Saving a riding mower.

[Idaho45guy]

Last week, my elderly father called and said his 2010 Cub Cadet riding mower started smoking and rattling so he shut it off. He popped the hood and found oil had sprayed everywhere. Apparently, he checked the oil and forgot to put the dipstick back in.

Rather than put oil back in it and see if it was OK, he just bought a new mower. He said I could come get the old one for free. I figured even if the motor was toast, I remember seeing new law mower engines for cheap.

So I drove out to his place today and took a look at it. Checked the oil and nothing in it, so filled it up. Fired it up and it immediately started rattling and knocking badly. Then I saw oil start pouring out underneath the engine. Broken block.

Motor is a Kohler 20hp magnum OHV.

I declined to take it off his hands since I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth trying to save.

Got home and a factory replacement motor is $1600!! His new Husqvarna mower was $1700. I found that Harbor Freight sells a comparable 22hp motor for $800.

I don't really need a riding mower. I have a double lot and with my little pushmower, it takes me maybe a couple of hours to do the whole thing.

I figured if a new motor was $300 or so, then it might be worth it. I could always sell the mower for a few hundred if I found that it wasn't worth the hassle.

But at $800 for a new motor to put into a ten year old worn out machine, I don't think it makes sense.

[Thumbcocker]

Try J. B. welding the broken area just for giggles.

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[Winger Ed.]

I got a free roto tiller one time with a blown motor from not having any oil.

It broke a rod, and pushed it out the side of the block.

I got a shop manual, a new rod, new rings, a couple of gaskets and a oil seal or two.
I JB welded a fiberglass cloth patch over the block, put it back together,
and lived happily ever after.

[Kraschenbirn]

Kinda depends upon how much 'sweat equity' you want to put into the job. The MV20 has been discontinued but, IIRC, all those old cast-iron Kohlers used essentially same block. If it were me, I'd spend some time prowling around the small engine/tractor shops looking for a broke down Kohler Cadet with an intact block and go from there. (As a 'winter project', I once rebuilt a Yamaha 400 twin for my wife using parts from three different bikes...her original bike and two others that had been totaled out by an insurance company and were sitting in the junk heap behind the local dealership.) She rode that Yammy for more three years and we still came out ahead of what I'd paid for those junkers when we sold it.

Bill

[EMC45]

You may want to keep checking Harbor Freight. They have the Predator series motors for deep discounts at times and they are clones of the higher end company motors and they are stout.

[jessdigs]

I would put the HF engine in. If you don't want it you could sell it.
22hp horizonal shaft HF engine.
https://www.harborfreight.com/22-hp-...epa-61614.html

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[jessdigs]

22 HP vertical shaft riding mower engin. HF
https://www.harborfreight.com/22-hp-...epa-62879.html

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[bedbugbilly]

If you don't want to go the HF way - I'd hang on to the mower and start putting feelers out for a used engine. You never know what someone might have sitting around - possibly a mower with a working engine but the deck is shot or something similar that they might sell cheap. Put a used engine in it and see if you don't need it. Or . . . if you don't want to spend the money, I'd look at parting out the mower and putting parts on flabby or similar - you never know if someone is looking for parts for a 10 year old Cub - something that will extend the life of their mower and they don't have to pay the high price for replacement parts from the mfg.

[Land Owner]

I have a SKAG Tiger Cub with a currently "unknown-unknown" shuts itself down problem, with which I won't bore you. I have been watching You Tube videos of "all sorts" of small engine repairs, including one where the "tester-guy" cuts his (blown - bad rod bearing) mower engine in HALF, well, cuts away the side walls so the viewer can watch the mower THROW A ROD from no oil (lasted about 2.5 minutes). Way cool!

In other YT videos, the "experienced" and "DIY'ers" take engines apart and put them back together in GREAT DETAIL. It SEEMS to be no BIG DEAL.

I will admit, there is a LOT of mechanical knowledge that I DON'T POSSESS with regard to piston sleeves, honing, rings, gaskets, machine shop (or not) very close tolerances, torque specs, etc., BUT I CAN LEARN (hopefully not the hard way). At 66 years young, I am still inclined to Do It Myself - though my "problem child of a mower" is probably more electric (thinking clutch and PTO switch) than mechanical (not blown engine).

