I have 30 cubs brother lol..just got a free 107 with a stuck valve I will put my cubs up against any new junk...I usually just pressure test them and find leaks..
As a small engine mechanic, I feel your pain with these turds. I probably fix oil leaks on cubs 10 times a year. Keep an eye on the blow-by. Alot of time the seals fail because a head gasket has started leaking internally, making too much pressure and cooking the motor from the inside with hot gasses.
@@aitorbleda8267 almost the entire predator series of engine from HF are Honda clones. They are no where near the same, but also half of the price of a Honda. I swapped a spent Tecumseh on a snowblower to the Predator 125 and it’s still working great.
Two things made me laugh, the headlight lens cover falling off, and Wes the human Pup at the end, ruff ruff. What a great funny and clever dog you have Wes.
At least Kohler is considerate enough to provide access to all their engine repair manuals on their website. I have an LT1045 I bought used in good condition, $50. Rebuilt the deck spindles, new pto clutch, head & valve cover gaskets-runs good, satisfied with it.
What a lovely way to fight off a hangerover, a cup of coffee, some biscuits, chilling on the sofa watching a sympathetic guy working on an old lawn mower.
Just finished repairing oil leaks on a 3hp horizontal shaft Briggs & Stratton engine after multiple attempts. I’ve torn more of these engines apart than I can remember and this one was truly a battle. Leaked oil from everywhere, so completely tore the engine down to replace every gasket and seal. Put it back together to discover a leak from the oil drain plug that had never been touched. Then the brand new side cover gasket leaked, then the breather leaked. It’s the simplest things sometimes that are the biggest battles…I feel your pain
3:09 story of my life keeping so many old Fords running. when people ask me to work on one and ask about required tools, I just tell them get everything you can get your hands on including 1/4 drive sockets for the weird /16 and /32 sizes like the stupid sensors that mount behind the engine near the top.
All the "consumer grade" mowers are basically the same now, even John Deere. They're built to a specific price point to be competitive in the market. Basically, that means we get junk.
My baby gravely would be fine if it would quit chucking drive belts. Once the warranty goes out, it’s gone. I hate to say it, but I may have to go electric.
@@jc5445 Waste of time and money. All electric mowers are garbage. You will spend double the amount of money on electric. Replacing the batteries every other year if they last that long. The motors might make it a year with very light use.
@@jc5445 My 14 year old John Deere came with, as I recall, Kevlar (aramid fiber) belts. Can't get a Kevlar belt from J-D any more. It will wear out the black polyester belts so I had to replace them at least every other year. Finally went back to the Kevlar belts a couple years ago and they are doing fine. The problem with mine is it has a two-pulley idler belt tensioner on the transaxle drive and a black polyester belt doesn't have the flexibility to pass thru those two pulleys without building up heat which wears out the belt too soon. The Kevlar belt is more flexible and runs thru those two pulleys without building up heat, so they last longer. Tractor Supply is a good source for Kevlar belts. Can also get them from Amazon, but have to make sure they are Kevlar reinforced instead of the polyester reinforced kind.
23:12 "If you don't have a fancy ultrasonic cleaner like Mustie1"... You take advantage of your wife being out and stick it in the dishwasher on the hottest wash cycle, sparkle, sparkle... 🤣🤣🤣 Excellent work as always, it's a pleasure to watch you work. Thanks for letting us join in.
All of the CZcams contributors I watch all of their own lifetime experience and they have equipment the equipment they use and show us show us the way forward check out some other check out other contributors and add to your own lifetime of experience and equip yourself accordingly thanks for another great upload
Wes - thanks for taking the time to record the carburetor rebuild. It’s always useful to see someone take it apart before trying it yourself. Thanks for the great content!
The great Wes goes from pick up truck to Military big truck to lawn tractor!! Most versatile mechanic there is!!! Oh and don’t forget the dishwasher fix!!!! And if you think Cub Cadet is junk, get a residential Husqvarna!!! Pure junk! Nothing redeeming about them
Old trick (actually a Designed in feature) from my days at Lister-Petter Diesels: during assembly the crankshaft oil seal is pressed in to the mid position of the hole in the housing. The seal fitting tool, sold as a service aid, is shallower so the seal isn't pressed in so far so the seal rides on a new area of the crankshaft. If you don't use the tool but drive the seal all the way home the seal still ends up on a new piece of shaft. It seemed like a great way to go about the seal replacement to me.
You're in my wheel house on this one. I had a friend give me four junk mowers that didn't run a few years ago, and I used them to teach myself small engines. I have gotten three of them running so far, and just have to rethread the spark plug tube on the other, though I can't find the proper size tap anywhere. Once everyone knew I liked working on them, they started giving me their old junk. My current fleet includes 4 riding mowers, 3 push mowers, a 250cc go kart, a tiller, a pressure washer, 2 weed eaters, and a compressor. I have 2 more weedeaters and 2 chainsaws that are future projects. None of them ran when I got them, and I only paid for the pressure washer.
I have a 42" Cub Cadet (Kohler single cylinder) from around 2002. I beat the heck out of it mowing up in the woods, steep hills, and large lawn. The hydrostatic drive finally started slipping, but I changeg the oil and got another five years out of it. Now it needs a hydrostatic rebuild (new motor and pump) which looks like not too bad a job. Just no time to do it. I'm pretty happy with it, since I got great deal on it. It was a unit returned to Lowes, and price was knocked down.
