To20Chris
Platinum Member
I was going to title this "Back from the dead (almost)", but I thought I'd focus in the actual question. Here's the story:
The Wheel Horse needs rings, but the way the grass grows around here I can't afford to be out a mower, so I remembered that my Dad had an old rider that broke. Turns out it had a small fire under the hood, but he got it out, and he claims it was still running. Perfect, right? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif So I go over and we load it up - it doesn't look too bad - fuel lines are burned, no other obvious damage from the fire. This should be an easy fix! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It is a NOMA Products mower, with 4WS, a 14hp B&S Vanguard twin, and a 46" deck. It was maintained the way my Dad always takes case of his equipment - the hood is held on be a piece of string on one side, the cooling fins are all blocked up, there is a bungee cord holding the battery in with some Romex making the one connection, battery compartment full of leaves, etc.
So I pull it apart. I notice the starter gear is about 1/3 gone, but it might last a bit. The wire to the electrovalve on the float bowl is burned off, but the air filter housing is OK. The choke cable is frozen, but overall things look OK. I pull the electrovalve off the carb, cut the burned plastic out of the end of it, test it and it still works. I soldered on a new wire, filled the end with epoxy and let it set. I put on new fuel line, and went to work on the battery (charged overnight). I replaced the battery lead, and found the original battery holder under the leaves! I put in a little fuel, but could not get it to the carb. Since the bottom of the tank is below the carb, I figured that the pump might need a prime, so I just filled the tank. I started pretty easily, and ran ok after a bit.
But then I notice it was dripping fuel on the exhaust system, probably the cause of the original fire. I take it apart again, and take the carb off (I cleaned it in place first time). I has some junk in the needle valve seat, which I clean out, and the bowl gasket is broken (a little RTV). When I go to put it back on, I notice that the long metric screw stripped out the aluminum when it came out. I tried to re-tap the hole, but there's nothing left, so I jam in some liquid steel, let it set, and tap it. I sharpened the blades while I was waiting. I put it back together, and it runs great!
I went to put on the blades, and realized I don't have the pins, so I had to make some one of steel rod and cotterpins, and the shorter ones got bolts until I get to TSC. It cuts real nice! I even made a bolt for the hood, and it is all back together. Wife likes it! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
After a couple of hours the deck stops. I find a broken tensioner spring. I heat the end of it up and bend a hook on it, and then I used an end from the bungee my Dad had in there to attach it back on (recycling!). It won't start up again. I look at the safety switches, etc. I pull of the fuel lines at the carb - no fuel. I try the starter to see if the pump is working, and the starter gear stripps /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. I fugure the fuel got below the level of the carb, the pump isn't working, so it ran out of fuel.
OK, here (at long last) is the question: Is there any way to replace the darned plastic gear without pulling the flywheel? I could pull off the stripped gear, but there is no way a new one will clear the iron flywheel above the ring gear. One of the starter bolts is completely inaccesable, at least for any tool that I have, even the wobbly socket end. The parts will only be about $30, and given the amount of time I have in this now, I'm definetly going to fix it, but I hate pulling flywheels. I have to say, this is one STUPID design, and the kind of thing that makes me not like B&S. I wonder why they sell those gears by the bag full?! I'd much prefer a Tecumseh or Kohler! If anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it!
The Wheel Horse needs rings, but the way the grass grows around here I can't afford to be out a mower, so I remembered that my Dad had an old rider that broke. Turns out it had a small fire under the hood, but he got it out, and he claims it was still running. Perfect, right? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif So I go over and we load it up - it doesn't look too bad - fuel lines are burned, no other obvious damage from the fire. This should be an easy fix! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It is a NOMA Products mower, with 4WS, a 14hp B&S Vanguard twin, and a 46" deck. It was maintained the way my Dad always takes case of his equipment - the hood is held on be a piece of string on one side, the cooling fins are all blocked up, there is a bungee cord holding the battery in with some Romex making the one connection, battery compartment full of leaves, etc.
So I pull it apart. I notice the starter gear is about 1/3 gone, but it might last a bit. The wire to the electrovalve on the float bowl is burned off, but the air filter housing is OK. The choke cable is frozen, but overall things look OK. I pull the electrovalve off the carb, cut the burned plastic out of the end of it, test it and it still works. I soldered on a new wire, filled the end with epoxy and let it set. I put on new fuel line, and went to work on the battery (charged overnight). I replaced the battery lead, and found the original battery holder under the leaves! I put in a little fuel, but could not get it to the carb. Since the bottom of the tank is below the carb, I figured that the pump might need a prime, so I just filled the tank. I started pretty easily, and ran ok after a bit.
But then I notice it was dripping fuel on the exhaust system, probably the cause of the original fire. I take it apart again, and take the carb off (I cleaned it in place first time). I has some junk in the needle valve seat, which I clean out, and the bowl gasket is broken (a little RTV). When I go to put it back on, I notice that the long metric screw stripped out the aluminum when it came out. I tried to re-tap the hole, but there's nothing left, so I jam in some liquid steel, let it set, and tap it. I sharpened the blades while I was waiting. I put it back together, and it runs great!
I went to put on the blades, and realized I don't have the pins, so I had to make some one of steel rod and cotterpins, and the shorter ones got bolts until I get to TSC. It cuts real nice! I even made a bolt for the hood, and it is all back together. Wife likes it! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
After a couple of hours the deck stops. I find a broken tensioner spring. I heat the end of it up and bend a hook on it, and then I used an end from the bungee my Dad had in there to attach it back on (recycling!). It won't start up again. I look at the safety switches, etc. I pull of the fuel lines at the carb - no fuel. I try the starter to see if the pump is working, and the starter gear stripps /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. I fugure the fuel got below the level of the carb, the pump isn't working, so it ran out of fuel.
OK, here (at long last) is the question: Is there any way to replace the darned plastic gear without pulling the flywheel? I could pull off the stripped gear, but there is no way a new one will clear the iron flywheel above the ring gear. One of the starter bolts is completely inaccesable, at least for any tool that I have, even the wobbly socket end. The parts will only be about $30, and given the amount of time I have in this now, I'm definetly going to fix it, but I hate pulling flywheels. I have to say, this is one STUPID design, and the kind of thing that makes me not like B&S. I wonder why they sell those gears by the bag full?! I'd much prefer a Tecumseh or Kohler! If anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it!
