PT400 Series Cold Weather Starting Reports - 2019 edition

[Toomanymaples]

Hey Toomanymaples,

Thanks for the concern and post about my battery practices. :thumbsup:

I am using a fairly good quality battery tender. I've got nothing to add that hasn't be said already.

No worries looks like it was more of a learning moment for me :newhere:

 

[Industrial Toys]

I use a tender for temporary service. It gets rotated on different batteries usually being on some battery at any one time. It does not charge the battery fully but well enough to maintain it.

Me, I like my plates loaded up. Just not with sulphation.

 

[Toomanymaples]

I quit trying to track those little voltage vampires down a long time ago... Battery disconnect switch = stake in the heart. (or whatever it is that kills vampires) 20 minutes to install vs 'hey you find the battery drain yet'

One last question.. Do you think there would be any wisdom in using a battery disconnect like agjones is suggesting here and then leaving the disconnected battery on a battery tender to help extend its life?

If so, which terminal would you guys suggest putting the disconnect on? Thanks!!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I use those a lot and other styles. I use them on the post most convenient. If both the same, I would put it on positive. I use them just for safety. Mostly fire safety. A lead acid battery has a lot of stored energy.

 

[MossRoad]

That is a fine looking engine bay! Did you install that Kohler yourself?

Nope. That's the way it came from the factory in 2001.... before I got it dirty. :laughing:

In this iteration, the Kohler Command Pro 25HP engine sits in the middle, the PTO and AUX PTO pumps are behind the engine, as is the battery, all underneath that stock Kohler muffler. The tram pump sits in front of the engine. The gas tank is at the front.

Soon after that, they moved the engine back, put all three pumps and that battery up front, and came up with their own exhaust.

 

[agjones]

I won't answer your question about my use of these...

But I did leave out that the disconnects also make it easier to work on electrical and other issues that could potentially involve nicking a wire or whatever....mice love to chew my wires and kill batts, cause shorts...

 

[Toomanymaples]

I use those a lot and other styles. I use them on the post most convenient. If both the same, I would put it on positive. I use them just for safety. Mostly fire safety. A lead acid battery has a lot of stored energy.

Good point on the fire safety. Never can be too careful. I'll try the positive terminal, thanks!

 

[Toomanymaples]

Nope. That's the way it came from the factory in 2001.... before I got it dirty. :laughing:

In this iteration, the Kohler Command Pro 25HP engine sits in the middle, the PTO and AUX PTO pumps are behind the engine, as is the battery, all underneath that stock Kohler muffler. The tram pump sits in front of the engine. The gas tank is at the front.

Soon after that, they moved the engine back, put all three pumps and that battery up front, and came up with their own exhaust.

It looks really good Moss, nice work keeping her up.

 

[ernemats]

Has anyone had any problems in cold weather below 25 degrees , with their choke lever sticking and also the throttle lever sticking. It seems like the problem is where the wires are touching the bottom of the tub below the fuel pump. If I use a heat gun for several minutes pointed at the wires below the fuel pump it frees up and works all right. I think there is moisture getting inside the covering somehow.

 

[MossRoad]

It looks really good Moss, nice work keeping her up.

Uhhhh, no! :laughing: That's a picture of it from 2001. It has been beat to heck and is quite filthy now.

 

[MossRoad]

Has anyone had any problems in cold weather below 25 degrees , with their choke lever sticking and also the throttle lever sticking. It seems like the problem is where the wires are touching the bottom of the tub below the fuel pump. If I use a heat gun for several minutes pointed at the wires below the fuel pump it frees up and works all right. I think there is moisture getting inside the covering somehow.

That would make sense. Ice would form in the low spots.

I had to replace both my cables this year, but is was from the casing melting near the exhaust where the cables are tie-wrapped to a metal bracket on the engine. I was experiencing the same sticking issue you are with the choke, so i'd start it without the choke and after running it for a while, the choke lever would then work. Once it cooled off, it stopped working. Then the throttle cable started the same behavior, so I just bought new cables from PT. They were twenty something each, but came completely assembled and ready to go.

I documented it somewhere on here.

They make a cable lube that you can inject into the cable, but I don't know if that would do anything for your apparent ice/freezing issue.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's the write up I did on my cable replacement.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/403999-pt425-choke-cable-length.html