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Bad stories, Large Bills, Faulty Repairs, Violence and what have you.

When I was younger and mechanically inept, My Cub Cadet 125 needed a Carburetor Rebuild, and I didn't have the skills to do it (or so I thought) and my dad didn't have the time. We brought it to a local repair shop and they charged us $150 +/- for a Carb Rebuild and Adjustment on the tractor, and a tune up, which only consisted of an Oil Change (They left my Spark Plug, Points and Air Filter alone!). We got the thing home and it wouldn't even start. It sat as is for 5 years, give or take until I learned the skills I have today to get it up to par. Now it has a rod knock (that I swear it didn't have before I brought it to this guy...) and needs a rebuild. I'll be doing that MY SELF!

It wasn't a "repair" but when I was young I learned the folly of adding cold motor oil to a hot engine that had been running low on oil. It took about 20 seconds after restarting it for the side of the block to blow out.

A big nightmare recently has been replacing all the rubber hose from ethanol in the gasoline. It seems that the alcohol dissolves the hose. I've begun running high test in all my small engines.

my husband tried to fix a broken pulley cord on our mower and ended up screwing the whole motor. Now he has 3 lawn mowers and is trying to get one out of it that will run

monica123 said:

my husband tried to fix a broken pulley cord on our mower and ended up screwing the whole motor. Now he has 3 lawn mowers and is trying to get one out of it that will run

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monica..
Here is one of your fellow Canadians ... with some Lawn Mower repairs...
strange guy, but usually entertaining.
YouTube - how to fix a tecumseh lawnmower part 1
Watch a few of his repairs and if nothing else you should at least get a chuckle or two... :smile:KennyV

Hi I am Norman and o am pretty new ro rhis site.
Any help wou;d really be appreciated.
I have a 721D Grasshopper mower with a 3 cyl. Kubota engine.
It has been in various shops 5 times and the problem keeps persisting/
My machine is taking in air from somewhere.Air bubbles comimg out of the lines to the tank.
All hoses are replaced tank cleaned,air filter changed heatshield installed, new injector pump,
new fuel pump all lines bled.I am at a loss and i am losing all customers bevause off all the downtime.
It id dtill tking in air.
Thank you all/

Hello Norman....
Kubota is a Great engine. If you have an air leak on the fuel supply system, You may be able to find it using a bit of pressure applied to the line from the tank to the lift pump... This should check the dip line in the tank, the lines external to the tank & the filter...if you are using any additional fuel filter/water separators, they are likely prior to the lift pump and may be the source of the air leak...
Anything after the lift pump will have positive pressure and can not be a source for air... :smile:KennyV

I have a "Horror Story In Progress"!! This evil contraption was given to me because the former owner was fed up with this 'Hell On Wheels' log splitter w/ a 14 HP cast iron Kohler side shaft engine. It had been to his mechanic 3 or 4 perhaps more times with little or no success. I had gone up there several times 33 miles one way to work on it for him with little success. What it does is crank right up and run for a couple of minutes, then starts cutting out and dies just like you turned the switch off. It will not start and you can run the battery down trying. Let it sit for an hour and come back and it'll hit and run for about 45 seconds if that much and die again. It has had a switch, points, condenser, coil, carburetor rebuilt, valve job, cleaned and decarbon the head. Carburetor rebuilt, then replaced and that one rebuilt as well!! Had the float and needle replaced and that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's been more done to it. I have an 11 HP Honda sideshaft that came off a pressure washer I acquired this summer that I am going to re-fit to this log splitter. The splitter is heavy duty and great but the 14 HP Sideshaft Kohler is an evil demon from Lawnmower Hell that has sat out there and leered and sneered at me for two winters, going on three counting this year.

Dave, what are the numbers on that Kohler?

DaveTN said:

I have a "Horror Story In Progress"!! This evil contraption was given to me because the former owner was fed up with this 'Hell On Wheels' log splitter w/ a 14 HP cast iron Kohler side shaft engine. It had been to his mechanic 3 or 4 perhaps more times with little or no success. I had gone up there several times 33 miles one way to work on it for him with little success. What it does is crank right up and run for a couple of minutes, then starts cutting out and dies just like you turned the switch off. It will not start and you can run the battery down trying. Let it sit for an hour and come back and it'll hit and run for about 45 seconds if that much and die again. It has had a switch, points, condenser, coil, carburetor rebuilt, valve job, cleaned and decarbon the head. Carburetor rebuilt, then replaced and that one rebuilt as well!! Had the float and needle replaced and that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's been more done to it. I have an 11 HP Honda sideshaft that came off a pressure washer I acquired this summer that I am going to re-fit to this log splitter. The splitter is healvy duty and great but the 14 HP Sideshaft Kohler is an evil demon from Lawnmower Hell that has sat out there and leered and sneered at me for two winters, going on three counting this year.

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IF it don't spark after it cuts out,..suspect the coil,...no matter if it is new.
Could be a bad condenser as well.

