With tubed tires, my grandfather who was born in 1901, always said to inflate and deflate tube tires multiple times to get the inner tube to release any folds it may have in the inner tube/tire. This will keep the tube working properly without air leaks down the road. Blue Sky's.
Paul is a gem for broken equipment. I mean, I feel bad for the guy having so many equipment problems, but he's gotta be a friend of the channel for life! You could do content forever just on his stuff.
@@davidduma7615 Yeah, that Cub Cadet was an eye-opener. That thing was WAY more messed up than I thought it was going to be when the first video about it started. Some people are just "hard on equipment." That's what I call it when I want to say it politely.
Paul must have access to used equipment by its job, he could be buying and selling stuff in a pawn shop or he buy them at auction or at yard sells. If they work grreat he clean them good and sell direct. If broken he send them to James, and james do it at a nice price and keep the revenu from YT. everybody win.
Front tractor tires are such a pain in the arse. Thanks again for sharing, especially appreciate the times when even the “great James” must fight with a machine like the rest of us.
My Zero Turn is 7 years old... but very low hour, since I can cut the grass in 20 mins. I REALLY like that type of mower. Never tried one with the steering wheel. Glad this was a straight forward fix. Tell the owner to FEED HIS MICE.... some green pellets, or peanut butter over a bucket of water.
The steering and transmissions are linked on these machines, and for a sharp turn, the transmission for the rear wheel inside the turn is actually power reversed. This was demonstrated when you did the U turn after querying whether it was a true 4 wheel steer or not. The problem is probably more 4WS than a conventional Zero Turn, as they are actual 2 wheel steer with the front wheels free to castor to follow, whereas this system combines conventional ackerman type steering at the front with differential drive at the rear, so all 4 wheels contribute to the steering effort.
Yes and this is actually an advantage on slopes where one rear tire might lose traction. Plus it allows you to push the machine and steer it with the hydro disengaged, like a regular tractor. Kind of cool.
When you comment “Beautiful” , I love it !!! That’s exactly what I say when things are going well with a repair… Love you videos James, keep the great variety of content coming. I especially like your generator videos. I have no problems with the engine side of the generator, it’s the power head that gives me issues. I’ve learned so much from you repairing the power heads. Thanks James !!!
Tire tip I learned from a old school dune buggy forum. Their tires are shaved so thin for weight there are often in holes in the sidewall of brand new tires And not uncommon to air up before every little trip out Anyway this solves the problem 1 part Bars leak liquid aluminum 2 parts full strength antifreeze Better than slime, doesn't eat aluminum wheels, never hardens up like slime, never freezes, and ATVs and utvs actually causes a natural tire balance. On higher speed stuff Mix up, break outer bead, use small funnel and hose to pour it in and reinflate. Roll around a bit in all directions Typical large atv tire I use about 15 to 18 oz per tire Small lawn mower front tires like those maybe 6 oz Try it! It has yet to fail me PS tire guys hate slime. This stuff just hose it out like a radiator flush If you ever need to replace or service tires Love your channel
I used to use an old bumper jack, set the wheel on the driveway under my bumper and jack away. Cars no longer have steel bumpers, but it will still work using the rear bumper on a truck in an emergency, assuming you have one of those old jacks.
26:35 I was so relieved to see your admonition about disconnecting the negative first (and reconnecting it last). I've winced and talked to the screen so many times in the past when seeing you disconnect the positive first. I don't know how the information got to you but It's great that you are passing it along. My son learned this the hard way when he welded his 7/16" combination wrench to the fender of his Ford Pinto (40 years ago). He was able to break it loose before catastrophic damage occurred.
putting on all the bolts with the carburetor intake exposed I was getting nervous until the air filter was back in its place; 2 new racing slicks/tires and sparky coils it is going to be a sceamer...! Good job, James and do not give any tools away again....!
Love your show you wouldn't believe how much I've learned about small generators, small motor.I appreciate your time you keep on trucking brother thanks Rob from California.
I have the same HF tire changer. But have learned to search RUclips for modifications of the tool. Like applying plastic to the tire removal tool and extending its length with aluminum conduit pipe and using a tip from a NoMar motorcycle tire changer system! Also get the right tub of tire lube and things will work like they were meant too. You can put some lube in spray bottle and add warm water to make slippery lube that does not break tire rubber down!
I had a 20HP Briggs and Stratton that was having a weird sputter when not under load and I tried everything all fuel components except the tank where replaced but cleaning the cooling fins made a massive difference for such a worn out engine. It had oil combined with grass on one cylinder but no oil leak and has 50psi on left and 60psi on the right cylinder after 20 years.
I really like your videos, James. Wow, now I finally get to feel really smart and important by telling you that the spade connector on those coils is called a "Packard connector" because years ago the Packard Motor Co. improved the design of the original spade connector by adding that tab in the middle to insure better contact.
You're right about the screws that hold the coils on. What I do is put a light coating of never seize on the whole screw under the head all the way to and including the threads. Wipe off as much as possible which still leaves a thin coat and put internal star washers under the head. The only resistance to taking them off is between the head and the washer.
I have to say that Paul is very lucky to have a great local mechanic like you to work on his machine. Very thorough testing and troubleshooting. Seems the easiest thing for you was the engine problem and the pain in the butt was replacing those tires... funny how that works lol
I had a set of tires like those for a lawn vac, just as smushed. I had two ratchet straps and a whole lot of creative language before each of those buggers would bead up! Never thought of the tube expansion idea, although I think I would have had the same success you had with yours. I broke the bead breaker handle on my HF tire changer. Ended up buying a "Bead Buster" which after a re-weld of the bead hooks, works like a charm!
