Large frame tractor bug.

[fishnwiz 3,289]

After finally recovering from my last bout of large frame flu and healing the wounds from my last mistress Tilly who STILL has not aquired her much needed piston transplant into her kt19 block, I swore off the Large frame Kohler powerplants. 

I was still smarting from the loss I took on the 7119 and the fact I missed tell tale signs of the dreaded Series 1 engine  ailments due to the fact I was smitten with "Tillies" clean lines and cosmetic beauty. Little did I know that she was destined to break my heart.

Fast forward to today and the fool in me AGAIN was lured into a relationship with another large frame,  kohler powered tractor that even though she had a few more wrinkles and shows a bit more age,I again fell for the siren songs and whispers of the same Kohler built engine of the 17hp variety and an updated  series 2 engine to boot.

I knew this old girl was out to take me for a ride but did I listen to the warning bells in my head telling me to RUN? NOOOO not me,  my ego again got the best of me and I reasoned if I wined and dined her enough, she would fill my heart with the smells and sounds that would rekindle my past affairs with large frame Kohler powered tractors. 

WRONG! After beaming with pride on my ride home with my new found love following close behind on my trailer, I pulled into the driveway only to find the slight oil drips I had seen on the bottom of the ol girl now became a free flow of vital fluids onto the cutting deck.

Here we go again. ...Love IS blind. At least this was a much cheaper date than Tilly initially  was but that too can and will change in a heartbeat. 

I again will need to rip the heart out the one I love and stem the flow of life giving blood of this Kohler beast by opening up my wallet and throwing the entire contents of it at her....that is unless I hear the dreaded words of "No longer available " where I will once again have no choice but to lick my wounds and part the old girl out.

It's a true love hate relationship we all share with these old tractors. 

What have done? 

I should of stuck with a  Briggs 

Edited June 5, 2018 by fishnwiz

[Chris727 1,703]

The saga continues eh? Can't say many of my purchases were all that well reasoned either. Especially considering they rarely even run. 

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Why do we put ourselves in this position anyways? It's not like I don't have 1000 other things I could be doing with my time and money. 

I have become a true "Tractor junkie "....no thanks to you guys.

There I go again assigning blame instead of excepting responsibility for my actions.  I need to find myself a nice cheap bird watching site to hang around on instead of this virtual tractor garage full of enablers. 

Edited June 5, 2018 by fishnwiz

[Brettw 1,016]

We should talk, Mark.  I was looking at that one too.  I would be interested in a potential swap.  I have 2 Briggs powered.  

[fishnwiz 3,289]

I still have the rering/gasket set I purchased for my last affair. My reasoning is a little off but I figured I would put that money to work in the KT17. 

The motor runs/ran good but that doesn't mean a thing with the Kohlers.

Let me think on that one a bit.

[Brettw 1,016]

Sounds good.  I like the Kohlers.  These are 7116, one with an electric lift, one with a hydro.  You keep the deck, I am just interested in the tractor.  Too bad it's not a magnum instead of the Series II, then I don't think it would have been in your stable to begin with!

 

[fishnwiz 3,289]

I like the Mags but hard to find at a great price.

[tadams 904]

Put a Briggs in it and go.

[fishnwiz 3,289]

I like the noise Kohlers make when they are not burning or leaking oil and believe me, now that I blasted off the crud she's a leaker.

Edited June 6, 2018 by fishnwiz

[ShaunE 1,195]

Sorry Mark.  I hate to say it but I have the same engine in a 917 & it has been one of the most trouble free setups I've ever owned.  Never had a breather update, never had to shut the gas off to it, nothing.  I read all these posts about filling the crankcase up with gas & blowing oil into the air filter & I sometimes think these people are crazy for posting that kind of blasphemy.  I on the other hand have had my heart broken by everyones coveted Command.  Head warping, gasket blowing, valve cover leaking, valve seat dropping, flywheel magnet losing, coil failing Hussey!

