Beveled sides of the connecting rods at crank should be opposing. The flat sides go against each other and the bevel sides point away. You put one piston on the connecting rod 180 degress off. May not make a difference in the short run, but oil flow between connecting rods at crank will be diminished.
One project after another. If y'all don't get much snow this year, you'll still have plenty to keep you busy I'm super impressed that you're willing to do so much of your own work
Ok. Thanks. I caught it in the video. Both pistons are the same part number. What was confusing me was that the obvious DEI hire at Kawasaki told me that the pistons were different for each cylinder. They’re not different, they’re the same, in case anyone else runs into this issue. I couldn’t read the numbers on mine because it was blown out from a broken valve.
Did you put the new rings in the bored cylinders and measure the end gap I hope? WD-40 is better than nothing for assembly lube but I prefer using real assembly lube or even just motor oil.
I commend you for the effort to repair this engine as opposed to scrapping it; I think it was the correct move. My guess is the most difficult part was finding someone to bore and hone the block. However, I need to join the chorus in the comments about the use of WD-40 as assembly lube. What are you thinking?? You spent north of $700 in parts and a not an insignificant amount of labor but then cheeped out on assembly lube. If this engine doesn't fail prematurely it is just pure luck. Do yourself a favor, spend $12 on a tube of Lubriplate.
They make assembly engine Greece just for what you are doing. Wd40 is a more stir repellent. But you can fill the engine with oil and shake it around before starting it up. I went to engine Machinist school for 2 years. I would take the plugs out a spin it several times before trying to starting it. Thanks for the information and video. God bless you.
Hey, Ranae and Brandon! Eh, it's just a few small chunks of metal 😮!! Just my opinion but, I think you should have followed the inside profile of the crank case cover so oil won't seep out of the bolt holes. I know you do this stuff WAY MORE than me. Just a thought. Looks REALLY good though! 👍Good luck, God bless.
I always just buy a new engine at $2-$3k and install. I have never taken the time to rebuild a mower engine - Usually by the time i replace them they are junk with 3500-4000 hrs on them. Im not a mechanic-u guys know all about rebuilding them but for the average guy running a business they dont. My exmarks lazer Z Xseries machines new retail at 18k-$20k! So replacing the engines is nothing compared to that. I will be replacing a Kawi 921 with 2500 hrs on this off season for $3100. The big Parker pumps last for ever-I have never replaced a pump on any exmark machine ever. one machine is on its third engine and the pumps running strong. great video man
I know this is an older video but have a question regarding the governor fork in the crankcase. Does it go over or under the first washer on the camshaft? Had to remove the crankcase to replace my crankshaft.
WD40 for the piston, rings and cylinder.....assembly lube everywhere else.....you do a good job with your camera work, etc,,,,,your explanations and narrative are sensible and logical.....you speak well and are clearly understandable......you also have a lot of GUTS(.....greetings from La Grange, Texas
Great job, and great video guys. This is so informative. I'm sure this will help so many people. I love the mix of mowing and wrenching lol. Have a great evening.
I would apply the sealant onto the inside of the bolt holes so that no oil can leak past the threads of the bolts. I recently rebuilt a Honda GSV190 lawnmower engine for my fathers lawnmower because the engine was very smoky on startup,the lower compression ring was out of specification & the rings were just tired after 20 years of use. I had to order a new standard sized piston because the grooves were machined to accept thinner piston rings & the original rings were no longer available & expensive if buying new old stock rings. I staggered the rings 120° apart although I staggered the chrome faced scraper rings for the oil control rings apart by 10 millimetres as per Hondas instructions although the expander ring wasn't fitted so it would line up with the gap,so both compression rings & the oil control rings gaps were spaced 120° apart. The T mark on the compression rings had to face the top side of the piston. The arrow at the bottom of the piston was positioned to face the right hand side of the engine or the muffler side of the engine. Honda had no recommendation as far as letting the RTV silicone sealant skin over before finally torquing the bolts down to 12 Newton Metres & in sequence. I used Permatex red RTV silicone sealant because that was what I had on hand after I used it to replace one of the exhaust header gaskets in my car !