I have been a RUclipsr for a lot of years this is the first time I subscribed and left a comment. The Zero turn mower down was a great video, James took his time explained everything and was easy to follow. I have been a backyard mechanic for 40 years and still I learned some simple easy check points. Also anyone who has basketball court in their yard and with a last name that has saved many lives has got to be aces. Looking forard to many more vides, Thank you.
Great video, thumbs up, I have had a couple of these Kohler V Twin engines have coils fail, put new ones on and they run again, i liked that tire changer mchine, gotta look into getting one myself,after a while you have so much equipment , no room for the machines that need fixing, enjoy all the videos
It's definitely sometimes easier to send tires off to the professionals to get them done. I completely agree with you about coil bolts, especially if the engine has mice damage.
Hello James: I was wondering what happened to your tire changer. Then you explained giving it away. They make a very difficult task a lot less difficult, not easy but manageable. If you have not already spoken to Paul about the deck guard/ discharge. Maybe a quick disconect bracket could be fabricated to facilitate quick removal & install if the guard is not already configured with one. I put a bungie cord with a breakaway connector on my riding mower so I can lift the guard up while going through the door. It just clears with the guard lifted. Steeling yor closing, I hope this helps someone.
Nicely done, James. However, I don't understand why you don't use dielectric grease on electrical fittings, such as the coil wires. Prevents rust from forming due to rain water or other "liquids" from critters that make their homes in machines. :) It works great on battery terminals, too.
Because dielectric grease is not conductive? So, on a battery where the terminal is clamped tightly, then it won't work itself in between, but on the coil, it might just work itself in between the lug and connector causing issues, that's just my guess
@@Behemoth33 Dielectric is needed because grease can melt and will cause many problem if it conduct electricity. The grease is not there to help to the conduction by itself but to prevent rust from forming. And that is keeping a good conduction between 2 connector. Car company use those on major plugs that are open to element. Connector that goes on the transmission of cars and trucks, they use dielectric grease.
Agreed. Using dielectric grease is a good practice for protecting connections from corrosion. It's a common misconception that it will introduce resistance but it's essentially a fluid, and the force of the metal-on-metal contact moves the grease out of the way. You can prove it by doing a resistance test before and after applying it. I've been using it for years without any problems and works great for keeping moisture out of connections. One example I can think of is that the cutoff switch on my gas weed trimmer wouldn't shut off the engine anymore. I took the switch apart, cleaned the corrosion from the contacts, and packed it completely full of dielectric grease. Several years later and I never had another problem with it. More recently, I've been using it on all the connections for my my outdoor low voltage lighting to keep the water out of them with good results.
I used to use dielectric grease all the time, and then I started having electrical problems on some of my equipment, and it turned out to be the grease. So I decided it wasn't for me, but I would still use it in certain applications. It's just one of those things that I think is a personal preference things If you were to ask 100 guys about it, 50 would use it, and the other 50 wouldn't.
Where “dielectric” comes in. Both petroleum grease and dielectric grease DON’T conduct in their normal form. The difference is when they burn. Petroleum grease leaves carbon ash which is conductive and would add to the list of problems for a fire. Dielectric ash is still nonconducting.
Nice work, Love the simple and calm voice. No over simplification and no over complication. But one thing, you really did not had the same weather this summer. There is no single patch of dirt that is dry around here. There have been way too much rainy days and not enough sunny days ;-) If things keep like this in the futur we will have a semi jungle like place. Only thing will be the snow that will be bad for the palm trees!
Dude did a really 💩🪰 job caring for this beast of a machine. 22hp, twin, rear engine, 4 wheel steer and a beer holder. What more could a guy ask for?🇺🇸👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✅✅✅✅✅🫵🏻
I bought the Cub Cadet version of that. I've been pretty happy with it. I bought the welded deck instead though since initially, I had to transport the mower often.
This is why I love you James, you always start with the BASICS, then work tward the harder stuff. Great Job Man. I'm learning alot from you. Hopeing to pass this info on to my children.
Many years ago, I bought a GrassHopper "zero turn" mower from a co-worker. It ran, but it was obviously down on power. I found that it had a broken connecting rod on one of the pistons, yet it ran pretty good and it wasn't puking oil anywhere! I bought another twin Briggs engine, put it on the unit, and then decided that I'd "clean up" the rusty frame and the hydraulics. I spent a ton of time washing the rusty frame and mower bed with muriatic acid and neutralized with baking soda. The frame looked great..., and then life got in the way. I've never put it back together..., and now I have a "brand new" 20+hp engine sitting in the frame..., 25 years later. The engine has never been started. Ashamed I am.
Thanks James…great video as usual! I do have a pet peeve: in this application, a “wheel” and a “tire” are two separate components. Pointing at a tire and calling it a wheel……well, you know….words means things. 😂
I took the guard off too, because it made it difficult to use In tight spaces. I learned my lesson when it shot a rock 40 feet and took out my neighbors back car window. I put the guard back on!!!
Good call on the "working" coil. You had extended crank time before replacing it. After the engine started almost immediately. The missing chute contributed to the buildup of debris around the cylinder fins. The grass blew almost straight back toward the engine. Those small tires are a pain, you were lucky the rims weren't rusty like the ones I deal with. I just stick tubes in them. Great job!
