Repowering a Cub Cadet 782 with a Honda Engine
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Bermuda Ken
501 Club
Looking at the photo of your pto clutch field coil, you better get ready to buy a new one soon. The exposed windings are going to short out soon and cause a shower of sparks and clutch failure........
The cracking and flaking of the plastic coil coating is common on those old Warner PTO clutches. You can preserve their life by covering the outside of the coil surround with several thin coats of silicone RTV gasket maker. The wire windings themselves are covered with an insulation coating too, so a few cracks of that hard plastic is really no reason for panic- believe me when I say it, even a well worn old Warner PTO clutch is a lot tougher then the ones they are putting in new tracotrs today 
-Fordlords-
-Fordlords-
I believe that the Honda is a bit shorter even though the crank snout is a bit longer. The PTO pulley on the Honda should end up in approximately the same location as the Koehler.
Is there a chance that you may have positioned the engine a bit too far forward on the frame when you bolted it down originally?
What is the QA42A? Is it the snowthrower? If so, I'll be finding out in the next few weeks if I've got the same problem.
Is there a chance that you may have positioned the engine a bit too far forward on the frame when you bolted it down originally?
What is the QA42A? Is it the snowthrower? If so, I'll be finding out in the next few weeks if I've got the same problem.
Yes it's a snow thrower. All I could possible move back is about 3/8" or so, using their installation bracket and the drive shaft is positioned correctly. So it's a bit longer IMO.
I'll take a photo of the spacer and post. Shop on the corner is making it. I'm not using a factory pulley so the offset of the pulley might not be as great as the factoy pulley.
The exhaust has to me modified a bit to clear the grille.
I'll take a photo of the spacer and post. Shop on the corner is making it. I'm not using a factory pulley so the offset of the pulley might not be as great as the factoy pulley.
The exhaust has to me modified a bit to clear the grille.
My 682 luckily made it through 35.5 hours of season #1 with the Honda engine without any problems. Getting about 1.5 acres/gallon on gas when mowing, it never ran short on power for any of my summer tasks. I switched over to Gator blades on the mower deck early in the season and they make a very noticeable improvement in the 44C deck's cut quality. It still discharges with these mulcher blades, but the clippings are very minced and not clumpy like straight blades.
I did an end of season maintenance on the tractor, the oil drained clean and the plugs both had a nice tan color to them. The air filter is a bit pricey for this engine at $17.00, (It did not need to be changed yet), but the oil filter cross references to a $4.00 Fram available at Wal-Mart that I changed with the break in oil change and it worked fine so I put one of these on again.
I shut off the fuel valve, ran the carb out of gas, put a bit of Stabil in the tank, and took the battery out. Should be ready for springtime work
-Fordlords-
I did an end of season maintenance on the tractor, the oil drained clean and the plugs both had a nice tan color to them. The air filter is a bit pricey for this engine at $17.00, (It did not need to be changed yet), but the oil filter cross references to a $4.00 Fram available at Wal-Mart that I changed with the break in oil change and it worked fine so I put one of these on again.
I shut off the fuel valve, ran the carb out of gas, put a bit of Stabil in the tank, and took the battery out. Should be ready for springtime work
-Fordlords-
gitractorman
501 Club
Just a word of caution on the Fram or other automotive filters. I know that there have been some problems on Briggs and Kohler engines where people have used a cross referenced filter like a Fram of other automotive. One problem is that the physical size may be slightly different, and cause and oil overfill or under fill problem.
The second is that automotive filters typically have different flow through specs, because automotive oil pumps have much different flow characteristics than lawn/garden engines. Different flow through could starve the engine or caus oil pump problems on lawn/garden engines.
I'm not saying that you will have a problem, but after spending all of that money on a Honda engine, I would be very cautious and do some homework before just throwing a cross referenced oil filter on.
Bill
The second is that automotive filters typically have different flow through specs, because automotive oil pumps have much different flow characteristics than lawn/garden engines. Different flow through could starve the engine or caus oil pump problems on lawn/garden engines.
I'm not saying that you will have a problem, but after spending all of that money on a Honda engine, I would be very cautious and do some homework before just throwing a cross referenced oil filter on.
Bill
It is good to be cautious. With the Honda GX610/620's, the oil filter actually is an automotive filter, the same one as used on some Honda Civic cars. It is much bigger than the filter types used on Kohler and Briggs small engines. The Fram number I mentioned is the proper cross-reference to the stock Honda filter. Overfill on these engines is a definite no-no! I found that out the smoky way 
1.5 quarts should get you where you want to be with oil and filter change on the Honda GX'es with the engine warm. Underfilling tends to happen when filling cold, as the filter holds a large volume of oil.
-Fordlords-
1.5 quarts should get you where you want to be with oil and filter change on the Honda GX'es with the engine warm. Underfilling tends to happen when filling cold, as the filter holds a large volume of oil. -Fordlords-
My Honda manual recommends:
above 50°F / 10°C - SAE 30
above 0°F / -15°C - SAE 10W30
below 30°F / 0°C - SAE 5W30
Oil is a major factor affecting performance and service life. Use 4-stroke automotive detergent oil.
SAE 10W30 is recommended for general use. Other viscosities shown on the chart may be used when the average termperature in your area is within the recommended range.
The SAE oil viscosity and service classification are in the API label on the oil container. Honda recommends that you use API SERVICE category SF or SG oil.
Regarding oil filters, many people feel that Fram filters are below the quality of Wix or Purolator. For more information about oil and filtration, visit Bob is the Oil Guy and the Engine Oil Filter Overview.
above 50°F / 10°C - SAE 30
above 0°F / -15°C - SAE 10W30
below 30°F / 0°C - SAE 5W30
Oil is a major factor affecting performance and service life. Use 4-stroke automotive detergent oil.
