Cub Cadet 2009 LTX 1040 sputters and backfires

[petedamick]

We have been trying to get our cub cadet tractor running for a few days now. It was sitting in the yard for about two years. We drained the gas before letting it sit. We filled the gas and changed the oil and tried starting it. Nothing. We then cleaned the carb really well. Then we got it to run by itself but only with the choke on. After sitting for a few days, it now runs without the choke but it sputters and backfires a lot. That's the problem now. How do we get it to stop sputtering and backfiring all the time while it's running? It has a 19HP Kohler engine. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Terry Stewart]

Check the fuel line and fuel shut- offs for plugs as the ethanol in the fuel will disinagrate
fuel lines and the alumiunm shut off valves.

 

[JTKub]

Basically a brand-new tractor sitting in the yard for two years?!? Say it ain't so my man!

When you drained the gas, did you run the engine until it wouldn't run anymore?

I like to run a generous splash of 2-cycle oil and/or Sta-Bil in the last bit of fuel that runs through the machine. Never had any carb issues, but my equipment is never stored out doors. You're going to have problems if you can't store it out of the elements.

Joel

 

[rcbe]

We have been trying to get our cub cadet tractor running for a few days now. It was sitting in the yard for about two years. We drained the gas before letting it sit. We filled the gas and changed the oil and tried starting it. Nothing. We then cleaned the carb really well. Then we got it to run by itself but only with the choke on. After sitting for a few days, it now runs without the choke but it sputters and backfires a lot. That's the problem now. How do we get it to stop sputtering and backfiring all the time while it's running? It has a 19HP Kohler engine. Thanks for any suggestions.

You did drain the fuel when machine parked, but did you run the engine to run the carb dry then? If not, residual gas dried up - gelled in carb passageways. Such will require carb removal/disassembly/cleaning including using a stiff thin wire and magnifying glass to break gel loose and then blowing passageways out with compressed air. Use a fresh carb gasket kit to reasm.... new air cleaner element.

Also pull/chk under engine cooling sheet metal for mice nests to avoid engine overheat once you get it running... good luck.

 

[petedamick]

Basically a brand-new tractor sitting in the yard for two years?!? Say it ain't so my man!

When you drained the gas, did you run the engine until it wouldn't run anymore?

I like to run a generous splash of 2-cycle oil and/or Sta-Bil in the last bit of fuel that runs through the machine. Never had any carb issues, but my equipment is never stored out doors. You're going to have problems if you can't store it out of the elements.

Joel

Yeah, there is a long explanation of why but basically it got used 2 seasons and then sat. I did run it out of gas, I do that every year, I'll use the Sta-bil in the last tank of the season as well.

 

[Garybake]

Sounds like the carb passages are blocked. By running on the choke you exposed those passages to high vacuum load which probably helped clean them. You can try reving up the engine and slamming the choke closed to increase that effect but in order to avoid mid summer problems with heat and idle/run quality I would disassemble the carb and clean out the passages like rcbe suggests. A good carb cleaner and tag wire with compressed air will give you peace of mind this summer when hot restarts are the norm.:thumbsup:
Even running out of fuel does not eliminate all fuel from bowl and passages. Just enough to misfire and stall.

 

[mowcub]

Be sure to use a stabilizer like Sta-bil, but made for ehtanol. It's usually blue in color instead of red. Star-Tron works well.

 

[petedamick]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll pull the carb again and give it a good cleaning.

 

[SnakeMan]

We have been trying to get our cub cadet tractor running for a few days now. It was sitting in the yard for about two years. We drained the gas before letting it sit. We filled the gas and changed the oil and tried starting it. Nothing. We then cleaned the carb really well. Then we got it to run by itself but only with the choke on. After sitting for a few days, it now runs without the choke but it sputters and backfires a lot. That's the problem now. How do we get it to stop sputtering and backfiring all the time while it's running? It has a 19HP Kohler engine. Thanks for any suggestions.

I have a 2010 cub cadet LTX1040 that also has a Kohler 19 horse engine that was sputtering. What was causing mine to sputter was that I had pinched the spark plug wire between the plastic cover and the engine block when I changed the spark plug. The plastic cover has a slot that the spark plug wire is supposed to be routed through but there is enough slack in the wire for it to be mis-routed.

I realize that this is an old post and by now you probably have long since fixed your tractor, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

SnakeMan