I usually put tubes in all small wheels that start off without! Usually every spring the tires are flat over the winter if there are no tubes and then seem to slow leak all the time. So out with the same tire tool James has! They stay up then much better.
Hi James - I am just amazed that you have a tyre shop - Tractor Supply that you can just go, we dont have anything like that here in New Zealand - everything has to be ordered in basically. Well done again and looking forward to the water blaster repair video to come.
If someone else has not said it , Habor Freight has a good tire changer. I have one and it works very well. Always great videos, look forward to seeing them.
Another good job James. No fluff and actor stuff, just seeing what you did on camera in every detail (and your detailed thoughts out loud) to complement your professional work. "Quiet on the set" as James the pro is working while teaching with great patience once again. This IMO is why so many look forward to your videos. The camera work is outstanding too. You update videos as you learn too and that's great. I almost missed the torque wrench on this video. lol
Very informative ,I Just went through the same problem with my twin zero turn Toro bad coil and I replaced them both like you, very simple easy job thanks in part to you been watching you for years Jim your trouble shooting skills are tops
Hi James, Back in the tyre fitting days ..... We had a couple of large squishy solid rubber foamy doughnuts for the wide rims that tyres would not reach the beads .... After fitting the tyre on the rim and being unable to seat either side ....if you fitted the doughnut to the top of the rim between the tyre, it would seal the air and allow the opposite side bead to seat fully as you pumped it up. Then you would let the air out remove the Doughnut turn the tyre around and now without the doughnut push the tyre down while airing it and it never failed to seat with not much extra effort.
I’ve been told that after initially seating the tire bead onto the rim, deflate it and then set to the proper psi. You may get a second pop but it will help to ensure a proper seal.
Good video. Mice the bane of small engines. My “family “ in settled in the same area except they ate through the spark plug wire. I noticed when it ran on one cylinder I could smell gas and loss of power. Getting the air fan cover off was the most time consuming part. (Cub Cadet ).
Wish I could of informed you before you finished this machine the make a solid no flat tire for zero turns all kinds of different sizes that wear great . I installed two on a customers zero turn and he loves them much better than air tires
Have this engine in my riding tractor and had the same problem with mice nesting under the shroud. Good Idea to pull shroud off and check before each mowing season.
We both know you're never gonna use that tire tool again so if you don't mind i'd like to borrow it,,,,,, forever.. :) It'll be here with me in Houston if you ever need it.
I will give you a great tip I learned with these small tires on wide rims, I use a tube between the rim and the tire bead soaked with solution , so when you air up, the tube will roll out of the way and the tire will seat.
I was admiring your brand new driveway on your Cub Cadet video, this must’ve been shot before you replaced the driveway and I see why you did replace it.
This is the second time you have reminded me to be thankful that my brother owns a gas station (with a tire machine for more than 40 years). Watching you plow through those tires was illuminating.
I have the exact same engine on my Gravely ZTX 42 inch Zero turn. If I fill the gas tank all the way up some gas gets past the carb and past the rings and dumps into the engine compartment. I just do not fill the gas tank all the way any longer. It only has about 50 hours on it and it has always been parked in a garage. I found this out by checking the oil before starting and the oil level had gone up and the gas level had gone down. Such crazy problems for a machine that has very low hours on it. I can only assume the float valve is leaking by when the gas level is above the carb or the protection solenoid at the bottom of the carb has a problem with it. I only lose about 3/4 of a gallon capacity. When it first happened I changed the oil and never ran it with the gas in the oil. Great video. I will keep in mind if I have to change tires on the Gravely.
JAMES, I try not to miss any of your videos, but man you need to be in them, all we see is your hands, my kids are 40, 42, and 34 and I tell them to look at me when we talk I'D LIKE TO SEE WHOM I'M WATCHING
Hey, at least you know his name! There are some creators who never show their face and never state their name. I have to ask so at least I can address them by their name. On the other hand, if you watch enough videos (including James’), you’ll see their person eventually, by accident. I recently saw James’ face reflected in a window and I seen his whole amazing self in some early video he did. Then there’s ChrisFix, who made a whole thing about not showing his face (but the same goes for him - we’ve seen his face on occasion by accident, reflected in car windows). 😂🔧👍
Thanks James.. I had a tire like the ones You got, I put it in an oven to soften it up, Put a tube in it and inflated it to re-shape it like You did with the Heat gun...
Little tires and little wheels are the worst for break down and replacement. One of the best things I ever did on my riding mower was to replace the worn out tires. It saving me from fixing flats and having to check tire psi every time I mowed. It was a real guilty pleasure. Those little tire and a monster.
A good trick for those deformed tires is a plastic bucket. By pressing the rim down very hard and shooting air to it you get pressure from inside the bucket that will pop the bead to seal.
There is a trick that tire professionals use on tires just like that. It’s called tire mounting compound. Aka tire grease. Fills the large gaps and holds tight enough to allow air pressure to push the sidewalls out and the bead to contact. Boom. Done. I’ve used it for years and on everything from tiny lawnmower tires to road tractor tires. Stuff is a godsend.
There is a video called “how to bead up a stubborn tire”. Older guy shows you what I mean. You fill the opening with the Murphy soap and when the bead seats it will squeeze out all the “grease” and you scoop it up and put it back in the container for next time. Stuff work’s amazingly.
There has to be a way to have that discharge chute cover on there and be able to lift it out of the way when needed. The older a person gets, the more forgetful they get and accidently putting your foot in the gaping hole with a blade spinning in it becomes more of a possibility.
