Got a new one today

[ebinmaine 67,401]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Hey, please put one next to the filter bowl headed to North Berwick!

Absolutely!

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

27 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

While that head gasket is on order you'll want to get the head removed and start hand planing it. 

Decarbon the combustion chamber too. 

Will do!!

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

Hey, I’m missing the rear bracket that pulls the deck up on the tractor. Or did they do somthing different in 1976? I’m comparing it to my 1974 8speed.  I noticed it wasn’t lifting the rear portion of the deck off the ground and started looking around at it. I then removed the deck and found this bar connected to the deck and that was the only thing lifting the deck.. seems wrong according to my 8 speed. In the first picture I’m pointing at an empty hole, that same hole is filled with a t shaped bracket that helps lift the deck on my 8speed. The opposite side has a hole that is covered on the outside.  I’d buy one of these if I’m missing it..

[ebinmaine 67,401]

Should be identical to the other tractor. 

 

I MAY have one of those bars. Not sure. 

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Should be identical to the other tractor. 

 

I MAY have one of those bars. Not sure. 

That’s what I thought… also looks like the right front axle has been “ tweaked” a little.. look at the camber..

[ebinmaine 67,401]

Yeah something odd there. 

You can use your other C Series to measure and compare. 

Identical front ends.  

[Handy Don 12,206]

56 minutes ago, fourwheelhorseman said:

That intermediate lift lever looks like it’s missing the rod on one side where it would go into the frame socket and hole. 

Get to the IPL for your machine and you’ll see there is a bushing and e-clip to keep it locked in.

A to Z will definitely have one of these with the bushing and clip

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

17 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

That intermediate lift lever looks like it’s missing the rod on one side where it would go into the frame socket and hole. 

Get to the IPL for your machine and you’ll see there is a bushing and e-clip to keep it locked in.

A to Z will definitely have one of these with the bushing and clip

Very cool! Do you have a contact number for them? Ebmaine is also looking for me

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

Just now, fourwheelhorseman said:

Very cool! Do you have a contact number for them? Ebmaine is also looking for me

I bet that’s a real bear to install.. if I’m not mistaken about 25 years ago I had the same issue, I installed it, but don’t asked me how.. 

[Handy Don 12,206]

3 minutes ago, fourwheelhorseman said:

Very cool! Do you have a contact number for them? Ebmaine is also looking for me

They are in the vendor list at the top of the page. Definitely call since they are ALWAYS busy and it can take time to get to their email.

A-to-Z

 

4 minutes ago, fourwheelhorseman said:

I bet that’s a real bear to install.. if I’m not mistaken about 25 years ago I had the same issue, I installed it, but don’t asked me how.. 

It looks hard but it’s really a clever piece of cake. 

Slide the bushing (shoulder side toward the middle, away from the end) onto the left side rod about 2 inches.

Stick the left rod end into its hole and then the right end into its socket.

Slide the bushing over into the hole on the left frame and secure it with the e-clip

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

6 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

They are in the vendor list at the top of the page. Definitely call since they are ALWAYS busy and it can take time to get to their email.

A-to-Z

 

It looks hard but it’s really a clever piece of cake. 

Slide the bushing (shoulder side toward the middle, away from the end) onto the left side rod about 2 inches.

Stick the left rod end into its hole and then the right end into its socket.

Slide the bushing over into the hole on the left frame and secure it with the e-clip

I think I remember that! Thanks for the how-to! I’ll get ahold of them Monday for that.

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

Well I installed the lift bar, Handy Don is correct it’s a clever piece of cake! Also reinstalled the mower deck. Waiting on my new head gasket to arrive. I had to buy a piece of glass for hand planing as my old one got broken when we moved. This tractor with a blown head gasket will certainly fool you, it fires up, runs perfect, until you run the mower deck then it doesn’t have hardly enough power to mow. I also noticed it had low compression when I looked it over before buying it. I can literally turn the engine over by pressing my hand on the flywheel screen and turning it over that way. It doesn’t smoke, rattle or knock, so I’m guessing it’s the just the blown head gasket that’s causing the low compression and lack of power. 

