154 drastically looses power with mower running

[Grey Ghost]

Hello to all, new guy here with a troubled 154
To start i just bought this and have been fixing things here and there but one has me completely baffled.
At first you could mow an hour or so and it would start to run a little rough almost like it was sputtering from a weak spark so i assumed it was a coil overheating and decided that if i was going to replace coil why not just upgrade to electronic ignition, i have upgraded all my other tractors and have always been happy with it.
While waiting for parts to come in i installed a new starter solenoid, voltage regulator, ammeter and straightened out some butchered wiring, installed a new ground wire to battery and a new radiator cap.
After installing elec ign and adjusting timing i went to cut some grass and the mower deck alone just about killed the engine, i have since started backtracking everything i have touched trying to figure this out and the best i have gotten is getting it to run with choke part way out while deck is running but it bogs down really bad with any load and has significant blow by when it bogs down.
Compression dry is 115-115-110-120, all i had was a slight problem in the beginning but now i have a big issue.....LOL
Man can someone here help me out because frustration is clouding thought at this point

[brose1958]

Did the mower bog down the engine before you install the elec. Ign.?

[BigBill]

No big issue yet. How long has it been sitting? How old is the fuel.? Is the fuel bowl clean of water?

Next add seafoam to the fuel tank and crankcase, run it. Trust me try it. Sticky valves, stuck rings seafoam will free the valves and rings. The rings will reseat themselves.

Relax.

[Rick Spivey]

Often that symptom points to incorrect ignition timing. I would recheck the timing. Spark timing is also dependent on when the "points" open, which depends on the gap setting. In your case with electronic, that is replaced by a magnetic pulse. I don't know if you could have anything slightly off with the electronic pickup and coil that would affect the spark timing, as I have never installed one of those units. But go back and be sure everything is fully seated properly and in the correct place, etc. If that all checks out ok, then you description also hints at running lean (check main jet and clean it). or a governor not working properly.

[Gary Dotson]

Something I’ve seen on 154’s is a partially sheared pulley key, throwing the timing mark off. You set the timing with a timing light and it runs like trash. The starter generator, turning that large diameter pulley puts a lot of strain on the key. After you installed the Pertronix, did you have to move the distributor very much to get the marks to align? They are usually very close. I would try to return the distributor to it’s previous location and see what you have. Naturally if the key is sheared, you will want to fix it.

[Grey Ghost]

Thanks to all that replied
I think with some of the suggestions i will just start tearing some things down and just start fresh

[SONNY]

I never had any luck with them ele. ign. units!---cant beat original points made for these cubs! ---go reseting time for something else is asking for trouble in my book!

[Gary Dotson]

I, on the other hand, have had excellent luck, installing and using the Pertronix electronic ignition kits. I’ve installed them on over 30 cars, trucks and tractors and have had only 1 failed unit, which they promptly replaced. The quality of ignition points and condensers has gotten so poor, it’s difficult to find decent quality parts.

[outdoors4evr]

I, on the other hand, have had excellent luck, installing and using the Pertronix electronic ignition kits. I’ve installed them on over 30 cars, trucks and tractors and have had only 1 failed unit, which they promptly replaced. The quality of ignition points and condensers has gotten so poor, it’s difficult to find decent quality parts.

+1 vote for Pertronix. I've had great luck with it on a numbered series.

Definitely take a second look at your timing. Set your 16 degree timing at wide open throttle. Don't worry about the 0 degree idle timing, just make sure that the timing does change as the throttle is idled down.

[Grey Ghost]

+1 vote for Pertronix. I've had great luck with it on a numbered series.

Definitely take a second look at your timing. Set your 16 degree timing at wide open throttle. Don't worry about the 0 degree idle timing, just make sure that the timing does change as the throttle is idled down.
184 w/ Creeper & 3-Point
IH 3160a Mower
IH Model 15 Tiller
IH-54 Blade
I have done that and still no luck, this will be my first bad pertronix kit i guess, to be honest i have had such bad luck with parts on my last 2 tractors that i am really fed up with aftermarket parts from almost everywhere it seems like everything nowadays has to be worked on or modified to fit properly or just doesn't fit at all

[Grey Ghost]

In the past i have had 3 Super A's a Super C and 2 Cubs and have had Pertronix elec in all of them and those things ran like a top and would fire off at the sound of the starter hitting the flywheel

[ibdilbert]

I put a Pertronix on one of mine, runs great, no issues at all.