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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 2, 2022 20:35:00 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I have asked my son, that I never see anymore, to take my keys when I get near the dangerous stage. I am sure I will argue with him but I will have to defer to his judgement.
I never like to mow the grass. I mowed grass since I was 8 or 9 years old with a 3HP/33" push mower. I had enough of it so now I hate it.
I would call the neurologist and explain some of the changes you have noticed. Maybe even notify his primary care physician. Some strokes can cause rapid behavioral changes. I know, I have had a few...
A neighbor mowed my grass today. Kind of a trade for a $52 part I bought for his truck along with the expertise to know how to install and use it in a battery isolator circuit for dual batteries on his snow plow truck. My left knee is blown out so I am not moving so good. I had told him to wait until next week since it was actually 101°F today and humid as hell.
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 2, 2022 21:14:03 GMT -5
I never like to mow the grass. I mowed grass since I was 8 or 9 years old with a 3HP/33" push mower. I had enough of it so now I hate it. I would call the neurologist and explain some of the changes you have noticed. Maybe even notify his primary care physician. Some strokes can cause rapid behavioral changes. I know, I have had a few... I'm the same way about grass. Grew up cutting 4-5 acres on a farm, then that plus ~2.5 here plus 2+ at a neighbor weekly. Now I just have ~2.5 here, but there's rarely anything enjoyable about it... especially paired with allergies. I like the idea of cutting more grass better than being very close to neighbors that may not like power tools and loud scooters though. My mother is going to my father's PCP with him this week because she wants to mention this stuff.
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 11, 2022 18:42:02 GMT -5
I was out cutting the ditch with the push mower last night, after doing a tune up (spark plug, oil change, air filter, new blade) and my father comes up with a flat tire off the wheel after 10 minutes of cutting. Same mower as last time, other side of the front. I got it seated again. The valve core was leaking. Replaced that and crossed my fingers. 10 minutes later he comes over and says the deck drive belt broke and parks it. I finished cutting everything and then took the deck off and put a new drive belt on. I wanted to be done with mower repairs, if possible.
Today, I go out to do a bunch of string trimming and cleanup the chain link fenced area where my dog goes out as well. I used the mower that had a flat yesterday to tow a cart and the tire was still good.
Then I got the other mower out to blow some grass around basically, because it was so humid yesterday that it was almost as bad as cutting after it rained and grass was clumpy in spots. I go through some thick stuff and it puts the mower under load briefly... 10 seconds. Then it acts like it wants to die and starts popping loudly. I shut the blades off and it still did it now pops and misses at idle and only gets worse if revved. I tilted the hood up because it was so loud that I thought it may have blown out a spark plug. The plug looks fine, but it's missing a valve cover bolt and leaking oil there. It has a rattle too. I hope it hasn't burned or lost so much oil that it caused something huge, but from the way it acts I suspect it may have bent another pushrod or something more along those lines.
It bent pushrods one one cylinder about 2 years ago. The pushrods were known to be an issue so I replaced all of them with the new versions that are a little thicker.
This is sad. The mower is something like 5-7 years old. This is now the second, most likely, major sort of engine problem. The other mower is 21 years old. It's worn out in a lot of ways, but the engine has never been touched aside from oil, filters and plugs. Not sure if it's because the old one is a Kohler and this is a Kawasaki or just because everything seems to be made more and more crappy and cheap as time goes on. In cars, we expect more mileage than ever, but I don't think these little (relatively... 700-800cc to make ~25HP) low output engines have evolved much aside from learning how to build them cheaper.
I also fixed the shed's roll up door that had the cable come off so it nearly slammed on me one day. There's an outdoor light above it with a wasp nest so of course I pissed them off and 4-5 of them tried to get me for a few minutes while I either ran (ehh... hobbled) away or swatted at them with my hat.
Oh, and about the moodiness discussed in previous posts from my aging father... the doc basically just said people get grumpy when they get old and didn't see any need to investigate farther.
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Post by milly on Aug 11, 2022 18:57:38 GMT -5
That explains why I'm grumpy then. Does appear small garden machinery gets cheaper looking as time goes on too.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 11, 2022 22:15:56 GMT -5
Get rid of the kawasucki mower, it has failed too many times == poor design. Bean counters have ruined the design of most equipment. Two cents saved here + three cents there + another nickle on this part ==> pile of shit. I have seen it happen tooooo many times. Keep an eye on your dad, something is going on besides just getting older. Doctors give up on old people because it is time for them to die. They don't want to waste their time on people that are no longer 'productive citizens'.