13 years on that battery! Has to be world record for longevity, I only get 3 years max, trickle charged, stored inside during winter. Great vid, as usual, Thanks 👍🇨🇦
Oddly enough, every time my wife drove the mower, something would break. After a while, she got tired of cutting grass, and I no longer have to fix it as much. Engines know when somebody does not like them. Great info. Thanks sir.
"Tell me a scenario where you would replace the pickup tube and not want to replace the O-ring." when you don't feel like running back to the parts store for the 5th time on the same project
Got a Kohler command in a Craftsman tractor. Bought it new in '98, still runs awesome. Gonna jump on it later and mow. Hate to replace something so loyal.
It's hard to call that lawn tractor junk when it's over 20 years old and needs regular maintenance. My Cub 3205 is the same machine but has the liquid cooled Kawasaki 20hp twin cylinder. Still running great 22 years now. Bought new cost $7k back then. Heavy duty deck and frame, power steering, adjustable steering wheel and seat track, throttle lock, hydrostatic transmission, differential lock, tail lights, definitely not junk compared to the crap the big box stores sell nowadays.
Agreed This is actually a model that is pretty well known for being very reliable No matter what engine is in it. This one probably has a bazillion hours on it and looks to be fairly well used. Stuff happens when they get older and well worn in.
Hard to believe you're trashing Cub Cadet; especially given the age of your mower. I'd say it's held up pretty well. I do enjoy your channel, your knowledge and attention to detail,
I had a John Deere garden tractor with a 17 hp single cylinder engine. The JD dealer that the same engine was in the same tractor for about 7 years. Only the sheetmetal changed. It was a Koehler. Plowed snow every winter, cut grass all summer. About onr acre. Never put a dime into the engine except for a Mobil one oil change and filter once a year. Grass about an acre, snow total 85 inches the las year . Loved that tractor. That was Connecticut 1979 to 1999. Oops ! Did replace the 4 ft. Plow blade skids once.
That's disappointing about your Cub Cadet. I had a Cub Cadet 2150 from 1997 (bought it new) that I could not kill despite repeated attempts. I only got rid of it because (after many years) it was too old to get a snow blower attachment. I sold it and got a Craftsman with a snow blower. Now THAT was a huge mistake. ugh. I enjoyed the detailed footage of the carb rebuild. Thanks!
Love that "stick-to-it-ive-ness". Nice job. On those gaps for the magnet, take a 3.5" x 5" index card, fold it in half and stick it in between the parts while tightening the bolts. Have used this on many small engines and have never had a problem. Alot quicker/easier than trying to measure w/a gap gauge, hold onto the part, and tighten bolts all at the same time. Again, really nice job. Enjoyed the carb video. Thanks!
The Cub Cadets built by International Harvester were excellent. IH sold off the Cub Cadet Division in 1980 to MTD. MTD continued build Cub Cadets using the IH design until 1990. Then the MTD designing came into play. Thus, the 1990 and after tractors, have went down hill. The 3185 was built in 1998 came rolled out of the Factory with a B&S 18HP Vanguard Engine. The Kohler Command 20 is obviously a re-power.
I love it when someone says that the mower is a piece of junk with 700+ hours and looks like it's never been cleaned once before! It's lived it's life in bad conditions and I'm surprised it's lasted to 700 hours! Take care of your equipment and it'll take care of you.
My better half is very good about when I requisition things from the kitchen. First thing she says is "I'll be a new one." 5 decades of marriage make things work that way. Anyway, your talent knows no bounds, Wes. Keep it up!
Got a 2013 cub axel broke at 400 hours was told $1800 to fix only spent $2500 new. I was told trans can’t be serviced I found an axel and new races and seals for $100 pulled trans split it fixed it. Never did that kind of work but these channels provided what the heck go for it. Resealed the case and it works great.
I love these videos about random stuff getting fixed around the house because these are problems everyone has from time to time. Channels that just focus on like auto repair and nothing else just arnt as interesting to me…..
I had to laugh when you talked about the sealant leak on the case cover. I used to work at Kohler, They had a robot that would put sealant on. Sometimes it would not put equal amounts of sealant on the it. So, I wasn't surprised to see that it leaked in that spot. There were times when we would have to use our fingers to spread it out evenly. Thanks for the video. I just bought the same cubby. It leaks oil and makes a knocking noise at high rpms. You just verified what I already knew. Now I have to find the knock. No internal damage I've seen yet except sloppy connecting rods.
An easy hint I thought you would know, use a business card to set the coil air gap. One card and done. Cub cadet is so easy to work on, 400 bolts, 16 wires, brute force and ignorance works every time. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Wes . Big fan of yours. I am a retired firetruck mechanic in CA. I do have a mechanic hack for you. Get your dog some air brake pancakes (diaphrams). They make great frisbees and are indestructable. And cheap. Keep up the great video's. They keep me thinking. I learn every day. Makes me go to the garage and get movin on my 1957 chevy wagon that I learned to drive on. It goes much faster now and looks a lot better too. Thanks
Hey, Wes. Something I would point out about John Deere. I am long since retired, but; a guy I grew up with was a John Deere "guy". He told me that a good many of the tractors/mowers/home owner's equipment have transmissions that are non-replaceable. The transmissions, at the time of our conversation; were not even available to authorized John Deere dealers. With a service life of somewhere around 200 hours (or thereabouts) makes them, in effect; disposable equipment. As I am retired, I really have no way of confirming or denying. But, I have always valued his opinion. It would be prudent for anyone in the market for something of that type to research a great deal. The John Deere name does not guarantee high quality, necessarily. Enjoy your channel and watching you work. Wish like hell I was still able to!
