Archive through June 09, 2018

[kmcconaughey]

Aaron, the tractor's ammeter is showing current, your multimeter is showing voltage.

 

[hydroharry]

Wayne - here we go again.

I believe Kohler always spec'd the spark plug gap at .035 but IH spec'd it at .025. I tried to research this before and it seems to be something to do with "where used application" (garden tractor in our case). It's hard to find this from Kohler any place but it's out there somewhere. I believe .025 is correct for a garden tractor engine.

Now, about your intermittent problem - as you can see already you're getting varying opinions of what it is. I doubt the plug gap had anything to do with it dying, and if I read your post correctly I don't think you did either, it was just something you discovered and corrected. Since most everyone knows I'm more of a shade tree mechanic (parts replacer) in my opinion it could be the condensor (cheapest item to replace first), next on the list is verifying the wiring isn't broke someplace, and the plug wire itself, next is checking the points, and finally the coil. Marty mentioned a safety switch, but I think that only comes into play for starting, not running - but my tree might be a little to shady here.

I think you already knew these things and just thru this out for suggestion. The thing about it that's nice for me is a reminder of what it could be.

Aaron W - HELLO out there to another Washingtonian. Don't do anything with your 149 amp gauge if it shows charging when running. You probably have one of the good gauges. Most of them bounce all over, and sometimes fairly stable at certain engine speeds.

David S - I just can't let your seat situation go. I said your 126 was perfect and it is. I should have mentioned I don't know how many I've seen where the spring are installed upside down, or even reversed so the open part of the spring is towards the front. And then there are those large flat washers that some people place on top of the bottom loop of the spring. I just can't believe some people can't see and think thru where and how these hardware items should be installed - or even just look at a pic on the Op Manual.

 

[wshytle]

Thanks for the replies guys. I plan on getting a new condenser tomorrow but in the meantime, it's in the barn and got there on it's own power. This is the kind of luck I seem to have a lot of. When a cub stops running or won't crank all I need to do is go away and return at a later time. Chances are the problem just might have gone away on it's own.

I call this cub Turtle. The guy that brought it here for me to fix had Turtle as a nickname. The cost to repair it changed his mind from fixing to selling and I got it for a very decent price. It did need a complete clutch job among other things.

Anyway, I also have a coil if it dies in the future with the new condenser.

.

 

[hydroharry]

Wayne - well, you know, what you're describing is why I always like to go completely thru every unit I ever picked up. I wanted to know everything was either good or new from the start. That would help me know what to really consider to be the problem. If I had new points and condenser I'd look hard at the wiring and then the coil.

Steve B, Mr. Plow - I forgot all about your post until now. Jim Storma asked about possibly tractor abuse because of a cracked pedestal. Your post stated it eventually happened to all 1x8/9 and xx00/50 units. Now I really hate to disagree with you especially because I believe you're an engineer and all - but this is one case where I will. It's my belief it is partially operator abuse or mis-use. Most people get on the tractor by grabbing hold of the steering wheel and pulling themselves on the tractor. This puts a strain on the steering column and somewhat on the pedestal. The more it's done the greater possibility those 2 bolt holding the steering column to the frame come loose and this really puts a strain on the pedestal, causing the base to crack.

I guess it's another case where the IH Operator Manual needs to be re-written with a foot note. Do NOT pull yourself onto your tractor. Lift your leg and climb onto your tractor.

 

[sblunier]

Harry,

Those are vibration induced stress cracks....pulling on the wheel doesn't help, but it's not the main cause. Blame the single cylinder Kohler for this one.....

 

[hydroharry]

Well Steve - it's really hard for me to believe those are vibration induced stress cracks. With the pedestal securely bolted to the frame it just shakes along with the entire frame. Why would that make it crack? Does this one need a thread in the Sandbox?

 

[dfrisk]

HARRY -Steve is correct. My Dad bought me a mostly basket case 129. You wouldn't believe the cobbled up repairs on that tractor! 5 out of 12 cooling fins or vanes on the flywheel, ALL in a row were broken off. I bet it vibrated much worse than a K361. Vibrated the threads out of the aluminum oil pan, broke off bottom of the steering pedistal on both sides, frt & back holes on both sides.

I bet IH thinned up the thickness of steel they used on the pedistals and it caught up with them after 20-30 years, maybe sooner in some instances with special conditions.

I made two patch plates and had my Dad braze them onto the bottom of the pedistal, I ran it 5 more years with that repair, and sold it at Dad's last auction in 2006. Brought $865 IIRC. Not bad for a 129 with 44A deck.

 

[sblunier]

Harry,

To add to what Denny posted, the xx8/9 and xx00/50 pedestals have folded edges and notches near the mounting holes. The stress on the long tabs that bolt to the frame is exagerated by these stress risers. Take the low order stresses (like steering wheel motion during operation, hydro lever loading, weight of the gas tank rocking back and forth, etc. and add high frequency stresses (engine vibration) and you have a recipe for cracks in light weight materials (like the sheet metal pedestal).

The notch at the corner starts the crack (stress riser due to sharp corner and cold worked metal) and it propogates to the closest point (bolt hole).

This is exactly why L-Cheap-O sears mowers always have cracks in their paper thin hoods...same principle, just that IH used heavier metal so it took longer to happen.

 

[hydroharry]

Steve and Dennis - ok, UNCLE UNCLE, I give I give.

 

[eford]

So if cars nowadays are only required to last 8 years or 80k miles about, how long did IH and others, not necessarily required, make their units to last?