Whatever!!!!!!!!! Gearhead-EFI Edition

**RobertISaar** · 04-21-2012

shot a few emails back and forth last night, what it does is use known vehicle weight, known gearing, known tire size and then from this it extrapolates torque(and generates HP from torque) based off of how quickly the engine revs up under load. it also uses TPS to signal when the vehicle is at WOT and that's basically all of the info it uses. time is based off of a timestamp in the datastream as well.

it's actually very similar to how the dynojet dynos work, and comes to VERY close numbers to a real dynojet dyno.

so while it may not be a 100% accurate representation of wheel HP/TQ, it will at the very least give you a basis for what your changes did(increased or decreased power). there is also an option for SAE correction due to air temps and possibly baro pressure.

for increased resolution, personally, i will be making mode 3(maybe it's mode 2?) commands to grab ONLY necessary items from the datastream, so that i can bump up my sampling rate into the 40Hz range. :)

**JeepsAndGuns** · 04-22-2012

Sounds really interesting. I would be curious to try it out if it gets hooked up with TP. Only thing I dont know is my cherokee's weight. I'm thinking its somewhere around 2.5 tons. I know its not light.

**EagleMark** · 04-22-2012

I downloaded it and only got as far as choosing the car and mine was not there? Mostly import stuff. But maybe we could get more data in if TP gets in too...

**JeepsAndGuns** · 04-22-2012

The local machine shop has been super busy, but finally got my mower engine back from them late friday afternoon. They cleaned and checked the block, said the cylinders were almost perfect, less than half a thousands wear, even on the side that got some rust on it. Rust was super light, left no pitting, and they were able to do a super light hone and call it good! Cleaned, checked the heads, valve job and resurface, all done for a whopping $73.

Went in to work yesterday off the clock and worked from 7-12 reassembleing the engine. New rings, rebuilt the waterpump, all new gaskets and seals, and new head bolts. Pressure washed all the dirt/grass out of the radiator, oil cooler, and frame of the mower. Gonna drop it back in monday.

**EagleMark** · 04-22-2012

So what are you going to do with the thousands of dollars made from this venture?

Hey, since your a lawn mower tech, what oil would you recomend for briggs and stratton or Honda OHV engine? Honda is on a new pressure washer I have and Briggs is in a new lawn mower I got. My last lawn mower only lasted 16 years and died last summer, started puking oil out head I think but still ran... should I try and put a head gasket on it? Craftsman Eager 1?

**JeepsAndGuns** · 04-22-2012

If there is no listing in the owners manual for the above mentioned engines, then just run a good quality 10W-30.
All JD gas engines use 10W-30, and they have used brigs, kawasaki, and kohler. Even some onan back in the day. Even seen a yanmar gas burner in a pro gator.

Not sure on the oil leak, kinda hard to know without seeing it and knowing what engine it has, and what the condition of the engine is, and where its leaking from, also not knowing the condition of the rest of the mower. Sometimes repairs can cost more than a mower is worth.

Hoping to get a good penny for this mower, I will take the money I get from it and buy the parts I need to finish my build on my cherokee. I have front and rear dana 60's that need rebuilt and lockers, plus lots of other various parts to install them, like steering, shocks, driveshafts. Plus the parts I need to install my NV4500 and NP 205. But I have already rebuilt those and have made my adapter to bolt them together, and have the conversion bellhousing to bolt it to my 401.
Mower should be worth $5000-7000 when done.

**JeepsAndGuns** · 04-25-2012

The X585 lives again! Fired it up this morning. Had to drain the tank as I found some water in the fuel when I changed the fuel filter. I definately didnt want that going through my new engine! Gotta love fuel injection, she fired right up and purrs like a kitten. Ran full throttle for a bit to break everything back in and open the t-stat and burp the cooling system.
Next is the deck, cleaned it up real good, couple of the spindles need bearings, needs blades, and the deck wheels are all shot, the idiot PO let them ride on the ground and wore them out. Hope to mabey have it ready to be for sale by the end of the week.

**1project2many** · 04-25-2012

Next is the deck, cleaned it up real good, couple of the spindles need bearings, needs blades, and the deck wheels are all shot, the idiot PO let them ride on the ground and wore them out.

Ok, I'll bite. How do you mow without the deck wheels touching the ground? On most of the mowers I own the wheels are designed to support the deck.

**RobertISaar** · 04-25-2012

i'm also drawing a blank there... unless you don't want the grass cut very short, the wheels will pretty much need to be on contact.

**Six_Shooter** · 04-25-2012

AFAIK, The wheels are only there for uneven ground, to support the deck for short distances.

In other news, I bought a MINT 1972 240Z dash for my car. :D

**JeepsAndGuns** · 04-25-2012

The deck wheels are "anti scalp" wheels. They are not intended, or designed to ride on the ground. The deck cutting height is set by the linkage that holds the deck under the mower and raises and lowers it. It has a knob between your legs in front of the seat that you turn to adjuat cutting height. Once you get the cutting height set to what you want, you adjust the deck wheel height. You adjust them to where there is atleast the thickness of your fingers or more between them and the ground. What they do is prevent the deck from digging into the ground when you hit a hole, or uneven spot on the ground with your mowers tires. The deck wheel will ride on the ground and support the deck while you go over the bump, therefore preventing it from digging into the ground. All JD mowers are designed this way. And most all other brands of mowers I see are also made this way. Its a commom misconception that the wheels are supposed to ride on the ground. They are not.
We get lots of mowers into the shop with worn out wheels and compaints they have to replace them so often. We then have to explain to them what I just explained above. Most get it and then they are fine after that. But some are thick headed and refuse to accept it and continue to let them ride on the ground, and then continue to gripe to us about them wearing out.
The only mowing decks I have seen with wheels actually designed to ride on the ground, are finish mowers. They mount on the 3 point hitch on the rear of a tractor and run off the pto.

1project, what mowers do you have?

**EagleMark** · 04-25-2012

That explains why the deck wheels are only on the ground at lowest setting of deck. But actually shouldn't be...

**1project2many** · 04-25-2012

I have a Bolens H16XL, 1980s vintage. Not JD quality but far better than much of the junk on the market today. My mower has a hydraulic lift to raise and lower the deck but there is no way to use the lift to consistently set the deck height at anything but full up or full down. The rear wheels of the deck are attached to a height adjustment lever. According to the manual the front of the deck will always be at a fixed height (IIRC it's about 2") from level ground at full lowered position and the height adjustment lever in the rear sets the mowing height. The wheels are worn out but they've seen many, many years of service.

I had a very cheap (free, actually) MTD '90s vintage but come to think of it that deck had no wheels. For a short time I had a Yamaha rider (very nice but impossible to buy parts for) which I didn't use much but I did maintain for the neighbor across the street when it was his. That deck operated similarly to the Bolens. And for a few years I was responsible for Grandpa's late '60s Cub Cadet which I believe ran the wheels on the gound all the time. With this limited experience I confess I could also be an idiot owner if I bought up a JD rider. OTOH I do try and make sure I obtain and read the manual for every tool I own.

Edit: Just checked the manual. Front height is adjusted by changing length of leveling rods after cutting height lever is positioned. Deck is supposed to be level within 1/8" front to back.