I'll be doing the same to my GT2554. 2554 built much better but same engine. Had a 70s Cub and truthfully had much more problems with it, especially with the carb. Had this 2554 14 years now(hard to believe it's that old). Just now replaced the deck and main belt for the first time! Mower spindles still ok. Replaced the blades once. Haven't had to replace a fuel pump but it's taking a little longer to start now when cold. Carb has needed zero attention all these years. With the old cub I had to remove the carb every year and get the one little bubble of water out of it before it would run. When I remove the engine, I'm replacing both main seals and doing the RTV on the case cover. The newer ones really aren't worse. You just forget having to futz with the old ones... constantly. Thanks for the video Wes!!
With the engine apart it would be nice to have an Eddy Current Tester to check the block for cracks. I have found many cracks with Eddy Current that you couldn't see with the eye or a magnifying glass.
Yep. Brigg & Stratton is recovering from bankruptcy which I'm glad to see they are being successful at. Say what you want about B&S. I've used them on small engine implements for many years and they have shown me a good reliability.
Lmfao Max Looks very happy at the end of this video very awesome to see he always looks angry like he isnt amused with your shenanigans @Watch Wes Work
Kohler engines were made in Kohler, Wisconsin, until 2019 when they moved their engine division to Hattiesburg, Miss.. Toured Kohler once, very cool. Also close enough to get a Spotted Cow Wes.
Bro, she cuts the grass….a keeper (the wife that is)…🤣 Shout out from NH, mustie1’s hood. Love the videos dude. Down to earth mechanic that was brought up with a wrench in your hand, just like I was. Keep crankin!
I feel you man. All my projects go sideways. I will say after tinkering on quite a few mowers. I really like the honda engines. They seem to last longer and give me less problems than domestic options.
Thanks for including the carb cleaning. They're so tricky it's always nice to see it being done well. I've got 4 on my suzuki. Cleaned them 4 times and it wasn't enough. Finally had them ultrasonic cleaned.
35:41 Thanks for watching.. Those cute little vixens with their innocent smiles have a way of changing the subject and disarming you at the same time. Great repair video Wes, you got lots of patience , I know quite a few people who would keep adding oil to fix the problem. These Mustie small engine type videos are always welcome for something different, change is good.
You have t'patients of a saint working on that CC mower. Can't believe Kohler did not use a proper gasket on block halves. You have great determination to (finally) find, fix & finish that engine job! Nice! Carry on Sir!👍👍👍🍺😊
I always find the cheapest carb I can for those, and replace them about once every two years (always have one on the shelf). I gave up rebuilding them years ago. In my opinion they just aren't worth the time, money or effort to rebuild.
Unless something is warped ([cough] B&S flow jet carbs [cough]) it only takes 20 minutes to disassemble and clean a carb - 30 if you have to find the heat gun and the plastic dispensing needle tip to get compressed air into a particularly stubborn passage that wont' clear. Also, if you have to clean your carbs so often, maybe try NOT putting sugar in the gas!
@@gorak9000 yeah, well, you be you. I personally don't have the time to break out cleaning gear, tear apart a carb, pay basically the cost of a new carb for a rebuild kit, and then slam it back together, when I can just replace it in about 5 minutes, for the same cost.
I bought a Chinese replacement carb for my Husq. string trimmer. Only a couple bucks more than the carb kit from Husq, and don't have to go thru all the hassle of cleaning and putting a kit in the old one. I just throw them away when they start acting up. Amazon is a good source for the replacement carb.
18:25 All the oil distribution depends on a shitty little plastic hook that looks wayyy to thin and they screw you for an o ring. Reducing costs increases profits, but let's at least make the thing usable. It seems like an o ring groove to seal the two halves would have been really simple to do.
I have had good luck setting coils on small engines with a paper business card. Just lift up the coil as far as I will go, line it up with the magnet, and then drop the coil down on the magnet with the card in between. Then just tighten the screws and roll the card out.
That's the way I always did it when I when I was the small engine tech at a Deere dealership. Of course, that was the late 80's... finding a business card might be harder these days!
Nothing like rebuilding. A lawn mower carburetor. I remember the days of building the old quadra jet on the old Chevy 350. Ahh the good old days. Ever tell your wife you used her cake pan Lol. Thanks for sharing Wes 🇺🇸😊
My JD 757 with about the same engine, it had an intermittent oil leak, never lost much oil at a time but enough to make a mess, I tightened the crankcase bolts a little on the bottom and it stopped for awhile, I finally too it to a shop and they dome what you did for this. Thank you for sharing your work.
Your a good mechanic! Instead of working on my airplane today doing my 850 hr. Toro mower. Thanks for the video! It helped as I have the exact same problem with almost the same Kohler twin. Like yours not leaking anywhere I can see, after cleaning, and only after it gets hot. Hopefully I will not have to take the engine out twice like you did. I thought it might be the crankshaft seal under the flywheel but now I will do all of what you finally did except the carb.
Thanks for demonstrating a great example of cascade failure. Fix one leak, pressure moves to the next weakest link. Oil, water, blood, electricity- all flow, under pressure. You've also demonstrated the necessity of a working PCV system. Everything covered in oily grass clippings, blocking the airflow of an already poor design- of course it gets hot.
justjust inished working on 2 john deers one was l120 ride on normal steering. The previous owner didn't clen air filter very often thus sucked in the ase gasket in then oil leaks out badly.front wheel berings need grease contenstly.I made solid graphite wheel bushings.The 2 john deere z710-54 only 200hrs and idler pulley toast .non avaiable from dealer at sametime oil lek on hydro drive unit so that came out first to alllow acces to drive system idler..so good luck,btw I do enjoy your channel so much pacenences you have .keep up the geat content.
