Newly purchased D160

[ZXT 2,396]

Today after work I went and picked up the D160 I found on FB marketplace. Looked like a good tractor, so I offered to buy it and wound up paying for it before going to pick it up because there was a lot of interest. I get there this afternoon, the owner airs the tires up, we push it onto the trailer, load the original B43M on the trailer, and i head down the road. Said it wasn't running great when it was parked a year or two ago. 

 

Got it home, hooked up an aux fuel tank as the original tank is rusty. Fires right up, but is obviously missing. Pull the plug on the passenger side (Not sure if right/left is determined by looking at the front of the tractor or sitting in the seat) and found the gap closed. No problem, I open it some, put it back in and it still misses. I look down in the bore, turn the engine by hand and I never see a piston. Great.. Looks like I'll be tearing into a P220G soon.

 

Guess I'll start reading up on them, and check to see if the B43M is a good or not. I promised the 16hp to my father who needs an engine on his Toro Grounds Master, so we'll see how it works out. I suppose I could always swap the N52M off of my Sears onto it, but I think i hear some bottom end noise in it.

Pictures to come later this weekend. Any of you guys have any pointers?

 

Thanks!

[oliver2-44 9,210]

To give @ZXT some options how hard would it be to put a Kohler k341 16 hp or a Kohler twin in a D160. @pacer Any body else?

[ebinmaine 64,900]

5 hours ago, ZXT said:

pointers

⬆️

 

That's all I got.  

I'll be watching the thread though....

[Achto 27,078]

6 hours ago, ZXT said:

(Not sure if right/left is determined by looking at the front of the tractor or sitting in the seat)

 

Right/left is always determined while sitting in the seat on all vehicles. Drivers side is left (in the US)

 

Congratulations on your new tractor. Sorry that it came with engine trouble. Hopefully things are not too bad on it.

 

I'm a new owner of a D-160 as well. Mine has the BM43 under the hood. It turns over by hand but I have not taken any time to see if it will run or what issues I have ahead of me. 

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

Sorry to hear about your engine woes.Bad sign when you go to pick up a tractor and the previous owner has to air up the tires.I've picked up many tractors that somehow developed a flat tire or two on my trailer overnight.Also,many dead batteries over night on my trailer.Must be my trailer is jinxed.Good luck with your D-160.I have a D-160,a D-180,and a D-200.Finicky tractors when they want to be.

[pacer 3,160]

Geez, thats like a death sentence! Pretty obvious a rod or piston blew. The closed plug gap would be a dead giveaway with debris flying up there and closing it.

 

But, yeah @oliver2-44 is right, the 160's came with either the Onan or the K341, plus with the 180's and the 200's having the big Kohler twins, then you have 3 choices for direct crossovers. The big twins might be a problem, they're pretty scarce and parts are getting scarce. Besides the K341 - along with being one of (THE best?) singles out there and availability of complete engines and still a lot of parts, well, that would be an excellent option.

 

I recently picked up a D200 under similar situation.... wiring was crispy critters and he had jury rigged it to jump off and it started and seemed to run quite well. Both front tires were toast, but when moving the lever the hyd was obviously working, but the coupler between the hyd/motor obviously about to go, the wiring and gas tank shot, and seat??? But I was wanting another D so with a bit of dickering I brought it home. 

 

But here was where I lucked out -- on removing the engine to replace the coupler, and better get to wiring and clean lots of chaff from fins, I took the heads off the K532 for a look see ---- and find.... an apparently new short block!! Between measuring the cyls and finding them in standard bore at EXACTLY factory specs and several hints, I am pretty sure it was a short block, The tins and other pointers seemed original, and the tractor obviously had a good bit of wear on it. When I got it back together with the wiring, tires, seat, etc, the thing runs beautifully.

[ZXT 2,396]

3 hours ago, pacer said:

Geez, thats like a death sentence! Pretty obvious a rod or piston blew. The closed plug gap would be a dead giveaway with debris flying up there and closing it.

 

But, yeah @oliver2-44 is right, the 160's came with either the Onan or the K341, plus with the 180's and the 200's having the big Kohler twins, then you have 3 choices for direct crossovers. The big twins might be a problem, they're pretty scarce and parts are getting scarce. Besides the K341 - along with being one of (THE best?) singles out there and availability of complete engines and still a lot of parts, well, that would be an excellent option.

 

I recently picked up a D200 under similar situation.... wiring was crispy critters and he had jury rigged it to jump off and it started and seemed to run quite well. Both front tires were toast, but when moving the lever the hyd was obviously working, but the coupler between the hyd/motor obviously about to go, the wiring and gas tank shot, and seat??? But I was wanting another D so with a bit of dickering I brought it home. 

 

But here was where I lucked out -- on removing the engine to replace the coupler, and better get to wiring and clean lots of chaff from fins, I took the heads off the K532 for a look see ---- and find.... an apparently new short block!! Between measuring the cyls and finding them in standard bore at EXACTLY factory specs and several hints, I am pretty sure it was a short block, The tins and other pointers seemed original, and the tractor obviously had a good bit of wear on it. When I got it back together with the wiring, tires, seat, etc, the thing runs beautifully.

I pulled the head off this morning. The piston is in-tact (at least from what i can see). I'm sure the rod is in 50 pieces in the pan. Not sure why the gap was closed. 

 

I have a very good K301 off of a welder that I might put on it. The crank output is wrong to put the PTO clutch on, but since I don't have any attachments for it, it would be fine to move it around with. Figure I'll use it to move trailers around. I used the hydro enough to back it off the trailer. I don't want to use it any more until I change the hydro oil. Same 51410 filter as the C series I assume? Do the Onan and the K series use the same crank coupler? 

The tractor is actually in really good shape. Has obviously been used a bunch (apparently it mowed 12 acres a week for 25 years), but isn't beat up. Steering is loose so I'll have to address that. It has a fan with a thermostatic switch under the seat. Is that factory or someones added cooling? 

 

I forgot to get more pictures before I left this morning, so I'll have to do that later. I gave $125 for it and the extra engine, which I figure it's still worth even with the engine issue.

Edited May 8, 2021 by ZXT

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

Looks like a newer engine in it? Supposed to be red like the rest of the tractor.If those are the tins that came on that engine,it's a 20 horsepower,not the original16.Maybe rebuildable?Maybe just needs a connecting rod?I think you did great on the price.I have a D-160 here in pieces that I wouldn't let go for that price.Your D-160 looks like it certainly has a lot of potential.Have fun with your new toy.I like it.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Pollack Pete

[pfrederi 17,351]

Fan was factory in later years.  Onan Kohler same coupler but a different sequence of washer nuts and bolts.  Look at TSB #217

 

Filter 51410

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by pfrederi

[ZXT 2,396]

1 hour ago, Pollack Pete said:

Looks like a newer engine in it? Supposed to be red like the rest of the tractor.If those are the tins that came on that engine,it's a 20 horsepower,not the original16.Maybe rebuildable?Maybe just needs a connecting rod?I think you did great on the price.I have a D-160 here in pieces that I wouldn't let go for that price.Your D-160 looks like it certainly has a lot of potential.Have fun with your new toy.I like it.

Yes, it has a P220G on it. It came with the original B43M as well. I'll have to tear into it to see how bad the damage is.

 

14 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Fan was factory in later years.  Onan Kohler same coupler but a different sequence of washer nuts and bolts.  Look at TSB #217

 

Filter 51410

 

 

Good to know! Thanks!