Great deal on a Craftsman Riding Mower

[Sidecarflip]

If you buy into that main stream media hype, everything is peachy but if you take a good look around at your local inhabitants and especially at the prices being charged at the local grocery and gas station, you'll quickly see that all is not well in mudsville. Just had my farm tank filled ant ORD was $3.23 per gallon delivered and it took 450 gallons to top it off. You do the math. 2 years ago it was $1.99 per gallon delivered. I pass all those costs right on to my customers in the form of increased prices.

Who in their right mind would fork over close to 100 grand for an automobile or light truck that in reality isn't even worth 1/4 that?

The reset is looming and it won't be long. I figure about December, when all the UAW autoworkers have been on strike for a month and a half (the automotive sector isn't about to cave to the insane demands of the UAW (a 40% wage increase across the board and a 32 hour work week). Not gonna happen. The UAW rank and file will be receiving strike pay in the amount of $500.00 per week (taxable), until that strike fund is depleted and then what happens?? I know but I won't allude to it here. Remember I farm smack dab in the midst of auto worker heaven. You can always tell an autoworker by the amount of toys they own, most all sitting outside in the rain and snow...

 

[JRM]

I was at TSC the other day getting some rope and I noticed that our local store has very little in the way of Husky saws or accessories. Wonder if that has anything to do with the layoffs in Virginia Beach?

Husqvarna doesn't have a facility in Virginia Beach.

Que more accusations of conjecture in 3,2,1.....

 

[Sidecarflip]

Husqvarna doesn't have a facility in Virginia Beach.

Que more accusations of conjecture in 3,2,1.....

Pardon my dust... It's Stihl. Not that I would own a Husky because the only Husky I do own is a vintage Husqvarna built, S&W branded 308 with a hardwood Monte Carlo stock that I purchased at an estate sale unfired in cosmoline. Clunky trigger group that I replaced with a modern Tinmey match trigger. Consistently shoots sub MOA at 200 yards with handloads.

 

[djg james]

Got another question about a B&S 5HP engine. The pull start on my tiller is real slow to recoil when cold. I have to turn the recoil by hand to rewind the cord. Once the engine starts, The recoil squeals until I pull the cord out 2 feet and tie it off. Once warm, The recoil pulls and recoils by itself. I was told not to grease the ball bearings inside the recoil. Any where else to lubricate?

 

[grizz55chev]

Got another question about a B&S 5HP engine. The pull start on my tiller is real slow to recoil when cold. I have to turn the recoil by hand to rewind the cord. Once the engine starts, The recoil squeals until I pull the cord out 2 feet and tie it off. Once warm, The recoil pulls and recoils by itself. I was told not to grease the ball bearings inside the recoil. Any where else to lubricate?

A drop of oil on the shaft where the clutch assembly goes on the flywheel will solve all your problems. There's a hole in the front of the shaft where a felt wick is located, put a few drops of light weight oil in that location as a regular maintenance procedure.

 

[djg james]

A drop of oil on the shaft where the clutch assembly goes on the flywheel will solve all your problems. There's a hole in the front of the shaft where a felt wick is located, put a few drops of light weight oil in that location as a regular maintenance procedure.

Thanks, I guess remove the recoil shroud? I've had the shroud and clutch off another motor before and never notice the felt pad.

 

[grizz55chev]

Thanks, I guess remove the recoil shroud? I've had the shroud and clutch off another motor before and never notice the felt pad.

It's tucked into the outer clutch assembly, look for the oil hole in the front of the clutch assembly when you pull the fan shroud. They get dry and make a horrible screeching sound while spitting out the pull cord !

 

[user 122190]

Got another question about a B&S 5HP engine. The pull start on my tiller is real slow to recoil when cold. I have to turn the recoil by hand to rewind the cord. Once the engine starts, The recoil squeals until I pull the cord out 2 feet and tie it off. Once warm, The recoil pulls and recoils by itself. I was told not to grease the ball bearings inside the recoil. Any where else to lubricate?

Clean it. I fixed my neighbors log splitter pull start recoil. Splitter had to be 20 years or older and never had much maintenance. Cleaned it up, after removing it, reinstalled and now works perfectly.

 

[Okie]

Got another question about a B&S 5HP engine. The pull start on my tiller is real slow to recoil when cold. I have to turn the recoil by hand to rewind the cord. Once the engine starts, The recoil squeals until I pull the cord out 2 feet and tie it off. Once warm, The recoil pulls and recoils by itself. I was told not to grease the ball bearings inside the recoil. Any where else to lubricate?

The recoil squeals until I pull the cord out 2 feet and tie it off.

Your recoil is operating on borrowed time. One of these days it's going to squeal bad and spit out the rope and the recoil spring will be ruined.

