# Predator/JD220



## Reelnutt (May 4, 2017)

Late last year I bought a older JD 220 Greens Mower w Groomer for $60 it had been sitting for awhile the Kawasaki FE-120 was dusty and the tank was full of rust. A good friend of mine sharpens reels and we wheel and deal a lot. I ended up buying a used FE-120 off a GM1000 parts mower for $40 that was in better shape than the one on the JD. Long story short i don't think it's getting enough fire it looks weak and I've been through the carb twice still won't run off starting fluid. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a 6.5 predator well the crank shaft ended up being 3/4 in and i need a 5/8 the 3.5 Predator has a 5/8 shaft. I know a lot of people have done the swaps on McLanes (I've done one for a customer before) but has anyone experienced a Predator swap on a Greens Mower? Kawasaki parts are to expensive when I can get the whole new engine for $100


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Paging @MasterMech


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

Run the Predator. Hit the shaft with a grinder taking off 1/16 of an inch. You could use a coarse file too for a while very carefully. Presuming they didn't harden the shaft. It would be a big pia but it would probably work. have to be very careful. But it would beat taking the engine apart. 
You also could find a belt or sprocket (I hope there is only one) that fits 3/4 but has the same diameter or number of teeth.
Or have the pulley or sprocket drilled out to 3/4. Probably the easiest if it will work. (depends if there is a flatspot /keyway)

The guys at my harbor freight probably think I am an equipment perve. (Maybe I am  ) Those Predator engines look very OK to me. I would try one if I needed to.

I am reminded about some YouTube vids I was watching. A couple of air gun guys that use 4500 psi air guns bought a compressor from China for $205 plus delivery charges. One of them was from Chermany and actually took it apart on camera. There was nothing to complain about. He said well they COULD have put a ball or needle bearing on the crankshaft but since it was running submerged in hydraulic oil it probably didn't matter and was probably not going to fail there. The crankshaft had a cast in oil splasher bar. The german guy said he liked it better than the $2500 euro one made in Chermany because it was faster. I hope those guys are careful working at those high pressures. (Use no oil!)
They sell all this stuff so cheap. They should just give it to you. I mean $100 for a 6.5 horse engine.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

Have you checked the flywheel to armature distance?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

The very first thing I'd check on the new old FE120 is the flywheel to armature air gap. In absence of an official spec, roundabouts .010" will do, a piece of heavy card stock or a business card will do nicely. If that proves to not be the problem, check the wiring, a cracked or worn section of insulation on either the kill switch or the secondary side of the coil can result in a weak or inconsistent spark. Kawi also used a 2 piece CDI style ignition for years, if it has a condenser/ignitor box (usually a small rectangular device fastened to the outside of the engine. About the size of a quarter) thise have been known to fail as well. You may even be able swap parts off the original engine if it still has good spark.

If your set on going the Predator route, and there's nothing wrong with that, then it sounds like you have some machine work in your future. I'd make the sheave fit the crankshaft rather than vice versa. Taking a grinder or file to the crank is going to cost you more in time than the whole engine is worth, and the end result will not be a proper fit. It's likely to have wear issues prematurely as well. Boring and re-keying the sheave is a simple operation for any machine shop. You may even be able to source a replacement sheave from somewhere like Northern Tool, Grainger, or McMaster-Carr.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

@MasterMech I knew you'd have some good suggestions! Bearings and Drives is a good source of sheaves as well. I used to buy from them when I worked for Trane.


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## Reelnutt (May 4, 2017)

I tried fitting the 6.5hp it was way to big there was no possible way to make it work but the 3.5 is a lot smaller I just haven't had time to stop and grab 1. I've always used a business card to gap a coil but like I said Kawi parts are so expensive when I can hopefully slap a predator on it for $100 if not I just find another Greens mower there a dime a dozen around here


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

Definitely hit up a machine shop. Drilling a bigger hole and milling a new keyway, if needed, is literally 15 minutes of work.


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