'blew' the engine in our john deere, need advice.

[compleckz]

so i hadn't mowed in about a month, the grass finally got tall enough, this was to be the last mowing of the year.. instead it was the last mowing the motor will ever do...

i drove the mower to my house from next door (my grandfather's barn).. when i arrived at my house (30 seconds later).. the motor was making a bad knocking sound, so i turned it off and checked the oil, it was lowish and pretty black.. i was able to add about 3/4 of a quart before it was full.

i turned it back on and the noise had not gone away. i let it idle for a minute.. then i checked the oil again and the black oil didnt seem to mix at all with the fresh oil.. i started it back up and the sound was gone.. so i went for a pass, turned it off and checked the oil, it had mixed up a bit by now and all looked pretty fresh. i started it up again and did 3 more passes then BANG.. the motor dies. cracked block it looks like..

engine is a 15hp kohler.. cv15s.. ohv, cast iron cylinder liner, automotive type oil filter, hydraulic valve lifters, full pressure lubrication..

so new replacement engines i've found online are out of the question i'd say... they look to be about 700-1000

what are my options? i really dont know anything about small engines, and i know lots of you guys do. would it be worth rebuilding? we had it serviced by the dealer the first few times.. then i did oil changes every season, (checked it regularly, cleaned the air filter whenever it looked dirty.. drained the gas in the winter.. the whole mower is about 4 years old. im sure i can swap a new one in, im pretty mechanically inclined.. i just did the clutch on my subaru, i lifted my ranger, put some lunchbox lockers in the ranger.. so i might be able to rebuild this, (if blocks are even available separate)...

thanks guys

[Ranger5.0]

Im asuming in the only deere tech hear, i know, BIG asumption, but anyways. Thouse engines are disposable, as are the tractors. What seriese is it, 120? 130? a NEW engine from Deere is like 1700 Canadian. Id say take it in, trade it, and buy a new one. Thats my professional advice, they just arnt worth the money to fix. IF you DO want to fix it, you can look into a short block, and use the rest of your parts, but like i said, its not worth it. We only replaced a few engines, and they were all warrenty jobs.

[compleckz]

well the mower cost over $3k new, its an LT150.. and the place my mom bought it is going out of business due to all the 'competition' around here they say.. (i now think they just suck)

this thing was just in there at the beginning of the season because it wouldn't start.. it wasnt getting fuel, thats all i knew, and i didnt have any idea how these engines worked really... my mom had them bring it in, and they replaced the fuel pump..

so yea.. its a relatively new mower, it being a throw away is kind of depressing. i guess what i'd like to do is find a used motor locally and just swap it in.. but im not sure how likely it is i'd find one..

[Ranger5.0]

ok, well im sorry for being depressing, and being an lt150 its a bit higher quality, i just expected a bigger engine in it. The 130's have 25hp v twins now. Seing how you realy want to keep it, i will tell you this: lawn tractors are more or less genaric, find a engine that your like, and make it fit. All you need is a 15 hp koler of the same general production date, and it should fit.

[compleckz]

thanks for the info man, appreciate the quick reply.. i'll start browsing the classifieds etc. for a motor, i have all winter to look anyhow..

25hp v-twin ?! looks like we bought in before some major changes to the mowers huh :shok:

i knew right where to go when i had a totally random question, TRS! :icon_rofl:

[Ranger5.0]

haha, ya, icant remember but i think the new 150's have power assist stering..somthing called "power byond" which is remote hydraulics to run acessorys, and a hyd lift/lower for the mower deck

[compleckz]

ya know what they need to come up with, a suspension system for the damn cup holder! anything carbonated will go flat in 5 seconds. :dntknw:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

[Ranger5.0]

ya, i hear ya, thats actualy a common remark from customers "the thigns great, but man, do somthing about the beer holder"

[brendank69]

Shouldn't this be in the V-8 conversion forums?

:icon_twisted:


Just like ranger5.0 said, the motors are kind of generic. With a bit of work you can make anything of the same type fit.

[Ranger5.0]

funny you mention the V8 thing, the guy in our parts depo' builds pullin tractors out of lawn tractors. Hes got one with a suzuki samari engine trans and axle in it. Its nuts. he also has one with a 28hp Vtwin in it with stacks painted up green with yello flames

[Simple_serf]

Hmm...I like my JD 110... 10HP solid cast iron.

We switched over to a Kubota about a year ago. 3 cylinder cast iron Diesel. The JD now goes to the L+G display at the engine shows I attend.

I can now mow the lawn 5 times on 5 gallons of diesel. Instead of once on 5 gallons of gas and a quart of oil. We have estimated that this Kohler has over 10K hrs on it. The newer ones just feel cheaper. One cool thing about the Vtwins now though, they sound like a harley at cold idle.

[Ranger5.0]

lol, all lawn tractors are made by the cheepest bidder lol.

[martin]

that's a pretty depressing thread. the motor on my JD 111 went knock, knock bang last week so it looks like I'm in a similar position. Wonder if I could somehow fit the mower to the b2 while I try to find and fit another motor into the tractor.

