$500 Cub Cadet Zero Turn Lawn Mower: ENGINE SWAP 

Again, A fantastic video. At 63, I don’t see myself doing an engine swap. I would like to know how to adjust the valve lash eventually , but I’ve gained a head full of knowledge just watching your videos. Thanks Again and keep up the great work.

I love your videos you're always very genuine and that's hard to find

handy hint for stuck bolts , heat the area red hot, dump cold water on it . the shock breaks the corrossion free. sometime have to heat up again, but usuually not .. sounds kinda daft but it works, been there many many times

Perfect perseverance, my friend, appreciate you and all you do for the utube community :)

I'm so confused I can't remember now which engine pieces and parts are from which engine and whether you ended up with the old engine or the new one!!! ;-) At least you were only out $80 if you ended up using the old one again, plus even more important you learned some of the differences between them and (maybe) how they differ in approach to the compression release, oil pumps, etc. For me you raised more questions and another rabbit hole to follow and investigate, re: types of compression releases.

I have one in the assembly line, just like that, motor is locked up, so going to transplant another engine to bring her back. Then when I have the time, open up the blow engine and perform and autopsy , salvage what parts that can be reused and scrap the rest at the local recycling center. Love your morality in doing the right thing. When I sell a mower, I tell the new owner to test it out at my place before it leaves, to ensure all is working as it should. Take it home, if it does not do what it is designed to do, bring it back. If it is user error, then that is not my worries. I have taken them back when it was broken due to operator error, just to keep the peace. Doing the right is never wrong, and doing wrong is never right. Have a blessed day, Kyle by the creek :)

Wow, Kyle! I had so much to say I had to go downstairs to my laptop so I can type faster! ;-) I was really excited to see part two of this, your first series! Since discovering you 4 months ago on Part 1, when you brought to my attention zero turns in general, I've learned a lot more about them. I've decided I really want to flip ZT as opposed to anything else because it seems as though there's a lot more profit to be made on them. So far I've only flipped one lawn tractor and that was great, but didn't have the same $ potential as a ZT. More comments separately so as to make it easier to reply. :)

Great video. Please use the Adjustable wrench correctly. Sometimes called a Cresant wrench,

Just drill them out, use nuts and bolts or drill bigger and retap :) Maybe , thank you for your videos and sharing your journey, my friend

On the resealing the sump to the block. My son runs an ATV repair shop and they use Honda bond on putting the cases back together you can get it at the Honda shop. It is oil resistant and always seals up. Great job I always look forward to your posts

Surging is usually caused by partially plugged jets in the carburetor. Give it a good cleaning. Carburetor cleaner in the gas might help a little. But to do it right, remove it and clean it.

Big congratulations on completing your first ZT! We both learned a lot! ;-) I've checked out the used market on FBMP, OfferUp and CraigsList and it looks like for $500 you were right on the mark. Seems like there are a few for around $350 and more for around $700-$800 - all for beaters that definitely need work done to resurrect them. Then the ones that are supposedly functioning and ready to go - they start at around $1200-$1500 and go way up from there depending on make/model. The low end ones seem mostly to have blown engines, although given how some people just toss old equipment away without having the knowledge to accurately diagnose it's very possible some of those engines aren't really blown but have things wrong like yours - bent pushrods. I'm not at a place yet where I can afford even to purchase a beater ZT to flip, but I'm learning all I can about them so that when I can afford to buy one I'll be ready. In the meantime, I brought home my 5th free lawn tractor yesterday, a 30-34 year-old pretty blue Yamaha YT3600! While I was there I spotted a shed full of other equipment and actually left with another freebie, a Stihl 017 chainsaw that had been sitting in the shed for at least 12 years. Paints still fresh on the bar, has compression, most likely just the usual carb rebuild, fuel lines/filter, flush out tanks, good overall cleanup and ready to go. It currently sits next to a 170 waiting for the same treatment - the same machine except for the updates Stihl did to that line.

I now use stove pipe black on the mufflers. 65Ford on RU-vid gave me the idea and it works very well. Cheap and does not burn off. Amazon purchase.