I did not work on anything today. I don't know why. Yesterday I did buy two feet of 2" diameter 6061T6 aluminuminumium bar stock to make a new drive hub for my trike. I only need about 4" but the rest will go in my stock pile. I did edit my drawing for a new lathe motor drive for the China lathe that has a dynamic brake built in. I have some parts in my junk boxes to make it. Maybe the brain work can be exchanged for physical work.
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Post by aeroxbud on Aug 12, 2022 14:56:50 GMT -5
With a lot of small machinery now it seems to be built to a price. Very much a disposable society now it seems.
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 17, 2022 12:15:58 GMT -5
I took the mower apart for a look at what was going on. The #1 cylinder’s valve cover gasket was leaking. Looks like that caused debris to build up on that side. Not good for air cooling; just like with scoot engines. What did heat do for me? It let the aluminum head expand more so the steel exhaust valve guide could move up, nearer the rocker. The rocker then destroyed the valve seal and came to a sudden stop when it hit the valve guide. Something had to give, and that was the pushrod. The intake pushrod was bent as well. #2 cylinder pushrods came out fine. Here’s the moved exhaust valve guide on the left vs the intake on the right that appears to be where it should be. I’ve ordered about $200 in parts, including oil, filter and plugs. I’m going to try to put a set screw in against the ex valve guide. Maybe even stipple or knurl it or just some retaining compound, depending how it goes. Replacing rockers and retainers and keepers just to be safe. Normally I,d like to look at lifters as well, but that requires removing the engine and bottom end disassembly. They are said to be solid steel, so I’ll be assuming they’re OK. Technically proper fix is head replacement, but that would be more like $400 and maybe this will be fine. The idea is from mower repairman Taryl on YouTube. youtu.be/zhPxy0a6s24
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Post by jackrides on Aug 17, 2022 14:16:09 GMT -5
Great troubleshooting on the mower! Use that success to take some time on a quiet riverbank and fish. (A manly excuse to do nothing.) Spent a goodly number of times with my Dad doing just that along the Choptank. Treasured memories.
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 17, 2022 15:20:20 GMT -5
Great troubleshooting on the mower! Use that success to take some time on a quiet riverbank and fish. (A manly excuse to do nothing.) Spent a goodly number of times with my Dad doing just that along the Choptank. Treasured memories. I loved fishing when I was a kid. My grandfather had a pond on his farm, so some combination of me, my parents and my granparents were out there a lot. Sometimes we went to another nearby pond or to Choptank, MD or occasionally to a bridge in Cambridge, MD. I've fished on piers and surf fished in NC. Once I hit my teens, I can't say I've had any desire to go fishing. I've been fishing and crabbing with friends. I like crabs, but I've never caught much using small pots or chicken necks on bridges and piers. They like to have a few beers. I have no use for alcohol. I think it's mostly because nobody's wife shows up if you just say you're going out fishing, but they know where you are if you say I'll be at Brent's. I think I'd get a new wife if I had to hide from her to get 2 hours with old friends, but I'm always single so I'm the strange one and what do I know.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 17, 2022 19:20:16 GMT -5
Great troubleshooting on the mower! Use that success to take some time on a quiet riverbank and fish. (A manly excuse to do nothing.) Spent a goodly number of times with my Dad doing just that along the Choptank. Treasured memories. I loved fishing when I was a kid. My grandfather had a pond on his farm, so some combination of me, my parents and my granparents were out there a lot. Sometimes we went to another nearby pond or to Choptank, MD or occasionally to a bridge in Cambridge, MD. I've fished on piers and surf fished in NC. Once I hit my teens, I can't say I've had any desire to go fishing. I've been fishing and crabbing with friends. I like crabs, but I've never caught much using small pots or chicken necks on bridges and piers. They like to have a few beers. I have no use for alcohol. I think it's mostly because nobody's wife shows up if you just say you're going out fishing, but they know where you are if you say I'll be at Brent's. I think I'd get a new wife if I had to hide from her to get 2 hours with old friends, but I'm always single so I'm the strange one and what do I know. I have fond memories of fishing with dad and by myself along the bank of the Smokey Hill river in Kansas. Later on when I just wanted to get away from it all I used to take naps on the river bank with feet in the cool water with my fishing pole with NO bait on the hook...
Your mower seems like a prime example of the need for cylinder head temp gauges. Blowing out the crap around the cylinders is something I do several times a year due to the high stuff I mow. I watch for buildup while I mow. I may have to look closer at any buildup I may have. I have noticed some commercial machines seem to have a heavy duty screen over the air intake. Knurling the valve guide is a fine job for a lathe.
