BudW. Don't tell us you have disappeared from the site too now!!
I have no plans on disappearing. I took kids out camping last weekend – just after all of the rain (never did look at how much – but maybe 10 inches before we left) – so busy with pre and post campout stuff.
The weekend before I took wife out for an anniversary weekend.
I have a 10-year-old zero turn mower and a 20-year-old normal 42” mower. My property is 1 acre with about 130 trees (mostly 12” – but a few 36” thick white oaks, Walnuts and a few other type trees). Spring of last year my zero-turn mower started to make vibrate on startup. Shortly afterwards, it took me about 3 hours to clear fallen limbs, prune a few limbs, and so forth, and use mower to move ‘em to the street (a block away) for big trash day (before the first mow of the year). I always check engine oil before using either lawnmower (and did so before using it for 3 hours, at idle).
After limbs removed, if finally got lower cranked up to finally start mowing. Got about 10 foot and engine tossed a rod. I didn’t know then but found out later two of four engine bolts fell out (the cause of vibration). The other two bolts were loose. The crankcase had cracked at one of the two loose bolts and underside of mower was soaked where engine oil had poured out.
I spent most of last year, getting my older mower working (which basically is now an old mower with all new mechanical parts on it), while replacing the motor on my zero turn.
The zero-turn had an 18 HP single cylinder Kohler engine and my older mower had a twin cylinder Briggs. Parts are quite high on Kohler, and not much source for parts nearby, whereas parts seem to be almost everywhere for Briggs – so I located a used 22 HP Briggs engine on eBay in April.
Once it came in, I tested it on bench before installing it. It pretty much started right away without much effort – but it only had one speed – Wide Open, and no way to turn engine off. I got it shut down and found out the shutoff diodes on ignition coils had failed. While replacing the engine harness (shutoff diodes), I noticed the engine was now hard to rotate (not locked up – but not far from it).
I took the pan off the new-to-me engine and found out the bolt for governor lever bolt was missing (so governor had no control of engine speed). Once I got pan off, I found the engine oil pump gears were missing (a double whammy). I also found a connecting rod had broken into three places, killing the block in the process.
Then a fight with the seller on eBay started.
I finally got that block fixed and engine bolted onto zero turn chassis not too long ago. Now I just need to remember how the rest of the chassis and transmissions goes back together . . .
Next item: my ’97 Dodge ¾ ton diesel pickup has been in a few minor fender-benders and other life issues.
Sense I live basically in the woods, so when we get ice, generally the trees will all ice together – so we have had very little limb damage in the twenty years at that location. Shortly after getting my ’77 wagon, we got ice, and this happened (November 2015).
The only damage to wagon was Left outer mirror glass broke and not a scratch elsewhere. My pickup picked up a small dent on hood and drivers fender (not bad).
Seventeen months later, this limb fell. A couple more minor dents in the pickup – but bent the Left quarter panel on my ’86 Fifth Ave (its first dent).
Well, after rain we got earlier this month, I discovered this limb in front of my pickup. After looking closer, I found this damage:
The vehicles get parked here because there are less trees over the area than anywhere else on property. My guess is the limb broke off and swung some thirty feet away – then hit big end first onto the windshield. Dash was cracked beforehand – but nothing to complain about. Well, now dash has been pushed down about 4 inches, shattering the dash across the entire area. The cluster front trim is in pieces. The screws holding the radio and A/C controls are in place but both items fell out. It is a mess.
I have been wanting to change the extended 2-door cab to a 4-door cab (2 half doors) and not mess with the windshield – but not found anything useable. So, still looking at my options on for the pickup.
Just too many irons in fire right now – so not as much time spent here. That should be changing soon, hopefully.
BudW
