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  •  » Have I mentioned?

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    2/12/2025 6:28 PM  #26

    RCodePaul
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    From: Fresno CA
    Registered: 10/04/2023
    Posts: 86

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    Good on ya MS. Quality diagnosis and repair. Always good to fix something. Sure the working on the tools part is somewhat annoying but it happens. No idea what was wrong with my DeWalt rechargeable drill but it wouldn't spin with a known good battery. Took it apart to see if anything was obvious. Bench tested the motor and it was good. Weird. Reassembled it and it's been working for weeks. 
    Huh.
    RPM's brother was an AT&T tech for 30 years and they had a code for that. "Cleared while testing." 
    Alrighty then. 

    69 SCJ Mach1 Acapulco Blue/Black Ram Air  65 Fastback 422W C4 Disc brakes, 9in
     

    2/13/2025 6:38 PM  #27

    MS
    Forum Originator

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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
    Posts: 12,313

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    Everything on the Murray is way thinner and less robust than the Deere.  My neighbor has one.  We live where there are lots of rocks. He is continually replacing blades, spindles, stripped out pulleys, bent mower deck, etc. they might do fine for just mowing grass instead of the rock milling that we do.

    Never heard of a water cooled Kawasaki 17hp

    I misspoke on my engine. Said it was Husqvarna. It is a 17 hp Kawasaki, but definitely air cooled.

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
       •Thread Starter
     

    2/14/2025 5:53 AM  #28

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,557

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    JD used Kawasaki engines for a while.  The air cooled part is interesting.  Mine has a 20HP, but its water cooled.  Its a V twin.  The cam gear grenaded last year, so I know far more about it than I ever wanted to.

     

    2/14/2025 11:07 AM  #29

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
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    Re: Have I mentioned?

    Never seen a water cooled mower.  Wonnder if that is a regional thing?

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
       •Thread Starter
     

    2/14/2025 12:32 PM  #30

    Rudi
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

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    From: Stuck in the 50's Welland Ca
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 3,987

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    MS wrote:

    Never seen a water cooled mower.  Wonnder if that is a regional thing?

     
    JDmade 2 and 3 cyl water cooled mower engines in-house. The x700 and x900 had water cooled engines , they also used Koehler and Yanmar engines, iirc.
    The John Deere products made for industrial, ag.  and commercial use are made to a higher standard than stuff sold at Walmart

    Good work ain't cheap, Cheap work ain't good!   Simple Man
     

    2/15/2025 7:30 AM  #31

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
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    Re: Have I mentioned?

    My machine is not a typical lawn tractor.  It is referenced as a Lawn and Garden Tractor, but its really just a scaled down tractor.  It has all wheel steering, its hydrostatic drive with power steering and a PTO.  I have the largest deck offered, which is 60".  The main difference between it and a regular tractor is the deck is under the machine instead of a tow behind.  I have a 425 with the 2 cylinder carbed gas engine.  There was also a 455 offered, which had a 3 cylinder Yanmar Diesel instead of the gas engine, and a 445, which was fuel injected.  None of those models are offered any longer, but I believe what replaced them is the current 1 Series.  Last I priced one of them they were about $20k.  I just don't see the economy in buying a new machine.  They built this one too well.  Over the years I've serviced everything myself and at this point the bottom half of the engine has a bunch of hours on it, but still showed good compression.  Everything else is reasonably new or rebuilt.  I did the transaxle a couple years back and replaced all the hydraulic lines, the steering ram, and the steering junction due to leaks.  I did the top half of the engine last year including a quicky valve job (new springs and I lapped the valves).  The rest has been just replacing parts as they wear out, but most every pivot point is greaseable, so I just stay on top of that and I've yet to replace anything with a grease zerk in it.  My dad bought it new in '92.  So I guess I've cut the same grass with it more or less for the past 32 going on 33 years. 

     

    2/15/2025 7:31 AM  #32

    BobC
    I FYI 24-7

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    From: Clinton, MI
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 444

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    My 2010 JD GX345 is a liquid cooled 20 HP Kawasaki 2 cylinder. Currently running a 42 inch snow blower, but in summer, a 48 inch cutting deck.

    Bash Host MSBB XVI.       BobC    1966 Mustang Coupe
     

    2/15/2025 1:13 PM  #33

    6sally6
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    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 6,885

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    I have a Snapper walk behind I 'found-on-the-road-dead' 10 years ago. I love their simple rubber-wheel powered drive mechanizum.
    I had a rear engine single blade Snapper I bought THIRD HANDED and used it 15 years or so.(I did replace the Briggs engine during that time) I sold it to another guy for $ 200 bux when I moved to the beach.
    Wish I had it back.......
    6sally6
    PS I never took the muffler off !

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    2/15/2025 1:32 PM  #34

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
    Posts: 12,313

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    Wondering what a cammed up one lunger sounds like…

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
       •Thread Starter
     

    2/15/2025 2:17 PM  #35

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
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    Re: Have I mentioned?

    BobC wrote:

    My 2010 JD GX345 is a liquid cooled 20 HP Kawasaki 2 cylinder. Currently running a 42 inch snow blower, but in summer, a 48 inch cutting deck.

    Probably the same engine I have in mine or a derivative.  Mine's also a 20HP water cooled Kawasaki.  Is yours carb or EFI?

     

    2/16/2025 7:50 AM  #36

    BobC
    I FYI 24-7

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    From: Clinton, MI
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 444

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    BobC wrote:

    My 2010 JD GX345 is a liquid cooled 20 HP Kawasaki 2 cylinder. Currently running a 42 inch snow blower, but in summer, a 48 inch cutting deck.

    Probably the same engine I have in mine or a derivative.  Mine's also a 20HP water cooled Kawasaki.  Is yours carb or EFI?

    Mine is carb.  I bought it second hand. Have you had to replace the "O" ring gaskets in the valve covers yet?

    Bash Host MSBB XVI.       BobC    1966 Mustang Coupe
     

    2/16/2025 6:19 PM  #37

    6sally6
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    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 6,885

    Re: Have I mentioned?

    MS wrote:

    Wondering what a cammed up one lunger sounds like…

    A fella I usta work with raced go carts (when that was the 'thing'.... He welded up the lobes on a Briggs engine and reshaped it with more lift and duration.
    He had to keep it idled up pretty high but it 'ran-off-and-hid ' from the other carts !
    Sounded really weird......
    6sal6
     

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    2/17/2025 7:01 AM  #38

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
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    Re: Have I mentioned?

    BobC wrote:

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    BobC wrote:

    My 2010 JD GX345 is a liquid cooled 20 HP Kawasaki 2 cylinder. Currently running a 42 inch snow blower, but in summer, a 48 inch cutting deck.

    Probably the same engine I have in mine or a derivative.  Mine's also a 20HP water cooled Kawasaki.  Is yours carb or EFI?

    Mine is carb.  I bought it second hand. Have you had to replace the "O" ring gaskets in the valve covers yet?

    Yes, but the LH valve cover is a replacement that uses no gasket (RTV instead).  AT some point they updated the LH valve cover to use a screw in oil fill cap instead of the push on.  I lost the cap (probably due to a backfire as the timing module was failing) and when I went to get a new one they sold me the valve cover as the cap was NLA. 

    The weakest link in the engine I've found is the STDM (Spark Timing Delay Module) and after a long time the Nylon cam gear becomes a liability.  Otherwise its a pretty reliable engine. 
     

     

     

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