What are you currently working on??

Been playing with this freebie. 48" cut, 22 HP B&S with foot pedal hydro. Engine had an issue, no compression. Pulled the valve covers to check lash, all were way loose. while attempting to reset lash, saw the exhaust was opening just after the intake. o_O I believe the cam is broken as both cylinders are doing this and still no compression. Probably a couple rods are too. Only shows 208 hrs. on the meter and no sign of major wear anywhere. So I am installing a B&S 20 HP opposed twin. Should make a decent mower for someone.
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Deck has new blades on it, spindles are tight. Other that the peeling paint, looks real good.
 
The last time I cut grass with my 1450 last year, it was shaking more than normal. I stopped to check it, and I could move the motor around. 3 of the 4 mounting bolts were gone, and the last one was loose, so I parked it. I got it in the garage this week and pulled the motor out, and cleaned the oil off it. It looks like the bolts just fell out, and didn’t break off. While it is out I’m also going to fix some leaks.
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I had some similar issues with the K321 in my MF 1450. It was all the rubber mount bolts that were either fallen out or the whole mount was bad or broken. That looks like the same oil pan on mine, and it was cracked. That also looks like the engine block mine is supposed to have but it obviously came from a diffierent tractor than a MF or CC. I never cared for poly bushings in automotive situations except race cars but never had any in a GT before.
You will be back mowing soon!

DAC
 
sandblasting a valve cover, intake manifold, and oil pan for a slant 6 (I couldn't blast the whole pan, it was too long, barely fit diagonally in my cabinet) I had to use the angle grinder and a Scotch Brite pad "cookie" to get the back of it. This is the 2nd time blasting these parts. I painted them once, and it came out terrible. so, time for the redo.
I had a POR 15 engine paint kit sitting here, that I had bought for a different project a few years ago/ on the can and the website both say that it can be sprayed or brushed. I love the regular normal POR 15, but this engine stuff is crap. I sprayed it with a compressor and a gun, they say it can be brushed too. but I didn't know if the brush marks would "flow out" as well as their normal black stuff does.
the 1st sign of something wrong, was that when I opened the can, it didn't look like any Chrysler Engine Blue that I'd ever seen. and I've sprayed alot of it, over the years.
but I also know that many paints look different when dry than out of the can. so, I had it/ lets try it. If I have it much longer, it will definitely be trash. IDK the "shelf life" of it, that is never an issue with regular POR15 around here. I don't have that stuff languishing in a can very long,. I've probably had this engine paint 8-10 years, kept in a closet inside the house in the spare bedroom, to keep it from freezing.
All cast iron was "machine shop hot tank" fresh, dry, etc. Block, head, and the other pair of 318 closed chamber heads that I have ready for my Fury.

the paint came out of the gun transparent, after 3 heavy coats, the freeze plugs still looked as silver as they had, before they had any paint on them.
I went on the computer and did a search, saw others posting with similar problems with various different colors of their engine paint.
There were more posts about "I love this stuff" than there were about "this stuff don't cover worth squat" posts. But if there was any complaints, they all seemed to be the same one as I had experienced/
I don't know if it is a function of age or if this was a "bad batch" or what. But it aint cheap. and I wont be experimenting with their engine paint again. It actually did look kind of cool on the valve cover. But not the look I wanted which is "like it came from the factory".

the sheet metal parts, (valve cover, oil pan, timing cover), cast iron, and aluminum parts (water pump) didn't even look like they were sprayed out of the same can (which they were)
Once it was tacky dry, I went over the block with a partial can of the Duplicolor stuff I had on the shelf.
Which I was trying to avoid, in the 1st place/ the Duplicolor paints ain't what they used to be, I have been having trouble with theirs peeling within a week to maybe 3 months, after I put it on. especially on the lower sections of an engine block, and on oil pans. Up til about 5 years ago, they were better paint than that.

so anyway back to the sandblasting.
A couple of Fridays ago (yeah, I thought it was weird, with an automotive swap meet on a Friday/Saturday instead of Saturday/Sunday combo, too)
I went to Indy for the 1st swap of the year. I didn't buy much/ but one thing I did buy, was a brand new coalescing air/water filter for my compressor. something I've needed for way too long. $45 for something I can't duplicate anywhere, even online, for 4 times that price. (not for "that" one, anyways) I've tried.