Regarding the carb parts left over, I have rebuilt a 632 Chevy PU carb so many times, I get enough extra parts to build a second carb! Max is looking pretty perky! Thanks for the video.
That thing is one of the nicest looking MTD Mowers ever made. I'd bet that thing will last you years. Very sophisticated machine. How it does well for you
Max speaks! I wish you were 1,850 miles closer to me. I would drive over and personally offer my deepest sympathies to you working on a lawn mower engine. (I would not actually help, just visit.) They are basically junk and they will break any mechanic trying to repair them. Finally, can you tell the story again of your wife towing your red truck and you flashing the head lights? Did she really think that you meant to go faster? I love that story. Thanks for entertaining me with all the hard work you do.
Excellent video Wes :) I had 2007 Toro lawn mower had 850 hours also Kohler 19 Courage (single cylinder type) was tune up every year also season on everything included engine oil plus used Kohler parts on motor and in May 9 2021 I heard big bang on it when just about finished grass cutting! No oil leak and found the Vavles setup in 2 gears broke in half so won't start up plus had nice clean engine oil plus filter month before used it ! So motor was screwed and had scrap whole lawn tractor and hard get a Kohler 19 Courage brand new and so had buy brand new one ! But wishes made Lawn Mower Tractor like back in 1980's or years before !
Need one from the 70’s Bud!!! Way more reliable and built like tanks
I have 30 cubs brother lol..just got a free 107 with a stuck valve I will put my cubs up against any new junk...I usually just pressure test them and find leaks..
Anything yard equipment wise built in the 70’s is better than the garbage made today.
Probably true, tanks aren't actually that reliable.
@@thomas316 he said “way more reliable and built like tanks”. He didn’t say anything about tanks being reliable.
Heck yeah! I got a 1980 Yardman for free from my bosses friend and may burn 1/2 a quart ever time i use it but damn is it reliable!
You forgot to mention the excitement of spraying carb cleaner in one of the holes and it hitting you in the face when it comes out another. Thanks
Every time
Yep and then your lips go numb for a couple hours.
@@hedge685 Lips what lips
I know how that is. It happened to me a few times and i couldn't see straight for a couple of hours
Yep. A face shield is definitely a good idea.
As a small engine mechanic, I feel your pain with these turds. I probably fix oil leaks on cubs 10 times a year. Keep an eye on the blow-by. Alot of time the seals fail because a head gasket has started leaking internally, making too much pressure and cooking the motor from the inside with hot gasses.
Are there not honda engine swaps? If I had to redo that engine I would think about a repower... with something at least decent.
@@aitorbleda8267 💰💰💰💰💰💰
@@aitorbleda8267 almost the entire predator series of engine from HF are Honda clones. They are no where near the same, but also half of the price of a Honda. I swapped a spent Tecumseh on a snowblower to the Predator 125 and it’s still working great.
Ohhhhh..dont say it! And it shoulda been changed the second time because it was on the bench disassembled or just for giggles.
@@Name-vu1kn honda engines are worth it though. you can even hand it down to the next generation. thats how bullet proof their small engines are
LMFAO When you scanned down to THE FLATTENED rain spout, picked it up & THREW IT BACK DOWN. GREAT DAG FOOTAGE AT THE END, NOTHING LIKE A GOOD DAG.
Two things made me laugh, the headlight lens cover falling off, and Wes the human Pup at the end, ruff ruff. What a great funny and clever dog you have Wes.
Dear R.
👍👌👏 Same here.
Best regards luck and health.
At least Kohler is considerate enough to provide access to all their engine repair manuals on their website. I have an LT1045 I bought used in good condition, $50. Rebuilt the deck spindles, new pto clutch, head & valve cover gaskets-runs good, satisfied with it.
You have to get Cubs information from their maker…Murray.
@@lookingbehind6335 Cub Cadet is made by MTD…
@@lookingbehind6335 Believe Murray went out of business a few years back.
Lmao, kids are hilarious.
"How did it get in your mouth?"
"I don't even know!"
thats what catholic priests teach the kids to say
What a lovely way to fight off a hangerover, a cup of coffee, some biscuits, chilling on the sofa watching a sympathetic guy working on an old lawn mower.
The commentary between you and your son adds a lot of humor to these videos, on top of your sarcasm
Just finished repairing oil leaks on a 3hp horizontal shaft Briggs & Stratton engine after multiple attempts. I’ve torn more of these engines apart than I can remember and this one was truly a battle. Leaked oil from everywhere, so completely tore the engine down to replace every gasket and seal. Put it back together to discover a leak from the oil drain plug that had never been touched. Then the brand new side cover gasket leaked, then the breather leaked. It’s the simplest things sometimes that are the biggest battles…I feel your pain
3:09 story of my life keeping so many old Fords running. when people ask me to work on one and ask about required tools, I just tell them get everything you can get your hands on including 1/4 drive sockets for the weird /16 and /32 sizes like the stupid sensors that mount behind the engine near the top.
Good theory, but hopeless: you will always need one more tool you didn't bring along.
Mustie 1 and Wes In the Same Morning, Gonna Be A Good Day Mater
The Florida pool pump motor bearing repair guy approved ! that was good info Wes
I went looking for that guy and couldn't find him.
