Kohler Courage MYSTERY?

[pjh008]

Hello All, new here so let me post this in the right forum. Got a Cub Cadet 1045 with a Kohler courage 20 hp M#SV600. When I try to start , it turns until hitting the compression and won't roll over. I've tried new battery, pulled apart and checked the starter brushes and everything-good, checked valve lash and operation-good, pulled & cleaned plug,checked gap & spark-good, engine will turn over fine with spark plug out. Oil level-good. Anybody got another idea? Much appreciated, Pat

[aczlan]

My first guesses would be:
Bad starter solenoid or flaky ground/power connection between the battery and the engine or frame.
If you put a screwdriver across the terminals of the solenoid does it spin properly?
If you run a set of jumper cables from another machine to the + on the starter and frame does it spin over?

Aaron Z

[Dr Dave]

Hi have Cub Cadet SLT 1050 with Kohler courage 25 hp, have same problem, tried same repairs, no luck. Seems to act up after setting overnight or longer, I wonder if they have hydralic lifters, which may be leaking down. Any body out there with a fix? Has 135 hrs, 4 years old.

[pjh008]

aczlan, I've tried the jumper cables from my truck to the cubby, doesn't change a thing. But I havn't tried the solenoid trick.

[J_J]

Sounds like you have a weak starter. Try jumping from another battery directly to the start terminal on the battery with ign switch on. Half choke and a shot of ether.

The compression seems to be to great for your starter and old battery.

[BigBoyinMS]

I had a similar problem. Over the years mine just didn't start as well as it used to till finally it wouldn't do a thing. I even bought another starter and still no start. The solenoid would click but nothing else. I started taking connections loose and cleaning. When I finally took the solenoid off the frame, cleaned it's connections and replaced it, it fired up better than even when it was new.

[jonyyuma]

I hope you do better than my Luck. My Robin engine would not turn past a certain point..Siezed at that point. When i gave up an pulled it down, The Intake valve was almost welded in the open position...Lots of time working on it, and using Kroil and it turns over again now?

[rcbe]

Hello All, new here so let me post this in the right forum. Got a Cub Cadet 1045 with a Kohler courage 20 hp M#SV600. When I try to start , it turns until hitting the compression and won't roll over. I've tried new battery, pulled apart and checked the starter brushes and everything-good, checked valve lash and operation-good, pulled & cleaned plug,checked gap & spark-good, engine will turn over fine with spark plug out. Oil level-good. Anybody got another idea? Much appreciated, Pat

NO ETHER on a small air cooled engine. Use rattlercan carb cleaner instead. Ether can kill an otherwise sick, repairable engine. Too explosive.
Put a shot of carb cleaner into the carb throat and engage the starter by directly connecting it to a good battery using jumper cables. If engine spins well and tries to start, you got an electrical start circuit prob somewhere in the tractor. If still very slow, pull starter, taker to qualified shop for bench test.

[tmeadows]

sounds like big boy may have your answer!!!

[Bob_Bainbridge]

Collapsed lifters wouldn't keep an engine from turning over - just make it hard to start. Battery cable sometimes look good but have poor connection to the terminals and fail to carry any load. Try battery jumper cables directly from the battery terminals to the starter (positive) and tractor frame (negative).

Bob B.