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Cub cadet driving me insane!!!

#1

M

Myjnks

i have a cub cadet LT1024 with an 18 ha Briggs. Last fall I noticed an oil leak on the crankcase gasket. Other than that it ran great. This spring I installed a new gasket. The battery was dead so I jump started it. Fired right up but the pto wouldn't come on. It would only come on if the jumper cables were still hooked up. I bought a new battery and it fired right up and I mowed...then the pto stopped and it would barely turn over at all. The battery was dead too. The next day I jumped it again and it fired up but the battery would not take a charge and the oil pressure light was on and one exhaust pipe was glowing red! I'm at wits end...HELP!


#2

I

ILENGINE

Lets start with the model, type and code of that briggs engine so we know what you are working on.


#3

M

Myjnks

Thanks for the reply! It's a model416777 type0302EL


#4

M

Myjnks

Code040511Y. Last # not stamped well . It's either a G,O or C


#5

I

ILENGINE

I don't know if this is true, but if you were in a dark area and the mower had run more than a few minutes, it isn't unusual for the exhaust manifolds to have a red glow to them. they operate around 700 degrees at full throttle.

If the mower will run with the jumper cables, get us a volt reading with the engine running. Should be around 13.5 at full throttle. I suspect you are below 12. So it that is true that you will need to disconnect the wires going to the voltage regulator, It will be the small box on the opposite side of the engine at the starter. Connect each lead to one of the wires in the double connector, and set the meter to read AC. Should be 28v AC or higher. If that is true then replace the voltage regulator. If the AC voltage is below 28 v then you will need to replace the stator under the flywheel.


#6

M

Myjnks

Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow and get back with you. I had never seen an exaust pipe glow red like that


#7

B

bertsmobile1

A little reddness is not unusual. Exhaust valve run from red to yellow hot and modern lean burn engines run even hotter.
Three things usually cause the pipe to glow red
1) excessivly rich mixture all modern mower engines have fixed main jets
2) excessivly retarded spark all modern mower engines have a fixed timing so if the key is ok so is the timing,
3) bad exhaust valve timing. stuck valve excessive valve lash or insufficient valve lash.


#8

M

Myjnks

ILENGINE said:
I don't know if this is true, but if you were in a dark area and the mower had run more than a few minutes, it isn't unusual for the exhaust manifolds to have a red glow to them. they operate around 700 degrees at full throttle.

If the mower will run with the jumper cables, get us a volt reading with the engine running. Should be around 13.5 at full throttle. I suspect you are below 12. So it that is true that you will need to disconnect the wires going to the voltage regulator, It will be the small box on the opposite side of the engine at the starter. Connect each lead to one of the wires in the double connector, and set the meter to read AC. Should be 28v AC or higher. If that is true then replace the voltage regulator. If the AC voltage is below 28 v then you will need to replace the stator under the flywheel.
Click to expand...

Well, the mower HAD been starting with jumper cables,but now it strains to turn or even a little bit. I do know that the volts were like 1 or 2 when I tested at the battery the other day.


#9

M

Myjnks

bertsmobile1 said:
A little reddness is not unusual. Exhaust valve run from red to yellow hot and modern lean burn engines run even hotter.
Three things usually cause the pipe to glow red
1) excessivly rich mixture all modern mower engines have fixed main jets
2) excessivly retarded spark all modern mower engines have a fixed timing so if the key is ok so is the timing,
3) bad exhaust valve timing. stuck valve excessive valve lash or insufficient valve lash.
Click to expand...

Very good info! Thank you!


#10

M

mwrman

B&S engines also may have trouble starting to hard to start when valves need to be adjusted.
Can you perform leak-down and compression test? Also what your spark plugs look like?


#11

M

Myjnks

mwrman said:
B&S engines also may have trouble starting to hard to start when valves need to be adjusted.
Can you perform leak-down and compression test? Also what your spark plugs look like?
Click to expand...

That may be a bit outside of my skill level! It had been turning over just fine.


#12

M

Myjnks

Myjnks said:
Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow and get back with you. I had never seen an exaust pipe glow red like that
Click to expand...

Can you help me out any more on this post?


#13

Rokon

Rokon

Pull the spark plug out and see if it turns over freely.


#14

M

Myjnks

ILENGINE said:
I don't know if this is true, but if you were in a dark area and the mower had run more than a few minutes, it isn't unusual for the exhaust manifolds to have a red glow to them. they operate around 700 degrees at full throttle.

