Replacing Intake Boot on GT 3100

[Joelk]

I recently purchased a 2005 GT 3100. It seems to be in pretty good condition, except for an issue with the front PTO(may make a seperate thread about it) and the Intake Boot which somehow got out of position and rubbed against the grass screen, creating a fairly large hole in it.

Can anyone provide instructions, or a link to instructions, on how to change the Intake Boot?

Thanks, Joel

[Sam Mac]

What are you calling an intake boot? A pic would be a big help.

[Oak]

I think you are talking about #20 in this picture. It is the tube that goes from the engine to the firewall for proper engine cooling.
images_partstree_com.jpg

If you are going to change it you have to move the motor forward. The blue rubber barrels will probably fall out of the front & or rear driveshaft couplers also. No big deal, just use some vaseline to hold them in place when you reassemble. IIRC that part is NLA from Cub (#20). I had one machine where the po cut it and slipped it over the driveshaft and used duct tape to seal it. Have any pics of how bad it is? Maybe get you a roll of duct tape.

[Joelk]

Thanks for the replies.

It is item # 20 that I am referring to.

The prior owner provided a new part with the mower when I bought it.

Parts Tree shows it as being available for the GT 3100, but not available for my other tractor, which is a 3165.

It was a lot of work to change it. I wish they made a replacement, that had two halves or had a seam in it.

I went ahead and pulled the motor out while I was at it. Since the boot had the hole in it I was concerned that the engine fins may have injested a bunch of grass, etc.

I'm glad I pulled it out/apart. I did not find a bunch of grass, but when I took the shrouding off I found some mouse nests which I am sure would reduce airflow through the fins of the cylinders.

Any suggestions on how to keep mice out in the future?

[J-Mech]

So..... did you get it changed? Sounds like you did.... but you were talking about two tractors in the last post and I got lost..

How to keep mice out.... if you figure it out, there will be lots of other who want to know too. My suggestion, keep it in an area without mice. Put poison out, or get a cat. Also, keep the motor blown out, the machine clean, and start it often. Seems mice like things that don't run on a regular basis. If you keep it outside, your out of luck.

[Joelk]

I don't have the tractor all the way back together, but the new boot is installed and the engine is back in the tractor.

Reference to two tractors in my prior post was just to point out that the boots are available for some 3000 Series Models and are not available for some other 3000 Series Models.

Mine will be stored indoors, I will have poison out, but can't be sure there will be not be any mice in the building.

I have some snowmobiles and I put moth balls in/on them during the summer. This seems like it may be somewhat effective, but I'm not sure it will be as effective with something that I am storing through the winter.

[J-Mech]

We used mothballs in old cars that my brothers have. The only place we had to store them in the winter was in a dirt floor machine shed. Mice stayed out of them.... but we put them inside the car. Can't really do that with a mower.....

[FrankF3]

Jonathan, like you said the moth balls work very good - hard part is trying to catch them little buggers. Moth crystals also work the same way. A guy I work with said if you take those dryer sheets that you normally use in the dryer and place them around that they are effective as well..