I see you’re wearing Keen boots. I bought a pair of Keen’s 3 years ago at Rural King. I wear boots everyday and was lucky to get a year out of any of the boots before I bought the Keen’s, they lasted me 2.5 years. I’m now on my second pair and hoping they last just as long. They are the most comfortable work boots I’ve ever owned.
If you use rubber safe silicone spray instead of soapy water when mounting the tires, it makes rotating that bead breaker/maker far easier and the benefit is it help protect the rubber for a time.
I used to have to put in air every few days on my zero turn. I put ATV Slime in and they stopped leaking completely. In fact, they still have almost full air after a year!
🎉Youare right about the tight quarters of the engine area the stuff that's packed around the cylinder heads on this engine is a nasty thing to have to deal with😮😂
I as well very interested in what you do. I've always loved engines and getting them running again after years of neglect from previous owners. Garbage picked so many machines, engines over the years and got them running again and selling them and using the money to buy tools and garage supplies. One suggestion I have is to use dielectric grease on all electrical connections, spark plug boots....protects from water intrusion and that fretting corrosion. You do nice work James.
Good work as usual but I was a bit disappointed that you did not fit dustcaps to new tyres and you did not check the integrity of engine oil after the engine getting very hot and unburned fuel from cylinder that was not working, Somerset mike.
Aah, just got my weekly James Condon fix. I'm a JC addict as I suspect are most of his subscribers around the world (greetings from New Zealand) and if anybody wants to startup a new fix-it channel this is the best one to model it on. My top 4 are JC, Mustie ,Taryl and Marty T (cos he's a Kiwi) does anyone agree?
Very well done as usual James. No wonder other Y/tubers reference you to learn how to do things. Me included, I have learnt so much from you. cheers mate from Mollymook Beach, Australia.
I had a 30hp Kohler commander. It became difficult to start the dealer recommended new coils and they came with a wiring diagram that deleted the emission controls what ever they were. After that it ran fine for years. I often thought it was the emission that caused the problem with the coils.
Just getting started on the video, but as an automotive tech, I can tell you that rodents cause a staggering amount of damage to vehicles and other types of equipment that is often stored outside. The nest wedged into this engine definitely caused it to overheat and damage it to some extent (even if it still runs, its life has been reduced). They also caused the rust and almost certainly caused that ignition coil to fail. On cars, I’ve had them destroy wiring harnesses causing literally tens of thousands of dollars in damage (some harnesses, like those for safety systems, cannot be repaired and must be replaced due to liability), I’ve seen them climb into the hvac systems and either pee/poop all over it or build nests and die inside (both cause horrifically bad smells in the interior) which also leads to big repair bills.
With tubed tires, my grandfather who was born in 1901, always said to inflate and deflate tube tires multiple times to get the inner tube to release any folds it may have in the inner tube/tire. This will keep the tube working properly without air leaks down the road. Blue Sky's.
James, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate not having commercial interruptions in your videos! 🙏
Me too!!!!!!!
😊
Its a testament to how good that kohler is that it was running that good down a cylinder and with all that crud.
It even has a beer holder...perfect machine!
Beautiful neighbourhood too!
With all these lawn mowers that you repair and having to make all these test cuts, your lawn must be the envy of the entire neighborhood :)
Paul is a gem for broken equipment. I mean, I feel bad for the guy having so many equipment problems, but he's gotta be a friend of the channel for life! You could do content forever just on his stuff.
@@davidduma7615 Yeah, that Cub Cadet was an eye-opener. That thing was WAY more messed up than I thought it was going to be when the first video about it started. Some people are just "hard on equipment." That's what I call it when I want to say it politely.
Paul should get some mousetraps or a cat 😂
Perhaps Paul is an alias in order to protect the identity of the perp
😂 I was thinking the same thing. As many spare parts as James has, Paul always seems to have more stuff to fix 🤣
Paul must have access to used equipment by its job, he could be buying and selling stuff in a pawn shop or he buy them at auction or at yard sells. If they work grreat he clean them good and sell direct. If broken he send them to James, and james do it at a nice price and keep the revenu from YT. everybody win.
Simple rule of thumb about positive battery cables: First on, last off when connecting or disconnecting them.
I have to say that i am impress with that zero turn mower, I had have my doubts as well thank you for your video.
I have a zero turn mower with a Kohler motor on it,I also am a firm believer in checking the oil in it before I crank it up, it's a 2019 hold over to
Front tractor tires are such a pain in the arse. Thanks again for sharing, especially appreciate the times when even the “great James” must fight with a machine like the rest of us.
My Zero Turn is 7 years old... but very low hour, since I can cut the grass in 20 mins. I REALLY like that type of mower. Never tried one with the steering wheel. Glad this was a straight forward fix. Tell the owner to FEED HIS MICE.... some green pellets, or peanut butter over a bucket of water.
The steering and transmissions are linked on these machines, and for a sharp turn, the transmission for the rear wheel inside the turn is actually power reversed. This was demonstrated when you did the U turn after querying whether it was a true 4 wheel steer or not. The problem is probably more 4WS than a conventional Zero Turn, as they are actual 2 wheel steer with the front wheels free to castor to follow, whereas this system combines conventional ackerman type steering at the front with differential drive at the rear, so all 4 wheels contribute to the steering effort.
Yes and this is actually an advantage on slopes where one rear tire might lose traction. Plus it allows you to push the machine and steer it with the hydro disengaged, like a regular tractor. Kind of cool.