It's now squealing for help.

Most generally (99%) of time what is causing the squeal is the stub shaft on the end of the crankshaft is rusty and need polishing. The squeal is the friction of the dirty rusty crankshaft stub rubbing on the recoil clutch assembly.
It should not be oiled as it's only a temp fix.
That stub shaft must freely rotate inside the recoil assembly AFTER THE ENGINE STARTS. If it don't the friction is spitting out the rope and winding the recoil spring backwards so as to spit out the rope. Do not oil the stub shaft of dust grit will eventually accumulate and the problem will return fast. Oiling is not the cure. Take a piece of cloth backed sandpaper about 80-120 grit and cut/tear a piece about one inch wide and 8 inches long and polish the stub shaft until it's shiny polished metal. rotate the shaft each time you see it get polished but do not remove excess metal, just get the rust off.
If this does not all replace the clutch mechanism that has the steel balls inside.
When re-installing the air cowling recoil assembly do not tighten the 3 air cowling bolts immediately, slowly pull the rope several times as the bolts are snugged up because if the air cowling is cocked somewhat the recoil will not operate correctly.

 

[grizz55chev]

So why is there an oil hole in the front of the clutch assembly with a felt wick installed behind the oiler hole! ?

 

[Sidecarflip]

They all don't have that. I know Briggs & Scrapem do but HF Predator engines don't. One thing you do need to do when removing the recoil cover is, make sure the engagement pawls pivot freely (drop of oil on them works wonders) and keep in mind that all the dirt that gets sucked in by the flywheel cooling fan also gets deposited in the recoil mechanism as well.

Easy fix actually and inspect the recoil rope as well a frayed rope will soon fail and that is also easy to replace. Nothing worse that going to start your motor and wind up with a broken recoil rope in your hand.

 

[djg james]

Need some help again. My zero-turn (Kawasaki 23HP dual cylinder engine) dies after an hour or so of mowing. Seems to be getting overly hot. Sometimes I let it cool down and it will restart and I can put it away in the garage.

I've had this problem before. Seems, I'm told, it's getting hot from cooling fins being clogged, causing a vapor lock in fuel line. One year when it happened, I took off the cover and cleaned the fins and it was fine. Next year, an oil change seemed to fix the problem.

This time, I changed the oil a little early of it's annual change time an blew out the engine with a leaf blower. I have ha a hydraulic leak so the engine got covered in oil. I've cleaned most of it off, but not all. So tomorrow, I'll clean everything up again as well as the fins.

In the meantime, can spark plugs act this way? Engine runs smooth until it dies. What about condenser? I assume it has one for each cylinder?

 

[JRM]

Are you sure the oil is at the proper level? Correct dipstick?
If the engine "uses" oil in any way and it is allowed to drop low enough it could be tripping the low oil switch.

Next year, an oil change seemed to fix the problem.

 

[cookies]

I would suspect fuel starvation, in line filter - tank outlet- cap vent- fuel hose routing. i'd pull hose at carb inlet and check flow for 10 seconds, use temp gun to check cylinder head temps at shutoff, coil could be damaged

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

9 times out of 10 those symptoms follow one of 2 things - either a failing coil, which is doubtful since it's a twin ... or a clogged fuel tank vent, which creates a vacuum on the fuel system and starves the carburetor of fuel.

EDIT: Cookies made his post as I was typing mine. Brilliant minds think alike, lol.

 

[davidprivett]

there will not be any condensers on that engine,those when out with ingition points, That engine has one coil for both cylinders if it is waste spark or two coils ,one for each cylinder.I prefer these types. have you pulled off the fan shroud? mice are known for putting nests in the damnist places.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I take the cover off my wife's and blow the cooling fins out every year, usually in the fall before it gets put away for the winter. I don't have cooling fins on mine, it's a water cooled diesel.

 

[JRM]

9 times out of 10 those symptoms follow one of 2 things - either a failing coil, which is doubtful since it's a twin ... or a clogged fuel tank vent, which creates a vacuum on the fuel system and starves the carburetor of fuel.

EDIT: Cookies made his post as I was typing mine. Brilliant minds think alike, lol.

I agree with the fuel assessment, just trying to cover the bases with the details james provided. The oil change bit really stands out.... no more problems afterwards.
Some engines are sensitive to proper oil level More so than others

 

[cookies]

I agree with the fuel assessment, just trying to cover the bases with the details james provided. The oil change bit really stands out.... no more problems afterwards.
Some engines are sensitive to proper oil level More so than others

More likely a low oil switch that cuts spark than a sensitive engine, look up the oil check procedure....I have seen improper checks under fill small engines dramatically

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

Usually the Jap ones will use one coil per cylinder ... but anything is possible.