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I despise Walbros.
Well I got my 1872 running and mowed for the 1st time this season today. For those that have followed my bumps in the road for the last few months. It's nice to have it working again. Well sorta. In a thread last fall I mentioned that the troubles started when I stopped on the hill to get this pic.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...010Small-2.jpg I was told that It wasn't sitting on the hill that caused the problem. Yes it was and I now know why. Long story short after that pic next time I used the tractor the engine was full of fuel and I've been chasing probs ever since. Fuel filled case blew the mainseal. I replaced with wrong seal and blew that too. So as of this week I installed a new fuel pump and a new fuel tank (critter chewed into it). I had already rebuilt the carb with a new kit and float. It was running like a top and having no trouble at all with the knee deep grass. Then I turned and headed down hill and heard a pop and lot's of white smoke and the engine died instantly. I was facing down hill. Couldn't even get the starter to engage. I pulled it back up the hill with the truck and swore I was ready to go by a new green tractor with a diesel ( yes quite serious). I let it sit for a bit on level ground. Pulled the plugs and turned it over. OK every thing looked fine. Got it started and after a couple of seconds the smoke cleared and all seemed fine. So I ran it for a bit then resumed mowing. About 3 times it acted up again. Every time I was pointed downhill with the right front wheel down. Seems that the float wants to stick open when the tractor is in that position. Not every time but randomly. Each time I turned the PTO off quick and throttled down. The engine then was able to clear itself and I could resume mowing. I got the yard finished. Pulled into the garage and shut it down. I started hearing a hissing/sizzling sound. I looked with a flashlight and OMG! The carb was leaking fuel on the hot block and sizzling it away. I quickly restarted the tractor and pulled it OUTSIDE away from the house. Turned it off and opened the side covers and turned off the fuel. Then I clamped the fuel line prior to the carb with needle nose Vice Grips. And there she sits. 1st of the week I will locate not 1 but 2 KOHLER carbs with the adjustable main jet. Then I will put kits in both and install 1 having the other as a ready to go backup on the shelf. Then I will take that total piece of junk Walbro carb and set it on a stump in the woods. Next I will take great pleasure in blowing it into the stratosphere with a 300 grain jacketed silhouette round from my 44 magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does any one know the Kohler part # for the K17 Kohler carb? |
I am pretty sure I remember Matt saying it is the #26 that fits the 10 and 12 hp K series motors.
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Not to defend Walbros, but isn't a Kohler carb capable of having a leak? I think 5 out of the 6 I've owned had Walbros and never had a problem with any of them. DX3's 782 has a nonadjustable Walbro and that thing purrs like a freakin kitten. I will say though that the one I had with the Kohler carb was easier to get adjusted properly than the adjustable walbros i had.
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Mine runs smooth as silk as well on FLAT GROUND. But I've rebuilt it twice with new kits and checked everything I can think of and the float still sticks randomly in that position for no reason I can find. It looks like a new one when you open it up. Shafts aren't worn or anything like that. But most of the repair shops or Cub salvage guys I've talked to don't have much respect for that carb. I've thought about trying to see if the carb off my B+S 18 twin would work on the manifold. That carb has been amazing for 14 years with 1 rebuild. I might look closer at that tomorrow. As for the leak that may be because of overflow from the sticking float. Haven't pulled it back off yet.
But with the problems it's given me and the fact it almost cost me a New $1, 000 engine that only has 50 hours on it. I really want to see it when the MAG hits it! |
Hey Squatch, my 2072 works fine with the Walbro but I did ask the forum what Carter (Kohler) carb may be the best replacement. Matt said it has to be a 26, the 30 is too big. Too bad, I have a rebuilt one laying around somewhere.
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I found a source and should have a couple of Kohlor carbs heading this way in a few days. I'm getting 2 and will rebuild both. One for the tractor and one for standby on the shelf. Parts tree price for a new Walbro is $260!!!!!!!
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Did some running today and when I came home I had a present waiting for me.
The Mail man had left me 2 nice adjustable carbs from a kt17 with elbows. I made a quick call and was able to pick up a float kit and a rebuild kit for one of them. I also picked up a new fuel filter, air filter, an in line fuel shut off, and an extra oil filter while I was there. Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll get the super back in business. The carbs both appear to be in great shape. One smells of fresh fuel and would probably bolt on and go. But I'll go through it anyway. http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...005Small-3.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...004Small-4.jpg |
Can't wait to see how things go for you... :beerchug:
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Those carbs in the pic were the good ones not the Walbro. They do look very similar. The good ones have adjustment screws though and don't have Walbro cast in the side.
