LT15 Needs New Engine

kantuckid · December 25, 2020, 06:44:42 AM

Not as any sort of critical comment on firefighters move to buy the WM engine kit, that's a personal choice.
But, given that my LT15 is ~ 20 years old I have been thinking engines since this thread opened.
Mine runs OK not great, since I went to a cheapo Chinese carb, never seems to find a happy place on idle, but does run always.
I saw several new engines of various brands on the web yesterday @~ $1,000.
Is there anything peculiar about installing a different engine on these mills? As said the sheaves are generic stuff bought from a chart. The other factors is where my questions go?
On that general subject-how many brands we think of as USA are now Chinese mfg. in small engines?

Merry Christmas!

firefighter ontheside · December 25, 2020, 11:04:21 AM

No offense taken @kantuckid . I'm sure there are folks here, probably including yourself that would have no trouble buying an engine locally and making it work well. Though I would look into the output shaft diameter issue. The very nice guy from WM was very knowledgable about small engines and explained to me that I should be wary about choosing an engine off the shelf due to the side load that is put on these engines due to the tension required to drive the belt. I suspect that is why they use 1 1/8" shafts. Maybe not so much for strength of the shaft but for a better bearing.

I had posed a question on a FB woodmizer group and someone replied with a very good write up on replacing his Kohler with Honda GX series motor. He had to get a special side mount muffler so as not to hit the top of the mast as he raised it. He had to fashion a mount for the fuel tank up high and off the front of the motor. It looked incredibly inconvenient. He had to have a shaft extension made so that he could mount the motor further back from the blade housing for clearance. He had to separate blade engagement from throttle advance, which he said he really liked, but I think I'd rather keep the 2 connected as stock. In the end he was very happy, but I would like to avoid most of those headaches. Going up in HP it really seems the WM guy is correct in saying you need to upgrade the belt to handle the extra power or it will slip. My kit from WM is going to include a whole new drive side wheel.

@kantuckid you'd be welcome to head over to MO and pick up my old engine if you can use it.

kantuckid · December 25, 2020, 12:46:53 PM

Thanks. I was mostly trying to dig into the whole idea of LT15 engines. I don't see shaft stiffness between 1" & 1 1/8" making much difference. The peripherals as you mention were more toward my concern.

firefighter ontheside · December 28, 2020, 03:36:20 PM

I just called WM to get an update on timing of my new engine. Originally they said it may take 5 weeks, but today he said it will likely be mid January. That's a lot better. Very nice guy at WM told me to call next Monday and ask for him so he could check for me again. I also asked him to check on some WM merchandise that my wife and kids ordered for me. She ordered it 2 weeks ago and it appears to still be in the Indi post office. He made a not for himself to check on it again in 2 days and said if it has not been delivered by then he will ship them out again. I can't really ask for better than that.

kantuckid · December 28, 2020, 04:30:44 PM

I was just now reading reviews on the HF Predator 22HP engines, winding down from having lots of company.
On HF reviews using the search term sawmill, there were several who'd used that one for a mill, one even went on a WM LT40 mill and said to work fine-whatever that means as far as the fit up.
Wondering how a small, red plastic, outboard gas tank would do on the top of the LT15 frame? Getting it away from the exhaust would be the challenge.
For not much more than a HF engine there's lots of mainstream brands out there-one seller who is not too far from me in New Abany, IN- sells on ebay & web-Honda, B&S, Kohler, etc..
1 1/8" is common shaft as are bushings for the sheaves. Throttle connection is a question mark on a hot rod job like I'm talking. I'll not shut mine down yet but thinking ahead.

firefighter ontheside · December 28, 2020, 05:02:06 PM

The guy from FB who put a Honda on his really liked not having throttle advance connected to the blade engage handle. I can't see spending the money to have more HP which will improve productivity and then have to add a step every time I engage and disengage the blade.

I guess it would be nice to go longer between fuel ups as long as it wasn't too difficult to either get up there to add fuel or take the tank down to add fuel. I think the new ones have a gas tank up next to the lube jug.

kantuckid · December 29, 2020, 07:05:52 AM

That area of the lube platform would be an easy way to add platform space for a gas tank. It could even be plywood.
The Kohler tank and it's shutoff are enough of an issue that the Chinese knocked off the valve long ago.
OE tank itself seems robust but also in the way of servicing the engine beyond everyday use, so I wouldn't miss it much. I've removed my CH15 gas tank a number of times to do repairs.

