Archive through November 01, 2009

[jcalkin]

On my 1450 head gasket destroyer... the first gasket seen a full season of the side shields on. After replacing it, I left them off thinking they might be making it run hotter. So I guess in my case, I've kind of found out they don't make any difference. Without head temp readings while mowing, I don't know for sure. This year was hard on it, I probably mowed twice as often as usual... 3-4 hours every week. It seemed like it rained all summer. My yard never did die down.

 

[rpalmer]

Craig Carney,
Thanks for your information. I am looking for someone who has been there and done it. I'm not ready to pull the engine or flywheel. But I figured that when I go through the tractor the mag would be the hardest part to find so I'm looking now. If I pulled the flywheel I would know better what shape it was in and if the leads could be replaced. The old O runs now with a tower coil and can be easily moved around. I need to keep it that way until I pull the engine. That is the only reason I was/am looking for someone who already knows what is in there and where I can get replacement parts.

 

[fsnerd]

Richard Palmer (Rpalmer)
I do not think you are giving me a hard time.
the problem is, i have been chasing this problem for months, and replacing things that were not related to the stalling problem as i found them broken.
for me to go back to the beginning and list everything, would be way too long of a post, this is how i lost you.

"So your carb was leaking gas overnight. So you changed the carb. It was then stalling under load at full throttle. So you changed the coil. Frank. Did it run after you changed the coil?"
yes. at first. it ran for a few days, but still stalled when hot, at full throttle.
then it would not start at all. a test light showed no power going to the coil. the electrical harness was on my list of things to replace in the future, so i replaced it now, assuming my problem was a bad wire that was shorting when hot, and had just broken.

"Which leads me to the second question. Do you have voltage at the coil?"
I did not check to see if i have voltage at the coil, yet.
I assumed it would not start on carb cleaner, if the coil had no electricity.
I assumed the carb cleaner test told me it was a fuel problem.

here is where i stand right now.
I am going to put a voltmeter on the coil and see if it is getting 12V.
if it is, i will soak and clean the carb.

unless, someone has a better idea of what to check next.

is there anything that controls the amount of electricity the coil gets? is there anything, that when it goes bad, would reduce the power to say 6v, then the coil can not produce enough spark to ignite the gas, but will ignite the carb cleaner?
if there is, then all this makes sense.
it failed when it got hot, engine stalled. this would also explain the "slow death " stall. it died like it overloaded. like when the grass is too tall and it slowly dies, then it would backfire.
this would also explain why it would not start for a minute after stalling, failed device had to cool.
and, it would explain why i lost the electricity to the coil before i changed the harness, device has failed for good.

 

[dross]

Frank the coils used on these cubs have an internal resistor that reduces voltage the coil sees to 6 volts. I ain't going to say they all do but most coils if run on straight 12 volts will get hot, when they get to hot they quit.

 

[dtanner]

frank snerd

I have to ask if you ever checked to see if you have a good air flow from the fan shroud when the engine is running.My friends 125 would overheat and stop when he used his snow blower with his cub and ask me to look at it. I found that he had a nest in the fan shroud and this made his Cub run hot also a bad ground was causing the coil to get hot. I did fix his cub and never head a complaint with the 125 since. Just my .02 later Don T

 

[drohacek]

Frank,
I know your struggling with this and we are all shooting at a moving target. (well maybe not moving right now since it won't run) Sorry my miserable attempt at humor. I have not seen anyone talk about the condensor. Are we to assume that you have replaced the condensor? It absolutely must have a functioning condensor to run. The points will show a small amount of spark and it may pop and run on carb cleaner with a bad condensor. Also make sure the condensor is attached to the proper side of the coil. Also when you replaced the coil, did you put a new Kohler type coil on it? One more thing that would help me understand if it is electrical or fuel related. You say it will run on carb cleaner. Can you spray a small amount of gasoline into the carb throat and get it to run that way? If so...your fuel passages in the carb are likely blocked from trash in them from the tank or lines. If it will run on gas sprayed into the throat then it just plain isn't "carbureting". It might have fuel in the bowl, but still have plugged passages. Just trying to help my friend.

 

[dfrisk]

PAUL D. - Just got Your e-mail, haven't had a chance to study it yet. THANKS!