Anywho, Today I rebuilt one one of the carbs. It's been a very long time indeed since I've messed with a small engine carb with a replaceable float valve seat and an adjustable main jet. Most of the old ones the main jet adjustment was on the bottom of the float bowl and could leak. The main jet needle on these is very long and goes through the entire carb top to bottom. Before I tore it apart I closed the jets on both carbs both low and high speed and counted the turns. I wanted a baseline setting for starting it when I was done. 3/4 turn for the low speed and 2 1/2 on the high speed. Both were very close to each other. No major issues on the rebuild other than I used the throttle shaft and butterfly from the Walbro because it had the plastic snap in linkage thingy. The new carb did not. Other than that the pieces were identical. The float in the carb I rebuilt was set a tad on the low side when compared to the recommended specs. I left it that way. I figured if it starved I could always raise the float level later. Better a little low on the hills. That's a big difference between the adjustable carbs and the Walbro. The Walbro has a plastic float that can't be adjusted for height. That's why they flood out on the hills. The float valve it self is much more substantial in the adjustable carbs. Twice the diameter of the one in the Walbro. I added an inline fuel shut off just before the fuel pump. And added a new fuel filter and air filter. I started it up and it fired right off. But I still had a fuel leak. It took a couple of tries to fix that. I like the small engine fuel line that is clear yellow so you can see the fuel. In this case the clamp was cutting into that soft line causing a leak at the carb. I used a piece of black fuel injection rated line from the pump to the carb and a new clamp. Problem solved. Didn't take much tweaking to get it running smooth and idling low. the above settings were very close. I'll mow a couple of times and check the plugs to see what the mixture looks like. So then I mowed! I actually mowed! Over an acre and a half without having to mess with the tractor. Happy, happy, joy, joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My impressions from today. It ran much smoother and quieter than normal. No bogging down sound at all even up hill in deep grass. The engine seemed to run much cooler. The hood was just barely warm to the touch up front over the muffler. That's a huge change. Also it seemed to use much less fuel than ever before. I've posted before that the M18 makes great power but is a gas hog. It seems to be much better now. Probably been running much to rich all along. Now if it just stays like this for a while! I almost forgot. I love my filled AGs and V61s!!!!!!! Traction is great with the filled tires especially backing up hill. It is so much more stable on side hills as well and this is already a very stable tractor compared to most mowers. The Supers have a foot print like a spider. |
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I'm so glad you got some stress free seat time in! |
Just an update. The carb has to come back off. There had to be something! Just went out in the garage and smelled fuel. I checked it out and found the problem. The bolt that holds the float bowl on had a soft aluminum gasket/washer like you see on auto oil drain plugs these days. I thought about replacing it with the fiber gasket in the kit. Well it's leaking slightly so I will do that tomorrow. I knew it was going to well! Glad I installed a new shut off in the new tank and another near the fuel pump.
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There's nothing like having a fine tuned Cub. Glad it is working like it should be now. :beerchug:
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It does amaze me at how well it runs. So smooth. |
Mine ran like a top on normal semi level ground with the walbro. The problem is the non adjustable float. It's set too high and dumps fuel in certain positions on the hills. Imagine taking the tank on your toilet and tilting it till water sloshes out. Lower the float level and you can tilt it a lot farther before it sloshes. But It runs even better with the new carb. Once the float seat on the walbro gets eroded or corroded you can't fix it. The valve will always leak.
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I replaced the float bowl gasket with a fiber gasket this evening. so far so good.
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Figured I'd post up some pics.
Adjustable on the left Walbro on the right. http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...009Small-4.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...011Small-7.jpg You can see the adjustable main jet on top. http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...010Small-5.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...002Small-5.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...005Small-4.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...006Small-3.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...004Small-5.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...003Small-5.jpg Clean parts. http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...007Small-4.jpg Where it belongs. http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...013Small-5.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...012Small-4.jpg http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...008Small-3.jpg |
Howdy folks, I haven't been on the forum in a while. The Rat Rod Super has been working like a champ. Maybe too much so. I was getting lazy about using the fuel shutoff I installed.
Came out a couple of days ago to start the tractor to mulch some leaves before removing the deck for winter. I saw a drip of oil under the front. I did a oil level check and found the crank case full of fuel again. It's been a good while since this last happened. Not sure if it's the fuel pump leaking or if the rubber tip on the float valve is ate up by alcohol again. I check and probably change out both. Just thought I'd post this thread back up as a reminder for folks. E10 fuel does a number on both the fuel pump and the float valve rubber tip. I just hope I caught it before blowing a main seal again! I'll post up what I find. |
Has nothing to do with the fuel. We have to tell people this all the time it seems. I should remind you, that you should always check the oil in your tractor before you start it. Don't rely on floor puddles to indicate a need to pull the dipstick.
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I do check it regularly but not everytime. It burns so little oil I normally don't need to check the oil everytime I use it or even very often.
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When I shut the tractor off I take the key out and put it on the battery. This prevents the kids from messing with it and since I have to open the hood to get the key,I check the oil.
Older ones I put the key on the tank. |
New float valve and fuel pump installed. some cleaning and I'm back in business.
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