Useful sawmill mods

[Bandmill Bandit]

KOHLER Service bulletin 267


Just a quick note to let all Kohler EFI Engine owners know about a  service bulletin that was issued in may of 03. It is service bulletin 267 and affects engine models CH26, CV26, CH745 & CV745.

https://www.google.ca/#hl=en&tbo=d&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22Kohler+service+bulletin+267%22&oq=%22Kohler+service+bulletin+267%22&gs_l=hp.3...3172.3172.3.4220.1.1.0.0.0.0.64.64.1.1.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.2.hp.BfkDO711YzQ&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42080656,d.cGE&fp=2d7d641e9b546947&biw=1430&bih=708

For those of you that know about just ignore my post.

For the rest of you, check the integrity of your grounding on your mill.

The LT40HDG28 has 2 5/16 bolts that hold the ECU module box to the mill. The ground wires attach to the bolt towards the cooling intake grill/ front of the motor. The braket is powder coated and has a star washer BEHIND the the ground wires to enhance grounding.

Symtoms include premature O2 sensor failure, rich fuel mixture, premature plug fouling, difficult cold starting, rough idle and a few others.

I removed the bolt and saw that there was some corrosion around the ground wire tabs and on the bolt.
I took my dremel tool and sanded the powder coating to bare metal and then wire brushed the bolt real good as well.
Local Kohler service shop told me to use some copper based anti sieze compound on the bolt threads and on the wire tabs and bolt head when I put it back together.

It is back together and the improvement was immediately noticeable and significant on my engine in starting, smooth idle again, lower idle speed, smooth throttle response. I expect I will notice improved fuel consumption as well. As in back to what it was.
     
The picture shows where the grounding bolt is located on my mill.
 



 

There is a update grounding kit that is identified in the service bulletin but the local service guy told me that is more for lawn mowers etc. Most farm implements and forestry related machines just need the powder coating on the bracket removed and reassembled with a corrosion inhibitor that is conductive as well.

Hope this helps any of you that are having similar issues with you Kohler engines.

Generally shows up between 300 and 700 hours. 

just thought i would post this here as well since it does require some minor mod work.

[fred in montana]

Here is a simple one for the LT 15 clamps.

I removed the nuts from the long bolts that are used to fasten the clamp to the log bunk. So now the bolts are really acting as pins. When I want to move the clamp from one bunk to another, I just pull the bolt out, move the clamp and drop the bolt back in. Gravity keeps it down. Sure beats getting out the wrenches to un bolt and re bolt.

No problems with this mod after more than 2 years of doing it that way.

Hey Yellohammer- I went to Buckhorn HS. Class of 88.

[YellowHammer]

Fred,
It sure is a small world.  How in the world did a good ol boy end up all the way in Montana?  If you ever get this way, drop in and we'll grab some BBQ downtown New Market.
YH

[york]

Scroll down to Larry...
OOPS,this was to go into Roghairs thread,oh well it`s worth looking at again...
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,7789.msg247857.html#msg247857

[Bibbyman]

 

Don't try this at home.

The dust chute scoop on the drive wheel cover was loose.  Sawdust from millions of board feet of sawing has cut the heads off the pop rivets several times. 

As I had bought a Hobart Handler 125 EZ and was just itching to use it.  I found a final fix. Or so I thought.

I over did the welding. Welding it inside and out.  I was reasonably pleased with some of my last welds.  I cleaned up the ugly with the angle grinder and went to put it on the mill.  Well it went on with a struggle.  The welding heat had warped the cover.

I'd probably gotten by with just some short stitch welds.

[Chuck White]

Looks like it'll hold!  ;)

[Peter Drouin]

Thats the first thing I did with mine, A blade broke and pop off some rivets that hold the thing on

[drobertson]

bibby, I bought the 140 some years ago, love the machine as well,  I just keep a pop riv gun handy,  Let us know how it works out,  I have had a few knarly messes there, and needed to pop it loose, 

[Bibbyman]

A better fix would have been to use old fashion steel rivets that are peened over.    Or else small stove bolts and peen the thread ends so they never work loose.

[drobertson]

I hear ya, I usually run with a few missing all the time,  even with the extra rivets handy,  still yet you have the welder now,  I got the gas tank for mine, man it is sweet, up to 1/4" anyway, 

[Bibbyman]

 

Here is my copy of Yellowhammer's excellent idea. 

