Horse46 512 #1 Posted March 25, 2023 Hi guys n gals it’s been a while since I’ve posted here, pre covid for sure. It’s the start of the cutting season here in the Uk but my trusty old motor doesn’t want to come out of hibernation. I’ve gone through the usual battery- earth leads-etc but all I’m getting is barely enough power to throw the starter pinion wheel? To engage the crown wheel. Could the clutch switch be an issue, I’ve cleaned the ball and it pops in n out ok? I’ve cleaned all the earth lead contact areas it’s a new battery fully charged. Oh it’s a C101 conversion to a C161 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 38,923 #2 Posted March 25, 2023 Does it still have the shaker plate engine mount that needs the extra ground wire? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,679 #3 Posted March 25, 2023 It is possible that a battery cable has gone bad or a connection is corroded causing the problem. Here is a process that will help find the culprit. Take an automotive jumper cable, connect the black lead to the battery negative (-) terminal and a clean bolt on the engine. Connect the other lead to the starter cable bolt on the starter and momentarily touch the battery positive (+). If your starter turns over well then move that lead to the side of the solenoid where the starter cable is connected touching the battery positive momentarily, if the starter turns over satisfactorily then move the cable to the battery side of the solenoid and repeat the process while someone holds the key to the start position. If all is working as it should then remove the black ground cable and see if the starter turns over. Any single connection in the starter circuit could be the problem. Take the time to clean and tighten ALL electrical connections to prevent future problems too. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horse46 512 #4 Posted March 25, 2023 22 minutes ago, squonk said: Does it still have the shaker plate engine mount that needs the extra ground wire? Yes it does, I’ve cleaned that one as well. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horse46 512 #5 Posted March 25, 2023 8 minutes ago, 953 nut said: It is possible that a battery cable has gone bad or a connection is corroded causing the problem. Here is a process that will help find the culprit. Take an automotive jumper cable, connect the black lead to the battery negative (-) terminal and a clean bolt on the engine. Connect the other lead to the starter cable bolt on the starter and momentarily touch the battery positive (+). If your starter turns over well then move that lead to the side of the solenoid where the starter cable is connected touching the battery positive momentarily, if the starter turns over satisfactorily then move the cable to the battery side of the solenoid and repeat the process while someone holds the key to the start position. If all is working as it should then remove the black ground cable and see if the starter turns over. Any single connection in the starter circuit could be the problem. Take the time to clean and tighten ALL electrical connections to prevent future problems too. I’ve cleaned all the battery cables and connections, I will try your method of elimination and report back later. Cheers 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,067 #6 Posted March 25, 2023 @Horse46 found any related electrical connection , to be a possible hold up of conductivity , personally separate all plug in connections, use a fine brush to clean it out , also use dielectric grease / lubricant to re connect that plug , , corrosive , fuse point ? chaffed / frayed wires ? , long sitting stiff / cracked wires , powerdry dust on plastic connections , indicate , shorting . dont, trust any existing wire set up , until you verify its flow. pete 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 15,919 #7 Posted March 25, 2023 Just another thought. You mention "Out of hibernation" If the blower housing is full of a mouse nest this could cause resistance to turning. It can wedge in between the flywheel and the housing. If the electrical wire diagnosis doesn't solve it, pull the cover off anyway to get a good look see on what's going on when the key is turned 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 38,923 #8 Posted March 25, 2023 53 minutes ago, Horse46 said: I’ve cleaned all the battery cables and connections, I will try your method of elimination and report back later. Cheers Cables can corrode beneath the insulation and you'll never see it. For example: These cables are shot If the cables are original. replace them 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horse46 512 #9 Posted March 25, 2023 I have found the problem, its the bolt in the tower next to the plug, I’ve bypassed it for now. I have another issue that I had forgotten about or was putting up with, but when I try to start I have to roll the motor to tdc or it won’t turn over, when I did the change of motor from the 101 to the 161 I had to use the original starter motor, does anyone know if these are the same across the different motors? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Horse46 512 #10 Posted March 25, 2023 4 hours ago, wallfish said: Just another thought. You mention "Out of hibernation" If the blower housing is full of a mouse nest this could cause resistance to turning. It can wedge in between the flywheel and the housing. If the electrical wire diagnosis doesn't solve it, pull the cover off anyway to get a good look see on what's going on when the key is turned I will have look at this, see my last post referring to another issue, could be the problem? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,157 #11 Posted March 25, 2023 On a 314 I bought last summer, it was an intermittent problem i had that traced to the solenoid. I added a fused wire to the line side of the unit and she cranks right up. Probably a safety wire interface someplace. Temporary solution I really don't take pride in that i have a temporary toggle switch on the fused line now. i do have two working C-160s in manual and auto that can certanly handle the slack. i am busy with a big truck taking up a lot of shop space and the tractors come outside often as i work on that. The 520 I inherited always had a thing with the starter itself. its position at the front of the tractor always invited clippings that fouled the solenoid mounted directly to the starter. So with the 300 and 400 series kohler, it is at least mounted in a clean location, but has a bunch of safety shutdoown connectors that shake loose and the onan engines place the automotive style solenoid in a dirty spot. Another brilliant move was placing the plug in fuse block directly beneath the battery tray and having the fuse box sticking straight up thus inviting super fine dust and clippings into the fuse junction as well as corroding the mower engage safety switch. Dust can actually foul the fuse connections ., All this stuff is an easy fix once you first find out about it. Compared to other tractors I have seen, I should never complain about my favorite brand Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
