Anybody have a Cub Cadet lawn tractor? I have a stupid question ❓

[Gatecrasher]

I just pressure-washed mine today. I bought this 3 years ago from Tractor Supply. Since I have a big yard to mow, I was shopping for a 60" when I came across this one. It is a 54" but it was on sale for half price. It was a "scratch & dent" left-over that didn't run being sold as-is. It had been sitting outside in their storage area for a year.

The guy told me he thought it needed a fuel pump. I knew I'd be able to get it running so I bought it. I had it up and running in 15 minutes after getting it home. It was the electrical shut-off valve on the carb float bowl. I removed it and plugged the hole with a bolt. It's been that way ever since.

It runs great and definitely does the job. It has a 24 HP Kohler twin.

Here you can see all the acccesories and mods I added to it:

It has the two optional Toro inner LED headlights and the two eBay $19.99 floodlights for nocturnal use. They really light it up.



Here you can see the Harbor Freight $79 winch and the trailer hitch.


I even added Harbor Freight $8 LED tail lights (just to be cool).

 

[manchester1]

That was great deal. I love scratch and dent sales. Lol.

 

[Gatecrasher]

Yeah it was a good deal. It really wasn't scratched or dented though. It was a "don't run" sale. lol

These things are pretty-easy to work on. There is only so much that can go bad. Sort of like our minibikes.

 

[DaddyJohn]

If anyone is really into lawn and garden tractors, this is a fantastic forum: https://www.mytractorforum.com

Lots of info on repair, restoration, new and old; kinda like here. I haven’t been active over there for a bit, but have the same username, so you can look me up!

 

[massacre]

I had a Toro wheel horse with a big vertical B/S v-twin, got it for free, but it blew a head gasket shortly after. Upon inspection and some research, seems like head gaskets were the weak link on those motors.
Due to the PITA of having to swap (2) head gaskets frequently, i ended up giving it away.
I did keep the electrical harness though, going to use it for electric start Hs-50 lol.

 

[Harquebus]

If anyone is really into lawn and garden tractors, this is a fantastic forum: https://www.mytractorforum.com

Lots of info on repair, restoration, new and old; kinda like here. I haven’t been active over there for a bit, but have the same username, so you can look me up!

Thanks. Was looking to join one of those or some other lawn and garden forum but why bother? We have a nice lawnmower thread here.
Not really into lawn mowers, lawn tractors, garden tractors per se or beyond just keeping them going but those classic mowers are really neat. They are in the same vein as old minibikes.

I wonder if the culprit of blown head gaskets is just the cheap-o flaky graphite-based head gaskets they use now? Seems they always blow where they are the thinnest or right by the pushrod gallery where there’s just a thin wall separating the cylinder from the ‘rods.

Back in the day as some of you know doubt know, Briggs et al used a very substantial and well made head gasket that was meant to be taken off and put back on over and over and still remain intact as one performed the customary carbon scraping.

 

[DaddyJohn]

I had a Toro wheel horse with a big vertical B/S v-twin, got it for free, but it blew a head gasket shortly after. Upon inspection and some research, seems like head gaskets were the weak link on those motors.
Due to the PITA of having to swap (2) head gaskets frequently, i ended up giving it away.
I did keep the electrical harness though, going to use it for electric start Hs-50 lol.

I’ve probably cycled through a couple dozen machines with the B&S Intek V-Twin, and the most frequent issue (other than people running them out of oil and seizing/throwing one of the rods) was them getting hot and slipping a valve guide. Once that happens, the engine bends the pushrod, and it falls down into the sump. It’s fixable by slapping another head on and replacing the pushrod, but fishing the old pushrod out usually involves removing the engine and splitting the cases to pluck it out. No fun… Head gaskets weren’t as frequent of an issue (that’s more the singles where they start blowing through between the combustion chamber and pushrod gallery).

 

[massacre]

I’ve probably cycled through a couple dozen machines with the B&S Intek V-Twin, and the most frequent issue (other than people running them out of oil and seizing/throwing one of the rods) was them getting hot and slipping a valve guide. Once that happens, the engine bends the pushrod, and it falls down into the sump. It’s fixable by slapping another head on and replacing the pushrod, but fishing the old pushrod out usually involves removing the engine and splitting the cases to pluck it out. No fun… Head gaskets weren’t as frequent of an issue (that’s more the singles where they start blowing through between the combustion chamber and pushrod gallery).

From looking at the gasket, there was definitely a weak spot where it's just really narrow and they would always fail in that spot.

 

[Havasu Dave]

I feel like the only person in America who doesn't have a Cub Cadet Lawn Tractor.

 

[Davis]

I feel like the only person in America who doesn't have a Cub Cadet Lawn Tractor.

Welp you’re a desert dog. total give and take as far as climate goes. Down south crazy humidity or in freezing balls winter’s in the mountains.

 

[superflea]

That was great deal. I love scratch and dent sales. Lol.

Me too!! Thats where my wife got me.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Welp you’re a desert dog. total give and take as far as climate goes. Down south crazy humidity or in freezing balls winter’s in the mountains.

It's been very humid here, and 114. I go out and work in the garage for two hour intervals. The swamp cooler (evaporative cooler) no longer provides cooling air. It is just too humid. We used to say, "it's a dry heat." No longer true. Our lake will be the last one to go on the lower Colorado.

 

[Davis]

Sadly but very true.

 

[Mark G]

B&S Intek V-Twin, and the most frequent issue was them getting hot and slipping a valve guide. Once that happens, the engine bends the pushrod, and it falls down into the sump.

THIS!^^
I have an older Simplicity that used to happen to regularly. Mine was a vertical shaft so all I had to do was pop off the valve cover, pull out the bent pushrod and throw in a new one. I kept them in stock as they were cheap enough. First time it happened I just hammered it flat on the bench and sent it. I could usually get one or two uses out of it and got tired of the cheap fix, and didn't feel like pulling the head to fix it right so I ended up just replacing the motor.
I hate mowing the lawn, and the only thing I hate more than that is spinning wrenches on my broken tractor....Just so I can mow some more