Baby Grand
Elite Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2007
- Messages
- 4,659
- Location
- Windsor, CT.
- Tractor
- Kubotas: L3240GST B2320HST B5100D & G5200H
We had been having intermittent no-start issue with our old (1984-1990) Kubota G5200H mower.
Every once in a while I'd turn the key and ... nothing - dead, no glow plugs, etc.
A jump start would get it going and a replacement battery, last year, seemed to cure the start issue.
Serviced the engine, cooling system & mower deck, last Sunday, for the first cut of the year.
Put her away in the shed and she made a strange noise when I turned the key off and pulled the fuel kill lever.
I thought it sounded odd, but felt confident that The Plant Manager would be able to cut the grass the next day.
Wrong - when I got to work, my wife phoned to tell me that it wouldn't start - it just clicked.
Back to the shed and no luck starting, even with a jump.
If I used a screwdriver to move the ring gear on the flywheel a half tooth, the starter would engage, turn the engine about 1/8 rev, then disengage and turn off.
So I start thinking: Starter/solenoid, Key switch, or Wiring fault.
I know that replacing either the key switch or tracing a wiring fault is going to take a lot of time that I really don't have, and based on the behavior, the starter or solenoid are looking pretty suspect.
The potential cost of a replacement starter had me a little concerned, but I found one for $72, delivered. The order was placed on Tuesday and the starter arrived Friday, just in time.
Aside from a small casting flaw near the front bearing, the replacement looks like a good quality unit:
Here's the old & new - both are marked Mitsubishi:
Notice the little black rubber drain/nipple thingy on the old one?
It was partially torn and I could see something inside of it, so I removed the flap and some debris dropped out:
Every once in a while I'd turn the key and ... nothing - dead, no glow plugs, etc.
A jump start would get it going and a replacement battery, last year, seemed to cure the start issue.
Serviced the engine, cooling system & mower deck, last Sunday, for the first cut of the year.
Put her away in the shed and she made a strange noise when I turned the key off and pulled the fuel kill lever.
I thought it sounded odd, but felt confident that The Plant Manager would be able to cut the grass the next day.
Wrong - when I got to work, my wife phoned to tell me that it wouldn't start - it just clicked.
Back to the shed and no luck starting, even with a jump.
If I used a screwdriver to move the ring gear on the flywheel a half tooth, the starter would engage, turn the engine about 1/8 rev, then disengage and turn off.
So I start thinking: Starter/solenoid, Key switch, or Wiring fault.
I know that replacing either the key switch or tracing a wiring fault is going to take a lot of time that I really don't have, and based on the behavior, the starter or solenoid are looking pretty suspect.
The potential cost of a replacement starter had me a little concerned, but I found one for $72, delivered. The order was placed on Tuesday and the starter arrived Friday, just in time.
Aside from a small casting flaw near the front bearing, the replacement looks like a good quality unit:
Here's the old & new - both are marked Mitsubishi:
Notice the little black rubber drain/nipple thingy on the old one?
It was partially torn and I could see something inside of it, so I removed the flap and some debris dropped out:
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