Engine swap in D-160

[meby 27]

Hi all, I have a D-160 that had a bad Onan BF engine (low compression requiring a complete overhaul), so instead of spending a chunk of change to fix it I opted to do an engine swap. I figured I should document some of it here to maybe help someone looking to do the same. The new engine is a Onan Performer 16XSL out of a Lincoln Weldanpower 8000 welder. I picked two of these sets up last summer for $80. One was supposed to have a good engine and the other a good generator. Turns out both engines work and the only thing wrong with the one I pulled for D-160 is it had a weak fuel pump. I put the new motor in last night and hooked it up temporarily to make sure it fit. 

 

Differences and similarities between the new and old motor that I've figured out so far:

-The new engine bolted exactly in place on the original brackets. Didn't have to re-drill anything.

-The hydraulic pump bolts straight up to the new engine with no modifications.

-The starter is on the opposite side requiring a longer battery cable and is hooked up directly to from the battery to the starter and has a solenoid on the starter instead of one mounted to the frame.

-The choke cable can be used unmodified by flipping over the bracket on the carb to face in the opposite direction. 

-The throttle will require changing from a push rod/lever/spring setup on the shroud to a throttle cable. The engine has an automatic idle down feature I've been playing around with that I think I can hook into so I can have variable rpms

-The muffler had to be removed. It fit tight up against the grill. I'll adapt it to the original mufflers.

- The dipstick had to be bent slightly out to clear the hood and the bracket re-drilled. 

 

Future problems:

-It has a tapered shaft that if I ever use the tractor for a mower or snowblower, I'll have to adapt the crank to a straight shaft. Not an insurmountable issue, but definitely a bit of a pain.

 

Here is the front shot.

 

 

And one of the side to show how it fits. 

 

I ran it for a minute and now that i know I can make it fit properly, I'll finish up the remaining stuff and clean up my wiring a little. 

[ericj 1,576]

use the secondary solenoid, i had an old C175 that had been converted  to a 18 hp onan. just before i tore it apart, or maybe i should say one of the reasons i took it apart was that the ignition switch couldn't handle the current draw put on it by the starter. that's why wheel horse always used a relay of one sort or another on their tractors

 

 

 

 

eric j 

[meby 27]

Well I got it finished...except for maybe putting on ag lugs, but other than that....  Not bad for $300 (tractor and all).

 

A couple final thoughts:

-The exhaust didn't quite line up with the original notches in the grill, so I had to heat them with a torch and twist them slightly.

-The charging system was easy enough to figure out once I discovered that my voltmeter was screwing with me. It said  the system was putting out 18 volts when it was in fact putting out 14.75 v. Time for a new voltmeter.

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by meby