When I get a tractor that has been sitting I generally start with degreaser and a pressure wash, once it's cleaned up I change the oil and try to start it. I personally wouldn't bother with a mouse nest in the blower housing or the head gasket until I heard it run, that's alot of work to go through just to find out the engine smokes like crazy or has a knock. Neither the mouse nest or a blown head gasket will keep it from running, just don't run it for more than a few minutes.

Times two on what Tim said, although I might hold off on the oil change until after I see it run as long as what's on the dipstick looks decent. Reason being is that alot of crap in the oil will have settled to the bottom and an oil change before it runs a minute or two will just leave it there anyway.

One more thing I would do is to spray some WD40 in the spark plug hole and try to turn the engine by hand several times, then by starter with no plug to get some oil circulated, especially onto the cylinder walls.

Hey trickyphish, welcome to OCC.

Might be worth checking out the drive line and the manner in which it attaches to the engine and the hydro drive. Hate to have you fire it off and have the shaft start flailing around inside there.

Good luck with your project.

__________________________________________________ _____________

Dick

ironman, I do that when I put them away for a while also.

Usually I put air in the tires first, then do as the rest suggested.
Got any pictures of you new 123?

I'd recommend opening up the top of the motor if the condition is unknown. I'm currently in the process of doing that with a 147 I picked up a few months ago. Glad I opened her up, as there was a lot of loose junk sitting on top of the cylinder. It could have made a mess of things had I tried to start it like that.

THX
 

Pulled the plug & replaced it and put a battery in it. No spark=no start. Only tinkered for 20 min or so due to darkness and cold. (Western PA)

Couple of rookie questions:
Is there a way to remove the glass bowl? (visible gunk)

Is the little lever on the right the safety neutral switch and does it need to be in the down position?

How do I check the coil?

Not sure where to start, I've only ever messed with Briggs & Stratton so this is my first venture with a Kohler and I'm not familiar with the starter/generator set up. Not afraid of the challenge, just want to work smart not hard.

There is a knurled nut directly below the glass sediment bowl, just unscrew it. Sometimes you need a pair of pliers to get it turning. There is a cork gasket above it that will most likely need replacing, also a very fine wire mesh screen you should clean. You should see a small T handle right above the sediment bowl, that is the fuel shut off. Sometimes they are hard to turn as well.

So you put in a new plug and tried spinning it over. Did you check to see if the fuel tank was clean before adding fuel? If it is clean and once you have the bowl clean, you need to make sure you have fuel flowing to the carb. Also, when you reinstall the bowl, leave the nut slightly loose so that the air can escape--tighten as soon as fuel starts running down the side of the bowl.

With the key on, you should have current to one side of the ignition coil--check with a test light or volt meter.

Getting something running again is pretty much following the supply of necessary ingredients from the source. If you don't have fuel to the carb, work back towards the tank. If you don't have power to the coil, work back toward the key switch.

I'm not aware of any safety switches on yours--not saying there isn't, just going to have to defer that piece of info to those more familiar with that specific machine.

Hey, post some pics as well--we are all picture junkies!

123 Cub Cadet
 

IH 123 Cub Cadet
Attachment 82737

Still on the trailer from when I picked it up. Paid $140

If you mean the lever that is down by your right calf (as you sit on the tractor), that is your hydro release lever. It releases pressure in the transmission pump so that you can push the tractor by hand.

You need to go here....
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4662

Download it, read it. It will answer many of your operational questions.

And also go here....
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4641

It will answer many of your techicnal questions