If the mower will run with the jumper cables, get us a volt reading with the engine running. Should be around 13.5 at full throttle. I suspect you are below 12. So it that is true that you will need to disconnect the wires going to the voltage regulator, It will be the small box on the opposite side of the engine at the starter. Connect each lead to one of the wires in the double connector, and set the meter to read AC. Should be 28v AC or higher. If that is true then replace the voltage regulator. If the AC voltage is below 28 v then you will need to replace the stator under the flywheel.
Click to expand...
Ok,with the engine running,the volts were like 1 or2. The ac reading at the voltage regulatory was 32. I installed a new regulator jump started it and the battery charged up. I mowed for 15 min and the mower stalled. Turned the key and it would barely turn over,still 12 volts at the battery.jump started it at the starter (starter spins freely) ran for a few minutes and slowly died again! help!


#15

I

ILENGINE

Something else we may need to check. disconnect the single wire at the voltage regulator, and check for voltage on the tractor side of the wire, engine doesn't have to be running. We are making sure you are getting battery voltage to the regulator. On some mowers you may need to turn the key on.

If you have charged and discharged the battery several times, it may have damaged the battery, and now won't hold a charge.


#16

M

Myjnks

I'm only getting a little over 5 volts at the single wire on tractor side


#17

I

ILENGINE

Below a certain voltage the voltage regulator internal switch will close and will not power be output. I can't remember if it is 6 volts or 9. If you have 12 v across the battery terminals and only 5 volts at the regulator, that will need to be tracked down. If not already done you can hook a wire directly between the voltage regulator and the battery side of the starter solenoid.


#18

M

Myjnks

Sorry it took me so long to respond, my"real job" took me out of town:0( with jumper cables hooked up to the battery, I'm getting 12 volts at the single wire on the voltage regulator


#19

M

Myjnks

I think that I may have found the problem? I jump started it again and let it idle for a couple of minutes. It then just died,and again would barely turn over. The oil pressure light was on also. In the Briggs manual,I read that if the oil pressure drops below 4-6 pounds, a pressure switch will either activate a warning light or stop the engine. Did I screw something up when I changed the crankcase gasket ???


#20

I

ILENGINE

That gerotor oil pump system is about bomb proof, so I would say you didn't screw anything up. If it wasn't correct you wouldn't of got the sump back on the engine. When it was running was the jumper cables still connector. If not the voltage could of dropped due to a week battery, and without a certain voltage the voltage regulator will shut down and then it will close the fuel solenoid and kill the engine.


#21

M

Myjnks

The jumper cables were not connected when it was running. In fact,I had the multi meter on my lap and was watching the voltage. It didn't drop. Could the pressure switch be acting up?


#22

I

ILENGINE

Most mowers are either set to kill the engine when the pressure drops or turn on a light but not both. You can try unplugging the pressure switch and see what happens.


#23

M

Myjnks

Does the switch just go bad? Could something else be building up the oil pressure? I'll try unplugging it tomorrow.


#24

M

Myjnks

Ok, I unplugged the pressure switch,volts at the battery were 10.5. Turned the key and it labored to turn over 1x put jumper cables on and was getting 13.5 at the battery. Turned key and the same thing,barely turn over . You can hear solenoid click. Jumped it at the starter and it started right up. I let it idle for 5 minutes, engaged the pot and mowed for 5 minutes, it started smelling hot and it died like before. Should I drive a stake through its heart and bury it!?


#25

I

ILENGINE

A went back and reread all the post to get a better feel for what is going on. You replaced the sump gasket. Now the engine is hard to turn over, has to be jump started to turn over the engine. Oil light is on.

I now suspect that you lost the oil pump driver that runs off of the camshaft when you had the sump off.

Take the engine back off and tip it up with the exhaust manifold facing up. Remove the three screws securing the oil pump cover and remove the oil pump. Is the driver present. It looks like a rod about 2 1/2 inches long with two flat areas on each end.

If the driver is missing we may be out of luck because of engine damage.


#26

M

Myjnks

I know which part you mean. I'm pretty sure got it back in right. Is there any other way to check this without pulling the motor?


#27

I

ILENGINE

unfortunately you have to pull the motor to check it. If the engine was setting upside down when the sump was put on, that driver will slide out and fall into the engine. I tend to remove the oil pump, and then install the driver and pump after the sump is installed to prevent the driver from coming out.


#28

M

Myjnks

Thank you very much for your help! I guess I'll tear it apart this weekend. I'll keep you updated on my progress!


#29

M

Myjnks

Happy Saturday! Update...I pulled the motor and the pump shaft is where it's supposed to be.i did notice a couple of things though. It appears that I have oil leaking in the area of BOTH cylinder/valve gasket areas. It also looked like left side(facing the front of the mower) exhaust pipe was getting hotter than the other side. Suggestions?


#30

I

ILENGINE

Several things can effect running of the engine.. The difference in temperature can be related to spark, compression, fuel ( meaning one jet in carb clogged in two jet carbs) If they gaskets for the valve covers are leaking would be a good time to check the valve clearance.

Most small engines don't create equal power from both cylinders. More like a 60/40 split. this is related to very complex things which are beyond most peoples understanding.


#31

M

Myjnks

Thank you for all of your help!


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