Hot 919

[patrician12]

Over the winter I picked up a 919 with deck and vac system with trailer.All winter long I had the snowblower attachment on and it worked like new.Sunday I put the deck on and vac system on.After about 3 hours of cutting grass it started throwing back smoke and lacking power.It sounded like it was overheating.It felt like it was running out of gas but how could I have black smoke under that circumstance.So I headed back to the barn to check the tank.When I took the cap off there was tremendous pressure and the gasoline was boiling!!!!I touched the hood. It was so hot you could have cooked a steak on it.Here's my point the heat dissapation of the KT19 under the hood of a 900 series is not cutting it.Where the muffler is located is ridiculous.I was either going to A.run straight exhaust pipes through the grill.B.Cut many more louvers in the hood C.Run it without the hood.Any suggestions?

[Al]

HI, My first inclination would be to remove the tinwork and check the fins and check for a mouse nest in the blower housing. Something is wrong, and this where I would start. Next I would check to see if the carb inlet valve is shutting off the fuel input properly. These engine run well and put out really good power. You will need to find out what has happened to yours. My thoughts. Al Eden. They are free value accordingly.

[patrician12]

The fins are absolutely clear.The muffler is not an inch from the hood and at that point you can fry eggs.I going to have one of my bodymen louvre the hood and get some of the heat out.I keep you posted.

[ambler]

Does the muffler have the heat shield on it? Show a pic. the muffler should be up by the front grill.

[Ronald Hribar]

My 7117 with 20hp Magnum never gets that hot. I have heat shield over top of muffler. When It was overhauled, it looked clean on fins, but when I took flywheel shroud off and pulled flywheel off I had enough debris there that it was compromising stator wires.

[MikeES]

Also check your air intake position. You may have it in the "winter" position where the intake for the air cleaner is sucking hot air off from the exhaust manifold. The twin tactors have louvers along the front edge on top of the hood (The area above the muffler). If yours does not have this, you may have a modified hood. I measured my 917 and the distance from the heat shield to the hood is 5". The muffler is below the heat shield. Or you may have a muffler that is not stock or OEM.

[patrician12]

You may have hit on it.There is no heat shield!!!!I may have not made myself clear.The engine was never overheating but the gas in the tank was vaporizing to the point where the cap gave a big wooosh when I removed it and the fuel was actually steaming.The pressure was flooding the carb.If I can't find a shield I'll louvre the hood.Thanks very much.

[ambler]

better get a shield, check Sandy lake. just run without the hood. Make sure you have the stock muffler.