Cub Safety -- Embarrasing Starter Rod Fire
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:16 pm
Hi,
Several weekends ago I disconnected the Cub starter rod at the starter switch to rearrange and tie some electrical wires together.
After reconnecting the starter rod, I forgot to reinstall the cotter pin where the starter rod connects to the starter switch.
(Seems as though that after one passes 23 years old or so, one tends to forget some things, some times).
While cutting grass a few weekends later, (immediately after changing oil & oil filter), a fire started on the full length of the starter rod.
The starter rod had come out of the starter switch, slipped forward, and touched the battery cable on the starter switch.
Fresh oil on the "HOT" starter rod ignited. Never dreamed this would have happened.
Lucklily, I have a safety disconnect switch on the battery ground cable -- as soon as I turned the switch "OFF", no more rod heat & the fire immediately went out.
Could have been a total disaster if the glass filter bowl gasket or gas line immediately above was leaking gasoline; or had just added gasoline whereby some spilled around the gas tank.
I'm not a favorite of adding modern accessories to vintage vehilcles, but this rare experience shows that battery switches are a sure way of eliminating un-fused electrical items.
Without a battery disconnect switch, switching the key to "OFF" would not have stopped the heat on the shorted starter rod.
Worst of all, I was cutting within a foot and along the perimeter of a wood framed house, with the house on my right side -- seeing flames that close to the gas tank, I was about to give the tractor and the house to the flames.
Most sincerely,
H. L. Chauvin
Several weekends ago I disconnected the Cub starter rod at the starter switch to rearrange and tie some electrical wires together.
After reconnecting the starter rod, I forgot to reinstall the cotter pin where the starter rod connects to the starter switch.
(Seems as though that after one passes 23 years old or so, one tends to forget some things, some times).
While cutting grass a few weekends later, (immediately after changing oil & oil filter), a fire started on the full length of the starter rod.
The starter rod had come out of the starter switch, slipped forward, and touched the battery cable on the starter switch.
Fresh oil on the "HOT" starter rod ignited. Never dreamed this would have happened.
Lucklily, I have a safety disconnect switch on the battery ground cable -- as soon as I turned the switch "OFF", no more rod heat & the fire immediately went out.
Could have been a total disaster if the glass filter bowl gasket or gas line immediately above was leaking gasoline; or had just added gasoline whereby some spilled around the gas tank.
I'm not a favorite of adding modern accessories to vintage vehilcles, but this rare experience shows that battery switches are a sure way of eliminating un-fused electrical items.
Without a battery disconnect switch, switching the key to "OFF" would not have stopped the heat on the shorted starter rod.
Worst of all, I was cutting within a foot and along the perimeter of a wood framed house, with the house on my right side -- seeing flames that close to the gas tank, I was about to give the tractor and the house to the flames.
Most sincerely,
H. L. Chauvin