[Utah Smitty]

Well, I got the blown Kohler KT19 out of my Ariens GT19 tractor tonight. I'm not sure where the hole is in it, but it leaked oil all over my trailer from above the starter...

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So, here's some before pictures...

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and the tractor sans engine:

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Looks like I need to find a fan for it--OEM is probably NLA, so maybe one for a Case 444 hydraulic cooler will work...

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I plan to put a Ruggerini RD200 2 cylinder air cooled diesel in it if it will fit. Lombardini bought out Ruggerini and still uses their designs in some of L's tractors (and the Kohler/Lombardinis as well).

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Here's the back of the engine compartment, with the drive shaft flange and Ross steering gear box:

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Here's the distance from the driveshaft flange to the middle of the first pulley on the idler (electric clutch has two pulleys on it) Note the rear engine mounting holes are keyholed... I wish the front ones were--they're right above the front axle--in both cases you have to put a wrench through a slot in the frame to hold the top of the bolt while you unscrew the nut underneath.

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Here's the length of the engine from the back to the edge of the blower housing. There's a round 7 3/4" inch diameter by 1 1/2 inch round extension to the blower housing past that.The stub end of the crankshaft extends 1 1/4" further to the rear of the engine.

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The engine is 12 3/4 inches at the widest part of the blower housing; the block is 9 inches wide at the rear (which would face forward on this install) and 10 inches wide at the front--due to some tabs on the sides of the block.

The inside of the frame measures........ 12 3/4 inches.

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The Ariens GT18D engine had a Ruggerini RD180 in it--same block, same crank, same heads, same external dimensions as my RD200, just a smaller bore... HOWEVER, it has a 4 inch longer wheelbase. Also, the dash support has filters on either side of it for the air intake for the engine... that's probably doable on this machine. Fortunately the bottom screen is still intact as well...

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So, do you think it will fit????

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I have an 18 hp B&S Flat Twin that I may put in it temporarily to make sure the hydro works okay... though the PO said he was driving it up the ramp to his trailer when the engine blew.

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I need to get Pager450 over to lay another set of eyes on it and see what he thinks... he just shoehorned a 3 cylinder Mitsubishi L3E engine into a JD 400 tractor... this should be a piece of cake, right???

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

How's the height comparison?

The diesel is about 4" higher than the gas engine, but the frame is relieved and gusseted so the engine sits low in the frame...

I measured it once, but forgot what it was, but there's room height wise...

My biggest concern is the blower housing--the engine is installed with the fan to the rear...

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Smitty, that Ariens looks to be in pretty nice shape. Does it have the Dana rear end. The Dana back cover looks like a big round pumpkin on the back side. Some of the Ariens have them.

Yes it has the Dana axle--big aluminum pumpkin--I have a Toro mower with the same axle.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Smitty, looks like it will be close, but Ithink we can squeeze it on in. I need to head over there and take a look. Hows the rotation on it?

Id be happy to help you out any time

Thanks, Ryan, I figured between the 2 of us we could figure it out. You can come by anytime it's convenient--I get home about 5, and have an hour or so before my evening commitments this week--

The engine will have to go in backwards a'la your JD400. I've got it sitting at the end of my driveway, the engine is on a furniture dolly next to the gate to my backyard.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Okay, so I got my engine hoist out--pulled the skid from under the Ruggerini diesel, pulled off the blower housing,

then hoisted it so I could set it down into the Ariens frame.

Will it fit???

One of my concerns is the steering gear box (the vertical silver cylinder under the dash) would be right up against the fan housing.

The crankshaft centerline on the diesel is about 1" higher than the Kohler KT19...The driveline (seen on the right side of the console in the picture below) just has a couple of flex disks on each end... would probably need a couple universal joints.

Actually, it sets down in pretty good,

except....

I could probably remote mount the oil filter... it takes the same filter as many Briggs & Stratton and Kohler engines with pressure lube systems.

I would need to notch a little of the front grill support and the hood for the exhaust manifold, unless I had a custom header built.

The hood will fit fine on the left side, though.

I'm thinking this might fit better in my Case 444... and I'll put my Mitsubishi L3E in here... there's more room in the front of the hood, above the idler pulley at pivot shaft, for a radiator. The engine will have to be put in backwards, like Pager 450 did on his JD400, but I don't think that's unsolvable. My Ariens GT19 is about the same width as the JD400, but the hood is higher--leaves more room to work with.

I'll just have to get Pager over here to give me his expert opinion--seeing as he has sucessfully repowered a tractor with a diesel, and I haven't.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

that fan is still available or at least it was as of about 3 months ago I got one from Jacks small engines// price was something like $18ish

Thanks! I was wondering where I could find one.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

what parts from that KT 19 are still good? Starter? Carb?

The starter and carb are good--sheet metal, manifolds, too. I think they may fit the twin Magnums... PM me with what parts you need.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

So is the Lombardini 10LD400-2 in my 920 a relative of the old Ruggrinni design or an original Lombardini design? It does closely resemble your engine. I think that diesel would look good in that old Ariens, and IMHO it has more room under the hood than the Case 444. I put a 10hp air cooled single cylinder diesel into a 444 and it was a tight fit. Cant wait to see what you do end up doing. Mike

I'm pretty sufe your engine is a Ruggerini design. The diesel Ariens had a stretched frame--4 inches longer... would rather not stretch it if I can help it.

