126 blowing sparks

[cheifsix]

I need a little help guys. My 126 has started acting up pretty serious. After about 20 minutes running it begins to lose power then will try to stall and finally blows sparks from the exhaust. I am hoping this is a simple fix (like points). Any ideas or help, please send them my way. Thanks in advance guys.

[mrbrown]

I think you may have a sticky exhaust valve. Mike

[tc429]

yeah, sparks are bad- thats metal coming out...might be running too lean/overheating, whatever though, sparks are molten metal...hopefully just insides of the muffler, but best check for a white sparkplug showing lean, and make sure heatshields/fins are open and flowing air around the cylinder...

[LFR]

Yep. Stop running your engine if you havent. There is a vid on YouTube of a 127 spitting fire out the exhaust everytime it fires. That guy is an idiot. Probably burned the seats right out of that kohler. Do you hear any weird noises on that thing when it shoot sparks. Pull your ti off and scrape the grease of the engine, grease and baked on funk makes your engine run really hot. I have to do it once a year to my farmall h because the valve cover gasket leaks and to pull it off I have to pull the steering shaft. Just haven't gotten round to it yet. I would turn both carb jets 1/4-1/2 turn each. Cause like said above you maybe leaning out your kohler. Which will result in melted metal. If that don't help pull your head and your valve cover and check the clearances. I think it's either .010 and .020 or .006 and .17 if I'm correct on intake and exhaust

[cheifsix]

Thanks guys. I'll check it all out.

[cheifsix]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I'm fairly convinced it was the fins now. She started losing oil real bad last season, thought it was burning off, but it now looks like a leak which had completely filled the front fins and then some. Got it all off and seems to have run fine. Now to fix the oil leak so this won't happen again.

I've also got a shifter problem. The shaft has torn free from the cup. Anybody ever reweld one? I've never welded on a curve like that. Is there much trouble with the cup deforming?

[Klapatta]

I have TIG welded one of those shifter cups on my beater tractor about five years ago and knock on wood, it's still holding together just fine today. And I show no mercy when there's snow to be moved
Distortion did not seem to be an issue at all probably due to the overall cone shape. I did V it out about 2/3ds of the way down from the outside with a Dremill tool to get maximum penetration but left enough of the old metal standing so the cup would find it's happy place. Start off first three or four tack welds to hold location then burn it in, I waited for a natural cool down and finished it off smooth with a 2 inch 46 soft pad wheel

[cheifsix]

Thanks Ken. Looks like a next weekend project.

[cheifsix]

Looks like I'll be swapping the shifter out. This one looks to have been repaired before and has two radial cracks as well.

[Klapatta]

Well, that stinks. I would consider repairing any shifter cup as a one time affair. Make sure that you replace the top with the right one.
According to my TC-113 parts manual the shifter handle carries another parts number than the earlier models so you will need to be carefull when purchasing a good used one. The 106 is the same and there are plenty of those out there. I'm pretty sure that the handle has an additional upward bend in it and is a bit longer as well. I'd contact Ray Weaver or Rich Patton about one. You can expet to pay about $50. for a good used one.

[cheifsix]

I had a spare rearend I picked up in a bundle. It's from a 1x4. Looks very similar except for the extra bend in the lever. Got new pins, retainers and spring coming from partstree.

[Klapatta]

Thanks for pointing that out, I never really paid much attention to that before this thread came up.
It's interesting that the image in my parts manual does not really show that second bend in the shifter handle for the 126.
IH-392626-R1 for the 124 and down and IH-52888-R1 for the 126 are the numbers I see listed.
Do you suppose that while it's apart you could heat it up and put the bend in it with a vise if you wanted to ?
The later handle does seem to have a better grip and feel to me but that's just a personal opinion

[cheifsix]

The ones on my 126s are straight and the older ones bent. I think I'll leave the bend in it. I wish the other yellow 126 had the bend, might keep me from hitting the non-original seat.

[Klapatta]

Sounds like I have things backwards then, I'll take a look in the Morning and see what mine look like
By the way I messed up on the number it's IH-52888-R11, can't read good without my glasses

[Klapatta]

Matt, you are 100% correct. I went out and took a look at mine.
The shifter on my 126 has one bend and goes straight out.

DSCN5383.JPG (209.38 KiB) Viewed 9018 times

This shifter on a 102 has the gentle upward bend that you are talking about however it is a multiple parts tractor and there's no accounting for the fact if it was from the factory however I think it was.

DSCN5381.JPG (289.66 KiB) Viewed 9018 times

I knew the two had a different feel but was unsure of what that was about other than the parts number.
Thanks for pointing that out
Although now I'm wondering if there may be an issue with the shifter striking the fender pan using the two gears closest to the seat ?

[cheifsix]

Uh oh. That's a good point about hitting the fender. Hadn't even thought about it. I'll have to do some measuring and checking.

[Klapatta]

Yeah, I was thinking about that after posting.
The 1X2 and 1X4 share the same seat base.
The 1X6 uses the single fender pan assembly.
I started clicking back and forth between the two images on my computer to compare and I think the shifter was changed for just that reason.
Not being able to put the seat pan back on could be the result. Myself, I'd never take a sawszall to a 126, there just are not that many left and far too many have been hacked on already

[cheifsix]

You got that right. I'd never alter my 126s. Way to hard to come by. I was checking tonight and looks like in neutral the shifter only cleraclers the pan by 1/2 inch, so no 1st and 3rd. Back to the drawing board.

[Klapatta]

Oh my goodness-
Lookie what I just found in the Cubbie pile

DSCN5393.JPG (296.97 KiB) Viewed 8980 times

I wanted to see if there was some way to transfer the shifter cup from one handle to the other and there it was

[mrbrown]

Hey Ken, i took a shifter/cup from a 1989 1050 and put in the old style base.Totally different base on a 1050 but shift/cup is the same. That 16 tooth set of gears i got from you went into a cast trans and into that 1050. Wasn't my plans for them but that 1050 needed a trans and that 10hp liked them gears. Mike

[Klapatta]

Hey Mike, yes I was looking at them and it seems to me those cups could be interchanged if someone were to rise to the challange. Perfect location would be very important howerver. In a manufacturing setting there was probably some type of location fixture involved.
Glad to hear the gear change out worked out for you, I still have a few more sets on hand should you need any help.
I put a 17-35 second set in my 102 and I love it. It gives me more control and it is perfect speed for the steep angular grades my lawn has.
Matt, if you need another shifter I listed that one over in the for sale section with you in mind, I'm by no means a parts distributer- it's what I call accumulation

[cheifsix]

Thought I'd update on this. Been working a bunch the last few weeks (sorry for the lack of response Ken). Got the engine fins cleaned and was able to reweld the shifter cup and get it reinstalled. Mowed over 3 acres this weekend and everything went great. Engine ran fine and the shifts were tight and smooth. Thanks for the ideas and to Ken especially for the offer of a shifter for sale.