looks ok. I'll change the sooty plug and see how it goes. but at least I have the hydrostatic drive working...

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It is best to raise the mower wheels off the ground when you purge so there is no load on the wheel motor.
They can get air trapped in them so when you move the stick the cylinders only 1/2 fill and compress the air in the end rather than replacing it with oil

bertsmobile1 said:

It is best to raise the mower wheels off the ground when you purge so there is no load on the wheel motor.
They can get air trapped in them so when you move the stick the cylinders only 1/2 fill and compress the air in the end rather than replacing it with oil

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that's what I did... the wheels never stopped moving completely but I could hold them back with my hand so not much force was being exerted. I used 20/50 instead of 20/40 maybe that's why... the drive wheels seem to be working fine now but the engine isn't. going to change plugs and try again. this is a fun machine. because it's so fast I might use it like my neighbors use their golf carts. The cops can't ticket me! lol...

Most of the mowers with separate pumps and wheel motors the wheels will turn when purging of air.

hlw49 said:

Most of the mowers with separate pumps and wheel motors the wheels will turn when purging of air.

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ok, thanks... I finally got the air purged and the dixie, chopping. I drove it around the neighborhood and cut some random grass. what a fun machine...It starts-up without any starting fluid and runs great. Now I have to made a decision: keep the Dixie or the Cub Cadet.... the Cadet sometimes vibrates so I have to figure that out hopefully in a new thread. THANKS...