Place your bets???

[BigBill]

I pulled out my cub cadet 100 to take a look at it and get it running while i'm waiting for the head gasket to get here for my 70 cadet. It has a new replacement 10hp kolher engine thats a few years old. Before i take it apart after a quick looksee inspection;

The 100 has no compression so what do you think it is?

facts; The crank spins over freely by hand. The spark plug is tight. I can't hear any piston slap or rod noise when changing direction by hand with the crank.

1. Stuck valve?
2. Bad rings?
3. Broken connecting rod?
4. Hole in the piston?
5. Bad head gasket?
6. "other" any suggestions?

clue; This tractor was in a damp garage.

I will check it out tomorrow and report back....place your bets? anyone?

[Snotzalot]

Stuck compression release.

[Eugene]

Stuck valve or valves. I've got $4.00 I just won from the Powerball - well actually $3.00 after paying for the ticket - well really I'm in the hole. Do you take IOUs?

Eugene

[Paul B]

If it spins or turns very easy with no drag at all, I would say the rod is broken. If a valve is stuck you will get some drag or resistance from the piston and rings when turning it, but with a broken rod you are only turning the crank. It is hard to tell when you don't have acess to the engine. If the rod is broken, it is not uncommon in a Kohler for it to be in many small pieces rather than just broke in half where you could feel or hear pieces hitting the inside of the block. Depending on which head is on it you may be able to remove the plug and see if the piston is moving when you turn the crank.

[BigBill]

I don't hear any air wizzing out of the exhaust valve or the carb at all. If its the head gasket with a large piece missing I should still hear air wizzing out.

I was thinking a broken rod at the journal on the crank so it would clear the crank when it turns over. I was orginally hoping a stuck valve something cheap and easy to fix. I'm still hoping for an easy fix???

Paul B your right i thought of it lastnite in bed, I'm going to remove the sparkplug to see if i can see whats wrong with it. Brfore i restore them i would like to see if they run or not that tells me how far i have to go into it.

This 100 cadet has the snowblower attachment on it so it was used for snowblowing the whole time.

Today is the day as soon as it warms up.

[grumpy]

My son worked on one last summer that acted just like yours and ended up the crank snapped in two at the front of the motor just inside the housing. No idea why. Poor metal???? Good luck. Grump

[BigBill]

My son worked on one last summer that acted just like yours and ended up the crank snapped in two at the front of the motor just inside the housing. No idea why. Poor metal???? Good luck. Grump

If the crank snapped two it could be the bearing bores are out of line or bad metalurgy of the crank. A hairline crack on the crank at that spot would make it happen. Most of the time you can read the metal after it cracks to see if it was a surface crack first that went inside, there will be a discoloration of the metal.

I looked inside the sparkplug hole and seen nothing the gas tank is in the way somewhat too. With snow comming tonight i'm out of luck for a while my 100 cadet is outside.

[BigBill]

Its not running but it has a little compression now. I put a little oil in thru the spark plug hole. I guess they must have gas washed the piston and rings while trying to start it a while back. I think i finally got some luck back. I need to install new points for it now and she if she will just fire up.

[wdeturck]

Big Bill: If you can turn the engine backwards you should fell full compression as that will keep the ACR from working.

[BigBill]

I'm having trouble with the spark now. I cleaned the points just to see if it will run. I have voltage to the coil, but no spark at the spark plug. I see the points open and close. If i leave the ignition on i can take a small screw driver and work the points and get spark to the spark plug if the screwdriver touches both sides of the points. Weird? I'll put in new points and condensor next. These tractors were kept in a damp cellar type garage it was really wet and it affected the electrical stuff.

[Bigdog]

Bill - clean the glaze off the points. I prefer a point file or burnishing tool for this but i have used brown paper and dollar bills for this as well. It is not uncommon for new points to have a glaze on them. Since most of them are made offshore I read somewhere they are coated to prevent oxidation from salty sea air. I don't know if that's fact or not but I do know I have had new one that needed cleaning.

[Ritter107]

You don't think it spun a muffler bearing do you?



(sorry... i couldn't resist. )