Cub cadet driving me insane!!!

M

Myjnks

Member
i have a cub cadet LT1024 with an 18 ha Briggs. Last fall I noticed an oil leak on the crankcase gasket. Other than that it ran great. This spring I installed a new gasket. The battery was dead so I jump started it. Fired right up but the pto wouldn't come on. It would only come on if the jumper cables were still hooked up. I bought a new battery and it fired right up and I mowed...then the pto stopped and it would barely turn over at all. The battery was dead too. The next day I jumped it again and it fired up but the battery would not take a charge and the oil pressure light was on and one exhaust pipe was glowing red! I'm at wits end...HELP!
 
Lets start with the model, type and code of that briggs engine so we know what you are working on.
 
I don't know if this is true, but if you were in a dark area and the mower had run more than a few minutes, it isn't unusual for the exhaust manifolds to have a red glow to them. they operate around 700 degrees at full throttle.

If the mower will run with the jumper cables, get us a volt reading with the engine running. Should be around 13.5 at full throttle. I suspect you are below 12. So it that is true that you will need to disconnect the wires going to the voltage regulator, It will be the small box on the opposite side of the engine at the starter. Connect each lead to one of the wires in the double connector, and set the meter to read AC. Should be 28v AC or higher. If that is true then replace the voltage regulator. If the AC voltage is below 28 v then you will need to replace the stator under the flywheel.
 
Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow and get back with you. I had never seen an exaust pipe glow red like that
 
A little reddness is not unusual. Exhaust valve run from red to yellow hot and modern lean burn engines run even hotter.
Three things usually cause the pipe to glow red
1) excessivly rich mixture all modern mower engines have fixed main jets
2) excessivly ******** spark all modern mower engines have a fixed timing so if the key is ok so is the timing,
3) bad exhaust valve timing. stuck valve excessive valve lash or insufficient valve lash.
 
ILENGINE said:
I don't know if this is true, but if you were in a dark area and the mower had run more than a few minutes, it isn't unusual for the exhaust manifolds to have a red glow to them. they operate around 700 degrees at full throttle.

If the mower will run with the jumper cables, get us a volt reading with the engine running. Should be around 13.5 at full throttle. I suspect you are below 12. So it that is true that you will need to disconnect the wires going to the voltage regulator, It will be the small box on the opposite side of the engine at the starter. Connect each lead to one of the wires in the double connector, and set the meter to read AC. Should be 28v AC or higher. If that is true then replace the voltage regulator. If the AC voltage is below 28 v then you will need to replace the stator under the flywheel.
Click to expand...

Well, the mower HAD been starting with jumper cables,but now it strains to turn or even a little bit. I do know that the volts were like 1 or 2 when I tested at the battery the other day.
 
bertsmobile1 said:
A little reddness is not unusual. Exhaust valve run from red to yellow hot and modern lean burn engines run even hotter.
Three things usually cause the pipe to glow red
1) excessivly rich mixture all modern mower engines have fixed main jets
2) excessivly ******** spark all modern mower engines have a fixed timing so if the key is ok so is the timing,
3) bad exhaust valve timing. stuck valve excessive valve lash or insufficient valve lash.
Click to expand...

Very good info! Thank you!
 
B&S engines also may have trouble starting to hard to start when valves need to be adjusted.
Can you perform leak-down and compression test? Also what your spark plugs look like?
 
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