WOW! You don’t see a lot of companies tackling repairs like this. I hate to be that guy did you torque connecting rod bolts? You didn’t mention the specs nor step. I’m only asking bc I don’t trust my torque arm on such an important thing as well as the crank case cover bolts. Great job so far! 🤙🏻🇺🇸🔧🦅
I bought the mower with an engine problem. Mower was ran without oil. I spent $700 on a rebuild kit, and to have the cylinders bored out. $700 is way better than $3,000!
Almost a good video. Was really wanting to see you put the crank case together, as there is a part in there that slides into the shaft. But seems there are a few places it could go. Was hoping to see that.
Details in engine work can be critical......gasket and sealer n the inside of the bolts so the oil does9n't wick out thru the bolt threads.....didn't notice the rods orientation.....you're doing a good job....I'm thinking this is your first go around....
That was my guess but I thought it was a machine you were using so I didn’t wanna hint that you forgot to check the oil lol. I have a Deere 930M with the 801v that burns oil and has since it’s first day. John Deere says in the book that they use half oz per cylinder per hr. Like they’re designed to do this to last longer maybe? But I hate it. It has 1800 hrs on it now and runs strong as ever but you gotta keep track of the oil closely on it. No racing pistons in it? Aww come on. :)
You can't forgo the crankcase gasket as it's used as a shim to get the proper spacing. Sorry my friend for the criticism but your viewers need to refer to the service manual, as different engines go together differently, piston ring orientation, connecting rod orientation etc. I've rebuilt dozens of engines and always refer to my cheat sheets with the information from the service manuals. The service manuals are free on-line.
You put the rods on backwards! the bevel sides need to go against the side of the crank journal, this give the proper clearance between the rods. The way you have it the rods are binding against each other, this is why you have so much friction when turning it over by hand. WD40 is not a lubricant, don't use it as assembly lube.
Cannot strongly recommend enough that you DO NOT use WD40 as an assembly lube. They make a specific assembly lube product for this purpose that is sticky and will not dry out or run.
The only way they’re beyond repair is if the cylinder wall is damaged too badly or the block is cracked too badly. Even a cracked block is fixable with the correct welding or even a really good JB weld guy…. And even soldiering… drill small holes around the crack and in the crack. Get a soldering gun and melt you a good metal and fill the crack good then JB weld over it. It’ll hold. Crank case has very little to Zero pressure in it. May at the most has 3 or 4 psi from a little ring blow by but the wonderful thing about these motors is that they’re always rebuildable. Cylinder wall damage is really the only limit. It gets nasty in that bore wall
I’ve been a mechanic since 14 and it’s just natural for some people and others just can’t get there no matter the amount of time or training Just being honest 😊
I mark my rod cap and rod with electric engraver so I know there match set and which cylinder they go in, just smart not to take a chance on guessing, 63 years of full time engine work, gas , natural gas and Diesel
Putting silicone on the cover is a definite no no. Always use a gasket. The last thing you want is silicone contaminated oil. That would be a bad thing.
@@berndtslawncare4906 when you over size the piston bore The horse power is changed because of the bigger size of the piston bore is bigger than it was before you.increased the bore size
It is a little difficult to see but looks like you have the arrows on the pistons correct towards the flyweel but have the rods in the wrong order on the crankshaft. The flat edges of the con rods butt together on the crank. Bevels out. The WD40 made me cringe repeatedly... not that I don't love WD40...
I think it was an illusion on camera with the rods being on wrong. I have since sold that machine, but it ran excellent. Thanks for the comment! I really appreciate your feedback!
Thank you for your reply. We have been working on this on down time (after work, and days where we are unable to work due to pouring rain, etc) all said and done from start to finish tear down, machined, reassembled we will have anywhere from 8-10 hrs into the rebuild. When we initially tore this down to diagnose what happened a new engine at that time was unavailable, that was a few weeks ago, not sure if that has changed. A new engine is going for roughly $3,000 so at 8-10 hrs we are paying ourselves anywhere from $281.25- $225 an hour to rebuild this.
@@berndtslawncare4906 Your welcome. I wonder is this engine overheated? I wish for your rebuilt engine to hold up for your effort. Watch often for debris inside the fan/duct-work. Lean carbs are a problem too. To hell with mileage on these engines, they get too hot!
I would have used clean engine oil for assembly lube, WD40 way to thin for that purpose
I’m pretty sure wd40 is just kerosene
Permatex 81950 Ultra Slick Engine Assembly Lube.