Spending money to REBUILD a motor is practical - if you don't know how, have not done a few, but GET HELP. Blowing one up that you just "fixed" by yourself, losing both your time and the money invested (in this down economy) DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. There ARE used motors (if you don't find a used block).

Riding a lawn mower MAKES SENSE the older we get - regardless of the acreage.

One more thing - from another DIY video of a metal boat restoration (Danger Marine 38 footer that in the end "cost too much") - you have to consider where to draw a line at GOOD ENOUGH versus GOT TO GO NEW. What will YOU tolerate by way of GOOD ENOUGH? How many $$'s are too many? What is your TIME worth? Stop the bleeding. Walk (or run) away. Or, GO THE DISTANCE?

[Win94ae]

Kohler! I have one in front of my garage cracked block. These are notorious for being substandard junk.

[jonp]

I'm a little confused. Your assuming it needs a motor without putting a quart of oil in it and trying it?

[Idaho45guy]

I'm a little confused. Your assuming it needs a motor without putting a quart of oil in it and trying it?

Not sure how you would get that from my post in which I said: "Checked the oil and nothing in it, so filled it up. Fired it up and it immediately started rattling and knocking badly. Then I saw oil start pouring out underneath the engine. Broken block."

[jonp]

Not sure how you would get that from my post in which I said: "Checked the oil and nothing in it, so filled it up. Fired it up and it immediately started rattling and knocking badly. Then I saw oil start pouring out underneath the engine. Broken block."

Oh, sorry about that. For some reason missed it.
I'd first try to fix the block with JB Weld. Cheap fix to try and maybe put some Lucas in with the oil and see what happens. If no dice I'd either try a used lawnmower place for an engine, tons of them around here or HF for a motor.
You also might consider a smaller 17-18hp motor for the lawnmower. HDepot had one for under $400 and Jack's Small Engines for about $500 or so. Ordered from Jack's several times, good company. If your just using it to mow then a 22hp is a little overkill.

[frkelly74]

Never go to Harbor Freight without a coupon!!

[Pipefitter]

Riding lawn mower???


You have a saddle to fit a sheep?

[Petrol & Powder]

I agree that it probably isn't worth replacing the engine. While a new engine would correct the problem, the rest of the mower is 10 years old. That's not horrible in terms of age and many mowers go well beyond that mark but $1600 is pretty big gamble.

Even a less expensive option would be more risk than I would want to sink into a 10 year old mower.

[Blanket]

if everything else is in good shape I would repower with the HF motor

[NyFirefighter357]

The last lawn tractor I bought used was $100 and I installed a $12 starter solenoid & new battery. Got 4-5 years out of it & it was 20+ yrs old. It burned up a special magneto and I wasn't spending the $150 for a new one. I now use a free to me walk behind mower that came running just fine. You can find that motor cheaper but it's still not worth it. You can also get the short block for about $600 but that still not worth it. If you looked around you can buy a working lawn tractor for under $500. I miss my tractor as I have a 1/2 ton capacity dump trailer for it.

https://www.kohler-engine-parts.opee...hoC7VoQAvD_BwE

https://spokane.craigslist.org/grd/d...150181630.html

https://spokane.craigslist.org/searc...actor&sort=rel

[samari46]

I have a sears Craftsman riding lawn mower. It's my little mule as I have an old cart I bought about 24 years ago. I shudder to think how many yimes I have loaded up that cart with tree limbs,branches,hurricane debris, bricks and probably forget what else I put in that cart. Don't recall what I paid for it but it's now showing it's age. The bottom has rusted away in some places. Probably put some pressure treated plywood on the floor and fixed in place with sheet metal screws. For the big stuff I use my Kubota L3800 with the front end loader. Gonna get the attachment
that has the teeth like a back hoe. Have a big pile of dirt left over when we had the new septic system installed. My BIL will leave a trailer and I'll fill it up and he goes to his sons place and dumps it where the old swimming pool was and level it. Frank

[10x]

I visit the local dump.
I have picked several riding mowers that needed a new spark plug, the water drained from the float bowl, or a new electric fuel shut off (A solenoid on the float bowl)
My current push mower is a pickup from the dump. Cleaned the foam air cleaner, replaced the shutoff brake cable and put a new plug in it.
Folks discard small engines at the first sign of trouble.