Cub Cadet 1450 wont start

Stephen McCoy · Jan 26, 2010

I have a Cub Cadet 1450 that I have been using the last 5 years to clear my driveway of snow. Yesterday while using it it sputtered and died. I have checked for spark - it deffinetly has that, fuel - it's deffinetly getting to the carburetor, I have sprayed a little starting fluid in the intake past the choke. Nothing. Cranks over real stong just never fires.

I'm suspecting I may have a valve stuck open as the engine is 31 years old and to my knowledge has never been gone through.

Any thoughts?

CJ3b_jeep · Jan 26, 2010

take the plug out and check to see if you have compression.

ACSam · Jan 26, 2010

Is it cranking over faster than usual? If so, there is probably a piece of carbon that came loose and is holding a valve open a little. Remove spark plug and crank over a few seconds. Sometimes it will come loose. Reinstall plug and try to start.

El Toro · Jan 26, 2010

Pull the head and see if it has a stuck valve. Hal

Kentb of SWMO · Jan 26, 2010

Did it rattle when it sputtered and died? If it made a noise, it may have broken a rod. When you say it cranking strong, does it seem to be cranking faster than normal. If so you have a stuck valve, which I have NEVER seen on a K-series Kohler or you broke the rod.

Kent

Stephen McCoy · Jan 26, 2010

Ok, when I got home from work I took out the spark plug and did a compression test. Has good compression.

I put my hand on the plug wire and cranked it a few time after than and got a pretty good shock (went up my right arm and out my left).

When I put the spark-plug on the wire and laid it on the block I saw no spark.

I got a new spark-plug. Still no spark.

So I'm getting shocked by touching the end of the plug wire and cranking the engine, but am not getting a spark at the end of the spark-plug.

Thinking now I may need to look at the wiring. Thoughts?

joe csuti · Jan 26, 2010

Just laying plug on eng & checking for spark usually doesn't provide a good ground for plug,due to paint,rust or dirt on sheetmetal,clean off a head bolt to bare metal or find same on head/block & hold threads of plug against same & crank eng,if still no spark with new plug,then depending on type of ign system on eng,you may have a bad condenser or coil,dirty/bad points or if solid state ign a bad trigger module,coil or possibly a bad alt stator winding,usually if condenser or coil bad(shorted windings) on point type ign you'll get a good jolt from same by grabbing plug lead,but won't have enough voltage to fire gap on plug,on solid state a bad trigger module or coil will give same effect,if you do have spark grounding plug to clean metal then problem elsewhere as suggested by others or possibly a bent/sheared flywheel key changeing ign timing.

joe csuti · Jan 26, 2010

Kent-you should come to my shed,I've got a 301 sitting on floor with head off,waiting for a rebuild,the exh valve has a woodie,sticking straight up/wide open & stem clear of tappet,this is a commom/known problem on K series when they get hot & eng getting tired or same not being serviced by pulling head/valves & cleaning carbon from cyl head & valve stems/guides every 100-150 hrs.

Kentb of SWMO · Jan 27, 2010

I guess I have been lucky. Dad has had a JD 140, I think an early one as it had a K-301 instead of a K-321 when he bought it. This tractor was 10 years old when He bought it in the mid-70's. It is now on it's third engine. It is in semi-retirement He also has two other JD 140's including one H3. Also about 5 JD 317's. My Brother has 3 JD 110's and a 112. In ALL of these K-series engine in the family, If they do not run, I am the one who returns them to service. The only time the head have been removed is when the engine's have need rebuilding. Plus I have service K-series Kohler for other people. I have never seen a stuck valve. I have seen stuck valve in other engine. These normally show-up in the spring after setting in the weather all winter, with the exhaust valve open, collecting moisture causing the valve to stick.

Kent

Stephen McCoy · Feb 2, 2010

I think I may have isolated the problem with my tractor not starting. After recharging the battery I could not get the engine to crank over. It was as if turning the key did nothing.

The ignition switch is original and is very worn. Often the key will fall out while the tractor is running so I have it tied to a piece of string and the string tired around the steering column.

I reached under the dash and wiggled the wires on the back of the switch while turning the key and got it to crank the engine over. I even got it to fire once but not start.

Is it possible that a bad ignition switch could cause the tractor not to start if it had a short or something in it?

I'm planning on replacing the switch this week when I have time anyway.

Thanks for all your wise input.

Stephen McCoy · Feb 8, 2010

Ok, so my Cub Cadet 1450 wouldn't start.

I had been running it during the last snow a few weeks ago and it sputtered and died while it was running.

I had initially thought it might have had a stuck valve but after doing a compression test I determined that was not the case.

Then after checking for spark I figured it was an electrical problem. I had been having some trouble with the ignition switch so I guessed that it may have a short that was doing something to the coil or points or something like that.

Before I replaced the ignition switch I thought I should check the ignition coil. $23.00 and a new coil later I have it running again.

Thanks again for all of you for helping me work through this.

Cub Cadet 1450 wont start

Stephen McCoy

Member

CJ3b_jeep

Member

ACSam

Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

Kentb of SWMO

Well-known Member

Stephen McCoy

Member

joe csuti

Well-known Member

joe csuti

Well-known Member

Kentb of SWMO

Well-known Member

Stephen McCoy

Member

Stephen McCoy

Member

Similar threads