I use 105 lubeplate grease since my Dad used it, so I use it 58 plus years and still using it for small engine shop
To each his own, but I would never use WD40 for assembly lube. Might as well use diesel or kerosene
Thanks for taking the time to film and post this - just got a FX730V that needs some TLC - good to see DIY maintenance is possible
Glad it helped
Thanks for that really appreciate your time to show this procedure love from Ireland
Beveled sides of the connecting rods at crank should be opposing. The flat sides go against each other and the bevel sides point away. You put one piston on the connecting rod 180 degress off. May not make a difference in the short run, but oil flow between connecting rods at crank will be diminished.
I can say a lot about this but I hope others read a manual first
One project after another. If y'all don't get much snow this year, you'll still have plenty to keep you busy
I'm super impressed that you're willing to do so much of your own work
Thanks so much! Doing your own work makes you smarter and saves money!
@@berndtslawncare4906 very true
Lol, you don't assemble the engine with w d 40.. At a minimum, you should always use engine oil
Where did you get the rebuild kit? And how much did it cost?
Ok. Thanks. I caught it in the video. Both pistons are the same part number. What was confusing me was that the obvious DEI hire at Kawasaki told me that the pistons were different for each cylinder. They’re not different, they’re the same, in case anyone else runs into this issue. I couldn’t read the numbers on mine because it was blown out from a broken valve.
Great job, Hope it all works out and runs smoothly.
Thanks bob!
Did you put the new rings in the bored cylinders and measure the end gap I hope? WD-40 is better than nothing for assembly lube but I prefer using real assembly lube or even just motor oil.
No I didn’t need to measure end gap. Machine shop bored, measured, honed the cylinders prior to me picking the engine up. They did a very good job
Great video! Where did you get your rebuild kit? Thanks
I commend you for the effort to repair this engine as opposed to scrapping it; I think it was the correct move. My guess is the most difficult part was finding someone to bore and hone the block. However, I need to join the chorus in the comments about the use of WD-40 as assembly lube. What are you thinking?? You spent north of $700 in parts and a not an insignificant amount of labor but then cheeped out on assembly lube. If this engine doesn't fail prematurely it is just pure luck. Do yourself a favor, spend $12 on a tube of Lubriplate.
Nice work. Great save on that Kawi
Thanks Ed!
Great video impressive nice work! Scag in the fleet soon.
Yes sir!
Eww. I am confident this set back won’t hinder y’all. Stay positive and keep striving. Lawns, that’s what for dinner
Thanks!
They make assembly engine Greece just for what you are doing. Wd40 is a more stir repellent. But you can fill the engine with oil and shake it around before starting it up. I went to engine Machinist school for 2 years. I would take the plugs out a spin it several times before trying to starting it.
Thanks for the information and video. God bless you.
Great comment and thanks for tuning in!
Hey, Ranae and Brandon! Eh, it's just a few small chunks of metal 😮!!
Just my opinion but, I think you should have followed the inside profile of the crank case cover so oil won't seep out of the bolt holes.
I know you do this stuff WAY MORE than me. Just a thought. Looks REALLY good though! 👍Good luck, God bless.
Thanks for the tips!
I always just buy a new engine at $2-$3k and install. I have never taken the time to rebuild a mower engine - Usually by the time i replace them they are junk with 3500-4000 hrs on them. Im not a mechanic-u guys know all about rebuilding them but for the average guy running a business they dont. My exmarks lazer Z Xseries machines new retail at 18k-$20k! So replacing the engines is nothing compared to that. I will be replacing a Kawi 921 with 2500 hrs on this off season for $3100. The big Parker pumps last for ever-I have never replaced a pump on any exmark machine ever. one machine is on its third engine and the pumps running strong. great video man
Thanks ray ray!
I know this is an older video but have a question regarding the governor fork in the crankcase. Does it go over or under the first washer on the camshaft? Had to remove the crankcase to replace my crankshaft.
WD40 for the piston, rings and cylinder.....assembly lube everywhere else.....you do a good job with your camera work, etc,,,,,your explanations and narrative are sensible and logical.....you speak well and are clearly understandable......you also have a lot of GUTS(.....greetings from La Grange, Texas
Thanks for the comment!
I know nothing about engines, but I found this very interesting.
Thanks!
Great job, and great video guys. This is so informative. I'm sure this will help so many people. I love the mix of mowing and wrenching lol. Have a great evening.
Thanks so much for your comment!
I would apply the sealant onto the inside of the bolt holes so that no oil can leak past the threads of the bolts.
I recently rebuilt a Honda GSV190 lawnmower engine for my fathers lawnmower because the engine was very smoky on startup,the lower compression ring was out of specification & the rings were just tired after 20 years of use.
I had to order a new standard sized piston because the grooves were machined to accept thinner piston rings & the original rings were no longer available & expensive if buying new old stock rings.
I staggered the rings 120° apart although I staggered the chrome faced scraper rings for the oil control rings apart by 10 millimetres as per Hondas instructions although the expander ring wasn't fitted so it would line up with the gap,so both compression rings & the oil control rings gaps were spaced 120° apart.
The T mark on the compression rings had to face the top side of the piston.
The arrow at the bottom of the piston was positioned to face the right hand side of the engine or the muffler side of the engine.
Honda had no recommendation as far as letting the RTV silicone sealant skin over before finally torquing the bolts down to 12 Newton Metres & in sequence.
I used Permatex red RTV silicone sealant because that was what I had on hand after I used it to replace one of the exhaust header gaskets in my car !
WOW! You don’t see a lot of companies tackling repairs like this.
I hate to be that guy did you torque connecting rod bolts? You didn’t mention the specs nor step. I’m only asking bc I don’t trust my torque arm on such an important thing as well as the crank case cover bolts.
Great job so far! 🤙🏻🇺🇸🔧🦅
Thanks so much! Yes I did torque the bolts.
I love the Honda engine with replacement rod inserts or rod brging
So smart of them
Did you determine the cause of the failure? Was it run low on oil? Oil pump failure? How much did you save by rebuilding compared to a short block?
I bought the mower with an engine problem. Mower was ran without oil. I spent $700 on a rebuild kit, and to have the cylinders bored out. $700 is way better than $3,000!
@@berndtslawncare4906 Nice savings for some sweat equity.
@@pyromedichd1 hopefully! Fingers crossed!
hey man, do you recall if when you took that motor apart if the pistons were the same part number for both cylinders?
I don’t remember
Almost a good video. Was really wanting to see you put the crank case together, as there is a part in there that slides into the shaft. But seems there are a few places it could go. Was hoping to see that.
Please let me know where to find .025 oversized pistons. I only ever see .050.
What engine do you have
What about adding 20 ft on front of garage and building more equipment rebuild room for winter working
Your really a natural talent mechanic
Thanks! Wish I had the money to do so!
Look forward to part 2
Thanks!
Details in engine work can be critical......gasket and sealer n the inside of the bolts so the oil does9n't wick out thru the bolt threads.....didn't notice the rods orientation.....you're doing a good job....I'm thinking this is your first go around....
It was
Great video hopefully y’all can get it fixed
Thanks !
What do you think happened with this engine? Why did the rod seize on the crank?
I think lack of oil. I bought the machine not running. It appeared that the engine Grenaded because of lack of oil and heat build up
That was my guess but I thought it was a machine you were using so I didn’t wanna hint that you forgot to check the oil lol. I have a Deere 930M with the 801v that burns oil and has since it’s first day. John Deere says in the book that they use half oz per cylinder per hr. Like they’re designed to do this to last longer maybe? But I hate it. It has 1800 hrs on it now and runs strong as ever but you gotta keep track of the oil closely on it.
No racing pistons in it? Aww come on. :)
@@Sandridge-w3l no racing pistons but oversized isn’t too bad!
Nice piston ring compressor! I got to get me one of those!
Harbor freight special! Yours is in my tool box
Don't know what to do because mine does not have a mark on the gear on the crank shaft
It should. Look closely for it.
You can't forgo the crankcase gasket as it's used as a shim to get the proper spacing. Sorry my friend for the criticism but your viewers need to refer to the service manual, as different engines go together differently, piston ring orientation, connecting rod orientation etc. I've rebuilt dozens of engines and always refer to my cheat sheets with the information from the service manuals. The service manuals are free on-line.
Awesome video.
Thanks!
With enough time and money anything can be fixed. Anything. 👍
You put the rods on backwards! the bevel sides need to go against the side of the crank journal, this give the proper clearance between the rods. The way you have it the rods are binding against each other, this is why you have so much friction when turning it over by hand. WD40 is not a lubricant, don't use it as assembly lube.