[compleckz]

so hey ranger 5.0, what do you think caused this? it had plenty of oil when it died.. is there some sort of oil pump?

[Ranger5.0]

hmm, martin, you ever see how they rig up the belt drive to run a snow thrower on a mower? try somthing like that with the BII. I think the 15hp engine holds all of like, hmm. 1.75 ltrs of oil, so 3/4 was pritty low on oil...as far as the lube goes, it has to be some type of pressure lube system to have an oil filter, i dunno tho, we never tear them apart other then to get vearification for warrenty claims

[compleckz]

hmm.. i just did an oil change in like may.. and i checked it regularly, UNTIL today.. i just started it up and drove it over here before looking it over.. i know i checked it last time cuz it was pretty dirty, and i said i was gonna do it next spring.. there was some blue smoke on the pass before it died.. so maybe a ring or something had been going bad too, so it burned excessive oil the last time i mowed (i did half the lawn by headlights).. the combo of burning, leaking (will have to check the barn floor), and running it real low for a few minutes did it in, by the time i had the right level, the damage had been done i guess..

thanks for all the help, and if anyone local has a motor, lemme know :)

[metalmacguyver]

Con rod go boom!

that crack on the side of the block is probably from the conrod smacking up against the side of the block when it let go.

pull the motor, open the crank case, and look at the crankshaft journal where the conrod connects. check for damage. it may be ok because its cast iron and the conrod is aluminum and there is a bushing that went between them.

if the crank checks out, then go guy a new conrod and put it in. lot cheaper than a new engine. IMHO it would be worth it because kohlers are really good motors. i have one in my 1963 Cub Cadet. still runs strong. i also had one on a Scag commercial mower that i rebuilt. didnt have to touch the motor though.

good luck!

[Ranger5.0]

um, theres no bushing or bearing between the crank and the conecting rod on these engines, not on the new ones anyways. Its cheeper to machiene a bearing surface onto the rod, spray weld some bearing materieal onto it, and call it done

[Will]

What type of machine is it?

[Ranger5.0]

and, um, also, crack in the block...um, so buying a new conecting rod wont do a whole lot when you have a big effin hole in the block. Shit, like i said, they are disposable tools now, thats how they were built. Used motor, dont think about anything else.

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would be looking into swapping a cheaper more available engine into that mower, keep an eye out for a cheap used mower that runs and do some measuring for fitment if you like the Deere better than the potential donar. At least in didn't die in spring so you have some time to work on it.

If they really are that disposable I would keep that in mind when you decide to replace the mower. You can get one about the same size for less than half the price that is also a throw away model, green paint sold seperately.

[Will]

Am I the only one that still doesn't know what machine this is?

[krugford]

It's a John Deere LT150 riding lawn mower.

[compleckz]

It's a John Deere LT150 riding lawn mower.

correct.. its still depressing that a $3000 mower is a throw-away.. im planning to take the motor out, see how things mount up.. and then find a used motor that'll work..

my girlfriend's little brother might have one, he's been modifying lawnmowers for woods rigs for a few years now :icon_rofl: kids do crazy things before they have are old enough to drive... like when i bought my 4 wheeler, then i got a car, and a truck, now i barely use the thing...

[85_Ranger4x4]

Am I the only one that still doesn't know what machine this is?

I did that too, clicked on it from outside the "Non RBV Tech" forum and it automatically goes to the second page, of which the first post would pass for a sketchy first post of a thread.

[Will]

Okay, I see now. Duh.

Hell yeah, get a cheap piece of crap motor to toss in there. I have a serious rod knock in my 25hp Kohler right now. Once it grenades I'm putting the 11hp Briggs and Stratton I salvaged from my grandpa's old '83 Sears rider.

When I moved here I got that '83 rider from my Grandma. My neighbor (who I bought the house from--he built a new one nearby) said to get a Kohler with an oil pump because he killed his first couple splash lubed Briggs on the steep hills. So I did in '99 and now the Kohler is dying after 8 years. I even have an oil pressure gauge on it so I think the motor is just crap.

[metalmacguyver]

and, um, also, crack in the block...um, so buying a new conecting rod wont do a whole lot when you have a big effin hole in the block. Shit, like i said, they are disposable tools now, thats how they were built. Used motor, dont think about anything else.

i had a 6hp tecumseh snowblower engine that threw a rod. it cracked the block too. it didnt matter though because its not a structural area of the block. i smacked it with a hammer to push it back in and put some JB weld on it. i then put a new conrod in and put it all back together and it has been running fine since. that was 4 years ago.

since it is a crack and not a big hole, this repair is an option.

um, theres no bushing or bearing between the crank and the conecting rod on these engines, not on the new ones anyways. Its cheeper to machiene a bearing surface onto the rod, spray weld some bearing materieal onto it, and call it done

ok well some do and some dont. i had an 8hp briggs that used bushings. that one was probably less than 15 years old at this point.

if i were you i wouldnt throw away that kohler so fast. they are a real good motor. better than briggs and way better than tecumseh.

I am just trying to help out. i have been fixing lawnequipment since i was 10 years old. im just telling him how i would do it and why.