Some 08 Scag Wild Cat issue.

[MilesToEmpty]

Just today picked up our Scag Wildcat 61". Its the 27hp aircooled if i remember correctly.

This is a BEAST, but have two questions.

When you choke it to start it, it smoked, ALOT. Grayish white smoke.

When you are done mowing and turn it off, its backfires about 5 seconds after the engine has been turned off.

Mower has 1 hour on it, purchased new from our local (25miles) Deere/Scag dealership.

 

[dodge man]

I had a Scotts mower (John Deere) with a Kohler 25 hp engine, and it would backfire about 5 seconds after you shut it down also. It seemed a litte better if you didn't drop it down to idle before you shut it down. Maybe try different throttle settings when you shut it down, I think mine was best at about 25% throttle. This time of the year, you may not need much choke to get it started.

 

[Scooby074]

Im not 100% familiar with Kohlers, but i understand that theres a fuel solenoid in the carb thats supposed to cut the fuel off to prevent backfire. Theyre a bit of a known issue. Thats probably where id start.

 

[coobie]

I had a Kohler 25 hp simplicty/ferris ZTR that backed fired from day one when I shut it down.It never created any motor problems.coobie

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

my kawi 25hp needs just a little choke to start but as soon as it hits it doesn't like the choke on at all........before i can get the choke off, it'll smoke and stutter just a bit..........

i just imagined being your neighbor and watching you fly across the yard for an hour or two, running the ztr in to the shed, you walking out and a few seconds later hearing a pow!........

yeah, i'd try different throttle settings when i shut it down......it's still pulling fuel and the extra must be in the exhaust.........still hot enough (valves, exhaust pipe, etc) to ignite it.....

 

[CHDinCT]

If it's new, I'd mention it to the dealer. Seems they should have tested it before you got it. I've had the backfire issue on an old Kohler Magnum . If I let it idle down for about a minute before turning off, it wouldn't backfire except every one in a while. Basically, try to get as much fuel out of the carb as you can before shutting it down.

 

[wushaw]

I let the Kohler on my Hustler idle a a short time before I shut it off and no backfire problems.

 

[Gator6x4]

Try stopping the engine with the throttle lever at three quarters throttle. Air cooled engines used on outdoor equipment today do not like to be stopped with the throttle lever at the idle position.

 

[tb8100]

Try stopping the engine with the throttle lever at three quarters throttle. Air cooled engines used on outdoor equipment today do not like to be stopped with the throttle lever at the idle position.

I disagree. Why would you let it feed all that fuel to the engine and then kill it? Backfiring is the result of that excess fuel burning. Also, poor quality fuel will cause smoke and backfire. Take it to your dealer to look at it.

 

[MilesToEmpty]

The guy at the dealer we bought it from said "You're obviously choking it wrong. Read the directions!" We then told him it was missing the parking brake handle cover. He told us to order a new one. We said we'd bring the mower back if we had to buy a piece of the mower that was supposed to be on there and wasnt.

Went in today and he hadn't ordered it so one of the other guys there walked over, unhappy at the salesman, and pulled one off their showroom model. He also told us to only 1/2 choke it when its in the garage and it should be fine.

As for back firing, I let it idle for about 2 minutes today while i blew some dirt and clippings off it. Didnt backfire then.