@@EFCasualWhen Service Calls Longwood 32750
All the "consumer grade" mowers are basically the same now, even John Deere. They're built to a specific price point to be competitive in the market. Basically, that means we get junk.
You can say that again. My new Husqvarna rider has a plastic rear end. You can bet I’ll be checking that if I buy another lawnmower.
My baby gravely would be fine if it would quit chucking drive belts. Once the warranty goes out, it’s gone. I hate to say it, but I may have to go electric.
@@jc5445
Waste of time and money. All electric mowers are garbage. You will spend double the amount of money on electric. Replacing the batteries every other year if they last that long. The motors might make it a year with very light use.
@@jc5445 My 14 year old John Deere came with, as I recall, Kevlar (aramid fiber) belts. Can't get a Kevlar belt from J-D any more. It will wear out the black polyester belts so I had to replace them at least every other year. Finally went back to the Kevlar belts a couple years ago and they are doing fine. The problem with mine is it has a two-pulley idler belt tensioner on the transaxle drive and a black polyester belt doesn't have the flexibility to pass thru those two pulleys without building up heat which wears out the belt too soon. The Kevlar belt is more flexible and runs thru those two pulleys without building up heat, so they last longer. Tractor Supply is a good source for Kevlar belts. Can also get them from Amazon, but have to make sure they are Kevlar reinforced instead of the polyester reinforced kind.
23:12 "If you don't have a fancy ultrasonic cleaner like Mustie1"... You take advantage of your wife being out and stick it in the dishwasher on the hottest wash cycle, sparkle, sparkle... 🤣🤣🤣
Excellent work as always, it's a pleasure to watch you work. Thanks for letting us join in.
Yeah, also great if you like gasoline and oil residue on your cutlery.
Dishwasher detergent and especially the after wash rinse agent is lye based and super harsh on aluminum
All of the CZcams contributors I watch all of their own lifetime experience and they have equipment the equipment they use and show us show us the way forward check out some other check out other contributors and add to your own lifetime of experience and equip yourself accordingly thanks for another great upload
@@12345NoNamesLeft notice how I didn't say anything about using dishwasher detergent, I only said use the hottest wash cycle
@@the_hate_inside1085 I like the taste of gas/oil. In fact I drink gas and piss napalm 🤣
Wes - thanks for taking the time to record the carburetor rebuild. It’s always useful to see someone take it apart before trying it yourself. Thanks for the great content!
I'm surprised you don't have one of those sonic carb cleaners. Great video.
Don't you hate it when you intuitively know that the problem you found isn't the actual problem. But we always hope anyway :-)
Especially on our own stuff.
Nice to see Max running around like a mad 'un at the end!
The great Wes goes from pick up truck to Military big truck to lawn tractor!! Most versatile mechanic there is!!! Oh and don’t forget the dishwasher fix!!!! And if you think Cub Cadet is junk, get a residential Husqvarna!!! Pure junk! Nothing redeeming about them
He is very talented and eloquent to boot!
only thing missing is working on his son's toys
HuskyBarney comment: That's no lie!!!
Old trick (actually a Designed in feature) from my days at Lister-Petter Diesels: during assembly the crankshaft oil seal is pressed in to the mid position of the hole in the housing. The seal fitting tool, sold as a service aid, is shallower so the seal isn't pressed in so far so the seal rides on a new area of the crankshaft. If you don't use the tool but drive the seal all the way home the seal still ends up on a new piece of shaft. It seemed like a great way to go about the seal replacement to me.
Two weeks later...
Wes: "This cake tastes funny. Tastes like carb cleaner."
And a little grassy.
🤣🤣🤣
It's like king cake with an o-ring instead of a baby.
High carb recipe!
Tastes like victory. 😎
I have an early 2000s cub cadet 3204, that thing is absolutely bulletproof, all it needs is gas fill ups and oil changes.
Always a pleasure watching you work, no matter what you are fixing!!! Thanks Wes and Family!!!!
You're in my wheel house on this one. I had a friend give me four junk mowers that didn't run a few years ago, and I used them to teach myself small engines. I have gotten three of them running so far, and just have to rethread the spark plug tube on the other, though I can't find the proper size tap anywhere. Once everyone knew I liked working on them, they started giving me their old junk. My current fleet includes 4 riding mowers, 3 push mowers, a 250cc go kart, a tiller, a pressure washer, 2 weed eaters, and a compressor. I have 2 more weedeaters and 2 chainsaws that are future projects. None of them ran when I got them, and I only paid for the pressure washer.
"Mommy, why does this cake taste funny?" lol.
Donno. Ask your dad... 🤣
YOU should have put mom why does this cake taste like carb cleaner ??? . that wood have bin funny LOL !!! .
I have a 42" Cub Cadet (Kohler single cylinder) from around 2002. I beat the heck out of it mowing up in the woods, steep hills, and large lawn. The hydrostatic drive finally started slipping, but I changeg the oil and got another five years out of it. Now it needs a hydrostatic rebuild (new motor and pump) which looks like not too bad a job. Just no time to do it. I'm pretty happy with it, since I got great deal on it. It was a unit returned to Lowes, and price was knocked down.
When you decorate a cake, do you say..”this is like forming a gasket” ? Thanks Wes!
Every time!
@@WatchWesWork Well it ain't much different
13 years on that battery! Has to be world record for longevity, I only get 3 years max, trickle charged, stored inside during winter. Great vid, as usual, Thanks 👍🇨🇦
I was getting nervous without a video this weekend. Thank you.