SAE 10W30 is recommended for general use. Other viscosities shown on the chart may be used when the average termperature in your area is within the recommended range.
The SAE oil viscosity and service classification are in the API label on the oil container. Honda recommends that you use API SERVICE category SF or SG oil.
Regarding oil filters, many people feel that Fram filters are below the quality of Wix or Purolator. For more information about oil and filtration, visit Bob is the Oil Guy and the Engine Oil Filter Overview.
We had a short mowing season this year due to the grass burning out early in the season- a rare thing in western New York. Luckily the engine picked up some utility hours late in the season using the sweeper and mulching. Hours are now at 62, and everything is still working great.
My engine was part of a temperature monitoring experiment on another forum comparing against Kohler Commands in new Cub Cadet GT2500 tractors vs. the application in the Cub 682. The Honda GX engines have one important factor that monitored significantly better than that of the Kohler Command, that being oil temperature, the GX engine oil runs much cooler than that of the Kohler Command, that even with the GX being in a more enclosed environment in the 682. Cooling air flow temperatures were slightly higher on the GX vs. the Kohler in the 2500's, but most important is the oil in the GX stays cool during high outside temperatures under full power.
Season 3 will see the 682 with the GX moving to a different piece of property, one a little bigger and more challenging.
-Fordlords-
My engine was part of a temperature monitoring experiment on another forum comparing against Kohler Commands in new Cub Cadet GT2500 tractors vs. the application in the Cub 682. The Honda GX engines have one important factor that monitored significantly better than that of the Kohler Command, that being oil temperature, the GX engine oil runs much cooler than that of the Kohler Command, that even with the GX being in a more enclosed environment in the 682. Cooling air flow temperatures were slightly higher on the GX vs. the Kohler in the 2500's, but most important is the oil in the GX stays cool during high outside temperatures under full power.
Season 3 will see the 682 with the GX moving to a different piece of property, one a little bigger and more challenging.
-Fordlords-
After one season I have no complaint's with my Honda transplant! I believe fuel consumption is a bit more.
I'm installing a 190-450 two stage thrower and hope to have it ready for this weekends noreaster!
How many hours are recommended for the oil change on this engine?
I'm installing a 190-450 two stage thrower and hope to have it ready for this weekends noreaster!
How many hours are recommended for the oil change on this engine?
It has a good oil filtration system that I've been running the whole mowing season, about 30 hours a year in my case. I did an initial oil change at 10 hours.
Honda says to do the first oil change at 20 hours or after one month, then every six months or 100 hours of use thereafter.
-Fordlords-
Honda says to do the first oil change at 20 hours or after one month, then every six months or 100 hours of use thereafter.
-Fordlords-
Nearing the end of season #3 shows 92 hours on the Honda engine, and only one thing to report. One 5 gallon container of gas I picked up this summer was E85 ethanol. On very hot days, this caused warm engine restart difficulty and poor running for a few minutes once the engine restarted. Instead of finding a way to dispose of the gas and figuring this ethanol stuff is going to be more and more popular, I did two things to correct the problem.
1. I relocated the fuel filter from the front of the engine above the fan shroud to a more remote location by the fuel pump. I then connected it to the carb with a piece of fuel line considerably thicker than the original one. This was to correct the "vapor lock" and air bubbling in the fuel filter and lines from the ethanol.
2. I switched from the original Bosch WR7DC plugs to a cooler running NGK BPR6ES. I believe the NGK 6 is now the OEM plug for the Honda engines.
These changes have made the engine start and run as well on E85 as regular 100% gasoline. Mechanically, nothing new to report, the engine still runs and functions perfectly. I switched to a Purolator L14459 oil filter after being convinced that Fram's are made somewhat cheaply, but didn't have any problems with the Frams. The engine uses no oil and it drains clean at the end of the seasons. The "pretreater" piece of foam in the air filter needs to be tapped clean after every use of the mower when cutting dry grass, sort of a pain but it's doing its job.
-Fordlords-
1. I relocated the fuel filter from the front of the engine above the fan shroud to a more remote location by the fuel pump. I then connected it to the carb with a piece of fuel line considerably thicker than the original one. This was to correct the "vapor lock" and air bubbling in the fuel filter and lines from the ethanol.
2. I switched from the original Bosch WR7DC plugs to a cooler running NGK BPR6ES. I believe the NGK 6 is now the OEM plug for the Honda engines.
These changes have made the engine start and run as well on E85 as regular 100% gasoline. Mechanically, nothing new to report, the engine still runs and functions perfectly. I switched to a Purolator L14459 oil filter after being convinced that Fram's are made somewhat cheaply, but didn't have any problems with the Frams. The engine uses no oil and it drains clean at the end of the seasons. The "pretreater" piece of foam in the air filter needs to be tapped clean after every use of the mower when cutting dry grass, sort of a pain but it's doing its job.
-Fordlords-
Good suggestions!
Only problem I have had is fouling of the spark plugs. I had to R&R and sand blast to keep it running. I was running partial throttle (trying to keep fuel usage down) while working it hard and this may have caused the fouling. It wasn't oil fouling.
Only problem I have had is fouling of the spark plugs. I had to R&R and sand blast to keep it running. I was running partial throttle (trying to keep fuel usage down) while working it hard and this may have caused the fouling. It wasn't oil fouling.
I'm still having trouble with fouling of the spark plugs. I couldn't find NGK's in town so I put in two Champs. They started fouling in about 1/2 hour of use. So a carb adjustment may be required. Anyone know how to adjust the carb on these Honda GX610 engines.
Here is a link to an online copy of the shop manual for these engines:
http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/en/images/1000.pdf
Here is a link to an online copy of the shop manual for these engines:
http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/en/images/1000.pdf
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