FH641 V hard to start hot or cold

Greetings!

I have a 6 or 7 year old Cub Cadet 0 turn mower that's got increasingly hard to start. Kawasaki FH641V.
Most of the time it nearly runs the battery down before it starts, starting fluid no help. I can tell when it is getting ready to start, it back fires once through the carb and then a couple more seconds of cranking it finally starts. Same condition when it's already warmed up. Spark plugs show no sign of flooding.
Any help appreciated.

hilcntry/Tom

Sound like electrical problem. Do you get a good strong spark when it wouldn't start.

I only have a cheap neon tester that shows it is getting voltage.

Seeing starting fluid doesn't help and it wouldn't start hot or cold is the reason I think electrical. But also your last statement on your first post said that the plug is dry so this could also mean you aren't getting fuel?? You might want to remove the plug and put some fuel into the cylinder and see what happens. Then if not the next thing to try is isolate the engine from the chassis and see if it starts. If you have a old spark plug you can make your own tester. Just bend the electrode a good 1/4 inch gap or better and still see if you get a good spark, but make sure you have a good engine ground to your homemade tester. This test will tell you if the coil is any good or bad.

hilcntry said:

I only have a cheap neon tester that shows it is getting voltage.

Click to expand...

A bright orange flash or a faint flicker ?
How well does the engine rotate ?
If it slows right down on compression chances are you have a valve problem, most common of which is too much clearance.
When you get it started pop your hand over the exhaust, does it feel strong & pulsating or weak and continious low pressure .
The latter is causes by a blocked exhaust pipe or exhaust valve not opening fully.

Hi new member here. I am having a nearly identical problem with a fh641v so I was wondering if hilcntry had resolved this problem, or if anyone could offer some input. Mine will start with the air filter removed, but refuses to start both cold and hot with a new air filter right out of the package installed. Once it starts it runs fine no problem. Has new coils, and plugs and it seems to have good spark. The problem began starting fine cold, but not when hot. However it's gradually gotten worse to now it wouldn't start at all until I discovered it would start with no air filter. So I'm looking for suggestions on what could be the problem. Thanks