Yes it could be a bad coil, but depending on the model and spec number, it could also be the points plunger. I'll have to do some research to see if I still have the bulletin from back in the 70's (I think) about this problem.

I had a 12 hp cast iron kohler explode in my 112 JD lawn tractor on me a couple years ago.
The conrod seized on the crank pin(lack of oil ) and broke and in the process took out part of the cylinder bore and a whole side of the block,including breaking the startermotor in two.
The sudden shock also caused the flywheel to split.
The pieces were spread out across the lawn,some pieces i never found.:confused2:

Try a new pin, i used a( i think 3/16") steel dowel cut to lenght when i lost the original aluminum pin when rebuilding one of mine.

Rivets said:

Yes it could be a bad coil, but depending on the model and spec number, it could also be the points plunger. I'll have to do some research to see if I still have the bulletin from back in the 70's (I think) about this problem.

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That could be a possibility. he also said that he replaced the head gasket. Did he also replace the head bolts. The old K series will have head gasket leaks if the head bolts were not replaced. will act just as he described.

Something about the elasticity of the head bolts won't match the cast iron aluminum expansion interface causing a temporary loss head bolt situation after the head and block warm up.

Thanks IL ENGINE, and RIVETS and BISON. I'll get the model #s off it and post them.
NOTE: K-301

4765


I appreciate your help but am basically at my wits end and tired of worrying with it. As IL said, it could be the head bolts. Never thought of that since it was a cast iron engine. I believe the head bolts are steel. Automobiles with steel blocks and aluminum heads have that problem and the bolts have to be replaced every time the heads come off!! I will fire it up again and when it starts to quit, check it for compression. I know there are two carburetors made for that series engine. One has that LONG main mix needle on TOP. I believe it's a variable jet. The other one has the shorter mixture screws on it. A Walbro it seems. I believe it's a fixed jet type. I know the shorter screw type won't rev up as well due to fuel/air mixture and volumetric efficiency , fixed jet etc. Those egg head formulas for racing engines and rpm/torque curves etc. THANKS GUYS!!

One of these sites may help you. Still looking for the plunger bulletin.

http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/tp_2379.pdf

Kohler Engines: Owners and Service Manuals: Manuals and Maintenance

DaveTN said:

Thanks IL ENGINE, and RIVETS and BISON. I'll get the model #s off it and post them.
NOTE: K-301

4765


I appreciate your help but am basically at my wits end and tired of worrying with it. As IL said, it could be the head bolts. Never thought of that since it was a cast iron engine. I believe the head bolts are steel. Automobiles with steel blocks and aluminum heads have that problem and the bolts have to be replaced every time the heads come off!! I will fire it up again and when it starts to quit, check it for compression. I know there are two carburetors made for that series engine. One has that LONG main mix needle on TOP. I believe it's a variable jet. The other one has the shorter mixture screws on it. A Walbro it seems. I believe it's a fixed jet type. I know the shorter screw type won't rev up as well due to fuel/air mixture and volumetric efficiency , fixed jet etc. Those egg head formulas for racing engines and rpm/torque curves etc. THANKS GUYS!!

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I have rebuild a couple of these kohlers and always reused the headbolts,I never had a problem.
A sticky fuel needle valve could cause stalling if it won't open when the float drops and the engine demands fuel, but when it sticks it usually stays stuck and prob won't open again without opening the carb.
Is the liftpump working correctly or maybe the tankvalve and inlet filter is full of dirt and to little fuel is making it to the carb,...did you check that?
After a little sitting it will have filled the carb enough again to run for a bit.

only other thing i can think of is the exh valve sticking open when the engine heats up.(carbon build up in the guide)
Or maybe it needs adjusting(not enough clearance)

Good clean wel adjusted points is very important as well.

Thanks Rivets, I downloaded a K series manual for that engine. Bison, it could be a sticky valve causing it to lose power and die when it gets warmed up. Or again a sticking needle and float like you said. Did you guys ever wish you had a clear glass or plastic float bowl so you could actually SEE what's going on at times? LOL I have!! I'll check the float again. I by passed the fuel pump and used a tank above the carburetor arrangement. I know the tank was clean because I loaned it to another guy who has the same identical motor on a FORD LGT and is now mowing with it. Thanks for the suggestions guys. Dave

I would hook the fuelpump up again,they run better under load(more fuel)

Note small engine, but supreme screw-up:

Had an nice '72 Corvette with a 4-speed. Ran fine, and I bought my first set of drive-up ramps so I could do my own oil changes. Bought a Haynes repair manual.

One day, was changing the oil and leafing through the manual looking for anything else I should be checking under the car. "Transmission gear oil Level" caught my eye. Okay, seems you just remove the inspection plug from the side of the transmission, and the gear oil should be right up at the same level as the hole. Easy enough.