Cannot strongly recommend enough that you DO NOT use WD40 as an assembly lube. They make a specific assembly lube product for this purpose that is sticky and will not dry out or run.
Good video but do yourself a favor and use engine assembly lubricant or motor oil. Not WD40.
right on!
The man loves his WD-40.
The only way they’re beyond repair is if the cylinder wall is damaged too badly or the block is cracked too badly. Even a cracked block is fixable with the correct welding or even a really good JB weld guy…. And even soldiering… drill small holes around the crack and in the crack. Get a soldering gun and melt you a good metal and fill the crack good then JB weld over it. It’ll hold. Crank case has very little to Zero pressure in it. May at the most has 3 or 4 psi from a little ring blow by but the wonderful thing about these motors is that they’re always rebuildable. Cylinder wall damage is really the only limit. It gets nasty in that bore wall
Awesome comment! Thanks for sharing
Great stuff 🎃hope all is good 🎃
Same to you!
Use assembly lube,dont cheap out. All that money for new parts.
I couldn’t agree more!
How many hours did you get out of the FX730? I wish i had half the mechanical skills you got haha
That motor had about 2,000 hrs on it
@@berndtslawncare4906 thanks I enjoy watching you both! Keep up the good work.
I’ve been a mechanic since 14 and it’s just natural for some people and others just can’t get there no matter the amount of time or training
Just being honest 😊
Great tips other than WD 40..... that is a solvent not a lubricant.
WD is not worth a crap for lubricant
You’ll learn the hard way
Why take a chance ????
I mark my rod cap and rod with electric engraver so I know there match set and which cylinder they go in, just smart not to take a chance on guessing, 63 years of full time engine work, gas , natural gas and Diesel
Didn't even set the proper ring gap!!! Not sure how that engine will last with important steps missed! Hope that engine lasts!
Did you ever determine why the engine took a 💩?
No I didn’t
WD40 is not a lubricant :) Should use engine assembly lube.
Putting silicone on the cover is a definite no no. Always use a gasket. The last thing you want is silicone contaminated oil. That would be a bad thing.
Don't you need to put your lifters in before you put your cam in
Now the horse power step up how much is only thing you are know about that matter of the horse power going up
Robert I don’t understand your question. Please elaborate
@@berndtslawncare4906 when you over size the piston bore The horse power is changed because of the bigger size of the piston bore is bigger than it was before you.increased the bore size
@@robertmailhos8159 yes when I increased the bore of the cylinders I’m expecting an increase of 2-3 hp.
@@berndtslawncare4906 there you go what the horse power before the engine blew up
@@robertmailhos8159 23.5
👍🔧
Thanks!
WD40 as an assembly lube? WTF?? Might as well be putting it together dry
Love it! Great stuff
Get some actual assembly lube. WD40 was never designed to be an actual lubricant.
It is a little difficult to see but looks like you have the arrows on the pistons correct towards the flyweel but have the rods in the wrong order on the crankshaft. The flat edges of the con rods butt together on the crank. Bevels out. The WD40 made me cringe repeatedly... not that I don't love WD40...
I think it was an illusion on camera with the rods being on wrong. I have since sold that machine, but it ran excellent. Thanks for the comment! I really appreciate your feedback!
Definitely woulda just bought a new motor
Nah, too much money
How much do you have into it?
$750
@@ranaeberndt9254 Thats with saying your time is $0?
Thank you for your reply. We have been working on this on down time (after work, and days where we are unable to work due to pouring rain, etc) all said and done from start to finish tear down, machined, reassembled we will have anywhere from 8-10 hrs into the rebuild. When we initially tore this down to diagnose what happened a new engine at that time was unavailable, that was a few weeks ago, not sure if that has changed. A new engine is going for roughly $3,000 so at 8-10 hrs we are paying ourselves anywhere from $281.25- $225 an hour to rebuild this.
sealant around the inside of bolt holes men or oil will leak!
Thanks for the comment!
@@berndtslawncare4906 Your welcome. I wonder is this engine overheated? I wish for your rebuilt engine to hold up for your effort.
Watch often for debris inside the fan/duct-work. Lean carbs are a problem too. To hell with mileage on these engines, they get too hot!