G1900 to G1900S engine swap

[moralem]

I have a G1900 that has been giving me fits with electrical and overheating issues. I think I have the electrical issue sorted, but I still have wires that the orginal owners cut and I can't quite figure out how to fix them. The light switch on the dash was taken out, the safety switches to the seat and PTO are disconnected and a couple of other things that lead me to believe that electrical gremlins live in this great little warhorse. So to rid myself of the jinx I was thinking of getting a G1900S that is much newer than mine but has a blown engine and doing an engine swap. The 1900s is complete, great deck....same 60 inch as mine, 4wheel steer and it did not have any overheating or electrical problems before the engine gave out. The engine failure was mechanical so nothing related to overheating etc so I the cooling system is in good shape, where mine is questionable.......so what do you all think about the engine swap? The mechanic that has the blown 1900s is selling it for a customer for 500 bucks. He will do the engine swap for 100 bucks. I am in to my G1900 for about a grand right now so if I pick up the other tractor and swap out engines I would have two 1900s for just a bit over 1500 bucks. I would keep my jinxed tractor for parts like transmission, deck, wheels, seat, etc for when I needed them or I could just part it out.
My wife thinks I am crazy and that I am only inviting more gremlins into the mix.....kind of like creating a Frankenbota that will be more trouble than what it is worth. What do y'all think. My 1900 has a serial number in the 11XXX range and the newer 1900s is in the 50xxx range......would love to hear what the rest of you think. Oh and I would have to drive three hours each way to have the transplant done. Even if I don't do the transplant 500 bucks for a parts tractor seems like a pretty good deal even if I just switch out the radiator and eletrical system. Let me know what you think.

 

[handyman]

If I understand the other engine is blown and your engine you are going to use is overheating. My question why is it overheating does it have a radiator problem that has caused other problems you dont know about such as blown head gasket cracked or warped head only to mention a couple. Hope someone else jumps in on this one I dont like to throw good money after something I really dont know how it will turn out. You will also be paying someone to do the work instead of doing it yourself. Will it be worth the money you will have in it when your finished and what else will you have to do you dont know about now. Alot to think about especially if you cant do the work yourself. Good luck on your decision. handy

 

[moralem]

If I understand the other engine is blown and your engine you are going to use is overheating. My question why is it overheating does it have a radiator problem that has caused other problems you dont know about such as blown head gasket cracked or warped head only to mention a couple. Hope someone else jumps in on this one I dont like to throw good money after something I really dont know how it will turn out. You will also be paying someone to do the work instead of doing it yourself. Will it be worth the money you will have in it when your finished and what else will you have to do you dont know about now. Alot to think about especially if you cant do the work yourself. Good luck on your decision. handy

Thanks for the feedback.....just what I am looking for. For my plan to work I would take my engine without its electrcical harnesses and radiator and I would swap it into the newer 4wheel steer 1900s. That way I don't transfer any of the current gremlins that it has. I am assuming that my overheating problem is related to a bad radiator, but I could be wrong......and my electrical problems are somewhere in my current electrical harnesses that were tampered with by the previous owner. My rationale was if I had to buy a new radiator and new electrical harness those alone would cost me close to $700 just for parts. I would love to do the work myself but time is a problem, but I could just pick up the tractor and bring it on home and have my local kubota guys make the swap. It would cost me more but I know those guys and they would do right by me.

I guess the other question I need to ask is what is one of these 1900sworth? I see a number of them out on the web going for 2500 on up. I figure as long as I stay under 2000 grand I would have a tractor that will out last me. Not much on the market I can get into for 2K that is worth the money new. I appreciate the input...........I sure would hate for my wife to be right again.

 

[dusty-t]

I agree on what handyman said. Bottom line forget the electrical issue for now. Untill you figure out the overheating issue. You will probably end up with two parts machines. Dusty

 

[moralem]

I agree on what handyman said. Bottom line forget the electrical issue for now. Untill you figure out the overheating issue. You will probably end up with two parts machines. Dusty

My Kubota dealer has given me three options for my current overheating; bad radiator that does not let the system pressurize so the fluid just boils thus overheating, a bad radiator that is blocked and needs to be rodded, or a bad water pump. They don't think it is a bad thermostat since it takes a while for the engine to heat up, don't ask me why but that is what they say. So if it needs a new radiator I was planning on using the radiator that is coming off of the newer one which does not have any known problems. A new radiator assembly from Messicks will cost me close to $500. The Kubota dealer does not think it is the water pump either but I am not sure how they came to that conclusion either but again I figured once I swapped out the radiator and the overheating continued I would then swap out the water pump. A new water pump will cost about 80-90 bucks but I would just take it off of the old blown motor. I guess I am at a loss for how to address the overheating problem and thought the swap of engine into the other tractor would solve the overheating problem since it would have a much newer radiator. Unless I am missing something what else could cause the overheating besides something wrong with the cooling system? Any help would be appreciated. It sounds logical to say solve the overheating problem but my question is how? Should I just skip the parts tractor and go with everything new in the cooling system. I thought about that but it would an expensive proposition, that is why I thought why not the parts tractor, plus I get a lot of other spare parts.

 

[handyman]

Have you noticed your oil level increasing? when those small engines get hot they have a reputation of blown gasket and / or cracking a head due to the expansion and contraction of the aluminum head if your has a alum head. Dusty is usually good on those or pm service dept. vic someone else will probably jump in shortley. I am not going to tell you what you want to hear. Because I know you are going to spend your hard earned money. Wish you would try to do some of the work yourself it would not cost you a fortune that way, only time. Make sure you dont have any antifreeze in the oil before you start. Dont want to see you have a lot of money in it that you may not recoup. If the swap over works good for you the 1900s will probably last many years as long as other problems dont surface on the 1900s after the swap.Good luck what ever you decide. Please dont make any decision on my input because that is what it is INPUT only. Others on this site work on those all the time sure one will jump in by tomorrow.handy

 

[moralem]

Hey I appreciate the input. If I did not want to hear what others have to say I would not ask. It may not be what I want to hear but it helps with evaluating my options. I have not noticed that my oil level goes up when it over heats. I assume that would mean that coolant is getting in there. The engine in these little 1900s is the D722 three cylinder but I have no idea if it has an aluminum head. The overheating problem is only recent and I have not run it while it was hot. I just got it hot enough to see that it was overheating and to try to trouble shoot.....didn't put it under load are anything like that just drove it around until it gradually started to heat up. Like I said in the other post I have no idea how to fix the overheating and would love to hear other ideas on how to solve it. Thanks for the input...........

 

[handyman]

Those are tough little engines head probably ok .Let us know what you do and good luck on whatever you decide. Glad you didnt run it hot or could have major damages. handy

 

[dusty-t]

Hi Moralem. If coolant is getting into the oil you would know. The oil would turn grey brown milky. If you can, do a pressure test on the cooling system. I know not everyone has these tools. But it would put your mind a little more at ease concerning the head gasket. Flush the cooling system and see how much crap is in it. Then run it and see if it still heats up. Both procedures are cheap and quick. Good luck and keep us posted. Dusty

 

[handyman]

dusty is absolutely right on as usual you would know by color and look of it.I also agree you would know if you have a compression tester to check it with.handy