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Replace Kohler K301A w/Diesel ???
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BuckSkin View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Sep 2019
Location: Poor Farm
Points: 277 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BuckSkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Replace Kohler K301A w/Diesel ???
    Posted: 30 May 2021 at 3:02pm
I have a 1974 Cub Cadet 129 with the original Kohler 12hp K301A

During the last five years, I have spent a fortune and about went over the hill talking to myself over major breakdowns with the Kohler.

Besides carburetors, points, heads, coils, starters, etc., etc., I have replaced piston and rod due to the rod breaking FOUR times.

The last time it broke, the carnage knocked off a bit of the cylinder "skirt" that protrudes down toward the crankcase; the scalloped portion.

I am pretty much determined to ditch the gasburner and replace it with a diesel of some sort.

I am a pretty good fabricator so long as I have the tools and materials I need.

My main snag in this idea is the front "PTO" or "Mule Drive" or whatever it is called that has the blade clutch/pulley that drives the deck.

Has anyone already retrofitted a diesel in a Cub Cadet of this vintage ?

I am open to suggestions.
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DaveKamp View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Apr 2010
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Points: 5637 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DaveKamp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2021 at 10:01pm
LOL  Hi Buck!

Okay, so I'll start with some simple parts:

The later versions... the RED ones... the 782 flavor... was available in a diesel version, and I BELIEVE it was a Kubota D600.... 3cyl, 606cc.

I've never OWNED a 782D, I've seen the hood up in person mebbie TWICE, so I can't give you any fantastic details, but I DO have THREE 3cyl kubota diesels... (a BX1800, and a marinized-by-Universal 882) and a 905 (from a Toro groundskeeper)... and a Kubota G4500 tractor, which has the 424cc twin.

I BELIEVE the mounting in the 782D was radiator-to-the-rear, and I BELIEVE they had the engine flywheel facing the front, with electromagnetic clutch mounted to the flywheel either on a flange, or a stub shaft bolted to the flange.

The difficulty of mounting either of these really comes down to fitting all the necessary 'stuff' within the LENGTH of the chassis.

I have no intention on mounting any of my Kubota diesels in my Cub Cadets... my most-used 'worker' is Loader-Mutt, which is a 129 frame with a Honda GX660, and I don't have it set up for flywheel PTO to any implements- it drives a toothed-belt hydraulic pump for the front end loader... and has a priority port for hydraulic steering.

Which brings me to the next thing... my Mutt has a fabricated steel front axle, with fabricated steel knuckles, trailer spindles, hubs, and foam-filled front tires, two hydraulic rams and plumbing to an orbital steering valve mounted to the bottom of the column.  it is dedicated to front-end-loader duties, so PTO and mower work will NEVER happen with it.

My plow- and pulling-tractor is a 109 with the original K241 is under the hood, but it's not 'normal'.  Like yours, it tossed a rod, and broke a chunk out of the skirt.  I dressed it lightly with a stone to take off the sharp edge, then bored the block, fitted a new piston and rod, reduced the head volume and did a little shape work, and put a steel flywheel and electronic ignition on it, and it spins the hydro pump at 4600rpm now... it will really scream.

As for diesel builds, many years ago, I had THREE extra IHCC frames.  I offset-cut TWO of them, and extended the front portion of the frame, and made it two layers thick.  My intention was to set it up with a fabricated front axle, and put a Volvo MD2B into the frame flywheel front, with a hydrostat in back... and set it up for pulling.  I didn't, because we kinda 'got busy' selling the prior house, and bought a farmstead up the hill.

I never did the build, but if I did, I would have done so much more than just swapping engines, that when done, it'd be nothing remotely close to a Cub Cadet...

But it's possible, and I THINK others have done it.
Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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Points: 41203 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Coke-in-MN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2021 at 11:56pm
I gave up on the Kohler 16 HP single and went with a Honda V engine 18 HP engine . 
Easy conversion in my New Holland tractor - I did have to make a conversion spindle to attach the drive to the driveshaft for the hydrostat transaxle as Honda had a slightly different 4 bolt mount on flywheel . 
 Now the Harbor Freight engine looks the same as a knock off of the Honda V engine 
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Points: 277 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BuckSkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 12:05am
Originally posted by DaveKamp DaveKamp wrote:

my most-used 'worker' is Loader-Mutt, which is a 129 frame with a Honda GX660, and I don't have it set up for flywheel PTO to any implements- it drives a toothed-belt hydraulic pump for the front end loader... and has a priority port for hydraulic steering.


