2182, cold start problem - solved

[Tom Scott]

I am posting this just in case it is peculiar to all 2182's (gas Kubota engine, model WG-600).

I bought this one back in the Spring and have been sorting through its problems and oddities. The final oddity has been the hard to start when cold. The PO told me that it would always need to be choked to start, even when warm. I didn't like hearing that, but he was right, and it ran great once it started.

As I didn't like having to choke a warm engine, as I got familiar with it I found that it started fine with the throttle turned back to near idle with no choke. (With the idle bleed set where it should be, just ever so slightly on the rich side at idle.) Warm start issue solved. Engine runs fine at even very low idle, responds great under a load.

As it has gotten colder, the cold start has become the issue. Even set at idle (on the dash) and full choke, real hard cold start. Lots of cranking and me hating what I was doing to the starter. So, time to do more trouble-shooting.

Turns out that the Kubota governor thinks that low rpm during starting is a bad thing. So, the 330 engine rpm produced by the starter wasn't enough to pull the throttle closed. So now my cold start procedure is a light touch of the finger to the (fortunately) easy access throttle shaft at the carb to hold it closed, full choke, throttle set to 1/2 on the dash. Turn key, starts instantly, let go of carb, instantly throttles up to half throttle.

Yeah, I hate opening the hood just to start the tractor, but if I put a balance spring on the linkage to hold the carb closed during start, I will have to readjust the governor for it, and that will have to wait. For now I am just happy I have a way to start it easily without grinding the starter to dust. Warm engine start is still fine even in the cold weather; no finger under the hood required.

I think the side-draft carb is the culprit here. Gas that is not yet atomized doesn't have any gravity to get it flowing towards the intake valves. I would love to know if other 2182 owners have experienced this. If so, hopefully this helps someone.

[Tom Scott]

Update - My original solution was a band-aid approach; worked until I could take a better look at it.

The battery cables looked like they might be suspect, and as it often is, they were worse than I thought. So, new larger 4 gauge cables (standard automotive size) replacing the original 6 gauge cables, (from NAPA, made in USA ), cleaned up posts, and di-electric grease on everything to protect from corrosion. Although it didn't seem like it was cranking all that slow before, it now starts instantly, without me fiddling with anything under the hood. Starts so quick that the "Tiny-Tach" doesn't have a chance to register the cranking rpm.

It will still probably prefer a lower throttle start, but that is fine; I would have to slow it down to engage the pto anyway.

So, lesson learned for me, Kubota gas engine with side-draft carb likes real good spin for an easy start. The spark will be stronger without the starter dragging down the voltage too.