I do however try to be extremely nice to Ms. Onan in my Pow'RMax.  She has the power to break by heart & my bank account.

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Thanks for the words of encouragement? ??

Kidding aside, I remember you saying that you had great luck with your Kt17 ...darn enabler 

I knew the engine leaked when I bought the tractor...just not that bad...part of me was in denial,  the other part wanted the challenge. ..and the last part of me wanted a killer deal.....then there is always " The Hunt"

Only good thing about the oil leak is that the leak was so bad that it pooled inside under the deck covers along with dirt and debris. After drying,  it formed a sloppy mess sight unseen inside that froze the timing belt inside the deck which in turn would not allow the Cone clutch to engage the blades and killed the engine...hence a discount off the asking price.

Deck works PERFECT after a good cleaning so not all is bad.

Fingers crossed on fixing the leak.

Edited June 5, 2018 by fishnwiz

[SimpleOrange 154]

I love my cast iron Onan's, someday when I'm heading into the big city scrap yard I'm going to have my spare block shot with thier XRF. After 45 years of hard use no ridge in the cylinder bore, kinda tells me that Onan may have used Nickle in their casting alloy.

Chevy blocks with the 010 or 020 cast into the rear of the engine have that percentage of nickle in the casting alloy, these blocks are super strong and wear forever.

 

 

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Would love to dump a Onan into a large frame. Never owned one myself but want to. Would gladly trade the Kohler wench in for a Onan. 

Edited June 6, 2018 by fishnwiz

[720nut 3,798]

may be able to fix you right up ole friend  , I have several but don't want your Kohler

[SimpleOrange 154]

1 hour ago, fishnwiz said:

Would love to dump a Onan into a large frame. Never owned one myself but want to.

If you care to pay the freight you may have  your wish, I have a freshly rebuilt never run CCK,  a gen set was the donor and this particular block has no oil filter but if your the crafty type that I think you are. The block is factory milled to accept the filter base, just have to drill and tap a few hoes to accept the filter base and I may still have a base from another Onan.

Or run it as is and change the oil on a regular basis.

After I purchased my basket case Simplicity 9020 it came with a seized engine but had a perfect crankshaft, this was installed into the generator engine, in the meantime I swapped a Brinly plow for another Onan.

Installed this newly aquired engine onto the Simplicity and it never missed a beat all this past winter as I used it to blow snow off our driveway and a few walking trails on our property, no matter how cold it got this engine always started.

Then from another forum one of the members gave me a heads up on an Allis 720, with an Arc 700 Fel and a blown hydrostatic. I purchased the 720 that came with all the service records that show the engine was rebuilt a few years a ago.

Rebuilding the hydro, brought home a beat up Cub Cadet from the landfill and decided to dismantly the hydro to see what these things were all about, the Cub used a Sundstrand "C" type instead of the inline.

As I disassembled the hydro kept all the parts in a box, a few months later diving into the Simplicity hydro discovered the piston pump and motor parts from the Cub would interchange. A stroke of luck as the motor end of the inline hydro full of broken pistons and slippers, after spending a few hours hand lapping the best of the old valve plates into a polished condition.

Anyhow I now have  rebuilt hydro to complete my Allis project, this is the tractor that I will be keeping along with a few spare parts from the 9020 as it is taken apart for spares which gives me yet another engine.

The original Simplicity leaked the crankcase full of petrol and the PO thought the engine was shot, they removed the engine leaving it out to the weather and this is why it seized.

When I rebuilt the generator engine blocked off the port where the mechanical fuel pump resides, electrics work better plus the generator used as the donor had the elec pump.

Generators are governed to run at 1800 rpm, five of the ten flyweights from the front ofthe camshaft  were removed to make it a 3600 rpm engine.

You'll need a carburettor, and a coil  all the sheet metal is there.

Depending on which state you live will determine the freight costs. It will have to go commercial freight on a small pallet.

No big deal I've recently listed on the kijiji a Satoh S650G tractor and a Kubota 3 point tiller as free items both went within days. I want my shop back for another project.

