Father/Son project needs advice. Cub Cadet 1330
 

I broke my hip last month and was unable to work my normal job. I’m not the type of person to allow grass to grow under my feet. To avoid going crazy, I decided to take on a Cub Cadet 1330 with the help of my very interested 7 year old son. I have a rolling mechanics chair that allowed me to slide around the tractor while working with my son. This Cub was left to die in a field prior to our attempt to resurrect it. It came with the skeleton of a unidentified dead critter. It was missing a battery, solenoid and parts of the wiring harness. It has a Kohler Command 12.5 engine.

We replaced the following:

Negative Battery Cable
Positive Battery Cable
Power Cable to Starter
Battery
Starter
Solenoid
Key switch
Magneto (business card spacing)
Spark Plug
Oil
Oil Filter
Fuel Filter
Fuel Line
Plastic fuel tank

We replaced one male pigtail connection at the engine involving the ignition ground and power.

All connections, switches, fuses and wires were checked for voltage and continuity.

I cleaned the carburetor.

The engine started. We cheered! I allowed my son to drive the Cub Cadet around the yard until the battery fell onto the fan beneath the seat. The fan and belt remained intact, but the battery got a small nick in the plastic and began to leak. I replaced the battery and made a bracket to secure the battery in place.

The tractor started and ran a second time. He drove it around for 10 minutes until just after sunset.

The next day we wanted to chase down the PTO functions. It wouldn’t start. The new magneto was not providing spark. I replaced the magneto a second time. I confirmed with an inline spark tester that the second magneto is working and continues to provide spark. It won’t start.

In my testing I’ve tried to get the engine running with and without the kill/ground wire attached to the magneto.

Currently the engine cranks, but never attempts to fire.

What am I missing? All suggestions are welcome. Getting this running will make us very happy.

Mike

Welcome to OCC.

Sorry to hear about the broken hip. That has got to be a PITA.

This sounds like a great Father/Son project.

In its simplest form an engine only three things to run, Air, Fuel and Spark.

That said, if you have spark and it occurs at the right time (unless there has been an internal failure of some sort) the only thing left is fuel and air.

Check the plug itself for spark, just to be sure.

If you do have spark at the plug then, I personally would pour a little gas into the spark plug hole (put the plug back in) and try to start it. I don't know that this would be good practice in front of a 7 year old boy though.

Thank You for the reply.
 

I pulled the spark plug for direct visual inspection. The spark plug is working. I gave a couple short bursts of carb spray and installed the spark plug again. It turns and turns, but nothing. In theory there should be all sorts of mini explosions happening. When the engine ran, it sounded great. I don't suspect something internal. As for my mini me..... he took a spark plug to show and tell last week.... he's not a normal 7 year old. He's more like a 70 year old. I joke about pulling an imaginary starter rope on his back so we can listen to him recite the differences between two and four cycle engines. While his friends are talking about video games, he is talking about governor springs and gaskets.

Try another known good spark plug from anything just as a test, and see if it sparks when the starter is engaged while laying onto the cylinder head.
If so you found the problem, if not and you have the kill wire disconnected, it has to be the coil or it slipped and the gap is wrong between it and the rotating flywheel magnets.

Can you remove the valve cover, hand crank the engine and watch the valve valves operate? Could be a stuck valve. Check valve clearances also. The compression release for starting works off the exhaust valve, if I remember correctly.

Thanks for the replys
 

I have tried a second spark plug. I have confirmed valve motion. I'm not sure about valve clearance? Where would we find the specifications?

.003/.005" if yours has adjustable valve lash. Some models have hydraulic lifters.
Here's a link to the service manual.
https://www.kohler-engine-parts.opee...nual-downloads

Don't have any more ideas for your starting issue. But as for your battery hold down. On these tractors there was basically a bolt with a bend in it the shape of an (L) that went through the left inner fender through a hole and on top of the battery...
If you look one up, you will get a better visual.
Hope that all makes sense?