Another K321 rebuild to do!
Posted: Thu May 13, 2021 2:15 pm
Well, add my newest 444's K321 rebuild to the list vicv07 and Eugen! Mowing a few weeks ago, about an hour in started blowing brown smoke and losing power. Shut it down and see smoke coming from head...
Let it cool down, then pulled the head. Knew it wouldn't be good as some nuts were only finger tight and others really tight. Broke a head bolt over exhaust in the process, so that'll be fun to deal with later (I know there's a welding trick that can work, but I have no welder - probably time I got one anyways!)
Obvious head gasket leak, for how long who knows. Head will need to be flattened for sure. STD bore, haven't done any measurements yet but since the rest of the machine is in such good shape I'm just going to rebuild the whole thing.
To be honest, I'm not that upset about it. It will be a fun project, but I won't get to it until this winter probably. Just glad my other 444 is going strong as I sold my Wheel Horse 520H a few weeks ago. Will rebuild that one later too, maybe when kids are older - will be a fun project (fond memories of rebuilding and restoring our 155 when I was a kid with my dad and brothers).
Anyways, I'll post pics of my journey as I go...might be a while though lol.
BTW - really love the cut with the k45 deck, and mowing in any direction! With the chute off hardly any windrows, but a matching lawn sweeper would be cool to have too
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Let it cool down, then pulled the head. Knew it wouldn't be good as some nuts were only finger tight and others really tight. Broke a head bolt over exhaust in the process, so that'll be fun to deal with later (I know there's a welding trick that can work, but I have no welder - probably time I got one anyways!)
Obvious head gasket leak, for how long who knows. Head will need to be flattened for sure. STD bore, haven't done any measurements yet but since the rest of the machine is in such good shape I'm just going to rebuild the whole thing.
To be honest, I'm not that upset about it. It will be a fun project, but I won't get to it until this winter probably. Just glad my other 444 is going strong as I sold my Wheel Horse 520H a few weeks ago. Will rebuild that one later too, maybe when kids are older - will be a fun project (fond memories of rebuilding and restoring our 155 when I was a kid with my dad and brothers).
Anyways, I'll post pics of my journey as I go...might be a while though lol.
BTW - really love the cut with the k45 deck, and mowing in any direction! With the chute off hardly any windrows, but a matching lawn sweeper would be cool to have too
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk