Fuel leak

Flatbedford · #1 09-14-2010, 03:48 PM

My 125 leaks a little bit of gas every once in a while. The glass bowl is wet and the gas drips onto the coil and then in the plywood floor of my shed. I thought that I fixed it last week when I removed and cleaned the glass bowl, made sure the O ring was seated properly and tightened it all up. It held for a while, but last night I could smell the gas from the shed when I was out in the yard with the dog. I closed the valve last night and I think the leak is stopped. Because the whole assembly was wet with gas it is hard to tell where it is coming from. It might be from where the sediment bowl threads into the tank. Maybe its the shut off valve, the gasket again? This is my only Cub and I've only had it for about 4 1/2 months so I haven't learned all the usual trouble spots yet. Is there one component more likely than the others to fail? I did have the tank, sediment bowl, fuel pipe. and carburetor off a few months ago. Should I have used some kind of sealer or tape on the threads when I put it back together? I know I would need to seal with something that the gas would not eat through.

Matt G. · #2 09-14-2010, 04:27 PM

The packing on the shutoff valve is probably shot. You can use two very small O-rings if you can find ones that are gas resistant. I have done that in the past, but I can't remember what size O-ring I used. I generally don't use any sort of sealer on the threads and I rarely get leaks. I have used teflon tape in the past, but I am not convinced that it's gas resistant. You can also try replacing the bowl gasket if you didn't do that when you had it apart. Get an OEM Kohler one, as the aftermarket ones swell a lot when exposed to gas.

Flatbedford · #3 09-14-2010, 04:39 PM

I guess that I might find the O rings for the valve at a better hardware store. The gasket should be available through my local CC dealer right?

Matt G. · #4 09-14-2010, 04:45 PM

Yep, and you can use the parts lookup link in the tech library to find the part number, too.

Flatbedford · #5 09-14-2010, 04:51 PM

Of course I will have to empty the tank before I can work on the valve. Hopefully it won't empty onto the shed floor before I have some time to mess with it.

Flatbedford · #6 09-14-2010, 07:39 PM

Would I buy direct from Kohler or is that something I can get from a CC dealer?

johncub7172 · #7 09-14-2010, 11:29 PM

These parts are good to have more of! Go to search and type "fuel trank repair" .....I know it is misspelled but you may want to check it out. One more thing,...DONT overtighten up the sediment bowl fixture to the tank nipple, you will crack the sodier seal that where the nipple itself is fixed to the tank. I dont believe this last time that I used any thread sealent, have no leaks here!

ol'George · #8 09-15-2010, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt G.

The packing on the shutoff valve is probably shot. You can use two very small O-rings if you can find ones that are gas resistant. I have done that in the past, but I can't remember what size O-ring I used. I generally don't use any sort of sealer on the threads and I rarely get leaks. I have used teflon tape in the past, but I am not convinced that it's gas resistant. You can also try replacing the bowl gasket if you didn't do that when you had it apart. Get an OEM Kohler one, as the aftermarket ones swell a lot when exposed to gas.

Teflon tape is resistant to oil & gas, no question, and does it's job well.
BUT
We quit using it, as it always to seem to find it's way into spools, valves or solenoids causing to many re dues/downtime.
I have used Teflon pipe sealant in a tube with good results.
But it is expensive, and has a awful odor

Flatbedford · #9 09-15-2010, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johncub7172

One more thing,...DONT overtighten up the sediment bowl fixture to the tank nipple, you will crack the sodier seal that where the nipple itself is fixed to the tank.

When I got home from last night at 10:30 I went out to the shed to check on things. It appears to be leaking at the tank nipple. Maybe when I had it all apart a couple months ago I loosened things up enough that all it took was the vibrations of some run time to crack it. Can I solder it with standard copper plumbing stuff or will I need it brazed? I have access to a full machine/metal shop and a bunch of very skilled guys at work if need be. I see that the newer Cubs have plastic tanks. Will one of those swap in for the original, and, are they an improvement over the metal?

Where do I find the parts site?

johncub7172 · #10 09-15-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flatbedford

When I got home from last night at 10:30 I went out to the shed to check on things. It appears to be leaking at the tank nipple. Maybe when I had it all apart a couple months ago I loosened things up enough that all it took was the vibrations of some run time to crack it. Can I solder it with standard copper plumbing stuff or will I need it brazed? I have access to a full machine/metal shop and a bunch of very skilled guys at work if need be. I see that the newer Cubs have plastic tanks. Will one of those swap in for the original, and, are they an improvement over the metal?

Where do I find the parts site?

This is where you can find a "sticky" called Cub Cadet Online Parts Look up. I plan on ordering some of these parts myself soon to have on hand. I used regular soder and a torch. It was not hard to do at all, just that my soder job was not pretty, but has stopped the leak thus far. I'am gonna bring up "Fuel Trank Repair" by Fer 100 and comment so you can read what the other Members have said about this subject! Hope that helps more.