The sometimes interference of the dual function crank handle and the power lever are already a pain.
I have also considered the newer LT15 manual push handle in place of me pushing on a battery box(mine has a wooden tool tray full of pencils, etc. on top) to help advance the saw while cranking.

firefighter ontheside · December 29, 2020, 09:16:40 AM

So your LT15 doesn't have a push bar? Mine is from 2004 and it has one and the crank. If I buy the power feed later this year, I will have to remove that bar. If it works for you you can have it.

kantuckid · December 29, 2020, 09:21:19 AM

No pushbar has ever been on my saw, it's pre-pushbar- sort of like me-pre a lot of things... ;D

firefighter ontheside · December 29, 2020, 09:41:21 AM

Interesting. I didn't know it came like that on older models. I always have my right hand on the crank and my left hand on the bar.

kantuckid · December 29, 2020, 09:50:47 AM

Is the OE battery box on my saw occupying the space where the bar would go?

I picked up on the push bar in pictures of newer LT15 mills a long time ago but never researched any further.

firefighter ontheside · December 29, 2020, 10:12:08 AM

I can take a picture and post it for you in a bit. I just got home from mandatory OT yesterday. I can see how if I didn't have the bar that i could put my hand on the battery instead.

kantuckid · December 29, 2020, 01:34:04 PM

The tool tray works but less than ideal as if you get too exuberant then the reality that the battery box top is holding on via the plastic tabs shows up.
I just spread 2-3 tons of rock I had on hand in front of my mill and it sort of disappeared? Got more coming next day. Suns out so I'll find me a non-mud job this afternoon.

firefighter ontheside · December 29, 2020, 02:26:36 PM

Heres what mine looks like. The bar is on the same bolts that hold the crank arm.

kantuckid · December 29, 2020, 03:53:34 PM

My mill lacks the large sprocket wheel and doesn't have the black painted steel bar that has the crank on it for the orange feed rope-or whatever that is? Mine has the dual function crank- pushed in it engages the mast head and pulled out it ruins the capstan style rope that moves the saw through the cut.
I suppose the two bar mount holes are not there on mine but holes are cheap and fast ;D as are threads.
That push area appears to be about waist high?
My style cranks in one direction -same as your sprocket. I'll be down there to meet my rock guy after the frost burns off and check it out.
That large sprocket has a chain behind it to raise the blade-same place as mine. What seems strange there's not a chain on the teeth of the larger diameter?

Lostinmn · December 29, 2020, 04:16:12 PM

Quote from: firefighter ontheside on December 29, 2020, 09:16:40 AM
So your LT15 doesn't have a push bar? Mine is from 2004 and it has one and the crank. If I buy the power feed later this year, I will have to remove that bar. If it works for you you can have it.

The push bar remounts with the power feed. I put one on this fall, although I've only used it once or twice to help the power feed as the rope was loose.

firefighter ontheside · December 29, 2020, 04:54:24 PM

The large sprocket is not really a sprocket. It is the index for raising and lowering the blade. Squeeze the handle to retract the catch and then turn the handle. Each tooth on the sprocket is 1/16". The handle turns the chain which raises the saw. Once you reach the desired height you stop squeezing the handle and the little stop protrudes out and catches in the sprocket. The sprocket doesn't actually turn. Newer LT15 have a sprocket with far fewer notches. That means the handle needs to be turned a lot more for each inch of travel up and down. I suspect that means there is more mechanical advantage in the system and is therefore easier to raise and lower.

Well, I guess I'll be keeping the bar after all, if it goes back on with the power feed.

mudfarmer · December 29, 2020, 07:17:06 PM

Did not put the push bar back on with my power feed and haven't needed it, can still push the mill around when off and not milling. One annoying thing is that where the power feed mounts it makes it impossible to get a straight sight line anywhere near the 1" mark on my scale :-\ Poor design there for sure.

booman · December 30, 2020, 04:04:57 PM

Firefighter, the newer LT15 sawmills have a similar index wheel where each notch is 1/16" of movement up or down. But the newer ones are twice as fast where one revolution raises or lowers the head 2 inches. One revolution on your mill moves it 1". I had one like that. Also, you can get a new decal for the index wheel from Woodmizer.