Kohler Courage 19hp- crank, no start
 

Hello all. Im glad I found this place and hopefully can help fix my problem.

2009 Cub Cadet LTX 1040, 19HP Kohler Courage


I bought the mower knowing that it didn't start. I was told that they mowed the grass last friday, shut it off and attached the hose to the mower deck to clean it, then after cleaning the deck, tried to start mower and nothing but a single backfire. Motor cranks but does not fire.

- There is spark
- No OEM fuel pump on this sv590-0220 19 HP Kohler, so there is no 'bad' fuel pump to contend with
- Good fuel flow from inline filter to carburetor
- New spark plug and correctly gapped at .030
- Clean air filter/breather assembly
- Removed and thoroughly cleaned carb with carb cleaner and compressed air
- Installed new carb solenoid repair kit from dealer
- New carb solenoid was tested by connecting the electrical connectors and the plunger engages/disengages with the key off and on
- I have 12 v going to the carb solenoid connector
- Battery is new and strong and I keep it charged after a series of 'cranking'.
- Fresh gas, 3/4 tank.
- Oil level is good
- COMPRESSION TEST - 0 PSI

-If i throw some gas into the carb so that it gets into the cylinder, it will make one big backfire and that's it. Same goes for a shot of carb cleaner into the carb/cylinder.

Took the valve cover off....the rocker arm on the EX side practically fell off the valve spring and push rod.

When I turn the motor by hand and the valve opens or closes, the rocker will become tight again.

The IN side doesn't have any looseness or play.

I've read/youtube video, describing how the valve guide on the EX side is prone to coming loose and shimmy up the valve, keeping it from closing/opening completely. True?
http://oi60.tinypic.com/v6m1oi.jpg

Welcome to OCC!



I'm sorry.... I don't understand what it is you want to know?
Compression check 0PSI, and with that pic you found the problem. Sooooo...... what exactly is it you are asking?

Sorry, was in a rush this morning.

Could i simply put a new head with valves and springs on, or should motor be torn down to check for further damage?

Id rather just slap a new/used head on it.

Also, has anybody seen this before? Just trying to confirm that this is the actual problem as far as i can tell fir now

Take the head off and see what your dealing with. Just my 2 cents but I wouldn't put too much into it, those engines just don't last all that long.

I'd say that's good advice from what I've researched.

I'll pull the head, see what that tells me. If I can get it running for a $50 used head, I'll be happy. I'm in the mower for about $300 as it is.

Maybe you can find a replacement engine on Craig's list or Flea Bay that will fit in the tractor.

Took the head off today and this is what I found. Piston looks fine.

Before I took the head off today, I found a 20HP Kohler courage local to me....Rod broke and came out of the cases. After researching part numbers, it checked out that the 20HP and 19HP Kohler Courage engines are the same as far as I could tell....Only thing I could find is that this 20 had a fuel pump. The 20 came off a LT 1045, mine is a LTX 1040.

So for $50, I got the complete motor...starter, carb, exhaust, etc...

Pulled the head off the 20HP Kohler, and it looks great, piston looks good, no apparent PTV issues (piston to valve).

The head/cylinder gasket and valve cover gasket looks good...I want to re-use them but I guess I'll buy new and make it right. I already have new exhaust and carb gaskets from the carb solenoid repair kit I already put on the 19HP.

http://oi62.tinypic.com/2h8ae89.jpg
http://oi60.tinypic.com/5wxgp.jpg

Definitely replace the head gasket. This is a good how to regarding getting the head nice and flat.
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=5656

Yup, ordered it today along with the 'updated' valve cover and gasket kit.
Guess they are notorious for leaking so CC updated the valve cover design and gasket.

No, Kohler did. :BlahBlah::BlahBlah:

Cub Cadet builds tractors.:biggrin2:

Dang it, you're right. lol

i hate ordering parts for this thing. I don't know to tell them its a CC or a kohler engine. And some parts places want serial numbers, model numbers, engine brand, DNA etc....to order a part for it. Why can't i just say its a 350 chevy, now get me my head gasket!

You know those counter jockeys have to know if it has air cond to look up a rear end gasket.
I eliminate all that by going to parts tree or cub cadet and looking up my own part numbers, then there is no problem as you know what you have, and what you need.
Also google will find you parts many times more economically because you have the part numbers it will also find you the cross references.

Exactly.....I told a dealer if I have to take the time to get the serial number, spec number and whatever else you need, I'll just save a phone call to you and order it myself online.

UPDATE.....I put the new/used head on, new gaskets, studs, torgued properly, etc....

It was a lst 'hard' crank when it turned over, but it fired right up and sounded good.

BUT, the oil light is on. Yes, it has fresh oil and to the full line.

I thought maybe I should run it for 20-30 secs to get the oil circulating throughout the engine, and maybe the light would go off....so I did just that, ran it for less than 30 secs but the light stayed on. I shut it off in case I do have an 'oiling' problem.

Any thoughts, ideas? Thanks

make sure you didn't pinch a wire from the sender. if that's ok put a gauge in it to verify the oil psi

Will do dvog....

I noticed when i turn the key on, oil light is on and the display shows 'change oil'....I read that that is a change oil warning light and will stay on for 5 days and then doesn't reset for 2 hrs after you change the oil...

Anyway, took it for 1/2 lap around my yard, less than a minute, and it started to struuggle/lose power, I shut it off.

Oil pump out of it? Oil sending unit, if there is one? Stop now and sell it as is or for parts? lol

that half lap around yard probably started to seize it. now you've done damage.

I gave it a test run since the the 'change oil' light was being displayed. I had no reason to believe anything is wrong with the bottom end, or oil pump.

The original issue was a faulty valve seat that I believe I fixed.

Hell, I may have had the inline fuel shut valve turned the wrong way, and it ran out of gas. lol.

I bought this mower a few weeks ago , it was on my road, super cheap...figured I could fix it, keep it, sell it, double my money, or whatever. I have a JD rider as it is. I'm in for about $300 so far on the CC.

Success.

Took the valve cover off, EX rocker was extrememly loose...rocker was barely hanging on the push rod. My error I assume.

Spark plug black, fouled out. The EX valve ouut of whack and the fouled plug caused the engine to basically lose power and die.

I decided to take closuure plate off to see if I had bad cam gears or if I could see something else wrong. Everything looked good. No metal in the oil, nice and clean, no gas in oil, etc...I did find a wire to the ignition coil that needed some attention.

Put it all back together according to Kohlers service manual and it runs, sounds, and mows great...better than my JD L100, which is the same size as LTX1040.

Thanks for the feedback.

Sounds like you got a happy ending. :biggrin2: Glad to hear you got it fixed. :beerchug: