Hmmm, no comment from Walt, guess he is mad at me. Anyway, I did take time this past weekend to remove the cover, muffler pipe assembly and air intake hose from the engine in order to remove the cylinder head. Once the head was removed, I noticed that the piston was about three quaters toward the front of the cylinder. I then turned the crank to see if the piston would move, but this time, I was only able to turn the crank about one quarter turn, seems for some reason I have lost most of the travel in the crank area. The piston did not move. I was able to push the piston back into the cylinder a little more than half way, the piston moved freely without any binding when I did this. I then turned the crank again several times back and forth, but did not see any movement in the piston. Sort of sums up the fact that the piston is no longer connected to the crank. Not sure if it is just the crank collar or a broken piston rod at this point, but on Monday I did speak with a gentleman from a mower repair shop who was familiar with this type of engine, he said he actually had one in the shop for repair, about 7 years old that apparently has a broken rod. He indicated to me that this model engine (31H777-0202) seemed to have this problem after a few years of usage, and that the newer model (31P777-0202) should have better parts to last longer. When I asked for an estimate of the cost of repair, which I assume would require a total breakdown and rebuild of the engine, he was not able to give me an exact figure, but indicated that there would not be much difference in the repair cost and the cost of a new engine. I have not done any more research to verify if this model engine does have this type of breakdown history, but if this is the case with this model B&S engine, then regular maintenance of this engine may not have made any difference in this outcome. At this point I need to put more of my time going in the direction that will get this tractor back on-line, so the plan will be to acquire a new engine for the best price. Guess I will shelve the old engine until I can either find someone who is willing to buy it from me, or use it for parts, or rebuild it myself. If I do a rebuild of this engine myself, I guess the suggestion of taking pictures will be beneficial for future hobbyist. Thanks for all of the input guys, I will stay in touch. Howard

This has discussion has a lot of great information. I'm not sure if everyone's questions have been answered but we have a very in depth article on our site regarding the difference between the Delta 17 and 17T series trim kits. It gets pretty heavy into the details. Others above have given a pretty good explanations in this discussion but I think some aspects may still be a little unclear. Here's a summary of the differences detailed in our article. 1) Water pressure: 17 Series cartridges operate using pressure balancing techniques as opposed to actually sensing temperature. This means that water pressure from a 17 Series trim will be less than a 17T Series. 2) Temperature limit stop: If you live in an area where seasonal temperature differences are greater, you may have to adjust the temperature limit stop in your 17 series shower periodically. You will never need to do this with a 17T series. 3) Accuracy: 17T keeps the temperature in a tighter range. If you adjust the temperature handle more often the 17T will give you more predictable results with less fiddling around required to get exactly the temperature you want. 4) Shower systems with multiple spray outlets: In the case of a shower system you will require more water pressure and a 17T will be better. You will also get better pressure from a standard showerhead with a 17T. These are some of the reasons the price is higher. For more info check out our article: https://faucetlist.com/blogs/buying-guides/delta-thermostatic-shower-faucet-trim-kit-cartridges-monitor-17-series-vs-17t-series-tempassure read the guide

All drain covers sold today must be VGB-2008 compliant. They will be stamped somewhere about VGB-2008 or VGB-2007 A112.19.8 which is the ANSI-ASME code. They are very difficult to block or get tangled hair and jewelry entrapments with. If a direct fit isn't possible, adapters are available. Why do you want to hide the equipment? Can't a hedge row hide it? It's not going to make a lot of noise. If you decide to bring the pump only above the water line of the pool, make sure it's stable enough to withstand high winds. A simple stack of cinder blocks in not sturdy enough. It would be a real bummer if it blew over because of 50 mph gust in a thunderstorm. The plumbing won't hold the weight. The snap would likely happen below the waterline by feet abd a siphon would start. Remember to have 8" before any fittings such as Ts, valves, and 90s in front of and on top of the pump. Watch where you put the power and control cables too. Scott

I am trying to visualize your layout and if I am correct you should have a third valve on the line that you may not have located. If I am correct your problem may be much easier than you think. Typically the municipal main is located in an easement parallel to the roadway about 5' to 8' wide parallel to the roadway. (In areas where there are sidewalks the utility easement is in the treebelt between the roadway curb and the sidewalk.) There should be a "Curb box valve" located in that easement that defines the point of demarcation between the municipal main and the house "Supply Line". The curb box valve is a "Keyless hydrant" valve located totally underground. On the surface you should find a small round cast iron cover flush with the finished grade about 4" to 6" in diameter that is held in place by a hex head nut and the word "Water" is visible as raised embossed lettering on the cap. This is the valve that the water service provider would turn off to discontinue water service and while most plumbers have a curb box wrench, in some jurisdictions only bona fide employees of the water service company are legally permitted to have a curb box service wrench. When the cast iron cap is removed it reveals a hollow pipe extending down to the valve which is on the line below grade. The service wrench is simply a steel rod 3" to 10" long with a Tee hnndle on one end and on the opposite end it has a U shaped piece of steel that fits over an extended flat steel bar on the valve. The rod is put down the pipe until it contacts the valve then it is turned a 1/4" turn to shut the valve off. The buried line from the curb box valve to the structure is then classified as the "Supply Line". Typically for houses with a basement the water meter is located in the basement in the immediate vicinity of where the supply line enters the structure. For houses on slab the meter is typically installed in a buried Meter vault at any convenient point between the utility easement and the structure. Code Requires that all structures must have a "Main Shutoff Valve" in close proximity to where the Supply line enters the structure. (Most codes define close proximity as a distance not more than 6'). For houses on slab the Main shutoff is typically installed in a Valve box immediately outside the foundation where the water line enters the building. (For houses with a basement the main shutoff is immediately inside the basement wall.) The "Main Shutoff" is the official point of demarcation between the house "Supply Line" and the house "Distribution lines". These demarcation points are important because code defines the size and type of pipe and materials we may use to install these lines and it may be radically different. By example PVC is permitted for Supply Piping but it is prohibited for Distribution piping. The gate valve which you describe as being on a copper pipe just before it enters the house is your "Main Water Shutoff Valve". If this valve is in a valve box or vault that is immediately accessible it technically is not in a concealed location so you may be permitted to use copper compression fittings here(chech with your local code official). If so, the easy solution would be to cut the copper pipe and use compression fittings to install a new ball valve. If you can cut the old valve out while doing this thats great, but if not simply remove the handle from the old valve and leave the valve in place. The second option would be to contact your water service provider and have them turn the service off temporarily to permit you to service the lines. In a worst case scenario where you may need to replace the supply line it is not as difficult as you might imagine. Typically we would use a Ditch Witch type trenching machine which has a cutter bar that looks like a super chainsaw on steroids. The trencher cuts a 4" to 6" wide trench to the required depth of up to 6 or 8ft and some have an attachment on the bar that will actually lay the new pipe as it cuts the trench. Some of the machines also have a small backhoe bucket on the opposite end plus a small bulldozer blade which is used for backfilling. Your total run is 60 feet so the total trenching time would be in the order of about 10 to 15 minutes plus the time to lay the pipe and backfill with a minimal disturbance to your landscaping. Keep in mind that they would need to hand dig on each end to make the final connections plus the time to deliver and setup the machine so a total service time of 4 to 5 hours would be about normal. The California Code is primarily based upon the Uniform Plumbing Code so your options of pipe materials should be continuos roll copper pipe, types K & L which is approved for direct burial, continuous roll Polyethelene pipe, PEX tubing, PEX-AL-PEX pipe, or PVC pipe.