Same thing here
Oddly enough, every time my wife drove the mower,
something would break.
After a while, she got tired of cutting grass, and I no
longer have to fix it as much.
Engines know when somebody does not like them.
Great info. Thanks sir.
"Tell me a scenario where you would replace the pickup tube and not want to replace the O-ring." when you don't feel like running back to the parts store for the 5th time on the same project
Got a Kohler command in a Craftsman tractor. Bought it new in '98, still runs awesome. Gonna jump on it later and mow. Hate to replace something so loyal.
It's hard to call that lawn tractor junk when it's over 20 years old and needs regular maintenance. My Cub 3205 is the same machine but has the liquid cooled Kawasaki 20hp twin cylinder. Still running great 22 years now. Bought new cost $7k back then. Heavy duty deck and frame, power steering, adjustable steering wheel and seat track, throttle lock, hydrostatic transmission, differential lock, tail lights, definitely not junk compared to the crap the big box stores sell nowadays.
Agreed This is actually a model that is pretty well known for being very reliable No matter what engine is in it. This one probably has a bazillion hours on it and looks to be fairly well used. Stuff happens when they get older and well worn in.
Anything that old is going to need a little TLC
Trouble is most people don't know how or are too lazy to do it. Which works for guys like us
Hard to believe you're trashing Cub Cadet; especially given the age of your mower. I'd say it's held up pretty well. I do enjoy your channel, your knowledge and attention to detail,
I had a John Deere garden tractor with a 17 hp single cylinder engine. The JD dealer that the same engine was in the same tractor for about 7 years. Only the sheetmetal changed. It was a Koehler. Plowed snow every winter, cut grass all summer. About onr acre. Never put a dime into the engine except for a Mobil one oil change and filter once a year. Grass about an acre, snow total 85 inches the las year . Loved that tractor. That was Connecticut 1979 to 1999. Oops ! Did replace the 4 ft. Plow blade skids once.
A happy puppy makes everyone's day better.
I loved when he closed the hood, headlight cover fell off and the engine just perceptively roughened up at idle! You can't stage this stuff.
That's disappointing about your Cub Cadet. I had a Cub Cadet 2150 from 1997 (bought it new) that I could not kill despite repeated attempts. I only got rid of it because (after many years) it was too old to get a snow blower attachment. I sold it and got a Craftsman with a snow blower. Now THAT was a huge mistake. ugh. I enjoyed the detailed footage of the carb rebuild. Thanks!
Wes: I have an oil leak so I remove the engine to fix it
Me: Buy more towels for garage floor
Love that "stick-to-it-ive-ness". Nice job. On those gaps for the magnet, take a 3.5" x 5" index card, fold it in half and stick it in between the parts while tightening the bolts. Have used this on many small engines and have never had a problem. Alot quicker/easier than trying to measure w/a gap gauge, hold onto the part, and tighten bolts all at the same time. Again, really nice job. Enjoyed the carb video. Thanks!
The Cub Cadets built by International Harvester were excellent. IH sold off the Cub Cadet Division in 1980 to MTD. MTD continued build Cub Cadets using the IH design until 1990. Then the MTD designing came into play. Thus, the 1990 and after tractors, have went down hill. The 3185 was built in 1998 came rolled out of the Factory with a B&S 18HP Vanguard Engine. The Kohler Command 20 is obviously a re-power.
Thanks, I often have the same issue working on old junk, fix one thing, just to see too new problems. You are not alone..
Made my Sunday morning! Another great job Wes! 👍🏻
Lot's of fun to watch. Thanks for including the carb work.
I love it when someone says that the mower is a piece of junk with 700+ hours and looks like it's never been cleaned once before! It's lived it's life in bad conditions and I'm surprised it's lasted to 700 hours! Take care of your equipment and it'll take care of you.
👍
yep! 👍👍👍👍
My better half is very good about when I requisition things from the kitchen. First thing she says is "I'll be a new one." 5 decades of marriage make things work that way. Anyway, your talent knows no bounds, Wes. Keep it up!
Now your gonna have to polish that headlight cover!
Got a 2013 cub axel broke at 400 hours was told $1800 to fix only spent $2500 new. I was told trans can’t be serviced I found an axel and new races and seals for $100 pulled trans split it fixed it. Never did that kind of work but these channels provided what the heck go for it. Resealed the case and it works great.
Hope the nails didn’t dry to fast and you got the cake pan back inside in time!
I actually bought my own for the shop. Prevents WWIII!
I was expecting Wes i made a cake but it tastes funny.
@@WatchWesWork I was gonna say you need to throw that pan off the planet. Then deny, deny, deny. 😆
@@63flight Now that is how it is done.
@@WatchWesWork I knew you didn't use one of her pans lol! The next video would have been of your funeral service lol
I ran over EVERY DOWNSPOUT end my father put out, I got such a laugh 😂😆 it really brought back some memories!
I love these videos about random stuff getting fixed around the house because these are problems everyone has from time to time. Channels that just focus on like auto repair and nothing else just arnt as interesting to me…..
I had to laugh when you talked about the sealant leak on the case cover. I used to work at Kohler, They had a robot that would put sealant on. Sometimes it would not put equal amounts of sealant on the it. So, I wasn't surprised to see that it leaked in that spot. There were times when we would have to use our fingers to spread it out evenly. Thanks for the video. I just bought the same cubby. It leaks oil and makes a knocking noise at high rpms. You just verified what I already knew. Now I have to find the knock. No internal damage I've seen yet except sloppy connecting rods.
