"AAG" wrote in message
news

"AAG" wrote in message
news
I've just bought (online) a new Castel lawnmower with a 5.5 hp Honda
engine
and notice that the engine is bolted to the aluminium deck by three
bolts.

The engine has four evenly spaced mounting holes but one of them does
not
line up with a hole in the deck therefore the span between two of the
mounting bolts is approxiately 180°.

Should I be concerned about this??


UPDATE

The vendor has contacted me by phone and tells me again that all lawnmower
engines are held on by only 3 bolts and that this is to reduce the chance
of
putting stress on the deck if it, or the engine base are not quite flat.
I'd
be grateful if anyone could confirm or contradict this.

Hmm, interesting.

I'd have thought that the stress on the deck would be the same whether using
3 or 4 bolts, but any stresses would be more evenly distributed using 4
bolts. An engine base is meant to be bolted to the deck, so why would they
ever manufacture one whose base isn't 'quite flat'?. It also begs the
question that if all the availably engines are only held on with 3 bolts,
then what is the extra hole in the deck for?

Having said all that, I've just been out and checked my mower (8 years
old) - a Briggs and Stratton on a Mountfield deck and it's only held on with
3 bolts!!! - forming an 'L' shape. There isn't a spare hole in the deck
though.

It's probably still worthwhile contacting Honda or Castel, just to get
confirmation from the horses mouth.

Cheers

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk