[WiscoCaset]

Good morning!

A little over a year ago, I purchased a 1975 1450 that is in generally good condition.

It felt like the engine mounts might need replacement, so I decided to dig into it this winter. I have the engine removed and am planning to do the "engine cradle mod". However, I noticed that some of the holes that the bushings go through are not perfectly round. I wouldn't say they are terrible, but would something like what is pictured cause another problem in the future? I'm wondering if I need to build the holes up and redrill them so they are perfectly round again.

The second question I have is regarding ignition coils. The engine seems to run well, but I've gone through a few coils. I've done all of the troubleshooting I can find on various threads, and keep tracing it back to the ignition coil. The coil has a warranty, and the tractor starts right up when it's replaced.

The coil I'm using is an automotive coil, but the specs match the OE coil. However, I've read a couple things that lead me to believe this issue could be caused by two things:

1. The vibration of the engine is damaging the windings
2. The coil is mounted sideways, and the side of the coil that is "up" is not adequately cooled by the oil inside the coil.

I have read that the OE coil is filled with epoxy, not oil. Are the reasons above perhaps why they're not filled with oil? Also, would I be better off mounting my coil remotely, or just getting an OE coil? I'm wondering about the longevity of replacement OE style coils (not that my oil filled coil has been reliable, but at least I can get a replacement easily in town).

Thanks in advance, I'm all ears!