417-8 Mowing/Grass Debris

[boovuc 1,090]

I was reluctant to get my reconditioned 417 dirty,   but.................after mowing with it this weekend, I think that KT sucks and holds more debris on the flywheel screen than my Onans! I was shocked. My C-175 with the Series I motor doesn't suck and hold that many clippings. I noted that the screen on the 417 Series II wraps around the whole engine side so it doesn't plug completely up like the Onans but that just amazed me! Almost like the Series II engine sucks more air through the flywheel for cooling than the Series I KT.
Oh and it was worth getting dirty! It mows great! Just a miss at full throttle I have to work out. I did finally get the governor ironed out and the springs where they need to be.

[JackC 617]

I have found that the deck used and the deck height adjustment makes a difference so you would need to use the same deck on both machines with the same ground clearance under the front of the deck to properly compare the grass sucking and cooling screen clogging parameters of the two engines.    With certain decks set at certain heights my ONANs really suck grass but not with others.  I have found that a make shift shield for the left front side of the deck makes a big difference to keep the clippings away from the engine cooling air intake.

[PaulC 342]

Boo I was really shocked by this and almost alarmed at first when I first started mowing with my 417-A with the series 2. There is so much surface area on that screen though that I don't really worry about it because maybe only 50% or so holds clippings. I did some searching on here and didn't find much so I figured it wasn't much of a problem.

[Theroundhousernr 590]

  I have taken notice to the fact that the grass seems to be statically sticking to the front tires and throwing it self off as it spins on my 520H. If I mow fresh grass and overlap the front left tire , I hardly get any grass tossed up on the deck or flywheel screen.

  If I drive over cut grass clipping that are laying on the ground with the left front , it will clog up the screen with in seconds, whether the deck is spinning or not.  You can watch the clipping fly from the tire. Thought about trying a make shift fender to see if it solves the problem, similar to what one of the members did with the rat rod go kart thing. Might even have a cool look to it if done right.

 

[doc724 925]

I have observed the same thing as Theroundhousernr but only when I use a SD deck.  I also cut each row in the opposite direction on the next pass.  I also have a RD deck on my 416 and the grass pick up on the screen is minimal.  That being said, sometimes the clippings make a mess and my wife will run the 416 with the tow behind sweeper.  AS was stated above, even though she is not cutting, the Onan will get a lot of grass on the screen.  I like the fender idea!

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

I had the same problem with m old 417A but learned to carry an old windshield ice scraper with a little right angle broom at the other end of the handle. Every lap or two I would just give the air intake a swipe with the broom and keep on mowing.