When you comment “Beautiful” , I love it !!! That’s exactly what I say when things are going well with a repair… Love you videos James, keep the great variety of content coming. I especially like your generator videos. I have no problems with the engine side of the generator, it’s the power head that gives me issues. I’ve learned so much from you repairing the power heads. Thanks James !!!
Love the pop! From a tire seating to the rim!!!
Tire tip I learned from a old school dune buggy forum.
Their tires are shaved so thin for weight there are often in holes in the sidewall of brand new tires
And not uncommon to air up before every little trip out
Anyway this solves the problem
1 part Bars leak liquid aluminum
2 parts full strength antifreeze
Better than slime, doesn't eat aluminum wheels, never hardens up like slime, never freezes, and ATVs and utvs actually causes a natural tire balance. On higher speed stuff
Mix up, break outer bead, use small funnel and hose to pour it in and reinflate.
Roll around a bit in all directions
Typical large atv tire I use about 15 to 18 oz per tire
Small lawn mower front tires like those maybe 6 oz
Try it! It has yet to fail me
PS tire guys hate slime. This stuff just hose it out like a radiator flush
If you ever need to replace or service tires
Love your channel
Thank you for my Thursday fix as I look forward to your videos
The c-clamp trick is genius!
I used to use an old bumper jack, set the wheel on the driveway under my bumper and jack away. Cars no longer have steel bumpers, but it will still work using the rear bumper on a truck in an emergency, assuming you have one of those old jacks.
26:35 I was so relieved to see your admonition about disconnecting the negative first (and reconnecting it last). I've winced and talked to the screen so many times in the past when seeing you disconnect the positive first. I don't know how the information got to you but It's great that you are passing it along. My son learned this the hard way when he welded his 7/16" combination wrench to the fender of his Ford Pinto (40 years ago). He was able to break it loose before catastrophic damage occurred.
Very much enjoyed the grass mowing at the end!
putting on all the bolts with the carburetor intake exposed I was getting nervous until the air filter was back in its place; 2 new racing slicks/tires and sparky coils it is going to be a sceamer...! Good job, James and do not give any tools away again....!
with all the unburned fuel from the non firing cylinder in the engine oil please do a oil and filter change asap !
Your becoming a full service shop James!
Love your show you wouldn't believe how much I've learned about small generators, small motor.I appreciate your time you keep on trucking brother thanks Rob from California.
I have the same HF tire changer. But have learned to search RUclips for modifications of the tool. Like applying plastic to the tire removal tool and extending its length with aluminum conduit pipe and using a tip from a NoMar motorcycle tire changer system! Also get the right tub of tire lube and things will work like they were meant too. You can put some lube in spray bottle and add warm water to make slippery lube that does not break tire rubber down!
Nice job on this one James, you really out did yourself.
TSC has been a life saver for those who work after normal hours
It’s my first place to go period 😊😊❤
I just wish they had more of the common stuff and more than one in stock because I like to buy 4/5 at a time 😊
James, another very interesting video, thank you for posting.
All the best from Nottinghamshire in the U.K.
Great bit of maintenance there, James. Thanks for sharing with us.
That's great it just turned out to be a bad coil and not cylinder head damage from overheating causing no compression, excellent work as always James!
I had a 20HP Briggs and Stratton that was having a weird sputter when not under load and I tried everything all fuel components except the tank where replaced but cleaning the cooling fins made a massive difference for such a worn out engine. It had oil combined with grass on one cylinder but no oil leak and has 50psi on left and 60psi on the right cylinder after 20 years.
I really like your videos, James. Wow, now I finally get to feel really smart and important by telling you that the spade connector on those coils is called a "Packard connector" because years ago the Packard Motor Co. improved the design of the original spade connector by adding that tab in the middle to insure better contact.
It fooled me for a minute. It unplugged so easy, thought I broke it.
You're right about the screws that hold the coils on. What I do is put a light coating of never seize on the whole screw under the head all the way to and including the threads. Wipe off as much as possible which still leaves a thin coat and put internal star washers under the head. The only resistance to taking them off is between the head and the washer.
I have to say that Paul is very lucky to have a great local mechanic like you to work on his machine. Very thorough testing and troubleshooting. Seems the easiest thing for you was the engine problem and the pain in the butt was replacing those tires... funny how that works lol
That Caterpillar 🐛 is going to claim compensation when it get back on it’s feet’s 😂
Poor thing went under the back wheel at 15:46 😢
@@iconoclad I was thinking the same thing
little bro was just enjoying his day
nice spark tester, beats using my tongue on the plug wire.
I had a set of tires like those for a lawn vac, just as smushed. I had two ratchet straps and a whole lot of creative language before each of those buggers would bead up! Never thought of the tube expansion idea, although I think I would have had the same success you had with yours. I broke the bead breaker handle on my HF tire changer. Ended up buying a "Bead Buster" which after a re-weld of the bead hooks, works like a charm!
I have been a RUclipsr for a lot of years this is the first time I subscribed and left a comment. The Zero turn mower down was a great video, James took his time explained everything and was easy to follow. I have been a backyard mechanic for 40 years and still I learned some simple easy check points. Also anyone who has basketball court in their yard and with a last name that has saved many lives has got to be aces. Looking forard to many more vides, Thank you.
Great video, thumbs up, I have had a couple of these Kohler V Twin engines have coils fail, put new ones on and they run again, i liked that tire changer mchine, gotta look into getting one myself,after a while you have so much equipment , no room for the machines that need fixing, enjoy all the videos
It's definitely sometimes easier to send tires off to the professionals to get them done.