RYAN - Clearances on my blower are tighter than both Jerry's & Kendell's, something like 1/4" to 5/16" around the outside of the paddles, 3/16" between the back plate & housing, and about 1/4" between the impeller and removable front cover on the housing. The housing is 6 in. wide, and the outlet is square, and the outer band around the impeller follows the OD of the impeller to where the radial outlet starts and then the outlet goes from square gradually changes to round for the discharge tube to slide over.

I've never had anything wedge inside the housing that stopped the impeller, I've had a couple plugs in the discharge tube/hose when small sticks get lodged in the corregated tube, but most plugs are in the hose from the mower discharge chute to the vacuum blower itself.

I've never actually seen another vacuum run in person but I've seen the Cyclone Rake & DR vacuum commercials and videos on-line. I think my home-made one works as good as the factory units.

I'm not vacuuming leaves this fall, my burn pile is visible from Outer Space already because of all the bushes I've cut/pulled. No room to dump all the leaves & clippings, but next time I run the vac I'll hit the driven pulley with my photo-tach and see how fast I really run it. I vary the speed of the blower depending on the conditions but I should be able to come up with a range of 400-500 RPM from low to highest normal speed. If I had to guess now I'd say between 1500 to 2000 rpm, maybe a bit slower on both the top end & lower end. The K181 Kohler is a bit of over-kill for HP for the blower, but it's what I had!

 

[ccarney]

Richard -

the coil you would want is known as 230075 and indeed "standard magneto" in Chicago was a source. Your stator plate and rotating donut magnet hopefully are intact and okay as they are tuff to find. Remember that the coil clips in place on the stator plate. Screw-binder post condensors can be had too, but are getting expensive. a common pigtail one can be used too, if you are not a purist. Once you get the flywheel off we'll know more...

Is your recoil Original 5xxx serial number? I had one once that was s/n 4998.

 

[rpalmer]

frank snerd,

The only reason I first said to adjust the carb was because I was tweaking a carb while running and driving it. When I was "done" using the Cub that day it was running fine. I must have set it too lean because when I got on it a couple of weeks later it would not start. I thought that was sorta crazy because it always started right up. So I went and grabbed a can of starter fluid and gave it a shot. It fired right up! I reset both adjusting needles to factory specs and it fired right up. I think a lot of what I do is pretty common. And if you found yourself adjusting the carb on your running Cub and it ran fine till you went to use it again that might be why. Like I said this is the only reason I started out saying adjust your carb.
BTW. didn't we decide you had an exhaust leak? What did you do about that? Hang in there Frank. Everyone is trying to help, and we'll get you there. - Peace -

 

[rpalmer]

Craig Carney,
I just copied your post. I'm glad you asked about the serial number. I just love showing it off.

She's not a beauty queen but neither am I. She runs but will get her power plant rebuilt. She shifts through all the gears and drives. Her clutch is going to get completely rebuilt. Right now I have a smallish steep hill it won't climb in 3rd. I'm going to try to redo everything in time for her 50th birthday...March 1961.
EDIT. 2011 not 1961

 

[T-Mo]

I have had an offer for my 1979 Wheel Horse C-141 Automatic. Two CCs 123s and a 107, snow blade, a deck. The 107 and one of the 123s are parts tractors, but the other 123 is running and mow the guy's yard this past summer. My WH is a good unit, has rebuilt engine, hydraulic lift, 48 inch snow blade, no deck, and has the Sundstrand transmission. But I like the looks of the 1x2/1x3 series. I asked for pictures of the Cubs and I'll make a decision based on the pictures.

 

[dtanner]

Richard Palmer
My O has a ser number 2281. I will get around to painting and restoring it after I get the 1512 D all sorted out. Have a great Cub day.. later Don T

 

[rpalmer]

Donald Tanner,
That's a sweet number! If I had a setup like you do I'd probably put a couch or cot in the shop and only go to the house to eat and clean up. If ya can post a picture of your very young Cub.

