The Mower Bench

[sloth]

Ok, got the Ransomes Mountfield Laser with Tecumseh engine for £30. Not to bad, needed oil topping up and a sharpen, but that's sorted. Other issue is the spark plug cap is missing the spring band, so wiggled on and off in use - can I just get a replacement?

More annoying is I snapped the throttle lever off the handle by hitting the fence! Where's best to get a replacement for it?

Cheers in advance.

 

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[GardenKit]

Gee, thats an old mower, not many of those left that have not rusted away!

 

Tecumseh engines have been out of production for years too.i guess yours is around 1998.

 

Any plug cap will fit, all dealers stock some.

 

Any dealer will also stock cheap universal throttle cables, but if you want an OE you will need to provide the type and serial number of your mower.

 

If you have a primer type carb then you don't need a throttle cable. Just lock it off at full revs, but if it is a choke type then you will need one.

[mikerecike]

what you have is a K series Kholer

 

service manual is here http://www.kohler-engine-parts.opeengines.com/pub/TP-2379.pdf

 

or here

http://gravelymanuals.com/pdf/Kohler_K91_K141_K161_K181_K241_K301_K321_Serv_Man_0472.pdf this is a 18Mb file

 

parts lists are available online ( mostly US dealers)

 

I know this is a bit of an old one now but looking at this service manual came across a manometer test for crankcase pressure - that's a new one on me.

[sloth]

Gee, thats an old mower, not many of those left that have not rusted away!

 

Tecumseh engines have been out of production for years too.i guess yours is around 1998.

 

Any plug cap will fit, all dealers stock some.

 

Any dealer will also stock cheap universal throttle cables, but if you want an OE you will need to provide the type and serial number of your mower.

 

If you have a primer type carb then you don't need a throttle cable. Just lock it off at full revs, but if it is a choke type then you will need one.

 

Hi GardenKit, only just seen your reply, and thank you.

It's hardly rusty at all, just a little surface rust underneath, even the original sticker decals and paintwork would come up shining if I thought it deserved a wash!

There is a primer bulb, and locking it on full revs seems to work just fine. I'll have to get a new plug cover (and a new plug), and adapt the wrong grass collector I was given with it to fit, then it will be pucka ... or, I don't suppose anyone near Colchester has a grass collector for an old Ransomes/ Mountfield Laser mower they don't want? I have one with 'Challenger' written on it which doesn't fit, be happy to swap!

Cheers again

 

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[GardenKit]

This one was a bit unusual.

 

A little old ride on mower which suddenly stopped and refused to start.

A suspicion of low comp was confirmed by a comp test. Zero pressure.

 

So "off with the head" suspecting to see a valve stuck. Normally you free the valve up and have no idea what caused it to stick, but this was obvious!

 

Where did the screw come from. It looks just like the one which fixes the throttle butterfly to the shaft, so off with the carb to check.

 

But there are no screws missing from the carb.

 

Now, I have looked after this machine for 12 years of its 16 yr life and have never changed the carb, so if a carb has been changed then it was done before that and this little screw has sat in the inlet manifold all that time before going through the inlet valve and sticking in the exhaust valve. No apparent damage to the valves or the piston and pot either.

 

Popped the head back on and it runs sweet.

 

[mikerecike]

A satisfying solve

 

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[muttley9050]

Hi peeps, I've got a lawnflite 604 ride on. The two drive belts are buggered and need replacing. I've got the belts and had a quick look, but it looks like a nightmare of a job. It appears to me you have to roll the mower on its side and take most of it apart to change them. I was wondering if anyone had done this and may be able to offer me a few pearls of wisdom? Thanks in advance. James

 

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[mikerecike]

Hi peeps, I've got a lawnflite 604 ride on. The two drive belts are buggered and need replacing. I've got the belts and had a quick look, but it looks like a nightmare of a job. It appears to me you have to roll the mower on its side and take most of it apart to change them. I was wondering if anyone had done this and may be able to offer me a few pearls of wisdom? Thanks in advance. James

 

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Remove deck.remove engine pulley belt belt retainers at engine pulley end.unscrewed from the outside - bolt in each side.pull variable speed pulley towards engine then work belt off havent done transmission pulley yet.

 

Check your mail james

 

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Edited May 17, 2014 by mikerecike

[GardenKit]

Hi peeps, I've got a lawnflite 604 ride on. The two drive belts are buggered and need replacing. I've got the belts and had a quick look, but it looks like a nightmare of a job. It appears to me you have to roll the mower on its side and take most of it apart to change them. I was wondering if anyone had done this and may be able to offer me a few pearls of wisdom? Thanks in advance. James

 

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Its not a job for amateurs. it's not that it is difficult, but there is a bit of a knack, and it takes a time.

 

It is easier to do than to explain though.

Run the engine and engage the parking brake.

Remove the deck. To do this you need to disengage the drive (i.e.slack belt) remove belt retainers and belt. Put the engagement lever down to lower the deck and move it rearwards. disconnect the brake cable then remove the left rear wheel. using a 4mm starter rope fed through the vents in the back plate as well as a 3ft lever, disengage the spring. (wear eye protection and be VERY careful. Take the deck off. Drain the oil and fuel, remove the battery and turn the machine on its side.

The primary belt needs to be slackened by engaging the park brake whilst running, before switching off. Then remove the retainers round the front pulley. You should now be able to get the belt off the front pulley and wind it off the centre double pulley after removing the retainer pegs.

Feed it over the cross shafts and out the front of mower.

Next use a cord and lever to pull back the spring loaded pulley on the rear belt and remove the belt.

Fit new belts in the reverse order. Make sure they are adjusted correctly or one will slip excessively on the end of the pedal travel. ( can't explain this)

Use only genuine OE belts and always replace both, or you will do it all again in a few weeks.

 

Still want to do it yourself?

 

Maybe this explains why I charge £50 extra labour on a service to do this, or £100 labour just to do this.

 

MTD Lawnflite machines are, IMO abysmal.

[muttley9050]

Thanks for that, pretty much what I thought had to be done. I will give it a go myself in the knowledge that if I mess up my dad will sort it for me. I was given the machine 5 years ago as it was broken. Put a different battery on it so it wasn't broken anymore, so I haven't a lot to complain about. When I looked at it, it appeared that two of the pulleys were quite far out of alignment, but judging how far the blade drive pulley goes out when you engage it I thought I might not be wrong. I have to agree that the design is abysmally, but it works good when it doesn't need fixing.

What do you charge when I deliver a mower in bits with a patch over my eye? ;-)

 

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