Alternate titles
"Facebook Marketplace Is Usefully Dangerous"
or
"She's Dead Jim"
or
"Adventure's of Irish part.."2many". "
Looking to upgrade the arsenal for the annual leaf battle that commences around these parts I spent some time searching for an upgrade to the mower and bagger currently under employ. This past Saturday morning covfefe search led to a bunch of local results ranging from dirt cheap to 4-5 thousand depending on model of mower, extras etc. Obviouly, a glutton for punishment, Irish started at the bottom.
2013 great shape 48" Husqvarna. Engine not so good. Price, attractive. You know, like the image you see when you click on the first picture "they" use on dating websites attractive. They you get them home.
Anyway, after pushing her up the ramps into the truck bed, she followed me home:
Hoping for maybe a stuck valve or something that the leprechauns would sprinkle on me, I spun a few bolts to see what was going on.
As I dialed Phil for back up and had him on the phone I spun out the spark plugs and popped off the OHV covers to find that both exhaust pushrods were bent. "Hmmmm" I said, as Phil said "That's weird".
I tried spinning the flywheel again and it was still hard stopped. I checked the valves and none stuck.
Reaching under the front end I removed the drive belts from the bottom of the engine. Tried the flywheel again and suddenly it rotated forward and reverse no obstruction. Phil says "That's weird"
Using a pushrod, I inserted it into the left cylinder to feel the piston movement. I hit the key and the fucking pushrod crumpled and jammed in the head!!
Heh, just kidding.
Rotating the flywheel by hand the rod rose and fell with the piston. Moving on to the right cylinder, slowly inserting the pushrod until it made contact with the piston and......... I could push the piston in.
Fuck. Phil said "That's weird". We laughed. I bid adieu.
A few more wrenchings and 10 minutes later I texted him this photo:
Oh well, I got the whole lawn tractor for the price of two dinners out on the town. It's amazing how much of a throw away society we have become.
For now I'm gonna look for a used engine or maybe a short block.
More later.. I have to change into my work mode.
Hopefully she will be back to looking good again.
Well, if the cylinder sleeve is only scratched, and it doesn't have chunks taken out at the bottom, mic it to check for oval-ness and if it's below .003 then just pop in a new connecting rod and rings (depending on cylinder wear, of course). What does the crank look like?
ReplyDeleteNuttin you can't handle, Irish. Right?
Take a close look at the valve guides. When these engines get real hot the valve guide retainer rings come out and the valve guides themselves back out causing a collision with the rocker arm that ends up bending the push rods and causing them to fall out. After that all kinds of mayhem ensues.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I have an old Craftsman (made by Husky) that used to bend push rods. Bought a new head and always added Seafoam to the oil change afterwards and never had the problem again.
DeleteHaving forsaken our ranch house in upstate Cuomostan for a condo in the Gunshine State, I often times miss tinkering with crap like this, regardless of the outcome of said tinkering.
ReplyDeleteThe part Irish didn't tell you is that the clown he bought it from told him it just quit running while sitting there idling.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Right.
You don't snap off aluminum connecting rods while sitting there idling. That thing must have been pounding like a love sick jungle bunny on his favorite log before it let go.
He already has a line on a used engine and even with that expense is still going to come out smelling like a rose because he picked the whole thing up cheap.
We know what he is going to be doing this weekend.
I'll settle for an engine swap with ANY engine I can pick up without help.
DeleteI did it back in '77 with a Pinto 4-cylinder, and had done it with a (empty!) Chevy block, but I'll take a 2-3-4 cylinder block any day. I sure as hell ain't young and stoopid any more...
Yes, I have an engine pulling crane. A Harbor Freight special, but it works, okay?!
Those Kohler motors are beasts typically. I've run two in mowers over the years. Only problem was a sheared shaft key.
ReplyDeleteThe older ones up to the Command series were. The new ones are Briggs with a touch of steroid.
Deleteigor beat me to the evaluation, if the exhaust valves and crank are not damaged and the cylinder is good, no reason for a short block, just piece parts and reassembly, and you'll be ready for mowing.
ReplyDeleteIrish is probably in a hurry.
DeleteThe way he posts here, when is he not in a hurry?
Deletechuckling
Life comes at me fast Grog... very fast :)
Delete:)
DeleteMy Husqvarna's carb needle stuck and the cylinder filled with gas. If you try to start it in that condition, well your photos show the result. There several you-tubes showing that problematic carburetor. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI really wish they'd stop using aluminum for connecting rods. It work hardens under the repeated stretch/compress force of the piston and eventually fails.
ReplyDeleteI hope that crank journal is OK.....
Run it low on oil. Bought a similar Crapsman version for $50. Pulled it apart, exact same thing on the connecting rod, several pieces. They let ran the piss out of it, and forgot to check the oil after 2 years. Fortunately, the aluminum galled the crank, and not the other way around. Light scraping, crocus cloth to shine it up, new connecting rod, bearing and started right up. Sold it for $400, tidy $250 profit when I found out it was too steep to use in my yard. Bought chickens instead.
ReplyDeletePissed and broke eh?
ReplyDeleteMover before my current 20 year old JD was a mechanic's special. I bought a two year old Craftsman top of the line 48" cut with a bad motor that had only 104 hours on it for $300. I also bought a Cub Kadet that had a rotted out deck and blown transmission but it had a running Kohler twin for $100. I pulled the engine and put it into the Craftsman and used it for 8 years until it had rusted enough it was no longer usable.
ReplyDeleteI have had 2 John Deere's. When I had my fist house I bought a 20 year old JD and used it for 7 years and sold it for what I bought it for. The current JD was two years old with 130 hours. twenty years later I have just under 500 and I have repaired the deck twice and the starter is starting to go. I will fix it to keep it running and it will stay with the house when I sell it in the next year or two.
The next house will get another JD.