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

No worries, Ryan... I know you're busy...

I bought a Snapper LT16 with a 16 hp B&S twin in it--plan to pull the engine out and slap it into the Ariens just to see how it runs, etc. Then can decide where to go from there.

I've been looking at my Case 444 as you know, and also my Dayton 3Z68B as it has a wide and longer engine compartment than the case or the Ariens.

I also found a Ford (Jacobsen) LGT195 in Western Colorado... it's partly disassembled, and may not have all the lines for the hydro. Engine (Kohler K582) runs good... it may be another project... the wife and I may Drive there Saturday to look at it.... we'll see.

I'm off tomorrow, and also Monday How's your schedule?

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Well, I picked up a Snapper LT16 this week with a good running B&S 16 hp twin, or so the dealer said. The machine had belonged to one of his customers who had him go through the engine--tune up , oil change, new filters, new belts, etc. then never used it. She sold it back to him cheap 2 years ago and he wanted to get it off his lot.

He only wanted $200 for everything... tractor with baggers, engine, etc. Good price for the engine alone if it's in good shape.

Here it is on my truck getting ready to leave the dealer.

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I got it home, cleaned the leaves out of the fins and checked the oil... a little dark, but not bad.

I got more concerned when I pulled the aircleaner--

One of the crankcase vent lines is hooked to a hole OUTSIDE the air filter... this left a hole INSIDE the air filter open to the elements... the top of the carb, and the underside of the inner "lid" were covered with dirt... this doesn't look good

I cleaned everything off as well as I could, then took the top off the carb--inside looked good, no major deposits. I blew carb cleaner through all the jets, holes, etc., including the inlet to the pulse fuel pump.

I then pulled the plugs, shot some WD40 inside the sparkplug hole and cranked it several revolutions... everything seems to be normal...put the plugs back in... put fresh gas in the empty tank...squirted some carb cleaner down the carb and cranked it... she roared to life, but died in a few seconds.

I tried this several times, with the same results, so I pulled the fuel pump off and put a new one on... I didn't take the carb off the manifold, so to keep all the parts of the pump together I made some guide "pins" form some heavy wire I have... I bent one end over and threaded them through the cover, gaskets, center block, diaphragm, and into the screw holes.

The 2 springs in the check valve are so small I can hardly pick them up because I can't feel them very well. I put a small amount of grease on them to hold them in place, put the diaphragm spring in, and pushed it against side of the carb. Had the missus hold it there while I removed a guide pin and lightly snugged one screw, then removed the other pins and did the same for the other two.

Tried to start it again... it ran for about 15 seconds, then started acting fuel starved...??? not sure why so I pulled top off the carb, disconnected the plug wires and cranked it.. plenty of fuel coming through the part that connects to the float needle valve.

Inverted the top of the carb... the float should be parallel with the sealing surface of the carb, but it's sitting too low... I finally found the culprit... the neoprene tip of the needle valve had swelled so much it shut off before the bowl was even half full. I had just bought a carb kit, so a new needle valve fixed that situation.

I put the carb back together... primed it a little with carb cleaner, and fired it up... after the second try it started and stayed running .....YES!!!!!

There are only two flies in the ointment now, though... 1: the engine stalls when I try to engage the electric clutch... probably a frozen idler on the mule drive... 2. The engine doesn't shut off when I shut the key off. I had to ground the coil lead to the fan shroud to kill it... Must be a bum switch.

Anyway, I now have a good running engine I can graft into the Ariens GT19 and put it through it's paces... then I will have to decide which diesel engine to put into it... the 20 hp Ruggerini RD200, or the 23? hp MItsi L3E.... ahhh, decisions, decisions!!

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

another tractor... what all is wrong with the Snapper? I always hated "parts machines" because I usually wind up digging into them and figuring out what's wrong with the parts machine and in turn getting them going -- or I'll rob my parts for the original machine, and then look for those parts again to replace them on the "parts" machine For me, "parts" machines typically turn into another project.

for that "not" to happen the parts machine needs to be missing about half of itself (already scavenged) before I get my hands on it or badly damaged; tree fell on it, hit by car/bent frame, or something like that/ but then about 1/2 the time that means the parts I bought the machine for are already already missing or else not usable....

The Snapper was running fine--2 years ago. A couple small parts have been robbed--one of the rear bags and the throttle lever assembly--easy fix. I want the engine to power my Ariens GT19--a Kohler Magnum 18 or 20 would fit in with little or no adapting, but I don't have one available... Ultimately the Ariens will receive a diesel engine--then the Briggs 16hp IC engine will go back in the Snapper... They're a decent machine--shaft drive, but use a rotating rubber wheel against a metal disk on the transaxle for gear changes. Even so, they make snow plows for them...

If I can get the Snapper Mower running easily I may use it a little for mowing the homestead (.19 acre with a LARGE separate garage)... But, I want to test out the Ariens before I got to the time and expense of repowering to diesel.

Regards,

Smitty

 

[Utah Smitty]

Did you go check our the Ford 195?

No... the wife and I talked it over and we decided I already had enough projects... it didn't have a 3ph, and the owner wanted to keep the rear tires and wheels, plus it's 325 miles away, so I decided to pass... I'd still love to have a Ford LGT 195, a Sears FF20, and a Massey/Snapper 1855? (same tractor Ol Cow Hand has), I may get one, yet.

Smitty