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.
I’ve noticed that my little 17 gallon/3 hp under the bench hotdog air compressor has been running for longer periods of time to fill the tank. I also noticed a nice sawdust/oil slurry forming on the tank where the pump sits.
It had been 5 years since I bought this second hand and completed the first service. I don’t have a way to track hours on the unit but with longer running fill times and an oil leak somewhere it seemed like time for a bit of maintenanceses . The oil change used AMSOIL Synthetic Compressor Oil (PCI) – in my case SAE 20 weight. as specified on the maintenance sticker.
The weather is starting to warm up and even with the cold and sand covered roads we are hearing motorcycles being brought out of storage by some brave souls.
AMSOIL has expanded it’s offerings for Motorcycles again this year with more products aimed at specific uses. Primary and transmission fluids are available plus new viscosities expand the applications available.
This year at the 2014 SEMA Show the Mustang took centre stage as it celebrated its 50th birthday. In conjunction with this AMSOIL has added a new viscosity to its Signature Series line specifically formulated for high-horsepower Ford Mustang engines requiring the Ford WSS-M2C931-C performance specification.
AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-50 Synthetic Motor Oil is fortified with a robust additive package, including top-quality detergents and dispersants to help prevent sludge deposits and keep engines clean. It withstands the stress of high horsepower and heat, resisting viscosity loss due to mechanical shear and maintaining protection in metal-to-metal contact regions for maximum engine life.
Like its Signature Series siblings, AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-50 excels in extreme temperatures. It resists thermal breakdown to maintain protection in high heat and it contains no wax, allowing it to remain fluid in the low temperatures for improved oil flow and protection at startup. Signature Series 5W-50 is designed for maximum efficiency. It exhibits an extremely low volatility rate to control oil consumption and emissions.