 

[dtanner]

Richard Palmer
LOL well i do like to spend time in my garage but the wife makes me come in and spend time with her in the evenings. The O now has head lights in stalled and is in good shape I think and is great for leaf removal also. I have everything here to paint it this winter but I think the 1512 D will get some paint first . My O 2281 Dec 1961

The garage is 28 ft wide 30 ft deep with infloor heat. great for the winter. Later Don T

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kendell, that contraption sounds kinda like a home made Sicard SnowMaster Jr. Here's one an old friend used to have, not sure what ever happened to it. The top two photos are of it when he first got it, (early to mid 1980's), the other 3 are after he started to refurbish it. An artist friend of his did the painting on the passenger door, sure wish I had a closeup of that painting. He removed the tall discharge chute as it was over kill for what he used it for the impeller outlet could rotate hydraulically, so he could adjust how far and to which side he would shoot the snow. The tall discharge chute was more useful for directing the snow into dump trucks. I had a few opportunities to ride in this while in use and did get to operate it briefly, VERY impressive. It had a 4 cylinder engine that operated the drive wheels (4wd) and it had a BIG 6 cylinder that operated the snow blower system.

 

[pdorow]

Dennis:

I too have looked at the "Cyclone Rake" to pull behind the 1250 lots of $$$ for what it is. Like yourself I'm going to fab a blower etc. for next year. I also have the 38" deck, what size flat stock did you use for your blade wings?

 

[rpalmer]

Don T.,
According to IH LOUISVILLE WORKS, CUB CADET MONTHLY SERIAL NUMBER REPORT BY YEAR©
This listing was compiled from International Harvester Records by Paul R. Bell, Louisville, KY. Copyright © 2002, 2003, by Paul R. Bell, your O was born in February 1961.

Sure do like your shop space.
Kraig McConaughey,
I would have to be busy the day that needed a tire fixed.

 

[kide]

Kraig:
Great pics, that's pretty much what it looked like (I did like the big wraparound glass they had and it was 7 feet wide at the augers). I wish I had pics of it..

We need a Frank Snerd update.. If I lived closer I'd hop in the truck and give him a hand..

Frank: If your reading - there is no voltage regulator controlling coil voltage, it runs straight from the battery, through the ignition switch to the coil. The points open and close to ground the coil.. When the points open is when you get your spark..

Solid state replacement for the old Delco VR?? Seems like one of the big 3 used an early solid state regulator on a generator, I know there were external regulators for the early alternators, possibly something could be hacked to control field voltage on a generator...where's our diesel locomotive guy - he was always good at that stuff??

 

[fsnerd]

my 128 with the stalling problem.

i just put a voltmeter on it.

12v at battery terminals.

with key off,no power to coil + terminal.

key on, 12v at coil + terminal.
this is an improvement, before i replaced the wiring harness, i had no power to the coil.

with points closed, no power at coil - terminals.

points open, 12v at coil - terminal.

wire from wiring harness is on the + terminal.

wire to points and condenser is on the - terminal.

as for the other questions posted here,

air flow - engine was removed, there was a mouse nest it the shroud, carbon removed , valves reseated.

bad ground - all grounds were changed with the wiring harness. every wire has been replaced.

condenser - it was replaced. but i will try replacing it again.

coil was replaced with a factory kohler coil.

will try spraying gas in carb and cleaning carb.

when the engine was running, i adjusted the carb every which way to try to fix the stalling problem. then i reset to factory specs.

exhaust leak - yes, someone noticed an exhaust leak in a video of the engine running and stalling. i have not fixed that yet, as i am trying to fix the no electricity to the coil problem. if you think the exhaust leak might cause it to only start on carb cleaner, i will fix it now. otherwise, i will wait until i get it started and see if the new wiring harness fixed the stalling problem.

"there is no voltage regulator controlling coil voltage, it runs straight from the battery, through the ignition switch to the coil."
what about a bad ignition switch? would jumping the switch be worth a try? both for the stalling and the not starting problems?

my next step is to try spraying gas in the carb and then clean the carb, unless someone has another idea on what to check.

it is possible, this is as simple as the carb got gummy while waiting for the harness replacement. the not starting now, and the stalling, might not be related.

thanks for all the help.

 

[rpalmer]

frank snerd,
If you don't use a gas stabilizer, then it IS possible your gas got gummy.