Hi folks. "Taps, Taps, Lights out." My good ol Toro's Kawi FR691V grenaded itself last week. Days before I had changed engine fluids, trannies fluids, filters, add Donaldson air cleaner, blades. Believe I had mowed only once after all that. During this mowing at perhaps the 30 minute mark or so, out of nowhere, I'm getting this terrible racket while making a slow, broad U-turn. I thought perhaps I had left a ratchet or something on the deck and it was caught up in a pulley. Then it began smoking like a locomotive. As I'm shutting it down, I assume I'm right and the deck belt is melting. Dismount and look underneath from the rear. Belts are fine. As I'm standing up, I see all the oil on the tray beneath the muffler. Oh my. Not a hint, nothing of the pending catastophic failure. Because I have this deep, hundreds of feet long ditch along my roadside, I purchased a new front - engine mower, The ditch is filled rip rap and where my yard meets the edge of the ditch, it's rough and bounchy. Too many close calls with Z - mower. Thus the conventional mower.
Toro Titan MX5480 Laid to Rest
- Thread starter logan01
- Start date
Auto Doc's
Lawn Addict
A conventional rider has its limitations also, so be careful when close to steep banks. They will tend to crab walk on soft ground when going across at an angle.
Husqvarna TS375XD.
Tiger Small Engine
Lawn Addict
So how did your Kawasaki die? Break a connecting rod, etc.?
Why did it die? Lack of lubrication, cooling fins blocked, 2000 plus hours?
No idea. All was fine. Making a wide U-turn and it started making a clattering / banging noise. With the work I had recently done to it, I thought perhaps I'd left a ratchet on the deck and it got caught up in the belt / pulley. Almost immediately, I had a bunch of white smoke. Figured a belt was melting. Killed it and hopped off. Looking from the rear for a melted belt, I saw the belts were fine. As I was raising myself up, I saw the plate beneath the exhaust was covered in oil. Oh poop. A heavy equipment mechanic of mine came over and pulled the valve covers. Each side had a tight one and a loose one. I had never adjusted them and he thought perhaps I was now paying for that. He turned the flywhhel clock wise a bit with no issues.It wouldn't go counterclockwise. In the end, he thought the cam broke. Only had 647 hours and I kept it spotless. Always use mobile 1 annually for the last 13 years since new. Never, ever had a hint of any problems. No smoke ever. Always started and ran like new.
Tiger Small Engine
Lawn Addict
And yet, valve adjustments are out of sight, out of mind, Not uncommon to see engines that have never had the valves adjusted. Often, by this point it results in broken or bent push rods.
Doing the scheduled valve adjustment also gives you a chance to check for trash in the cooling fins and oil leaks.
I like the composite valve covers on my Kohler. The valve covers use o-ring style gaskets that are recessed into to covers. Just change out the o-ring gasket at each valve adjustment. No more scraping the head and valve cover. No more silicone gasket maker.
Auto Doc's
Lawn Addict
In the famous words of Ron Poppel "Just set it and forget it". Of course, many people in the past have become so brainwashed by our throw it away society it was practically expected.
Now, the prices have skyrocketed on new equipment and actual repairs, and servicing are coming back into view for many customers.
But wait! Where did all the experienced techs go? They went to other better paying jobs, with less stress so they could still make a living.
Now, the prices have skyrocketed on new equipment and actual repairs, and servicing are coming back into view for many customers.
But wait! Where did all the experienced techs go? They went to other better paying jobs, with less stress so they could still make a living.