More No-Starts... Depressed in MD...

105_Tom · #1 02-09-2010, 10:26 PM

Well, there seems to be a run-up of no-starts in the past two weeks. Previously, I had asked the forum for advice on my 149 after it sneezed through the carb while almost catching during a very cold crank. It was surmised that there was probably some carbon or other matter fouling one or both of the valves. I pulled the head and de-carboned the block and head and valve surfaces. I used the original head gasket and put it all back together, and it started and ran, just as good as it did before. I used it last Sunday/Monday with a light snowfall, where it was outside the garage under a tarp, in the cold, and although it cranked very slow, it did start and perform fine with the QA42A thrower.

On a subsequent morning, I went to move the 149 from its' outside location back to the shed, and it did the same thing that it did when I had the initial problem- cough and sputter while almost catching during a cold crank, and then falter with no further signs of even trying to catch and run. I would have written this off as an issue specific to the 149, but when I went to get the 105 out of the shed to swap the QA onto it for the SuperStorm we got over the weekend, IT DID THE EXACT SAME THING when cold cranking it, and I have NEVER had a problem starting the 105, hot or cold!

Boy was I bummed. I had spent hours with the 149 doing everything that was suggested in soo many posts on this great forum. Good battery, clean terminals and cables. I had spark, good spark, a good plug, timed the ignition with an ohm meter, good points, a clean head, good valves and carb, plenty of good fuel, and, from as much as I can tell, enough compression to get at least something during cranking.

I did the same de-carboning regimin with the 105, and have been rewarded with nothing for my labors. The story is the same for both tractors, with the KISS factors being uniform for each.

I'm just plum out of ideas. Not to mention that I'm really aggravated with both tractors. Everything was going great until this week, when I really needed them to perform. I even got a call from Diz Jr to make sure I was timing the ignition correctly. I don't know where else to go with this. Is it possible that both tractors have blown head gaskets while cranking? I didn't have a means of checking the flatness of either head with a piece of glass or a straight edge, but I have no reason to believe that I have bad heads on either unit. Should I try new head gaskets, get a compression gauge, take them to a shop, or what? They both seem to want to spit raw fuel back out of the carb while cranking on the compression stroke, but there IS suction/vaccum on the intake stroke. I feel like it should be something incredibly simple that one of you has seen before. These are good, solid tractors, not wheezers that I should just part out. I need my boys up and running! Sorry to ramble on, I'm just frustrated!!

Diz Jr. · #2 02-09-2010, 10:35 PM

Hey 105_Tom,

Just grabbin at straws here again, but if they are both doing the same thing. You didnt get any bad fuel did you? Its got to be somthing simple. It was running fine just a few days before

105_Tom · #3 02-09-2010, 10:56 PM

probably not. still won't run off ether either (ha-ha). that same can of gas went into the walk-behind blower without issue.

cubby · #4 02-09-2010, 11:56 PM

here s a thought of the top of my head but try a little heat in the tank.like a car in cold weather the use of iso- heat will keep the gas from thicking and freezing. a car has more insulation then the cub, even tarped.more exposed parts.the bowl on carb likely has small ice chunk in it and flote not working properly.i use 1 can of heat to 4 tanks of gas and never have starting problumes, and i live in titletown (green bay wi). also to get a little extra cranking power in very cold weather if you have lights ,and this will sound dumb, but turn them on about 1 min before trying to start. this will get the chemicals moving in the battery and aculy warm it up to give better crancking amps. also if you get carbon build up try a little marvs miricl oil in gas, ill make the inside of motor look new in only a few tanks.

Yosemite Sam · #5 02-10-2010, 12:38 AM

If you ARE getting good spark...

Not that I condone the use of starting fluid but I think I would be tempted to hook the jumper cables up to your car/truck pull the air cleaner off your Cub, give it a little spritz, spin that engine over and see what happens.

Sometimes when it's pretty cold here, that's just what it takes to get the hydro's going. How cold has it been there lately?

rfrank · #6 02-10-2010, 07:56 AM

When you cleaned the head did you take the valves out?
Were they easy to drop down back into the head. I had a valve that needed to be cleaned/polished al ittle bit more so that the valve would easily drop down into the head. perhaps a bent valve, and on a cold morning it catches or a bit of cabon was missed on the valve stem and is holding said valve up. Just athought. have a 149 thought I had both keepers on and realized after a backfire, that one of the keepers had come off.

rfrank · #7 02-10-2010, 08:01 AM

Fuel, air, fire and compression. Have you done a compression check? to see if youve got a valve or headgasket issue?

105_Tom · #8 02-14-2010, 09:15 PM

bad plugs! the champion plugs that came with the tune-up kit are back on the bench. old plugs reinstalled, and everything is good to go.

#9 02-14-2010, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 105_Tom

bad plugs! the champion plugs that came with the tune-up kit are back on the bench. old plugs reinstalled, and everything is good to go.

I read 'elsewhere' that one of the guys did a test of spark plugs and something like 3 in 5 were grounding out new from the factory. He also concluded that Autolites were the most reliable and tested almost 100% good out of the package. I now use Autolites.

Scott

johncub7172 · #10 02-14-2010, 10:40 PM

its good to here your problem is solved! ever notice even these bran-new cars and trucks, how many of them already have a burned out headlight, or tail,/brake light? my 82 f-100 i've had for 9 years-never had to do anything to it. but i got a good lesson from your problem.