Coolant leak at water pump. Oil pressure light. Oil pump checked good.

Good for you!!

Coolant leak fixed. Still have oil pressure light. Definitely have oil pressure. One more part to order. Oil pressure sensor. Engine is running very smoothly.

It cranked up on the first try. We figured it would. We tried very hard to get it right the first time. It became a joke how many times we took some stuff apart to make adjustments or just check something. There was a lot of cussing and discussing to figure it out.

Always good to have one fire off on the first time. Back in my hot rodding days sometimes it scared me when one fired off so easily, made me think that I'd done something wrong!

We got the oil pressure pop off valve fixed, ordered gaskets (again) and put it together yesterday afternoon.

Nice clean engine installed with upgrade valve covers to replace the old plastic valve cover. We have plenty of oil pressure this time around. Mama took it out hot rod style (no body panels), tested everything and mowed a little. She came back in smiling.



We checked it over for leaks and bolted the body panels back on, and she took possession of her tractor.



And thar she goes...

She mowed the back forty and the high grass that was too much for the neighbor’s LA130 that she borrowed while her 445 was down.



So this project moves from the active list to the monitor-it-for-a-while list. That is always a good feeling.

Thank you John for your help in this project. It would have been necessary to put it in the JD dealer if you had not stepped up. I am quite sure that we did a much better job than the JD service department is capable of.

Great work, nice to see things fixed instead of tossed on the scrap heep.

Good stuff, Cast.

I love a happy ending

Awesome!

I put new blades on my ZTR after church on Sunday and that was a pain within itself. 16000 rpm blade speed will certainly tighten the retaining bolts.

Well done gents.

Saved you big money being able to do it yourself.

Miracles still happen.

Made me chuckle...

Gonna change mine this weekend. Last time I had an impact... so nice this time I don't … im gonna have to buy one of them.

Oh man, the last time I replaced the blades on the MX6 shredder, it took a 3/4” impact 150psi and a rosebud to get it loose.

Have faith my friend. It was our first Kawasaki engine, but it was not our first rodeo.

Mama says it runs better now. I think it sounds better and starts faster.