Boy this is ridculous

[KE4AVB]

Today I tried ordering a Kohler CV680-3016 engine and was it will take at least 90 days to get one and that is if Kohler on the ball. They are just keeping the big boys supplied engine for the new mowers telling small shop tough.

So basically I got to call my customer now and tell him that I will not be able to put a new engine on his Exmark ZTR because Kohler just wants to drag their feet. Therefore will either have to buy a new mower or get someone else to cut his grass this year.

[hanz63]

We were just talking about the lack of engines. Briggs, I'll have to start stocking them again if I want one in season. Husqvarna stuff , the strange common parts backlog has begun. . .

Ever do a head gasket on an EFI Powermore single? I couldn't find part numbers for the one I had here. Let's see if it really needs one.

[KE4AVB]

Which particular CC and Engine. I am assuming it is probably the 9X90HUA engine on a XT1. Usually CC has the IPLs for the engine with the mower ipl list. The head gasket for the X90 is PN 921-04743.

I will try later calling MTD to see if I can get a X90 service manual. It has six screws holding on the head so the P90 4 screw SM is not going to cut it. May they will at least me the torque pattern and torque spec for the head.


I have been awaiting a throttle for what was a six old Poulan pole saw just now got a possible ship date of June 7. The saw came in last September. Some the Kawasaki parts parts have taken up to two months this year. As for Briggs they are dead here as far as coming for service. It was about the same as last year when my distributor demand me to buy $2000 in parts that I didn't need. Needless to say they are not my distributor anymore. And most of the after market parts they sold were Rotary so Rotary has me a direct customer now.

Currently have Red Dog (Hustler clone) ZTR on the yard with the transmission mount kit on B/O. All of the mounts except one is broken in two. How the hydros stayed under it is anybody guess. It only came when the drive belt broke.

Now the customer with the bad Kohler son in law just called late yesterday and his mower went down so they are now mowerless. Hopefully it is a simple carb problem like the XT1 that just ordered a carb for where the choke shaft is completely missing on the Kohler's Walbro carburetor. OF course no parts available for the carb so it has to be a complete carb replacement.

[hanz63]

Odd stuff here too. My season always starts with so much gravy, and then...

No engine info was in the rider IPL. I've had them too that didn't know what engine build -like date code wrong but did model. Kind of like MTD saying, you have 3 different deck spindles to choose from.

Missing choke shaft? Boy, that's rich. Had an X320 with a real strange stall problem according to the customer. For me it would begin to load up , but only when the deck was engaged. Felt like an ignition miss, but coils were strong , choke shaft was returning. I'm used to these choke shafts binding from time to time. This one here was broken. The plate just flopping around in the elbow. The control cable adjustment was a bit aggressive.

Have a Kawasaki carb off now soaking the float pin. It's been awhile since I've broken a casting for the float pin, this sucker doesn't budge.

[KE4AVB]

So I not the only one that have come across a Nikki Twin carburetor with a choke worn in two. Here I had to make and install shaft bushings for the choke. I think the root problem was that was no tension on the choke linkage when the choke was off.

So far this I spent 35 minutes on hold to just get to someone and then they send me the P90, P92 service manual which is not what the X90 needs since the P90 use a four bolt head and the X90 uses a six bolt head. Boy B&D tech support is dumb when it comes to CC and MTD stuff.

[hanz63]

I have never seen these with failed choke shafts. I do have a customer that the linkage is looser than all get out. I fashioned a return spring and so far, it hasn't come back. Think I used one from an Intek twin with the auto choke. It's been run hard...

So the "head gasket" problem has taken a turn. Too much coolant. Green coolant. In the fuel tank. Can't make this stuff up. Mike drop....

13A9A1CS056 was the rider in question. Problem is / was I threw it up on parts tree and didn't see an engine listed when I did a cursory check.
I've been down this road before I recalled for the same model, forget the build year. they are either a 9X90HU or 9X90HUA and it was different for what ever I was looking for. Starter I think.

You have much patience for these companies. I haven't called their center in years. Like many things though, 100 years ago I would call the B&D service center for parts and info, they were top notch.

[SUKI]

Oh I had to hang up on the rep as a new customer was dropping his Exmark.

Then I got in a Bad Boy with a hacked wiring harness. Boy I hate their wiring diagrams they are as bad as Kubota diagrams. Just a line drawing to components with numbers. No real electrical schematic that I am used to from my electronic days. These terrible diagrams takes a lot of time that is wasted as if they provided good diagrams it only takes minutes instead of at least an hour looking up components. No wonder some techs just throw their hand up when it comes to electrical problems.

Even the diagram in the manual when printed out requires a magnifying glass to see the numbers if you print it on a 8-1/2 x 11 sheet. And on the screen you have to go to 600x just to read it. Which a 22" screen means scrolling around trying to follow wire paths.

On top that Bad Boy didn't provide the correct diagram. Theirs only had one fuse and the mower I repairing had three fuses. They didn't even know the other fuse sizes. But I final took an educated guess at the fuse that was 30A and replaced it with a 10 amp since it was the PTO circuit. Still left the lap bars switches disconnected as the wires were already removed.

It is bad when the manufacture don't even know what they did on a mower to make it.

[38racing]

Oh I had to hang up on the rep as a new customer was dropping his Exmark.

Then I got in a Bad Boy with a hacked wiring harness. Boy I hate their wiring diagrams they are as bad as Kubota diagrams. Just a line drawing to components with numbers. No real electrical schematic that I am used to from my electronic days. These terrible diagrams takes a lot of time that is wasted as if they provided good diagrams it only takes minutes instead of at least an hour looking up components. No wonder some techs just throw their hand up when it comes to electrical problems.

Even the diagram in the manual when printed out requires a magnifying glass to see the numbers if you print it on a 8-1/2 x 11 sheet. And on the screen you have to go to 600x just to read it. Which a 22" screen means scrolling around trying to follow wire paths.

On top that Bad Boy didn't provide the correct diagram. Theirs only had one fuse and the mower I repairing had three fuses. They didn't even know the other fuse sizes. But I final took an educated guess at the fuse that was 30A and replaced it with a 10 amp since it was the PTO circuit. Still left the lap bars switches disconnected as the wires were already removed.

It is bad when the manufacture don't even know what they did on a mower to make it.

I needed the lever for an mtd hydro idler pulley. Had ipl for the model and ordered the part. It was flat but original was stepped to bypass a cross rod in the frame. Had another mtd hydr ad took the flat one. I sent picture to mtd but they had no clue about the stepped level. I ended up repairig it. Sane for my mtd zturn. Woring is differe than some schematics provided my mtd. They couldn't provide one for my model. Just a useless engineering diagram.

[KE4AVB]

Sometimes the personnel we deal with are more clueless than our customers. It is the same with some repair shop that hire a guy just to be a sounding board.