You feeler gauge has one that is brass. That is the 0.10in that is used for setting air gaps on small engines.
5 thumbs up! I noticed that, but never thought!. Im a moron..i cant believe i never questioned why it was there..my brass feeler is. 010
Some people will use a business card as a feeler gauge between the flywheel and the coil; keeps the coil straight while tightening. Works for me.
How did that get in your mouth, "I dont know..." said absolutely everyone! Thanks for sharing, Charles
An easy hint I thought you would know, use a business card to set the coil air gap. One card and done.
Cub cadet is so easy to work on, 400 bolts, 16 wires, brute force and ignorance works every time.
Thanks for sharing.
I usually go with a triple thickness of regular paper. Every now and then the card or paper catches. The paper rips up pretty easy if it gets stuck.
Hi Wes . Big fan of yours. I am a retired firetruck mechanic in CA.
I do have a mechanic hack for you. Get your dog some air brake pancakes (diaphrams). They make great frisbees and are indestructable. And cheap.
Keep up the great video's. They keep me thinking. I learn every day. Makes me go to the garage and get movin on my 1957 chevy wagon that I learned to drive on. It goes much faster now and looks a lot better too.
Thanks
Hey, Wes. Something I would point out about John Deere. I am long since retired, but; a guy I grew up with was a John Deere "guy". He told me that a good many of the tractors/mowers/home owner's equipment have transmissions that are non-replaceable. The transmissions, at the time of our conversation; were not even available to authorized John Deere dealers. With a service life of somewhere around 200 hours (or thereabouts) makes them, in effect; disposable equipment. As I am retired, I really have no way of confirming or denying. But, I have always valued his opinion. It would be prudent for anyone in the market for something of that type to research a great deal. The John Deere name does not guarantee high quality, necessarily. Enjoy your channel and watching you work. Wish like hell I was still able to!
I'll be doing the same to my GT2554. 2554 built much better but same engine. Had a 70s Cub and truthfully had much more problems with it, especially with the carb. Had this 2554 14 years now(hard to believe it's that old). Just now replaced the deck and main belt for the first time! Mower spindles still ok. Replaced the blades once. Haven't had to replace a fuel pump but it's taking a little longer to start now when cold. Carb has needed zero attention all these years. With the old cub I had to remove the carb every year and get the one little bubble of water out of it before it would run.
When I remove the engine, I'm replacing both main seals and doing the RTV on the case cover.
The newer ones really aren't worse. You just forget having to futz with the old ones... constantly.
Thanks for the video Wes!!
Update. I replaced the main seals and buttoned it back up. No leaks.
Well there's your problem: it's a modern cub cadet with a Kohler commander
Besides being educational and encouraging, Wes's videos always make me smile :D
With the engine apart it would be nice to have an Eddy Current Tester to check the block for cracks. I have found many cracks with Eddy Current that you couldn't see with the eye or a magnifying glass.
Best Sunday in a while. Wes and Mustie1. Love these two channels.
So funny to hear Wes call Kohler "jerk offs"! I keep laughing about that. We all feel the same way. Haha
Yep. Brigg & Stratton is recovering from bankruptcy which I'm glad to see they are being successful at. Say what you want about B&S. I've used them on small engine implements for many years and they have shown me a good reliability.
Lmfao Max Looks very happy at the end of this video very awesome to see he always looks angry like he isnt amused with your shenanigans @Watch Wes Work
And for next week’s episode we’re fix’n downspouts! Lol
Kohler engines were made in Kohler, Wisconsin, until 2019 when they moved their engine division to Hattiesburg, Miss.. Toured Kohler once, very cool. Also close enough to get a Spotted Cow Wes.
John Deere ear muffs on a Cub Cadet. Like driving a Fiero wearing a Ferrari jacket.
Bro, she cuts the grass….a keeper (the wife that is)…🤣
Shout out from NH, mustie1’s hood.
Love the videos dude. Down to earth mechanic that was brought up with a wrench in your hand, just like I was. Keep crankin!
That dog makes the videos incredible. It is like Wes has his own Levi!
Rest In Peace Levi
I feel you man. All my projects go sideways. I will say after tinkering on quite a few mowers. I really like the honda engines. They seem to last longer and give me less problems than domestic options.
Hufflepuff Mowing service! Interchangeable T's and M's, novel merchandise idea😂
🤩
Thanks for including the carb cleaning. They're so tricky it's always nice to see it being done well. I've got 4 on my suzuki. Cleaned them 4 times and it wasn't enough. Finally had them ultrasonic cleaned.
As Taryl Dactal says, " there's your dinner "
I almost bought one of those but changed my mind after watching your video. Thanks for the info.
35:41 Thanks for watching..
Those cute little vixens with their innocent smiles have a way of changing the subject and disarming you at the same time.
Great repair video Wes, you got lots of patience , I know quite a few people who would keep adding oil to fix the problem.
These Mustie small engine type videos are always welcome for something different, change is good.
You have t'patients of a saint working on that CC mower. Can't believe Kohler did not use a proper gasket on block halves. You have great determination to (finally) find, fix & finish that engine job! Nice! Carry on Sir!👍👍👍🍺😊
I always find the cheapest carb I can for those, and replace them about once every two years (always have one on the shelf). I gave up rebuilding them years ago. In my opinion they just aren't worth the time, money or effort to rebuild.
