Not a cub, but blew a head gasket!

[OldSkull]

Originally Posted by bocephus1991

Dad has a 14hp kohler horizontal engine sitting at his house. It may fit if needed.l

Funny! My Kubota is repower with a B&S and the OEM engine was a Kohler.

Those engine are pretty easy to swap with minus mod. Go ahead and drop your Dad engine, this give you time to repair or find another "Candidate".

Just one note...Hydro gear and Tuff Torque tranny have specific max HP they can handle so even if a cheap powerful V-twin can fit under the hood it may not be a good match and toast the tranny.

[bocephus1991]

I'm gonna fix the Briggs. Don't wanna really mess with swapping engines unless needed. Want to keep the 14hp kohler for another cub. Like to find a 282 or something similar to just mow with. Well off to my second job today! I work in lumber at lowes partime. I close tonight, then turn around and go in at 6am. Good part is I work 6 am to 10 am tomorrow. Then it's off to mom and dads to repair the gas tank on his grasshopper and bring my 1211 back home.

[dvogtvpe]

a rubber tip blow gun tells you almost as much as a leak down tester. I've had a leak down tester for probably 30 years. only really use in on pulling motors . you can usually pickup problems before they are problems by keeping track of the leakage percent

[64fleetside]

I thought I was the only redneck using a rubber tip blow gun to check cylinder leakage, it just took less time than a proper connection....

[Alvy]

Originally Posted by dvogtvpe

a rubber tip blow gun tells you almost as much as a leak down tester. I've had a leak down tester for probably 30 years. only really use in on pulling motors . you can usually pickup problems before they are problems by keeping track of the leakage percent

Thank you Don. Do you agree with Mr. Almighty that there's no way it's rings? Correct me if I'm wrong but doesnt poor ring seal pressurize the crankcase and "make oil come out of the breather" or "make oil come out of the dipstick"? It may or may not be rings but the symptoms he described certainly point to that IMO.

[Alvy]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

15 years ago no one ever even discussed a leak down test

What?!? Really??? Leak down tests and testers have been around a lot longer than 15 years. This supposed waste of time according to you will tell you exactly what's going on inside the cylinder whether it's a single cylinder or Multi cylinder engine, period. A compression test will reveal a weak cylinder but a leak down test will tell you way more about what's making it weak.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Alvy

What?!? Really??? Leak down tests and testers have been around a lot longer than 15 years. This supposed waste of time according to you will tell you exactly what's going on inside the cylinder whether it's a single cylinder or Multi cylinder engine, period. A compression test will reveal a weak cylinder but a leak down test will tell you way more about what's making it weak.

I know they have been around longer than that Mike..... but they didn't start showing up on "book" tests until just the last couple years.

No, they don't tell you anything more about an engine. Like Don said, a rubber tipped blow gun in the plug hole is as effective as a leak down test. The leak down test does not "tell" you anything except that the cylinder looses pressure, and how fast. It doesn't jump out and say it's a valve, or rings, or whether it's intake or exhaust. IT IS A COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME. (Almost as much as debating this.) Blow gun, 5 seconds, it's done. I can pull the head off of a Kohler faster than anyone can run a leak down test on one. Now, if I had a $9K pulling engine and I wanted to monitor the wear (like Don stated) yeah, I'd do one. That's about the only time I would ever consider it. Do them if you want. Not me.

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by Alvy

Thank you Don. Do you agree with Mr. Almighty that there's no way it's rings? Correct me if I'm wrong but doesnt poor ring seal pressurize the crankcase and "make oil come out of the breather" or "make oil come out of the dipstick"? It may or may not be rings but the symptoms he described certainly point to that IMO.

I sincerely hope that you were not referring to me. I suggest you tone it down.

Sure, poor ring seal can add pressure to a crankcase. But not likely that much.... and not all at once. Rings don't just "let go" all at once like he described in the first post. Only other possibility would be a hole burnt in the piston, but I'm doubting that. We will see if "Mr. Almighty" nails yet another diagnosis here shortly.

[R Bedell]

Seems like a lot of discussion and debate over a non-Cub Cadet product. Looks like this ranks up there with what brand of oil to use, to mention one hot topic.

If one likes the the "leak down test", then do it. If not, go on to another test.
It's your engine, your time, and your money.

[Sam Mac]

WOW! All this over a head gasket?