129 Dies and is Hard to Start Again ???

[BearKiller]

After sitting for a couple days, my 129 will start quick and runs well.
However, after an hour or so of mowing, with very little if any warning, the engine will die; at this time, any attempts at restarting will only result in draining the battery.
I can walk away and leave it for an hour or so and it will then fire and start just as easy as ever.

Whatever is going on is getting worse, in that I used to be able to get about half my mowing done before it dies and then finish the remaining half once I had let it sit a spell.

Today, it has had five of these spells and I finally gave up just before dark and put it back inside, leaving about thirty minutes worth of mowing undone.

When it decides to die, there is nothing I can do to prevent it; and, until it has sat a spell and cooled off, it wouldn't start with a stick of dynamite.

I replaced the fuel-filter just to eliminate that as a possible.

I really do not know if the culprit is electrical or fuel related.

What does it read like my problem could be ?

Thanks for reading and all help is appreciated.

[mrbrown]

Hello, sounds like a bad coil. Mike

[Klapatta]

Or the condenser. Either way all the symptoms of a heat induced electrical issue are there.

[BearKiller]

Thanks to both of you.

I will see what I can find and get both on the way.

[BearKiller]

Well, this is not so easy as I first thought; admittedly, I am not well versed in gasoline ignition systems.

Most of the coils I am finding have one threaded terminal and the other terminal is a two-bladed affair; both terminals on my coil are threaded. On EDIT: I can now see that both are the same and the blades are captured under a nut.

I found a couple of prospects in the $30-$35 range and, in both instances, the question was asked "Does this have an internal resistor", to which the answer was "No, and one had best be employed, else risk burning out the coil"

I can see a condenser on my set-up; is the condenser this resistor they are mentioning; or, is the resistor a separate part ?

If you guys have a recommendation for what I need, please point me in that direction.


>>>> On EDIT: I found this; it says it is the proper internal resistor coil for the cast iron Kohler and the best price I have found.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Coil- ... SwImRYNhTu

Unless you guys tell me different, I guess this will be the one.

[dale campbell]

yes that coil will work . it says it has the internal resistor

[BearKiller]

yes that coil will work . it says it has the internal resistor

Thank you, sir: it's on the way !

[BearKiller]

I want to thank you guys for diagnosing my problem; I have now mowed twice with the new coil and the issue seems to be solved.