Thanks; your post has given me confidence to forge ahead --- now to find some money.....

I did find this in my searching:

http://www.cubcadetcollectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7899&sid=cf7c0d64419de71ccbb756e4c301952d

Just a couple weekends ago, I took pictures of two red 982s and a 782; none of them had a "D" on the number decals; if they had been diesel, would the "D" have been on the decal ?

One of the 982s had a factory all-weather cab and a front-mounted snow-blower.

Reading of your belt-driven loader pump hits home; I have what must be the only one in the world R2500 Mitsubishi with 27hp 2-cylinder liquid-cooled Mitsubishi diesel.
It has a belly-mounted 60-inch Woods mower and a Kwik-Way loader with independent belt-driven pump.

The pump that was on the tractor stripped the pulley shaft and I replaced it with one that must be for a big track-hoe as it will shoot that bucket up no matter the load.

Somewhere I saw a 129 Cub Cadet with an identical Kwik-Way loader, an exact match to mine.

Alas, the impossible to find starter has went out and my eyes are sore from searching and getting dragged down fruitless rabbit holes in search of a replacement.

It seems that you had good results from beveling the broken skirt and boring the block on your Kohler; maybe I should do the same.

I found a company that will swap a fully rebuilt short block with me for $749; I have not yet investigated what I would be out to farm out the machine work and do the rest myself.


Edited by BuckSkin - 31 May 2021 at 12:06am
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Points: 277 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BuckSkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 12:12am
Originally posted by Coke-in-MN Coke-in-MN wrote:


 Now the Harbor Freight engine looks the same as a knock off of the Honda V engine 


I have not thoroughly investigated the possibility of one of the HF Predator engines, but the guys around here swear by them; they claim they are everything a Honda is and the Hondas have a wonderful reputation; I have the 13hp Honda on my saw mill.

Do you have a mowing deck on the New Holland; and, if so, how does the deck get power ?
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I found this:

http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/8/6/866-cub-cadet-782d-engine.html

According to the pictures, the "D" is on the decal.

I wish they had pictures under the hood.
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Points: 50529 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DiyDave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 4:35am
I like fabbing stuff, too, but by the time you get done, you'll have more green in that red, just to put in an orange motor!  My used orange b2150 only cost me $ 6500, a coupla years ago!Wink
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Points: 21466 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jaybmiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2021 at 5:37am
years ago, I was... going to repower one of my G with an offshore 10HP diesel,engine was maybe $400 ?sigh..... something came up, maybe taxes ?, oh well...
anyway someone makes 'faceplates' (and sprockets and pulleys and..)that weld onto 'hubs',so you just have to drill holes in the right spot to mount in on the 'flywheel' of the engine,centered on the big nut of course....

the big chore is measuring and mocking up 'stuff' to getthings to fit right....
3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)

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If you search the Collectors forum for "Loader-Mutt", you'll see the threads on my little beastie.

It's currently slightly dismantled, as I'm replacing the original cast iron open diff with a nodular iron Ford 7.25" limited slip, and the outer axle tubes, hubs, etc., with Dana 60 full-floater outers.

My loader started life as a Johnson Workhorse 20. It's been altered a bit along the way.  Basically, everything 'weak', gets either reinforced, or replaced with something substantially stronger.  The transaxle housing and the Sundstrand 15U hydrostat have NOT shown any sign of weakness YET... but the transaxle housing was JUST a bit too small for the Mustang limited-slip, so I've opened up the left side, made a new bearing housing for the diff carrier, and am now working on the interface of the 60 axle tubes into trans housing flanges.  I'll probably use a steel girdle to surround the casting.  I'll be making new wheels where the hub face and inside of the rim is very thick steel tubing (probably 3/4").  This will also serve as the brake drum (with Dana 60 shoes) going to independant brakes.


Edited by DaveKamp - 31 May 2021 at 11:12pm
Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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