Everything i know and have read about Kohler is if they don't have the spring release on the cam shaft, they dont have compression release. I would put the old engine back together and put it back on mower and call it good. Also try some low heat and penitrating oil on those broken bolts

surging can be caused by looseness in the hole in the the throttle and control arm on the engine. If that is the problem they make springs that the rod that connects the throttle to the throttle control on the engine will slip through. Then connect the ends of the spring as close as possible in the to each end where the rod connects. This takes up the free play to help the surging.

RU-vid is once again doing the unsubscribe thing. People, check your subs to make sure. I have been subscribed to this channel for a while and just noticed today with this video that i was not subscribed. Hi Kyle, I really enjoy your videos. You seem to put a lot of thought and care into how you do repairs. If you don't know, you look it up and listen to others who do know how to work on these machines. You do things how i do them too. I will go out of my way to make things right when i work on small engines. Don't half-ass it. That says a lot about your character. Keep up the good work. You will always learn new things or ways to do something. I don't post videos of my repairs because I'm not that great with explaining things, but I would if that wasn't an issue. Anyway, great video!

That turned into a shin dig..😂Glad your happy ❤

Do the carb clean once more then check the governed idle springs for adjustment . Put a flat washer on the block then weld a nut to the broken stud , let cool a couple minutes and it should come out . Sometimes you need to try more than once . I just did a head bolt like that last week . I discourage the use of Easy Outs , when you insert them it forces the stud to expand and tighten in the hole also you need even pressure with a T handle . That's why you no longer have the small Easy Outs . Those can only be drilled with a carbide drill bit or cutter or back to the weld a nut on method .

Really like this channel. New Subscriber today. Thank you for this content.Mower turned out really nice.

Nice job fixing this machine. I have a suggestion for you though. Instead of painting the plastic, did you ever think about using cerakote trim restorer. It is sold at Walmart for around $17 and it will make your plastic look like new and it repels water. It comes with several wipes so you could do around 5 or 6 mowers with one pack. I use this on my 2000 Tacoma plastic and it looks brand new.

I've done the old "torch-black-stuff-to-bring-it-back-trick" a few times myself, but never on pieces that large or obvious. Mostly on smaller parts like deflector chutes and such. Unfortunately, it seems like torching, although it does restore the almost original color and surface texture, ends up being very uneven. I'm now wondering whether a larger flat tip on the torch might work better - something like what shrinkwrap is sealed with on boats for winter storage. Also whether a painting-type application with the torch - moving all the way across a piece in single strokes and overlapping the subsequent strokes - might work better to create a more even appearance. In your case, since you're already great at painting, I'd probably have pulled the fenders after seeing the torched result and painted them. Those appear to be the only cosmetic flaw in an otherwise beautiful job. Pardon my OCD? ;-)

So I've watched this twice and enjoyed it but what did you fix? It seemed to run worse afterwards.

Sheared bolts in aluminum can be removed by welding a washer and bolt to the broken stud. Helps if you have a few nuts as it may take a few tries to get the heat right but it beats the drill method. The last one O had a guy broke off the easy out in the stud so it was the only way to get it out.

That engine is not equipped with an automatic compression release. Kohler released an upgraded starter to address hard starting and broken starter shafts. In addition to other improvements for reliability the latest starter has a nine tooth gear instead of a ten tooth to improve torque, and is slightly shorter. And you need at least a 300 CCA battery to start these reliably, a 350 CCA would be better. My brand new Toro Timecutter with a 22HP Kohler v-twin had intermittent problems getting past the first compression stroke with the stock (new) 230 CCA battery Toro supplied. I bought a 350 CCA battery from Tractor Supply and that solved it. Your problem was likely a tired starter that was only barely adequate when new. I don't know what capacity battery you are using.

Read the service manual not comments.

Weld a nut to the bolt.

Paint question! Kyle, coincidentally I'm in the middle of restoring a Cub Cadet SC 300 E push mower that needs a little bit of painting help. I've been looking online for which paint to buy - I really only need a single can of spray to get it done. Please tell me which paint you used on this project, how well it matched up to the original, was a single coat enough on areas missing paint, etc. Thanks!

1500 to 2000 out of it I got a 2015 just about like it 3100 brand new

Only thing wrong with engine was the valves needed adjustment

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