2182 doesn't like the heat
 

I have been a collector/user of Cub Cadets for a lot of years. I gradually upgrade as I can afford it. I started out as a kid with a 1650, high school was a 1641, and several 1641s since, now I'm up to the 2182 (I'm 37 now). I love this machine. LOVE!!! But, when it gets hotter than 80 some degrees and I'm cutting my 5 acres, it starts to run bad. Mostly idle and mid range is the worst. Wide open with the blades going, its ok. Idles terrible. Loping. But the carb is clean as can be. I even took out the air cleaner for a moment while it was running to see if it cleared up. It almost seems like it is partly choked. I clean see that the butterfly is wide open by the position of the arm with the cable. Coolant is fine to the tippy top of the rad, overflow tank is fine. Grass catch is clean. 78 degrees, runs perfect all day long. What am I missing?

Any help would be much appreciated
Andy

Any chance the engine is trying to vapor lock?

Vapor lock would mean the fuel is turning to a gas before it reaches the carb. I wouldn't think that this would be possible due to the fuel being in the back of the machine where it is cool, and there is an electric fuel pump where fuel is circulated (maybe not circulated but a pressure system). The fuel line is also insulated when it enters the engine compartment. A big foam sleeve. Maybe its insulated because this has been an issue? You may be on to something

Andy

My 2182 is the same way. I'm convinced it has more to do with governor than anything else. I've even replaced the carb, new cap and rotor, new plugs etc. It just seems to hunt to control the RPM's at anything other than wide open or close to wide open. Just keep the radiator screen clean and run it. I do run some Red Line Water wetter in the cooling system it helps keep it cooler.

Mike got me thinking... I may have removed that black insulated tube around the fuel line when I cleaned the carb. It was soaked in fuel because the carb drain wasn't tightening completely and it was slowly dripping fuel. Sam, do you still have that foam on yours? Is there a chance that the fuel is boiling in the line just before it gets to the carb?

Not with a pressurized system/fuel pump.

Like Sam said, it's common. I've gotten them to quit that before when I worked at a dealer, like 15 years ago, but I don't remember how. :bigthink:

I was thinking it was a governor issue. (Just like Sam said)

And this isn't a carb adjustment issue? I remember the owners manual talking about adjusting the rich/lean mixture as regular service. Anyone tinker with that?

Could be. Try it.

The reason I brought up "vapor lock".

I have a 1864. I messed with it off/on for a year when I finally decided the engine would stall after 45 minutes or so of mowing. I put a new Ebay plastic fuel pump on it. That made it better but it would still stall. It would run okay if I removed the left hand engine cover.

So, I removed the fuel pump from being mounted on the engine flywheel shroud to the bracket that holds the battery to get the pump away from the the heat.

Problem solved.

The early 2182's the fuel pump was back at the tank and the later ones it was along side the engine down low. Maybe there was an issue they were trying to remedy.