Thanks to all - crank hub issue

[Fighting suburbia in NC]

Thanks to the board for the information provided when I inquired about the front-mount PTO stub shaft removal. Ended up being a LH thread type that backed out once I got 2 large pipe wrenches involved. The crank bolt is 15/16" and I used the bar between 2 pulley bolts method to hold the crank while I tightened the crank bolt. I will properly torque the crank bolt after I replace the front seal next time it gets back home to my shop.

I did find I have a bad sparkplug? now when I fired it up. Of course it is the #4 cylinder so I can't swap out a plug wire to determine if it is the wire or the plug. I did switch #4 and #3 plugs and it seemed to stay with #4 but the #4 wire ohmed out good. I will do a compression test next time I go up there and will take a set of NGK 3112s with me. Since it has been 7 or 8 years since I changed the wires I probably ought to take a set of them up there too. Seems like it is always something.

On a more positive note, even though the tractor is missing and Dad's S10 refuses to let me drop the distributor back in (oil pump drive is wobbling around) I did get to hang out and hunt with Dad. At 78 he still climbs trees in the dark and aggravates the crap out of me playing Devil's Advocate when I am trying to fix stuff that is refusing to cooperate. I lucked out and caught a large old 8-pt buck chasing a doe so now I will have a mount to match the 8-pt'er he has beside the rock fireplace. A little friendly competition for wall space and shared memories that offset all the aggravations.

 

[old]

You may find that miss on #4 is a valve adjustment problem and you may have a valve not closing or opening as it should but a compression check should find that

 

[Fighting suburbia in NC]

Good point on the valve adjustment. It really does not have that many hours on it since I ran them a couple of years ago when I had the tin off to coat the tank but that does not mean that something hasn't slipped/loosened up/worn unevenly on that cylinder. As you said, compression test will give me a better idea of where to look. I just ordered a set of NGK 3112s that will be here tomorrow so I will take them and a spare plug wire and see what helps.

I just thought about it, I can use a bore scope to take a peek inside since that is back where the breather is. Probably need to clean that out anyway as it does puff a bit, much like me when I get to workin.

What should compression run on something this old? Since it was a VA DOT mower it was probably run hard but well maintained up until the state got rid of it. I rescued it out of the edge of a field with all the freeze plugs popped out of it so no telling how much neglect it suffered before I started babying it. It typically runs very smooth with decent power so this miss may be something simple after all.

 

[ErnieD]

120 or a little more for the compression. Compression ratio x 14.5 will give you the gauge reading. May have a stuck valve, bent push rod etc.

 

[old]

Being an old state machine say ran hard and put away wet as in what was done to repair it was half way done and not by a person who cared a lot. As for compression 125PSI is good and if lower then 90 trouble

 

[David G]

How did the cast iron welding go?

 

[souNdguy]

you can al someiems, as a test, pop a wire off and hold it near the plug.. sometimes they will fire. If you have a plug checker you can stick it inline too.

ps. for this test.. just about any piece of insulated wire long enough will work... just don't hold on to it or lay it on metal.

 

[old]

Haven't done it yet due to having rain since Thursday and welding a metal like cast and being real humid can cause added problems to the already hard thing to do well