Cub Cadet 2146 stalls out

[hrab]

Hello, I have a 2146 with a 14hp onan . It started stalling out. Like choked. Tried to start and acted like it was backfiring. Tried it a couple days later and started right up, however after an hour of mowing did the same thing and won't start. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Carscw]

When it starts to act up take the gas cap off if it recovers then the vents on the cap need to be cleaned out.

Second as soon as it dies take out the spark plug and check for spark.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

 

[hrab]

Thanks, I tried gas cap, it was okay. After it cooled down a couple of hours, it started right up.

 

[Carscw]

Thanks, I tried gas cap, it was okay. After it cooled down a couple of hours, it started right up.

I am thinking you coil is going bad
When it gets hot the coil shorts out then when it cools down it works.

Get you spark plug removal tool and run the mower till it shuts of take the plug out as soon as it shuts down and check for spark.

I easy way to check for spark is plug the coil and back on to the plug take a foot long wire and wrap one end around the threads of the plug and the other end to a good ground crank the engine and look for a spark.

If no spark then you need a coil

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

 

[psion1]

I have just been through this and wrote this up for others that may have the same problem

Cub Cadet Model 2146 Tractor
Statement of Problem: While mowing along the mower just quits. It will not start until it cools off. Then it will start again.
Steps to isolate problem. (while doing these checks keep the mower in the parked position with the parking lever engaged)
1. Pull the air filter off and observe the throat of the carburetor to check that gas is getting to the carburetor, you will probably see it as you crank, you will also get some vapor from the exhaust pipe. If that happens then it is probably not the fuel system. Even though that was evident I still changed the fuel filter and cleaned the bowl of the carburetor but it was not necessary.
2. After it has stopped, Pull the spark plug and with the coil wire on it and the base grounded crank it and see if you get any spark. I did not. I changed the spark plug and no difference(after it had stopped).
3. Again after it has stopped and won稚 start, take a meter and set up to check for continuity using the ohms measurement to ground. One lead on ground and one lead one the connector (9) in the drawing on page 26 of the manual on the yellow wire coming from the harness (you should easily be able to put your probe in the connector. With key in the stop position you will get a short to ground, switch the key to any other position and this should no longer be a short to ground. If you still have a ground then there is a problem with one of the safety switches or a wire shorted to ground. In my case the switch worked normally. To make sure this was the case I removed the pin the yellow wire was on in the connector and waited until it had cooled and started it up again and ran it and it still stopped. (if it does not stop then you must either pull the plug wire or reconnect the yellow wire while it is running and shut it off with the key or just jump the connector to ground) This would probably indicate an intermittent bad safety switch or bad wiring. In my situation, it still did stop once it heated up.
4. That leaves only one thing, the coil. It is had to measure a coil in a static mode, I have read that the coil can break down with time, and this particular article I read that it is though that a spark plug that still works but is requiring too much drain can cause this malfunction. I ordered a new coil, I replaced it and it fixed the problem I had been having. My out of pocket expense was for a new fuel filter, new spark plug and the coil itself. Oh, yea, I paid someone to mow my front yard twice while in diagnostic and repair mode. So my cost for this was about $200, my time was free. Not bad, I could have spent $3000 easily replacing a perfectly mechanically sound tractor/mower with only about 4000 hours of use.

I have also wrote a procedure to replace the coil.

 

[hrab]

Thanks so much for the info, will mow today and see what happens.

Thanks

 

[greynold99]

hrab,

In a recent related post to the forum, I'm encountering the same issue with a 17 yr old 2135/12.5 hp - and I've already replaced the ignition coil last year.
That seemed to help a little, but I think I discovered as you did that the original one was all covered with built-up grass cutting debris; and there was probably nothing wrong with it. Anyway, Rivets responded to my last update where I mentioned the 'heat build up' being the common factor to the engine stalling out and he suggested maybe it's a crack in one of the fuel line tubing or a bad connection somewhere. Here's my post in reply to him -- although I still haven't rebuilt the carb yet, which I'm doubting now will fix the problem since it runs so good for an hour or two, depending on outside temperature before stalling out...

Update to other thread on Cub tractor stalling out after an hour runtime:
*****************************************************

I think you may be on to something with the looking for a crack or loose fitting hose connection in the fuel line somewhere. The fact that once the tractor cools off and then starts right up for another hour or so of mowing would suggest something heat-related... Plus the fact, I've already replaced the ignition coil would to me be more reasonable than a carb-issue.

When you talk about the 'pulse line' which section of tubing are you referring to? There seems to be 3 sections: flexible rubber/pvc tubing from gas tank to fuel pump; a small section of tubing connecting the outlet-side of the fuel pump to metal-tubing that goes through the engine section (under the cover where I can't see) to a piece of flexible rubber tubing on the opposite-side where the metal tubing comes out to the carburetor.

Also, it's interesting to me that there are at least 3 other issues being reported on the forum with similar issue for these Series 2000 Cub tractors of the about the same age.

Thanks for replying and sorry I didn't pick back up on this to respond earlier.
Greynold99