gravely help

teachingscience · Jun 3, 2014

Hi all, I found a P220 onan to repower my gravely 8163 which has the old 12HP Kohler. My problem is that I cant seem to find an onan engine adapter. Craigslist is full of briggs and hondas but no onans. I would be very appreciative if anyone knows where I can find one.

Charlie

jeffcat · Jun 3, 2014

Not to rain on your parade but...Why? You will need a taper on the shaft and a key slot. I don't think you will have a rotation problem. Most likely you will need to take the engine apart, pull out the crank, and do some heavy duty machine shop work. Also you will most likely need to have that plate made. An easy guess is going several hundred big bucks. jeffcat

t1 · Jun 4, 2014

Read this and contact bruce with the info on that page. Repowering on the 4 wheel and 2 wheel tractors has been done many times using the parts he makes. He may be able to help you find a plate or make you one. As well as help you with modifications to the input gear or crankshaft

http://bob_skelly.home.comcast.net/~bob_skelly/gravely/gravely_01.html.
Gravely engine repower

Bret4207 · Jun 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 23:46:28 06/03/14) Read this and contact bruce with the info on that page. Repowering on the 4 wheel and 2 wheel tractors has been done many times using the parts he makes. He may be able to help you find a plate or make you one. As well as help you with modifications to the input gear or crankshaft

http://bob_skelly.home.comcast.net/~bob_skelly/gravely/gravely_01.html.
Gravely engine repower

That's a very interesting site. The only problem with the newer engines, as with the Kohler compared tot he Gravely engine, is that the engine and PTO speed is just way too fast. Not a problem with the snowblower or mowers, but a real issue with the sickle bar, culitivators, rotary plow, etc. I know on my Commercial 10 the engine seems to run about 2x as fast as any of my L models.

Sure would be nice to a have a quiet, vibration free Gravely though.

jeffcat · Jun 4, 2014

I do stand a bit humble!! WoW what a good article from T1!!! The guy down the street said the shaft has a taper and this says HE was wrong. I would add the you install the little drop foot that lets you take the blower , mower, ETC. off and the rear of the machine does not drop into the dirt. The Kohler engines were good for 3000 hours if you change oil and air filters. They also weigh like 118 pounds of solid cast iron! If you do this....and now you know where to get the parts, PLEASE give us a ring back so we can have a look. Gravelys are a fantastic BEAST so good luck!! Jeffcat

t1 · Jun 4, 2014

The commercial 10 is very fast. Gravely used the same gearing as they did with there engines and resulted in a machine you have to almost run behind to keep up with.

The 10a and later walkbehinds use a different set of input gears and planetarys to slow them back down to normal.

Lots of people in the gravely club repower with hondas and the chinese clones. Also the robin engines were used by gravely in the last years of production. I like my big heavy kohler however.

t1 · Jun 4, 2014

No they dont have a tapered shaft, but they do have a stepped shaft, and is unique to that application. The 4 wheel tractors do not. With a proper engine mounting adapter they are easier to repower.

Last time I talked about doing this on one of my 500 series walkbehinds, it was about 300 for everything, plus the engine.

Tapered shafts are usually found on generator and welder engines.

Bruce also makes kits to replace the gravely engines with modern engines. Its a bit more involved due to the oil pump.

Always sad to see one of these tractors scrapped because of a worn engine. Some get used to keep other ones going, but is always rewarding to keep another going, and save them from being melted down.

Lance Skene · Jun 4, 2014

A little OT but not too far..

Im watching any Gravely threads these days because I came across a c10a just a few weeks ago, already knew the owner who had to move alot of stuff from a property where he was renting barn stoage space, and he had this c10a sitting there looking pretty rough, asking $250... I wouldnt go that high but I told him I would come back for it month end with $100 if he couldnt find a buyer... so I was tilling the garden with a Gravely the other day, it has a 30" deck but the bearings are froze, homebuilt sulky that quite interesting to ride on... so just saying to the Gravely folk

robert kummer · Jun 4, 2014

charlie
i have the onan adapter and the proper
B48 M crank to go with it.
e/mail [email protected]
or call 651 437 2826
thank you boomer ( the used onan engine parts guy )

wisbaker · Jun 4, 2014

I'd think I'd rebuild the Kohler or find another Kohler to put on it. Onans are good engines but parts are wicked expensive since Cummins bought them out. Onan doesn't make engines anymore for power equipment only generators and I'm not even sure they're using their own stuff on their generators. As another poster said a Kohler is good for 3000+ hours if you take care of it. I had a few on the golf course that were 2500 to 3000 hours and weren't even using oil yet. I've seen or heard about a lot of Onan P220s with valve/valve seat problems, before I would install a used P220 I'd pull the heads off and look over the valves & seats real good to insure you're not installing another problem

gravely help

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