I unscrewed the plug, and yikes! A BUNCH of oil drained out. "Golly!" sez I, "Wonder why this transmission has so much extra oil? It's only supposed to be filled up the the hole?" I let about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart drain out, replace the plug and was glad I checked! Sure was smart of me! Got all that "extra" oil out of there.

Of course, I failed to realize you only check the level of oil when the CAR is on a flat LEVEL surface. With those front wheels ramped up a good foot in the air, all that precious gear oil just flowed right onto the garage floor.

It took about 2 weeks, but the transmission finally self-destructed from a lack of oil. It was a painful, $1,100 (1982 dollars) lesson.

P.S.:
Was changing the oil in the wife's Mazda. Pulled the filter off, but neglected to notice the o-ring on the filter decided to stay attached to the engine, not the filter. Put on the new filter, and got it hand-tight as normal. The double o-rings left a nice 1/4" gap all around the filter (!).

Added 5 new quarts of Castrol, sat in the driver's seat with the car still up on ramps, and started the engine. Heard an "unusual" gurgle, and my eyes got real wide when I looked down and saw a ever-expanding puddle of fresh oil being pumped out of the gap and onto the garage floor. Took about 2 seconds to empty it. What mess!

One of the first times i changed oil in our mini van I left the O ring in there too. I heard a splashing sound and till I realized what it was most of the oil had drained.

robert@honda said:

Was changing the oil in the wife's Mazda. Pulled the filter off, but neglected to notice the o-ring on the filter decided to stay attached to the engine, not the filter. Put on the new filter, and got it hand-tight as normal. The double o-rings left a nice 1/4" gap all around the filter (!).

Added 5 new quarts of Castrol, sat in the driver's seat with the car still up on ramps, and started the engine. Heard an "unusual" gurgle, and my eyes got real wide when I looked down and saw a ever-expanding puddle of fresh oil being pumped out of the gap and onto the garage floor. Took about 2 seconds to empty it. What mess!

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Been there and done that! an expensive mess at that with the price of oil these days :mur:

I guess we could call the 1.6 liter a small engine on an Escort we had years ago. Timing belt broke cracking aluminum head and bending valves, one of the no clearance engineering masterpieces made by Ford. I had cylinder head rebuilt and crack welded by some professionals. Subsequently when I replaced the head, in my haste, I failed to remember to tighten timing belt tensioner. Guess what happened after I got it back together and tuned the ignition key. :confused3:
I was headed back to the professionals at the cylinder head shop where they were kind enough to repair the head for the second time at no charge to me. Man was I embaressed.

A friend asked me to look at his self propelled Troybilt Leaf Shredder/Vac with a 5 HP B&S side- shaft engine on it. It would crank over but not pick up fuel and run. Good spark. I took the tank off and poured this reddish brown liquid out of it that smelled like old varnish. I continued to pour and this black goop that looked like thin roofing tar, black as coal came oozing out of it. I put some old gas and some rocks back in the tank to try and dislodge it and the rocks STUCK to it!! At any rate I drained the old gas back out and heated the tank a little outside on a hotplate and got most of it to flow out. Then added some baking soda and hot water and boiled it out. Shook the rocks around and after 2 or 3 rounds of that, it cleaned right up. Worst case of goop in the tank I've ever seen and got running again! ~~Whew~~

nfagan said:

Hi I am Norman and o am pretty new ro rhis site.
Any help wou;d really be appreciated.
I have a 721D Grasshopper mower with a 3 cyl. Kubota engine.
It has been in various shops 5 times and the problem keeps persisting/
My machine is taking in air from somewhere.Air bubbles comimg out of the lines to the tank.
All hoses are replaced tank cleaned,air filter changed heatshield installed, new injector pump,
new fuel pump all lines bled.I am at a loss and i am losing all customers bevause off all the downtime.
It id dtill tking in air.
Thank you all/

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vapor lock i have an old briggs service update with that problem in it,as soon as i find it i will reply with an answer

my churches, Kohler 321 on a cub cadet wouldnt start,new battery new headgasket, replaced helicoil in head,new batt cables etc,etc,etc..my buddy said the ACR tab on the cam was bent something he only read about,found the update on the microfische( the vinyl Lp of the small engine world.lol)put another cam in it and bazinga a running mower,sold it to a friend of mine and he said it popped the helicoil right out the top.

tybilly said:

vapor lock i have an old briggs service update with that problem in it,as soon as i find it i will reply with an answer

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Norman is having problems with his 721D... that's a diesel engine.
You can never vapor lock diesel fuel, I think you could mow with it on the surface of the sun without a vapor-lock situation... (if you had enough moisture to get the grass growing)...
vapor lock happens with gasoline & heat... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

Norman is having problems with his 721D... that's a diesel engine.
You can never vapor lock diesel fuel, I think you could mow with it on the surface of the sun without a vapor-lock situation... (if you had enough moisture to get the grass growing)...
vapor lock happens with gasoline & heat... :smile:KennyV

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If you don't bleed the air out,you'll never get it running.
I guess you can call it "air lock" :wink: