Craftsman 2004 GT5000 Riding Mower Choke Sticks

   / Craftsman 2004 GT5000 Riding Mower Choke Sticks #1  

Rhino35

Bronze Member
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
91
Location
Independence, KY
Tractor
Kioti DK 40 SE Hydro
Hoping someone might be familiar with my problem with the choke on my GT5000 Riding Mower. This has the 25 HP Kohler engine. It is a pull out to choke, push in for normal operation knob to the left of the steering wheel. There is flexible metal cable inside a plastic sleeve - and there is something inside the metal cable - I think it might be a wire, or maybe another cable. This leads to a sideways moving lever, which in turn goes up and mechanically closes and opens a butterfly type valve to the carburetor.

It sometimes sticks. Won't pull out with all the force I can muster. And sometimes when it is out (it has "freed" itself from time to time - and, this random, intermittent functionality is why I think there is a mechanical block (catch) down there by the lever arm) it won't push down to the run position. I have "messed around" touching this lever arm - there is the throttle cable coming from the other side to its lever arm - and there is something behind that too. It looks like all these lever arms are on the same pivot axle, which faces forward.

I have lubricated the cable from the top by dropping little drops of oil - and when it is able to move I push it in and out to try and get the oil to run down inside the cable. I just don't think it is a jammed cable (or wire) inside the flexible metal sleeve because when freed it slides pretty easily.

Any thoughts about where to focus my troubleshooting effort will be much appreciated. Here is a picture. The cable from the right is the choke cable, and it is attached to the vertical metal going up on the right.

Thanks,

Rhino35
 

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   / Craftsman 2004 GT5000 Riding Mower Choke Sticks #2  
Disconnect the cable from the carburetor. Route it as straight as possible and check for difficulty of movement. It should move pretty freely. While the cable is disconnected see how freely the choke lever on the carburetor moves. This should tell you how freely each piece works. Now route the cable as straight as possible and reconnect it. See if that helps.
 
   / Craftsman 2004 GT5000 Riding Mower Choke Sticks
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Disconnect the cable from the carburetor. Route it as straight as possible and check for difficulty of movement. It should move pretty freely. While the cable is disconnected see how freely the choke lever on the carburetor moves. This should tell you how freely each piece works. Now route the cable as straight as possible and reconnect it. See if that helps.
Roadworthy,

I will do this tomorrow morning when my neighbor can help. Good suggestion as I think you're trying to isolate if the problem is with to much friction at the lever arm. What's really perplexing is when it is free it moves pretty easily. When stuck either out or in it won't move. I will do as you suggest!
 
 
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