I tack welded a piece of barstock 5/8 wide by 1/10" thick on the bottom edge of the dragback plate.  I installed it Sunday morning while Mary was off getting milk and eggs. After a short learning curve,   it worked great.

When Mary got back, she came out to help.   We sawed a couple of logs and the mod worked as advertised.   I calculated it saved Mary 150 steps just on one small 8' log.

I turned to Mary and asked her assessment.   She gave it a thumb up. I asked if I should take it off and weld it up solid.   She replied "Saw!".   Saw we did and about two logs latter the tack weld broke.  We continued to saw.

We sawed again today until mid-afternoon.  I had enough time left to weld the barstock back on.  No tack this time.  It's on to stay.

I made one small change from my first try,   I angled the barstock down just a wee bit.   The test model tended to hold the board too good.  I often had to pull it off.

It may be a couple of days before we can try it out.  The snow forecast ranges from 2-7" to as much as 12-18' possible in some places.

[Ga Mtn Man]

I have to admit, I'm struggling to understand how this works. :-[  How does the added lip on the board return find its way into the saw kerf? 

[Bibbyman]

As the board starts back, it reaches a tipping point on the front edge of the cant.  The end of the board against the dragback hand raises to hit the top plate.   It's at that point the lower ledge slips under the board.

Yellowhammer's video is linked a few posts back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5upimQu1YU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here it is again.  The video does not clearly show the board tipping action but that's what happens.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Thanks for the explanation, Bibby.  Did you (and you too, Larry) understand how it worked before you did the mod or did you just take it on faith that it worked?  It bugs me that I gave this a lot of thought and couldn't come up with how it worked, even after watching the video over and over.  I fear I may be slipping fast. smiley_old_guy

[Bibbyman]

I too feel like the Scarecrow - "I should of thought of that.".

It's not a hard mod to to test out.  Just tack weld a strip on the bottom of the hand and try it out.  If you don't like it, just knock it off.  If you like it weld it up solid before it breaks off.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Of course, you actually need to have a board drag-back on your mill before you can do the  mod.  I don't.  Not yet, anyway. :(

[Larry]

I've been running my dragback since I got my mill and could see the short comings along with the benefits.  I had been thinking of a design improvement and when Yellowhammer posted his mod it just clicked.  I wouldn't think a sawyer without dragback would quite understand the mechanics so you're still ok Paul.  Wait until you hit the big SIX 0.

The TK never had the top lip either, which I added at the same time as the bottom lip.  In Yellowhammer's pic you can also see the dragback angled, I guess to guide the board along with a couple of additional blocks.  In my case I want boards and slabs coming straight back.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Thanks for  bailing me out, Larry.  I feel a little better.

[Peter Drouin]

Mine Is next to fix the drag back :D

[WDH]

I have drag back on my LT15, but it is manual  :D.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Yeah... manually drag your butt back to the house. :D

Sorry, Danny.  I just couldn't help myself ;D

[Peter Drouin]

Bib I went  back to your first post about puting all the mods in one place, I think thats a good Idea

Here are some of mine

some time when the bark is loose or have ice on the log,I can't hold the log, so I made some fangs for my clamp


  

 
sometimes  the cant will pop up when I move the clamp down so not hit it with the blade, I can pull the cant down a little,

One time when I set the mill up on ice I loaded a big log and me mill andlog went for a ride, so I welded nuts on the bottom of the legs


 
now I don't slide around no more

ON my mill I have fine adjustable legs, and they would loosen on me so I made some locks


  

 
all like this one


Then one day Im cutting wood and got off my seat to move some boards then I got back on my seat and burn my butt [sunny day]
so I made this

  

 
gos in the back of the chair to hold my umbrealla


 


 
the umbrealla holder comes out to put all of it in the truck

[Chuck White]

I had an umbrella, framework and everything given to me last summer, really nice on those super-hot days! ;D

[Peter Drouin]

the outher thing I did was to put on a back stop on the end of the mill


 

so this wont happen with long beams, some times the cant will hit the short stops


 

[Peter Drouin]

this might not be considered a mod on the mill but it helps, I hope it's ok
the log shifter

 
to line up the log to the mill


  

 
saves my back a lot of times