If you want it, Pm me your zip.

 

 

 

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Wow Gill and Lloyd 

You guys caught me off guard with your fine offers.  I am unsure of my abilities to take on such a project at this time but give me a day to think on it.You make it sound so simple but you guys both obviously, like most members on the site, exceed my capabilities as well as abilities. 

Sounds like both of  you have your hands full already. Wish you were my neighbor as I could use a skilled tutor and engine builder with a nice shop with all the tools . I am more a driveway mechanic with little to no space.

Like I have said numerous times in the past, I am blown away with the mechanical abilities and shops of so many different members on this site. I bow in your presence and am forever humbled .

Edited June 6, 2018 by fishnwiz

[ShaunE 1,195]

Come on Mark!

Its just a bunch of nuts & bolts being held together with voodoo & dust assembled by the lowest bidder.  

We are all your neighbors.  Even the Canadian one that has been into these more than most.  He never has called me on these Onan protégées.  Probably because he is afraid of Wisconsin beer even though they have Molson & Labatt Blue.  Two of my three favorites.  Next to PBR.

[lugnard 73]

Have a listen to this onan and you WILL want to swap one in!!!!

[fishnwiz 3,289]

SWEEEEEEEEEEET Music...Very nice ride. Thats not fair you have headers on it!  

[fishnwiz 3,289]

The new affair tractor is NOT worthy of such a power plant. 

[SimpleOrange 154]

My 9020 ready for snow, the gear case on the thrower is non vented  - I believe that John Deere first formulated corn head grease for such applications as non vented gear box's.

Many rotto tillers call for this type of grease.

My 1975 Onan with straight pipes.

 

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Darn enablers  

Those Onan engines sre not just drop in and go for Simplicity. There is a fair amount of fabrication work ?

Edited June 6, 2018 by fishnwiz

[MikeES 417]

I have 3 KT tractors, all have been converted to M20s.  The place to find M20s is from the Sunstar, DA 1920, AGCO 1920 tractors, that's where all of mine came from.

Really like the M20 except for the Walbro carbs.  I swap the Kohler carb from the KTs (which I still have) and put them on the M20s.

[brokenwrench 57]

i have been given a 917 with a blown engine w 48 inch deck.i have found a conversion kit  on ebay the allows a predator 22hp engine from harbor freight to be bolted in in place of kohler 12-14 16 17 and 19 hp engines

currently i am replacing the kt17 with a briggs  cast iron  16 hp engine with low hours i am told they are a direct bolt up

i grew up with  a big ten AC  dad bought in 1966 i am currently restoring it. after sitting for 12 years outside. it still has spark. i earned enough money cutting yards with it to buy my first car

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Predator-670-Kohler-Adapter/332561913061?_

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Flywheel-Adapter-from-Kohler-to-Honda-GX610-GX620-Predator-22hp-CASE210-Fly-H-/132536664623?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Predator-670-Adapter-Engine-flywheel-Coupler-kit/302357429867?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D50544%26meid%3Da9ab66a9347840b4bf9d7d4a568c10fa%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D362210808009%26itm%3D302357429867&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

https://www.ebay.com/p/Flywheel-Adapter-for-Onan-T260-Honda-Gx670-620-610-Predator-22hp-Wh724z-fly-h/8018449289?iid=132536636217&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D50544%26meid%3De45d955f2f76444d98da3879432806e8%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D302357429867%26itm%3D132536636217&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

[fishnwiz 3,289]

Hello Robert and welcome to the site, it's great to have you join us. 

I am kind of an old school guy when it comes to engines but we have a bunch of members who have done the Predator swap with great success. 

Thanks for the links......much appreciated. 

Your story about your dad's Big 10 sounds awesome,  tell us more about how much you made with it and what kind of car it was if you don't mind and share any pics you may have of your restoration.  I love that kind of stuff as I am sure others here do.

Pull up a chair and stay awhile .We have a ton of good guys on this site. 

Again,  Thanks for the info. 

Wiz