Unless something is warped ([cough] B&S flow jet carbs [cough]) it only takes 20 minutes to disassemble and clean a carb - 30 if you have to find the heat gun and the plastic dispensing needle tip to get compressed air into a particularly stubborn passage that wont' clear. Also, if you have to clean your carbs so often, maybe try NOT putting sugar in the gas!
@@gorak9000 yeah, well, you be you. I personally don't have the time to break out cleaning gear, tear apart a carb, pay basically the cost of a new carb for a rebuild kit, and then slam it back together, when I can just replace it in about 5 minutes, for the same cost.
I bought a Chinese replacement carb for my Husq. string trimmer. Only a couple bucks more than the carb kit from Husq, and don't have to go thru all the hassle of cleaning and putting a kit in the old one. I just throw them away when they start acting up. Amazon is a good source for the replacement carb.
You guys are such a lovely couple. Please keep it that way.
18:25 All the oil distribution depends on a shitty little plastic hook that looks wayyy to thin and they screw you for an o ring.
Reducing costs increases profits, but let's at least make the thing usable.
It seems like an o ring groove to seal the two halves would have been really simple to do.
I loved her reaction right near the end when Wes closed the lid on the lawnmower and the plastic lens fell off the lights. Priceless!!!
For $80 that carb kit should have come with a coffee and a muffin!
Dogs, even on the most frustrating of days they make life all better!
Wes is lucky that his wife mows the lawn. Mine didn't and I had a beautiful craftsman lawn tractor at the time.
🚜🤷♀️🤦♂️🍺
I have had good luck setting coils on small engines with a paper business card. Just lift up the coil as far as I will go, line it up with the magnet, and then drop the coil down on the magnet with the card in between. Then just tighten the screws and roll the card out.
That's the way I always did it when I when I was the small engine tech at a Deere dealership. Of course, that was the late 80's... finding a business card might be harder these days!
Wes must be hard to get mad at such a cute wife
You'd think so wouldn't you...
@@WatchWesWork if she has a single girlfriend or sister hook me up
I feel your pain , being a mechanic is a blessing and a curse. Curse is it's always something with our personal stuff
Literally the best video I have seen on YT. My only complaint is that we didn't get to see the pedi!
Is there anything you can't fix? Your knowledge is awe inspiring Wes.
Nothing like rebuilding. A lawn mower carburetor. I remember the days of building the old quadra jet on the old Chevy 350. Ahh the good old days. Ever tell your wife you used her cake pan Lol. Thanks for sharing Wes 🇺🇸😊
My JD 757 with about the same engine, it had an intermittent oil leak, never lost much oil at a time but enough to make a mess, I tightened the crankcase bolts a little on the bottom and it stopped for awhile, I finally too it to a shop and they dome what you did for this. Thank you for sharing your work.
Your a good mechanic! Instead of working on my airplane today doing my 850 hr. Toro mower. Thanks for the video! It helped as I have the exact same problem with almost the same Kohler twin. Like yours not leaking anywhere I can see, after cleaning, and only after it gets hot. Hopefully I will not have to take the engine out twice like you did. I thought it might be the crankshaft seal under the flywheel but now I will do all of what you finally did except the carb.
soon as i saw cub cadet and heard "kohler" i was like this is gonna be a 20 part vid series easy....
Thanks for demonstrating a great example of cascade failure.
Fix one leak, pressure moves to the next weakest link.
Oil, water, blood, electricity- all flow, under pressure.
You've also demonstrated the necessity of a working PCV
system. Everything covered in oily grass clippings, blocking
the airflow of an already poor design- of course it gets hot.
justjust inished working on 2 john deers one was l120 ride on normal steering. The previous owner didn't clen air filter very often thus sucked in the ase gasket in then oil leaks out badly.front wheel berings need grease contenstly.I made solid graphite wheel bushings.The 2 john deere z710-54 only 200hrs and idler pulley toast .non avaiable from dealer at sametime oil lek on hydro drive unit so that came out first to alllow acces to drive system idler..so good luck,btw I do enjoy your channel so much pacenences you have .keep up the geat content.
Regarding the carb parts left over, I have rebuilt a 632 Chevy PU carb so many times, I get enough extra parts to build a second carb! Max is looking pretty perky! Thanks for the video.
That thing is one of the nicest looking MTD Mowers ever made. I'd bet that thing will last you years. Very sophisticated machine. How it does well for you
Wes showing the crushed gutter was worth the entire watch. Apropos was the headlight cover. Well done.
You are 9ne of the most patient people ever.
If it was my mower it was already sold or burned out lol.
Max speaks! I wish you were 1,850 miles closer to me. I would drive over and personally offer my deepest sympathies to you working on a lawn mower engine. (I would not actually help, just visit.) They are basically junk and they will break any mechanic trying to repair them.
Finally, can you tell the story again of your wife towing your red truck and you flashing the head lights? Did she really think that you meant to go faster? I love that story.
Thanks for entertaining me with all the hard work you do.
I have the same leak… thanks for finding the cause!
My 1969 Cub still does it all.
Excellent video Wes :) I had 2007 Toro lawn mower had 850 hours also Kohler 19 Courage (single cylinder type) was tune up every year also season on everything included engine oil plus used Kohler parts on motor and in May 9 2021 I heard big bang on it when just about finished grass cutting! No oil leak and found the Vavles setup in 2 gears broke in half so won't start up plus had nice clean engine oil plus filter month before used it ! So motor was screwed and had scrap whole lawn tractor and hard get a Kohler 19 Courage brand new and so had buy brand new one ! But wishes made Lawn Mower Tractor like back in 1980's or years before !
Ouch!