Starter issue or what?

[jallenaz]

I have a Craftsman mower about 14 years old. It has a 54" mower and the 26 hp High Performance V-Twin Kohler engine. This year when mowing the engine would gradually lose power like the air filter was dirty and plugged. Cleaned it and washed and dried it being a K&N filter. Mowed another 15 minutes and started losing power again. I blew out the fuel filter as best I could. Mowed a little longer and then started losing power again. Cleaned out all the dust on the mower with a hose. Went to start it and now I just get a click from the solenoid when I turn the key to start it. I bought a new battery. Then went back and had it tested when that didn't solve my problem and it is okay. Reading a post on here I hooked up jumper cables + to + and - to - and then - to ground on the frame and touched the + connection on the starter. Some sparks but nothing from the starter. I also had bypassed the solenoid with a screw driver and just sparks. The starter has been sounding bad when it starts when the teeth engage the flywheel it's loud. But it was working.

I don't think the starter is the reason the mower was losing power so there are maybe two things going wrong. The engine has not seized as I can turn it by hand. The man in the parts store thought that might be the problem with loss of power.

Is there anything else to check or can I assume the starter is bad?

Thanks,

 

[slomo]

You can bench test the starter. Check the valves. Check compression. Leak-down test.

I would love to see a video or picture, of you removing the air filter, showing everything behind the air filter towards to engine. Wondering hot much dirt and grit has passed into the engine by using that K&N air filter.

 

[jallenaz]

I take it you don't like K&N filters. It is so dusty here at times that I have to stop and knock the dust out of the filter about every hour. I would need a new filter after every mowing. I only have 116 hours on the mower in 14 years. I only need to mow 3 to 4 times a year but it's about 2 1/2 solid acres of my 6 acre lot. Not grass but weeds and dirt. This is in AZ.

No I have not taken the engine shroud off. It looks like 4 bolts and a support for something with the fuel lines to remove. The shroud is plastic. I will take that off and see what I find.

I'm not much of a mechanic and good lawn mower repair shops are hard to find and probably booked solid for weeks. I don't know what a Leak-down test is or how to do the rest of your items in your first sentence.

It might be time to hire out my mowing to someone else.

 

[slomo]

A good OEM foam pre-filter and filter will last quite a while.

You mess with or change/clean a filter out only when the engine loses power or takes like an extra pull or three on the rope to start. Couple extra cranks on the starter...... No need to pull the filter after every mow and tap/slam it on the ground. Briggs says every time you remove the filter there is a chance that grit and grass can get into the engine. Which is true, every time you open the engine up, dirt gets inside. Clean the engine prior to opening it up.

K&N filters in Arizona is not advised. What is advised is your OEM made filter. Read your engine manual.

Put the new filter in. Mow until you lose power.

 

[slomo]

You can also fire up the sprinklers for 1-3 minutes prior to mowing. See where this is going? Don't need to swamp the yard out. Just a little morning dew is all.

On a 14 year old mower, several items need to be looked at far as losing power. I mentioned a couple already.

 

[jallenaz]

My yard goes to about 500 feet to the street. I don't think I can water it all and dew is pretty rare here. As it is the moisture from the grass turns the dust under the mower bed to cement. It is rusting the mower bed but not too badly yet. I really should take the mower off after each mowing, turn it over, and get a pressure washer to clean it. That mixture of dust and water gets heavy after it builds up. I really do try to mow when there is the least dust but nature doesn't always work for me. A mower is a full time job I guess. I do have more time now that I've retired.

Going out to pull the plastic engine shroud off and I'll let you know what I find. Maybe some dead mice.

Thanks,

 

[jallenaz]

It's dirty under the shroud but I don't think it's so dirty it would cause it to over heat. The fins don't have any dirt caked in them. Mostly just a thin layer of dirt everywhere. I'm cleaning it off anyway. Cleaning under the steering and control rods behind the engine. Lots of dirt piled up in there. I almost wish there was more dirt on the fins so I could clean it off if it was an over heating problem. Do you think there is dirt behind the filter that is causing it to not get enough air? I can maybe get that apart. Anything else I should look at?
Thanks for your time you are putting into this.

 

[slomo]

OMG, that little guy is FILTHY. Toss the Ken and Nancy air filter immediately. That little guy is packed up with grit and blocked solid. LOL wow

What is that to the lower left of the oil dipstick, last picture?

You need to pull the pan like air deflectors/directors off and look under where they sit. These pans surround each cylinder and those cooling fins. These are air cooled. Get drastic on your cleaning ritual. Clean it like a new engine at least monthly.

After every mow, I would blow off with a backpack blower or compressed air. You need to get serious about keeping her clean.

All those connectors are packed up with grit. Amazing.........

 

[slomo]

Dog, show me what's behind that air filter please. Down into the engine.......

 

[slomo]

Do you think there is dirt behind the filter that is causing it to not get enough air?

You are down to slamming the air filter out after every mow. Your air filter is plugged. You've done all you can do with that Ken and Nancy filter.

I can't help you anymore without you installing the OEM air filter. Hope it has a foam pre-filter. You can make a foam pre-filter easily if yours doesn't come with one.