The latest addition to my collection of projects.  A very nice person saw my ad in Craigslist and contacted me.  I told him that I loved a challenge and he gave me this mower and two walk behind mowers.  All needed considerable work, but this rider looks cool and I am really looking forward to catching up on other projects so I can get this up on the lift and start working on it.

If you have any dead or dying machines you no longer want, please let me know, I will gladly haul them to my shop.

Better yet, if you have a mower, trimmer, or other outdoor power equipment that you would like repaired, I am your person.  My hourly rate is quite low ($35.00) and I will give you a free diagnosis of its ills.  I can come and pick up and return your equipment for a small fee.

Latest project

This is what I currently have on my "bench", a Husqvarna riding mower.  It was not running until I worked it over.  I took it out for a test drive and the engine kept  running at too high an RPM which could damage the engine.  I quickly turned it off and started my research.

It turned out that the issue was a stripped governor gear located in the crankcase of the engine.  In the midst of all of those wonderfully machined metal gears, crankshaft, connecting rod and piston was this little "plastic" gear (small beige reat, top photo) that controls the engine speed, much like the cruise control on your car.  In the middle photo, sitting in the remaining oil, is the governor regulator pin that once sat between the gear and the governor lever.  Fortunately, this small piece of metal did not get tangled up in the gears.

I have the parts, will install in the morning, reseal up the crankcase, remount on the tractor and, according to my calculations, it will run as designed.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day.
Stay cool, if possible.
Tony

Tip of the Day #3 Bungee

Bungee cords, those wonderful stretchy cord with a hook on each end, ranks up there with duct tape as the solution to many problems.  They can, however, occasionally be the source of much frustration.

They are either too long (we can fix that) or too short.

When you buy Bungee cords, buy them a bit longer than you will need and put a half hitch around the hook as shown in the photos and pull it tight.  It is surprising how well this holds.

When the task is completed, just flick the loop up with your thumb and release the knot, ready to go again.

In case you were wondering, the black on my thumb nail is not the latest in nail fashion, but rather the result of hammer "A" striking thumb "B".
Hope you find this useful.
Tony

New Porduct Line

Sorry, not a Tip, but just a chat about parts for small engine repair.

I am occasionally disappointed in the quality of replacement parts, both those offered by the OEM (original equipment manufactures) and aftermarket offerings.  Because of this, I am always on the hunt for better and, sometimes, less expensive items.

Many riding mowers and small lawn tractors use electric PTO (power take-off) clutches to run accessories such as mower decks.  These take a beating and the heat from the electric coils that create the magnetic pull to engage the clutch create a great deal of heat, sometimes frying the marginal quality bearings within them. 

I found a company, Xtreme Outdoor Power Equipment, that makes what, from my research, is a much better and less expensive replacement PTO clutch.  I checked with my trusted parts supplier and they, much to their credit, said these were great clutches and that they were working on switching over to carrying Xtreme. 

These have solid aluminum billet CNC machined pulleys, The same type used on race cars, a cooler running electrical coil unit, and replaceable high temperature bearings.  This also comes with a one year warranty.  Best of all, these are ASSEMBLED IN THE USA.  More jobs here, at home.

I now have one in stock and will try on the next mower in need of a replacement.

I have attached pictures of the standard clutch I removed from a machine I was repairing and the Xtreme unit.

I will let you know how it works once installed.

Have a wonderful week
Tony

Tomorrow??

Sorry I fell behind on posting tips, I have been busy out in the shop.  Will try to put up something tomorrow.
Thanks
Tony

Tip of the Day #2

Even if your walk behind or riding mower has one of those fancy cleaning fitting that you attach to your hose, from time to time, take a look underneath (disconnect the spark plug wire first!!!).  You will be surprised how much grass and other debris accumulates under there.

If you have a walk behind mower, check the owner's manual to find which way to tip the mower to prevent issues.  If you do not have the manual and cannot find the info on line, remember, tip it in a way that the carburetor (the part between the motor and the air cleaner) is above the the rest of the of the motor to prevent engine oil from fouling it.

The problem is that this accumulation of organic material attracts and holds moisture and, if you have a steel mower deck, you know what that means, buying a new one.

I have attached a photo* of an example of lack of maintenance and allowing that material to accumulate under the deck.  So, clean under that deck, a putty knife works great and, when finished, remember to re attach the spark plug cable or great frustration and some %@!&* words will be the result.

*That is if I can figure out how to squeeze it our of that little plastic thumb thingy!!
How about that, I did it, technology is our friend (yeah, RIGHT!)

 Thanks for stopping by.
Tony

Tip of the day #1

Gasoline with ethanol (alcohol) (listed as E-10, E-15 or contains ethanol not to exceed 15%) is the enemy of small engines, particularly 2 cycle (mixed gas engines such as string trimmer).  The alcohol speeds the breakdown of gaskets and diaphragms and can cause water issues in your fuel tank.  When getting fuel for your outdoor equipment, go for the alcohol free (listed as E-0), available locally at the Cenex farm store, 9315 Rhody Drive, next to the Post office and Chimacum School.

Thanks for viewing