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Post by milly on Aug 18, 2022 4:38:38 GMT -5
I worked on getting my haircut at Tommy Turk's barber shop ready for son's wedding Saturday. First time had smelly stuff put on me in ages and a flaming taper flicked in the ears to clear the hairs along with a cut throat razor to do beard and hot towels encased in head. But all looking pretty and 20yrs younger 🙂 Owens now getting his done so can't be outdone by father.
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Post by jackrides on Aug 18, 2022 12:18:05 GMT -5
As scary as it must be, I'm looking forward to seeing a clear picture.
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Post by jbjhillbilly on Aug 18, 2022 13:21:46 GMT -5
The fire in the ears and nose isn’t a thing here, but I know people who swear by it.
Also looking forward to pics!
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 19, 2022 20:09:43 GMT -5
I’m going to try to put a set screw in against the ex valve guide. Maybe even stipple or knurl it or just some retaining compound, depending how it goes. Replacing rockers and retainers and keepers just to be safe. Normally I,d like to look at lifters as well, but that requires removing the engine and bottom end disassembly. They are said to be solid steel, so I’ll be assuming they’re OK. Technically proper fix is head replacement, but that would be more like $400 and maybe this will be fine. The idea is from mower repairman Taryl on YouTube. youtu.be/zhPxy0a6s24Welp... screwed that up. It started out well. I cut a piece of brass rod smaller than the OD of the valve guide with a nub left in the center that sat inside of the guide to keep the rod in place. Drove the guide out without even taking much carbon off of the end of it. I drilled through the head for a set screw. Instead of threading, driving the guide back in, marking with a transfer punch, and driving it back out to drill for a set screw divot like Taryl did, I drilled the hole. Then I put the drill in the hole with the round (non-drill) end sticking out and measured the depth to the bit. Then you can figure out where the divot needs to be if you know the installed depth target and you don't have to drive the thing in and out. That all went well and I tapped the hole in the head. That's where things turned. I cut a couple of shallow grooves on the OD of the valve guide as retaining compound troughs basically. Then I stippled between the two grooves with a center punch. Had I stopped there, I think things would have went quite well. Oh no. I won't let anything be that easy. I then decided to knurl the guide on the lathe. I've never knurled steel to my recollection and I've also only knurled to add grip to a part or for appearance. When I tried to knurl the guide, it chewed off some of the steel. So instead of making something that would fit more tightly, it made the part smaller. Crap. I put the guide in the head and it went in snug... till it got to where it needed to sit. Then it fit more loosely. That's no good. The set screw would hold it, but I could hit it and move it so I figured it wasn't going to stay. At that point it's a lost cause unless I'm gonna add material to the boss (weld and machine maybe) or shim it. Shimming seemed like it would be quite difficult here. Welding enough to machine off sounded like a great way to warp the guide. I figured I'd give another method a try. Someone posted a video showing that they put a bead of weld on the guide so it couldn't push up. I figured the set screw did stop the guide right at the height I wanted and prevented it from going down farther. If I could stop it from moving up, maybe it could work. Seems pretty half assed though, to have an improper interference fit and rely on stops. Might as well see how it goes at this point. I put a ball weld on the guide while in the head. It distorted the guide inward, so it would have to be drilled and reamed. This is way too iffy for me. I don't trust it so I ordered a new head, which is supposed to be the by the book fix anyhow. They don't sell replacement guides for it. Just for fun, I wanted to tap the guide to see if it would move either way. The guide crumbled on the first good tap. I had hit it plenty of times before without issue, so I think any welding on whatever steel it is is not the greatest idea. Not saying that it can't be done. I probably hit it with too much heat. Part of me was thinking about making a new guide, but I don't know what steel it should be and I'd have to make or buy a reamer and I still don't know that I'd trust it. At this point I'm not out anything vs just doing it by the book. All of the other stuff that I ordered would be replaced either way. If something went wrong and a valve went, then it could get serious and take out a piston or worse. I do wish I just quit after the set screw, grooves and stippling though. I think it would have been a successful repair had I now chewed it up trying to knurl it.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 19, 2022 22:56:30 GMT -5
Hmmm, I have knurled steel many times without chewing anything up. I have no idea what went wrong with the guide. You are correct about stopping after stippling the guide. That should have been enough. I do not know how well retaining compound would have held up under the extreme heat around the exhaust port. There is a YouTube video on several ways to fix an oversize hole problem. I know I saved the link somewhere...
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