Archive through June 09, 2007

[jderstine]

It seems the battery is shot in my 125. My now dead battery is a DEKA size 10U1L with 365 cranking amps @ 32* and 300 CCA

I've had it since Aug-04. It sits in the shed year long.

Any suggestions for something better? Or is this about average life?

Thanks

Jeff

 

[dsauve]

Jeff I've got the biggest intersate battery that would fit it's 425 cca @32 degrees and will spin the 301 in any weather. I run the cub all year so it is always charged. Three years on a battery is pretty average for this size, a trickle charger durring long storage periods would help some. Gotta go yard needs work catch yall later.

 

[kweaver]

Jeff - I've been going 11 years on the 127 battery and some years it isn't even started up cause I don't use it much at all. It did start up a couple of months ago when I put CERMA in the engine. My 5 year old 2166 had the battery die a couple of months ago ... just don't make things like they use to !
What Dean said is true about using a trickler but the worst thing for batteries is over charging with a charger. Trickle it year round if you want to but take it easy with a true charger.
4-5 years is pretty typical for L/G batteries up north.

 

[tdrudis]

My 100 had an optima yellow top for a while but the battery tray needed to be widened. It would start no matter what but at $180 it's a bit pricey. Although the yellow color was nice when you poped the hood. That battery went into a beater truck that we took off road. It fell out of the mount and landed upside down on the header. It melted the top, directly shorted on the header and blew the terminal clamp off but it still worked. Then it went into another truck with a constant draw that killed it totally dead at least 30 times until we figured it out. It still works as good as new after 3 years. I also have one in my cub hauler. With a radio drawing over 100 amps and an altinator that cant keep up I have had no problems

 

[bcorn]

Yep!! And that's what I am settling for. At 6 mph who is going to tell.

Pops

 

[jderstine]

Thanks for the suggestion Dean but my local Western Auto / small engine shop didn't have anything bigger than 365 without going wider.

I ended up with the same size battery for $42. plus "the governor"

The trickle charger sounds like a good idea for the late fall/winter/early spring.

Ken, you're right about longevity. Seems everything is designed with a "service life" that's not in our favor.

Thanks again
Jeff

 

[tbenak]

I just got home from a cub rescue mission. It was my pleasure to remove an old cub 104 from an old machine shed. Turns out it has been there for about 25 years. Tires sure look it! All is there except for muffler and starter generator. Best part........free. Life is Good! Pictures to follow.

 

[wheinsohn]

I had an unexpected experience last night mowing the grass. The 149 was just a purring along when the engine sped up a little and then all of a sudden went wild. I hit the brake, pulled down on the throttle and had my other hand on the key in case the throttle didn't help. Luckily the throttle brought the rpm's down but not after it may have got close to 5000 rpm's. I could not push the throttle above 1/4 throttle or it would go wild. I limped it to the shed at an idle, checked over all the linkages and have come to the conclusion that the governor has failed. What is the best thing to do? Do I just replace the governor gear assembly and what else may be needed? I need to get this back running so I can find out why the 129 all of a sudden started to use oil. I own 6 cubs and it looks like I have to pull 4 engines for minor to major repair yet this summer.

 

[mhaynes]

An ignition question here. I just replaced most of the ignition components on my 123: Battery, ignition switch, solenoid and condenser. I cleaned the points and adjusted to 0.020 (a new set of points and coil is on order). After all the work, there is no spark when the engine is turning over. There is however, one spark when the ignition switch is turned from ON to OFF. Each ON to OFF cycle yields one spark. This happens regardless of the points being open or closed. Any ideas as to what I screwed up?

 

[bbrigham]

Wes, last summer my wife BTDT. Except she didn't know any better to shut it down, just kept right on mowin. Complete overhaul came that weekend. I would say it's the shaft the gov. linkage hooks to. There is a tab inside that the weight assembly pushes against, I would bet it broke.
Bren

 

[rbedell]

Matt H:

Sounds like you have NO ground to the motor and/or points.

Here is a simplified Kohler Ignition Circuit to aid in finding your problem...

 

[mbounds]

Mark H: Roland is correct. Using his graphic, move your chassis ground. Install a <u>new</u>, slightly longer, ground cable from the battery (-) negative terminal to the S/G bracket. Get away from that place IH used. Time, age, and the laws of physics have caused enough corrosion in the pieces between there and the engine to basically kill the electrical flow. Make sure you have a good metal to metal connection at the S/G bracket - then paint over it to match and help prevent further corrosion. Your engine will start and run a whole lot better...

Myron B

 

[mdomenic]

Wes, unfortunatly the engine will have to be completely torn down (crank, rod & piston and cam) all have to come out in order gain access to the governor.

If the tab is broken you governor shaft will spin 360 deg.

 

[fmorski]

Kraig:
I have a picture request.
I need pictures of the engaging lever for the rear PTO on an Original and a 106.
I am not sure that the lever on my Original is correct and my 106 is missing the lever.
Thanks F.

 

[digger]

Frank,
Kraig won't be around until tomorrow, will I do?
Original

106

 

[lmantta]

I have a Cub Cadet 1450 and I just chewed up a mower deck drive belt. Does anyone out there have the part number for this belt? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[nqueensland]

Larry- Check #4 here:
http://cubfaq.com/questions.html

 

[cbusch]

I figured out that the coil or the condensor was bad on my 147. I think the coil was a non-ballasted coil. Unfortunately that is what I bought to replace it and NAPA doesn't have one in stock. I have a brand new coil resistor in the garage from another project that I never used. So do I hook up the resistor between the + terminal and the + wire?
Or between the - terminal and both - wires? Or do I only hook it up between the points wire and the - terminal?

 

[jegstad]

Chris B,

Hook the ballast between the + terminal and the + wire. In Roland's schematic diagram further down this page on June 10, 2007 - 04:42 am, you hook it between the ignition switch and the + terminal on the coil.

 

[dtanner]

fmc bowlens model #1660 . where to kook up info on my new tractor?