I completely agree with you about coil bolts, especially if the engine has mice damage.
Hello James: I was wondering what happened to your tire changer. Then you explained giving it away. They make a very difficult task a lot less difficult, not easy but manageable. If you have not already spoken to Paul about the deck guard/ discharge. Maybe a quick disconect bracket could be fabricated to facilitate quick removal & install if the guard is not already configured with one.
I put a bungie cord with a breakaway connector on my riding mower so I can lift the guard up while going through the door. It just clears with the guard lifted. Steeling yor closing, I hope this helps someone.
My Husky Varney zero turn discharge chute is double-jointed. It lift’s completely out of the way.
The never ending struggles with the "dinky" tire. You have to prepare for battle because you'll want a nap when you're done 👍
Nicely done, James. However, I don't understand why you don't use dielectric grease on electrical fittings, such as the coil wires. Prevents rust from forming due to rain water or other "liquids" from critters that make their homes in machines. :) It works great on battery terminals, too.
Because dielectric grease is not conductive? So, on a battery where the terminal is clamped tightly, then it won't work itself in between, but on the coil, it might just work itself in between the lug and connector causing issues, that's just my guess
@@Behemoth33 Dielectric is needed because grease can melt and will cause many problem if it conduct electricity. The grease is not there to help to the conduction by itself but to prevent rust from forming. And that is keeping a good conduction between 2 connector. Car company use those on major plugs that are open to element. Connector that goes on the transmission of cars and trucks, they use dielectric grease.
Agreed. Using dielectric grease is a good practice for protecting connections from corrosion. It's a common misconception that it will introduce resistance but it's essentially a fluid, and the force of the metal-on-metal contact moves the grease out of the way. You can prove it by doing a resistance test before and after applying it. I've been using it for years without any problems and works great for keeping moisture out of connections. One example I can think of is that the cutoff switch on my gas weed trimmer wouldn't shut off the engine anymore. I took the switch apart, cleaned the corrosion from the contacts, and packed it completely full of dielectric grease. Several years later and I never had another problem with it. More recently, I've been using it on all the connections for my my outdoor low voltage lighting to keep the water out of them with good results.
I used to use dielectric grease all the time, and then I started having electrical problems on some of my equipment, and it turned out to be the grease. So I decided it wasn't for me, but I would still use it in certain applications. It's just one of those things that I think is a personal preference things If you were to ask 100 guys about it, 50 would use it, and the other 50 wouldn't.
Where “dielectric” comes in. Both petroleum grease and dielectric grease DON’T conduct in their normal form. The difference is when they burn. Petroleum grease leaves carbon ash which is conductive and would add to the list of problems for a fire. Dielectric ash is still nonconducting.
That was a close call on the go pro lol nice work as always.
Nice work, Love the simple and calm voice. No over simplification and no over complication. But one thing, you really did not had the same weather this summer. There is no single patch of dirt that is dry around here. There have been way too much rainy days and not enough sunny days ;-) If things keep like this in the futur we will have a semi jungle like place. Only thing will be the snow that will be bad for the palm trees!
Dude did a really 💩🪰 job caring for this beast of a machine. 22hp, twin, rear engine, 4 wheel steer and a beer holder. What more could a guy ask for?🇺🇸👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✅✅✅✅✅🫵🏻
I bought the Cub Cadet version of that. I've been pretty happy with it. I bought the welded deck instead though since initially, I had to transport the mower often.
This is why I love you James, you always start with the BASICS, then work tward the harder stuff. Great Job Man. I'm learning alot from you. Hopeing to pass this info on to my children.
Many years ago, I bought a GrassHopper "zero turn" mower from a co-worker. It ran, but it was obviously down on power. I found that it had a broken connecting rod on one of the pistons, yet it ran pretty good and it wasn't puking oil anywhere! I bought another twin Briggs engine, put it on the unit, and then decided that I'd "clean up" the rusty frame and the hydraulics. I spent a ton of time washing the rusty frame and mower bed with muriatic acid and neutralized with baking soda. The frame looked great..., and then life got in the way. I've never put it back together..., and now I have a "brand new" 20+hp engine sitting in the frame..., 25 years later. The engine has never been started. Ashamed I am.
Thanks James…great video as usual! I do have a pet peeve: in this application, a “wheel” and a “tire” are two separate components. Pointing at a tire and calling it a wheel……well, you know….words means things. 😂
Both tire and rim are the wheel
I do that a lot. I call nuts bolt and bolts nuts. Trying to be a little more mindful to use the correct words yet sometime I fail.
@@jcondon1
Yeah, don’t even get me started on leverage and torque! 😂
@@jcondon1
Most people (I mean MOST!) call screws bolts and vice versa.
@@Rein_Ciarfellagive me a moment
I took the guard off too, because it made it difficult to use In tight spaces. I learned my lesson when it shot a rock 40 feet and took out my neighbors back car window. I put the guard back on!!!
Good call on the "working" coil. You had extended crank time before replacing it. After the engine started almost immediately. The missing chute contributed to the buildup of debris around the cylinder fins. The grass blew almost straight back toward the engine. Those small tires are a pain, you were lucky the rims weren't rusty like the ones I deal with. I just stick tubes in them. Great job!
I usually put tubes in all small wheels that start off without! Usually every spring the tires are flat over the winter if there are no tubes and then seem to slow leak all the time. So out with the same tire tool James has! They stay up then much better.
Hi James - I am just amazed that you have a tyre shop - Tractor Supply that you can just go, we dont have anything like that here in New Zealand - everything has to be ordered in basically. Well done again and looking forward to the water blaster repair video to come.
Jeez, you have grass in NewZealand. ? I thought it was all snow and ice. 😮
I gotta get out more. 😊
Id would have liked to known what the resistance was on the new coil to compare
And if it would have started after cleaning the connectors on the "bad" coil!
Why replace the good coil?
Very nice: better seat and the trees survived. Thanks Paul also!
If someone else has not said it , Habor Freight has a good tire changer. I have one and it works very well. Always great videos, look forward to seeing them.
Oh nevermind, made comment without watching all of the video. Lol.😊
Another good job James. No fluff and actor stuff, just seeing what you did on camera in every detail (and your detailed thoughts out loud) to complement your professional work. "Quiet on the set" as James the pro is working while teaching with great patience once again. This IMO is why so many look forward to your videos. The camera work is outstanding too. You update videos as you learn too and that's great. I almost missed the torque wrench on this video. lol
So nice to see you get equipment that fixes with no fuss. Miss the carb in the ultrasound this time
Very informative ,I Just went through the same problem with my twin zero turn Toro bad coil and I replaced them both like you, very simple easy job thanks in part to you been watching you for years Jim your trouble shooting skills are tops
This was fun to watch. Thanks
THANK Y , YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT PERSONALITY BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE CHALLENGE OF REPAIRS AND YOU ONLY CHOOSE THE DIFFICULT THANK Y
Hi James,
Back in the tyre fitting days .....
We had a couple of large squishy solid rubber foamy doughnuts for the wide rims that tyres would not reach the beads ....
After fitting the tyre on the rim and being unable to seat either side ....if you fitted the doughnut to the top of the rim between the tyre, it would seal the air and allow the opposite side bead to seat fully as you pumped it up.
Then you would let the air out remove the Doughnut turn the tyre around and now without the doughnut push the tyre down while airing it and it never failed to seat with not much extra effort.
I’ve been told that after initially seating the tire bead onto the rim, deflate it and then set to the proper psi. You may get a second pop but it will help to ensure a proper seal.
That is a common practice on High Speed rated tires not so much on ATV and Lawn Tractor
All my life I have been different than most, Autism, but I find your channel and Chikanic are my favorite. Your voices are calming and a learn.
I put solid tires on my Cub Cadet Zero Turn and they have been worth it. Wish I could find them for the rear.
Good video. Mice the bane of small engines. My “family “ in settled in the same area except they ate through the spark plug wire. I noticed when it ran on one cylinder I could smell gas and loss of power. Getting the air fan cover off was the most time
consuming part. (Cub Cadet ).
Wish I could of informed you before you finished this machine the make a solid no flat tire for zero turns all kinds of different sizes that wear great . I installed two on a customers zero turn and he loves them much better than air tires
James, you saved me some time in your trouble shooting. I need a spark checker. Thank you sir!
That thing runs really good for being down on 1 out of 2 cylinders lol
Have this engine in my riding tractor and had the same problem with mice nesting under the shroud. Good Idea to pull shroud off and check before each mowing season.
There is nothing like having the correct tools!
A mechanic is no better than his tools and tests equipment
That’s a fact folks 😊
We both know you're never gonna use that tire tool again so if you don't mind i'd like to borrow it,,,,,, forever.. :)
It'll be here with me in Houston if you ever need it.
Toujours avec une approche méthodique et prudente; merci encore.
I will give you a great tip I learned with these small tires on wide rims, I use a tube between the rim and the tire bead soaked with solution , so when you air up, the tube will roll out of the way and the tire will seat.
I was admiring your brand new driveway on your Cub Cadet video, this must’ve been shot before you replaced the driveway and I see why you did replace it.
It was approaching 25 years old. Had to fix it before if became a larger problem.
This is the second time you have reminded me to be thankful that my brother owns a gas station (with a tire machine for more than 40 years). Watching you plow through those tires was illuminating.
I have the exact same engine on my Gravely ZTX 42 inch Zero turn. If I fill the gas tank all the way up some gas gets past the carb and past the rings and dumps into the engine compartment. I just do not fill the gas tank all the way any longer. It only has about 50 hours on it and it has always been parked in a garage. I found this out by checking the oil before starting and the oil level had gone up and the gas level had gone down. Such crazy problems for a machine that has very low hours on it. I can only assume the float valve is leaking by when the gas level is above the carb or the protection solenoid at the bottom of the carb has a problem with it. I only lose about 3/4 of a gallon capacity. When it first happened I changed the oil and never ran it with the gas in the oil. Great video. I will keep in mind if I have to change tires on the Gravely.
JAMES, I try not to miss any of your videos, but man you need to be in them, all we see is your hands, my kids are 40, 42, and 34 and I tell them to look at me when we talk I'D LIKE TO SEE WHOM I'M WATCHING
Hey, at least you know his name! There are some creators who never show their face and never state their name. I have to ask so at least I can address them by their name.
On the other hand, if you watch enough videos (including James’), you’ll see their person eventually, by accident. I recently saw James’ face reflected in a window and I seen his whole amazing self in some early video he did.
Then there’s ChrisFix, who made a whole thing about not showing his face (but the same goes for him - we’ve seen his face on occasion by accident, reflected in car windows). 😂🔧👍
@@Rein_Ciarfella The way I was raised it was impolite not to look at someone while talking to them
You see a quick shot of his face every once in awhile…he doesn’t do a total ChrisFix.