[Handy Don 12,206]

13 hours ago, fourwheelhorseman said:

o I’m guessing it’s the just the blown head gasket that’s causing the low compression and lack of power. 

Likely. Might have been inadequate torque on the head bolts that started it.

[ebinmaine 67,401]

13 hours ago, fourwheelhorseman said:

head gasket

 

9 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

 inadequate torque on the head bolts 

 

 

Yes. Remember those will need to be retorqued after a couple hot/cold cycles. 

[lynnmor 7,303]

41 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Yes. Remember those will need to be retorqued after a couple hot/cold cycles. 

 

I have a friend that has been in the small engine business for at least half a century, anything from weed trimmers to tractors plus snowmobiles.  I asked him about the practice of torquing head bolts after a certain period of time, his answer was there was one model of engine from one manufacturer that required that service.  Did you ever see anyone do the torquing on new products of any kind?  I'm sure it is fine to do the service but it doesn't appear it is necessary.

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

I’ve always retorqued head bolts, as well as intake bolts on my automobiles after a rebuild. I’ve always made it a practice to retorque my head bolts especially, better safe than irritated and have to redo. 

[ebinmaine 67,401]

3 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

I have a friend that has been in the small engine business for at least half a century, anything from weed trimmers to tractors plus snowmobiles.  I asked him about the practice of torquing head bolts after a certain period of time, his answer was there was one model of engine from one manufacturer that required that service.  Did you ever see anyone do the torquing on new products of any kind?  I'm sure it is fine to do the service but it doesn't appear it is necessary.

 

 

Overall I'd agree that it's likely unnecessary.  

We've had the cylinder heads off at least a 8 or 10 tractors. 

We retorqued every one. 

Of the 7 to 10 bolts on each engine we'd see one or two bolts that moved a hair. 

Would that realy matter? Probably not. 

 

I did however have one of the K341s that had loosened up quite a bit.  

Or...

I screwed up and forgot to do something, prior to the engine running. 

 

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

We’ll check this out! Taking the head off I found this exhaust valve….Ive never seen one like this.. opinions? 

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

The crosshatching on the cylinder is still present and no wobble from the piston at all, looks like I’ll b replacing an exhaust valve.. 

[ebinmaine 67,401]

Wow!

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

11 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Wow!

Ya, I’ve never seen an exhaust valve look like that! I’ve also never changed out the valves in the k series… I’m assuming the carb and fuel pump and points cover comes off to get to the cover, is this an aggravating difficult job? Also I plan on grinding the valves while still assembled.. thoughts?

[lynnmor 7,303]

Pull both valves and give us a better look.  It appears that you will need to check the seats as well.  Are you using snake oil in your fuel?

[953 nut 55,166]

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

I have a friend that has been in the small engine business for at least half a century, anything from weed trimmers to tractors plus snowmobiles.  I asked him about the practice of torquing head bolts after a certain period of time, his answer was there was one model of engine from one manufacturer that required that service.  Did you ever see anyone do the torquing on new products of any kind?  I'm sure it is fine to do the service but it doesn't appear it is necessary.

The only time I have had a blown head gasket was the time I didn't retorque the head bolts.       Made a believer out of me.

[fourwheelhorseman 279]

31 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

Pull both valves and give us a better look.  It appears that you will need to check the seats as well.  Are you using snake oil in your fuel?

I JUST got this 160, I will pull both valves though and reseat the new exhaust valve. I’ve never replaced valves in a k series, is it tricky?

[oliver2-44 9,726]

Pulling/changing valves is really not hard. Sometimes the little cone shaped valve keepers can be a little bit of a pain. Have a good small engine valve compress helps. Most of the newer one are junk.