I put it in, just before that attempted engine paint job with the spray gun.
which helped alot with the blasting too. (at least to start with) then I started having trouble with the blast cabinet. It acted like it was either plugging (like when there is water in the air line) or a hole worn in the sand suction hose. I had about a 1/2 tub of new glass beads I poured in, did no good. should have held off there. I drained the hopper to get at the sand hose and it came out like baking flour. My glass beads were wore out. I then cleared the back hopper (I forget there is a trap door below the vacuum section, I haven't blown down that filter in too long, or drained the flour out of the back hopper below the vacuum. that back hopper was FULL> I had to tap it with a ball pein to dislodge it all, it was packed so tight. I got a heaping tub about 15x30X8" tall, worth of flour out of the back hopper..... I am gonna have to go get a couple more tubs of fresh glass beads probably from Tractor Supply/ and another piece of sand hose, which ever since I got this machine has never been anything but basically a piece of garden hose. Farm and Fleet, Lowes and Tractor Supply have this hose on a bulk roll..... old hose was 3' which was often too short to reach around something in the cabinet.... it needs to be between 3-1/2' to 4' instead.
so Im at a standstill on that project.
 
sandblaster works alot better, I changed the air jet (was definitely worn out) my carbide nozzle seems fine still..... and changed out the glass bead for new stuff that had more consistency than flour. though I wish it was a slightly rougher grit. but better than it was. I did order a new
"power head" portion of the sandblast gun with a new carbide nozzle and 3 new air jets.... the inside of the existing one has a nice groove worn into it.
got from TP tools, same place I got the sandblast gun many years ago. but it works much better for now than it did. I just wish this cabinet was about 6" wider. but for what I paid for it I aint complaining. Ive had the cabinet about 10-12 years or so. I've blasted ALOT of parts in that thing!
 
I have been stripping down a Cub Cadet RZTS zero turn mower. Left word at a local mower shop that I wanted a junk zero turn with a flat frame
for cheap. They called Saturday and presented me with this beauty. I only need the basic frame and the front spindles. It will become a wagon, or hay rack, or people hauler for parades.
Older brother-Trail95- has been given the muffler, electric pto, tires, and mower deck. He has a similar zero turn of his own. Although not quite so WELL DONE. The hydros are going on craigs list. The internals of the engine may still be good, but it is going into the scrap pile.
 

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I have been stripping down a Cub Cadet RZTS zero turn mower. Left word at a local mower shop that I wanted a junk zero turn with a flat frame
for cheap. They called Saturday and presented me with this beauty. I only need the basic frame and the front spindles. It will become a wagon, or hay rack, or people hauler for parades.
Older brother-Trail95- has been given the muffler, electric pto, tires, and mower deck. He has a similar zero turn of his own. Although not quite so WELL DONE. The hydros are going on craigs list. The internals of the engine may still be good, but it is going into the scrap pile.
Is that a Kawaski engine? I have an RZT 50 down here with a ventilated block. Shipping would be a bummer. Was thinking the hyrdro's would be good for a crawler project.
 
Got a Bolens H16 XL ready to go for a new owner - if they don't back out. Got my Bolens G16XT with tiller fired up and up to the shop. Fresh oil in both, gear case checked, etc. Run it back in the machine shed so it is ready for tilling duty. Few other little things and called it a day. Started to sprinkle here about 4:45 pm,. Let er rain.
 
Is that a Kawaski engine? I have an RZT 50 down here with a ventilated block. Shipping would be a bummer. Was thinking the hyrdro's would be good for a crawler project.
Kohler Courage twin 23 hp.
The hydros do present some possibilities, but am thinking about recouping my investment.
How about one of these?
 

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I've had a new project going for the last couple of days, Birch syrup. Last fall I cut a 10" limb off one of our River Birch trees, I noticed Sunday that the sap was dripping off the cut so I hung a bucket under it. Collected about 3 gallons of sap in just a few hours. I put the sap in my water bath canner pot on the gas grill outside for the last two days. I brought it into the house this evening, put it in a smaller pan on the stove. Strained it just now, just over a quart left. From what I've found & by my calculations, I should end up with about 1/2 cup of syrup.

I'll probably never do it again, but wanted to try it while I had the sap supply!
 
At least you can say you’ve done it before. I’ve always wondered about trying it. Is birch sap darker than maple sap or does the color depend on how long you cook it. Did you like how it tasted. We have friends that live in Michigan that keeps us supplied. We see them about twice a year and we give them some jam and apple butter. They have a big setup and sell it. My wife does all her canning on our camp stove on the back porch. This is his bottle of Maple syrup.
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