For tiresI always have pieces of wood 6” and 8” and put 4 inside the tires between the beads and let them set for a couple hrs, works like a charm.
I think you can get a mulching plug for the mower. It will give you some protection..
Thanks James..
I had a tire like the ones You got, I put it in an oven to soften it up, Put a tube in it and inflated it to re-shape it like You did with the Heat gun...
Can’t believe you didn’t change the oil and sharpen the blades ! You are slipping James ! Haha! Good job !
Little tires and little wheels are the worst for break down and replacement. One of the best things I ever did on my riding mower was to replace the worn out tires. It saving me from fixing flats and having to check tire psi every time I mowed. It was a real guilty pleasure. Those little tire and a monster.
A good trick for those deformed tires is a plastic bucket. By pressing the rim down very hard and shooting air to it you get pressure from inside the bucket that will pop the bead to seal.
The correct tool is a compression belt...
@@walkertongdee He used about 97 of them and it didn't work?
There is a trick that tire professionals use on tires just like that. It’s called tire mounting compound. Aka tire grease. Fills the large gaps and holds tight enough to allow air pressure to push the sidewalls out and the bead to contact. Boom. Done. I’ve used it for years and on everything from tiny lawnmower tires to road tractor tires. Stuff is a godsend.
There is a video called “how to bead up a stubborn tire”. Older guy shows you what I mean. You fill the opening with the Murphy soap and when the bead seats it will squeeze out all the “grease” and you scoop it up and put it back in the container for next time. Stuff work’s amazingly.
Starter fluid and a lighter. Boom
There has to be a way to have that discharge chute cover on there and be able to lift it out of the way when needed. The older a person gets, the more forgetful they get and accidently putting your foot in the gaping hole with a blade spinning in it becomes more of a possibility.
There is, you just flip it up. No idea why this guy took it off unless he hit something and broke it.
there is a cover plate...
@@russellv6234 Paul took it off so it would fit in his shed.
@@YukonHawk1 or you know. Flip it up and it's just as narrow genius
It's always nice seeing fix something besides generators. You can do it all!
Just catching up on the summer equipment repairs before it’s too cold.
I see you’re wearing Keen boots. I bought a pair of Keen’s 3 years ago at Rural King. I wear boots everyday and was lucky to get a year out of any of the boots before I bought the Keen’s, they lasted me 2.5 years. I’m now on my second pair and hoping they last just as long. They are the most comfortable work boots I’ve ever owned.
If you use rubber safe silicone spray instead of soapy water when mounting the tires, it makes rotating that bead breaker/maker far easier and the benefit is it help protect the rubber for a time.
I used to have to put in air every few days on my zero turn. I put ATV Slime in and they stopped leaking completely. In fact, they still have almost full air after a year!
🎉Youare right about the tight quarters of the engine area the stuff that's packed around the cylinder heads on this engine is a nasty thing to have to deal with😮😂
And it is all plastic "for looks", not required. Customer focus groups must think people do not want lawn equipment to look like lawn equipment.
@@JasonW. you got that right 👍
@@JasonW.
So true, I like the older equipment, not so much of unnecessary clutter. 😊
Great video and an Eazy Peazy repair to get the ZTR back in shape!
I as well very interested in what you do. I've always loved engines and getting them running again after years of neglect from previous owners. Garbage picked so many machines, engines over the years and got them running again and selling them and using the money to buy tools and garage supplies. One suggestion I have is to use dielectric grease on all electrical connections, spark plug boots....protects from water intrusion and that fretting corrosion. You do nice work James.
Great work James 😊
Awesome zero turn and Thank you for the video
Good work as usual but I was a bit disappointed that you did not fit dustcaps to new tyres and you did not check the integrity of engine oil after the engine getting very hot and unburned fuel from cylinder that was not working, Somerset mike.
Thanks for the help just finished my toro and Thanks to your video it's running great.
Aah, just got my weekly James Condon fix. I'm a JC addict as I suspect are most of his subscribers around the world (greetings from New Zealand) and if anybody wants to startup a new fix-it channel this is the best one to model it on. My top 4 are JC, Mustie ,Taryl and Marty T (cos he's a Kiwi) does anyone agree?
Good fix. Bugger about the tyres.
As always a joy to watch - guess I too am using the tire changer wrongly 🙂
Very well done as usual James. No wonder other Y/tubers reference you to learn how to do things. Me included, I have learnt so much from you.
cheers mate from Mollymook Beach, Australia.
I had a 30hp Kohler commander. It became difficult to start the dealer recommended new coils and they came with a wiring diagram that deleted the emission controls what ever they were. After that it ran fine for years. I often thought it was the emission that caused the problem with the coils.
Just getting started on the video, but as an automotive tech, I can tell you that rodents cause a staggering amount of damage to vehicles and other types of equipment that is often stored outside. The nest wedged into this engine definitely caused it to overheat and damage it to some extent (even if it still runs, its life has been reduced). They also caused the rust and almost certainly caused that ignition coil to fail. On cars, I’ve had them destroy wiring harnesses causing literally tens of thousands of dollars in damage (some harnesses, like those for safety systems, cannot be repaired and must be replaced due to liability), I’ve seen them climb into the hvac systems and either pee/poop all over it or build nests and die inside (both cause horrifically bad smells in the interior) which also leads to big repair bills.
Good video James