| Author |
Message |
    
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 354
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 08:12 pm: | 
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I know this is not a marine engine problem but it is driving me nuts and hopefully someone will tell me where on the internet to look for help.
I own a Cub-Lo Boy tractor with a belly mower and it has worked very well for many years. Now it has developed a problem that we seem to be unable to fix. Basically it starts and runs for a half hour even two hours very well and then suddenly it wants to die and the only way you can keep it going is to choke it heavily. Sounded to me like dirt in the tank being picked up and slowly pluging the screen in the filter bowl or in the carbutetor. Tank cap is so loose it flops around and so its not a vacuum build up in the tank starving the carb. New points, coil, ballast, capacitor different carbs nothing seems to work. Not over heating but just doesn't want to run. There must be a simple answer but where do I go for help. If this breaks the rules Andrew please forgive me this one time. Dick |
thomas
Senior Member
Username: thomas
Post Number: 226
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 08:37 pm: |
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Have the carb, all gas lines and the tank cleaned out professionally. Something is flopping around and starving the gas. (if it was a heat related electrical problem you would have cured it assuming you used new parts.)
T |
solarrog
Senior Member
Username: solarrog
Post Number: 159
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 08:43 pm: |
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Does your system have a fuel pump.? I have seen people install automotive type fuel filters which are designed for pressure feed systems, There isnt enough fuel flow through them for consistant running using gravity feed, If and when it quits have you primed it to see if it will turn off then quit? If it does Its a fuel problem, If you prime it and it doesnt hit, you have an ign problem
good luck with it |
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 355
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 09:02 pm: |
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Gravity feed and all new ignition parts. Has to be a fuel problem in my opinion. Both carbs carefully cleaned. Both act the same way. My next course of action is to remove tank clean it and use a tank sealer to nail any loose bits to the inside of the tank permanently. Keeps running when heavily choked but at much less power. Engine temp normal oil level normal. Thanks for the thoughts |
larry_from_maryland
Senior Member
Username: larry_from_maryland
Post Number: 180
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 09:38 pm: |
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There are discussion boards on www.ytmag.com they boards are divided by tractor makers.www.atis.net has boards too. One is just for cubs. One trick often tried is to remove your filter bowl and fitting from the tank and j b weld a screen for a crop sprayer nozzel on to the top. then reinstal. |
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 356
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 07:34 pm: |
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Thanks Larry will give that a try. |
jb_castagnos
Senior Member
Username: jb_castagnos
Post Number: 151
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 08:02 pm: |
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Dick, it was common practice to put a "standpipe" on the filter bowl, a short section of pipe sticking up into the tank that allows trash to settle around it and fuel to enter. |
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 357
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 08:53 am: |
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Thanks for the tip JB will look and see if there is one on this tank. I have two Cub Lo-boys and the one tank here at the shop I took the valve and filter bowl off and found there is a tapered projection that extends up into the tank about 5/8th inch. Incidentally it was packed solid with trash. I am going to vacuum out the tank to remove all the loose trash and then put sealant into it. No gasoline has been in the tank in at least 20 years that I know of. During the 1973 gas crunch some bright home owner up in Bowie ME.took his wet/dry vacuum cleaner to syphon out some gas from the car in his garage. Needless to say he wound up in the hospital and he burned his house down. Just wanted all to know I don't vacuum gas tanks as a normal practice. In this case I think I don't have to worry. If I am mistaken you can read about it in your local paper. |
doug11k
Member
Username: doug11k
Post Number: 25
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 05:47 am: |
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Gee Dick,
I hope that was Bowie, MD not ME. We don't have any bright home owners like that up here. LOL
Doug |
paulgray
Member
Username: paulgray
Post Number: 26
Registered: 05-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 07:16 am: |
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I had one of these tractors and the same thing happened. It vexed the hell out of me. Finally I found that it was the float level; that is, I needed to increase the depth of the fuel in the carb. Ran fine for years after that. |
ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 419
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 09:06 am: |
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I was working in a gas station back in the 70's and the oil change guy (not me) was vacuuming out a jeep. The gas tank was under the drivers seat on the old ones. It evidently was seeping and all the sand on the drivers floor was gas flavored.
I was in the bay in front of him. All of a sudden I heard a sound like the worlds largest urinal flushing. When I looked up the electrolux (you know one of the ones with chrome skids)was going out the door under it's own power. It became airborne and flew over the 1st set of gas pumps and hit one on the outer pump island. One of the funniest things I have seen. The kid that did it had no clue what had happened.
We went out and got it, straightened up the skids and used it for many more years. You couldn't even tell what it had just done to itself. |
ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 420
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 09:09 am: |
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Doug,
Maybe not that kind....however I know one that started his generator, put it in a basement closet and went upstairs to bed. Almost permantly. The dog woke one of the family and they all managed to get out. I hope they gave the dog what ever he wanted from then on. |
miro
Senior Member
Username: miro
Post Number: 235
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 17, 2006 - 08:48 am: |
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I had the same kind of problem recently on my lawn tractor - Massey Fergussen 12 HP.
I had cleaned out a lot of the crud when I got it 2 years ago and it worked very well , but then last week the thing just wouldn't run without full choke.
I found that the paper filter was completely blocked even though it didn't look full of black crud.
And recently there have been a large number of cork float failures on old carburetors.
The connection I think is the gas. The oil companies up here are advertising that their gas now contains a detergents that will "clean" your fuel system. I think this means that the fuel picks up the very small particles and transports then into a place in the fuel system ( in my case the paper filter) where they jam up and stop the flow.
I undid the small hose to the carb and there was not one drop of gas that came out, so I blew the crud back into the fuel tank and voila there was enough gas through-put to make the engine run normally again.
I had done the usual thing of taking the carb off, etc etc but I found not one speck of dirt in the carb - the paper filter was doing its job.
miro |
doug11k
Member
Username: doug11k
Post Number: 26
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:55 am: |
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Dick,
You must have jinxed me. Mowing last night with my 154 Lo-Boy & it started to sputter & eventually quit after an hour& a half. This morning I cleaned the fuel bowl, disassembled carb & found rust, mung & a little water. If I choked mine it would die instantly. I finished mowing this AM with no problems - ordered a new air filter for good measure. How'd you make out? |
doug11k
Member
Username: doug11k
Post Number: 27
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 12:54 pm: |
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Ernie,
Seems I recall that story but the way I heard it was a MA couple moved to ME & acquired a new house & a ME dog for the kids. They lost power in an ice storm & the ME dog saved the former MA family. |
ernie
Senior Member
Username: ernie
Post Number: 421
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 07:58 am: |
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nope it was a longtime Auburn resident
Sorry bout that |
richardday
Senior Member
Username: richardday
Post Number: 361
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 23, 2006 - 06:48 pm: |
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Could not let you all wonder what I finally found!! The gas tank itself was very clean but in the filter bowl below the tank was a tiny flek of dried leaf that would be sucked up into the pipe feeding the carburetor and if it go lodged just right it would starve the carb for fuel. If you shut down it would appaently fall back and next time you started it would run for a while and then start starving for fuel. Easy job to fix but a nasty job to clear things up. |
