Worked on a neighbours 1988 John Deere 175 Hydro machine that had been sitting for a while. It was in overall good shape but needed to be pushed into the garage with starting issues. The good news was it drove home and cut some grass too.
Replaced/cleaned the fuel system, did some electrical diagnostics, rebuilt and replaced some deck pulleys, replaced the transmission shifter spring – which is an inexpensive part but surprisingly difficult to do, changed the oil, cleaned the carb and set the engine idle speed using a Treysit sirometer (aka analog tachometer).
I really enjoy working on these older machines when they aren’t someones primary mower. Not sure how many of the newer machines sold today will still be around and will able to get parts to fix after 36 years.
After 13,300 km the onboard oil life monitor suggested it was time to schedule an oil change. It said I had 18% oil life left when I changed it at ~16,300km.
Everything looked pretty much the same as the last time I was under there. No oil leaks from the filter or drain plug – CV half shafts were not leaking. Just a simple oil change on ramps and using a creeper to get the hairy cardboard belly pan off and then back on the road for another 13,000 kms.
I decided to drain the factory fill early around 3,000 kms to help clear out any manufacturing contaminates and put in a high quality Signature Series ASM 0W-20 oil. I was also excited to have a look under the vehicle and see how difficult it will be to service in the future.
It was time to upgrade vehicles and I had been shopping around. The Ford Maverick with the hybrid engine checks most of the boxes for my use of a vehicle. I was very interested in the fuel economy numbers without going to a fully electric vehicle just yet. They are popular in Canada but I’m not ready to have to think about charging my vehicle – I can barely remember to plug in my phone at night.
Using the waste energy from braking and putting that into a battery system seems like a normal evolution for vehicle power plants. Why waste energy as heat if you can capture some of it to be used again – getting that last bit of energy out of the fuel. I much prefer a naturally aspirated engine over a turbo for my use – the electric generators act like the turbo when you stomp on the accelerator. I also love the mechanical simplification of everything being electric – water pump, AC compressor, fan, etc. No serpentine belts to change on this engine. The downside being a lot more computers and wires to run everything.
There are indeed disadvantages for towing, convenience/luxury – I miss my proximity unlock feature, unibody construction, FWD and the fact that this new-ish platform seems to have a few wrinkles to be worked out. I believe it is based on the Escape Hybrid platform – and isn’t completely new. I also appreciate that the transmission is very similar to the Toyota planetary gear CVT – not belt driven.
So far, so good. I personally prefer the more truck like appearance of the Maverick over the Hyundai Santa Cruz. It’s amazing to be able to reach over the side of the bed of a truck again to access contents. I think it was worth the wait for my order to be built.
Last month I went to my favorite gas station here in southern Ontario and found all 3 grades of gasoline had been labeled with “May Contain up to 10% Ethanol”. I used to be able to get pure gasoline in the Premium grade at this station. That made me a bit sad as I pumped fuel into my vehicle. I later read that at the start of the year the government had mandated ethanol in all grades of fuel.
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Most modern vehicles can handle that ethanol content and the fuel gets used up fast enough – I always seem to be filling my tank these days – that it doesn’t go stale or deteriorate too quickly. That may change for me though in the near future – stay tuned to more info about that!
Where ethanol really causes problems is in classic cars that don’t get daily driven and small engines which were never designed for alcohol content. Both categories often see more time in storage than use and suffer from stale fuel and incompatible materials.
Synthetic technology reduces friction to transfer maximum power from the engine to the ground
Flows freely in cold temperatures for immediate protection and easy cold temperature takeoffs
Protects moving parts under extreme pressures and high temperatures
Helps prevent rust, corrosion, oxidation and foam
AMSOIL TCC Synthetic Chaincase & Gear Oil
Long-Lasting Performance for ATVs and Snowmobiles
The chaincase is an integral part of a snowmobile’s drive system. Housing a chain and two sprockets that transfer power from the transmission to the track. Its secondary function is as a gear reduction system allowing the track to spin at a lower speed than the engine. The snowmobile’s transmission connects to a smaller gear in the chaincase connected by chain to a larger gear within the case that turns the track and propels the sled.
We just got a few inches here in the GTA Toronto area. Perfect timing for Amsoil to release an interesting video going over the differences between stock and race sleds.
AMSOIL is continuing to face rapidly rising raw-material, labor and transportation costs. Unprecedented market volatility and supply-chain disruptions are driving costs upward in unpredictable and rapid fashion. AMSOIL’s suppliers have passed on multiple significant increases on everything from the base oils and additives used to formulate lubricants to the cardboard and plastic used for packaging.
Competitors have also issued multiple price increases, including recent March and April increases of up to 25% from ExxonMobil, Valvoline and Chevron. According to Jobber’s World, 2022 has already recorded the highest price increases in over 20 years. AMSOIL has held the line on pricing as long as possible.
All AMSOIL products will increase approximately 12% effective immediately.
Toronto Distribution Center Closed Dec. 24-28; New DC Opens Dec. 29
The current Toronto Distribution Center will be closed Friday, Dec. 24 through Tuesday, Dec. 28 to observe the Christmas holiday and relocate to its new location. It will reopen at its new location Wednesday, Dec. 29.
