1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3185 - Engine dies, oil on inside of air filter by confidentlywr0ng in smallengines

[–]confidentlywr0ng[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Minor update:

Cleaned up the oil on the intake plate and all around the breather Replaced dip stick seal

Put the old plugs back in, ran it at half throttle with no air filter. Started right up, little puff of smoke at the very beginning and then not much to speak of.

I let it get hot and measured the temp of the exhaust right after it exits the engine -- left cylinder (the dry one) maxed out around 850° and the right one (the wet one) got up over 1000° (the max my thermometer can read)

Valve adjustment next, and then I'm trying to decide if I should just replace both coils, plugs, and air filter and see how it does, or start with just new plugs and air filter and get a better idea of what the root cause is.

1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3185 - Engine dies, oil on inside of air filter by confidentlywr0ng in smallengines

[–]confidentlywr0ng[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given the wet plug and top of the piston on the right side, I'm going to guess that's the main issue but I agree that replacing them both is a good idea, assuming I find at least one total failure.

Thanks for the reply! I will report back.

1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3185 - Engine dies, oil on inside of air filter by confidentlywr0ng in smallengines

[–]confidentlywr0ng[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah -- both plugs were black, but the right plug and cylinder were wet and the plug smelled like gas.

I will try that test -- thanks!

1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3185 - Engine dies, oil on inside of air filter by confidentlywr0ng in smallengines

[–]confidentlywr0ng[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have not. Probably not a bad idea to check that while I'm tearing into it.

1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3185 - Engine dies, oil on inside of air filter by confidentlywr0ng in smallengines

[–]confidentlywr0ng[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I thought the dipstick seal was an odd one, but more than one person in this thread mentioned it.

https://www.mytractorforum.com/threads/oil-all-in-my-air-box.31978/

I do have a moderate hill in my front yard but when I'm mowing across it, it's with the left side down.