# smoking engine and mower deck loss of power



## jfway

I have a Cub Cadet 1018 and this season the engine started smoking after about 20 minutes of use. SO much that when i bring it in the garage, it sets off the smoke alarm. One thing is end of each year, i change the oil and in 2009 i used synthetic oil. in 2010, i think i used regular (not 100% sure, but pretty sure). this weekend i drainded the oil and filter and replaced with synthetic. the smoking has gone down, but still notice the occaisonal burst of white smoke when i go up a hill, or give it more gas.
another issue is it seems the mowere deck has a loss of power. the blades spin, but the bagger is getting clogged, so i'm thinking the deck is not spinning as fast as it once did to force the grass up the shoot. before, when i engaged the PTO switch the deck would make a loud hover craft kind of sound there was never any doubt the mower deck was spinning. now, when i throw the PTO, there is barely a sound. belts on the deck look okay and don't seem to be out of line.
all oil forums i've read so far say there is no issue to switch between synthetic and conventional oil. I called Autozone and they told me you CANNOT switch or you will blow your rings.
what to believe?
any ideas would be appreciated.


----------



## farmertim

Welcome to the Forum and I wish it were under good circumstances not breakdown ones.
When you revisit please post a picture of the beast for us all to see.
Now as far as the smoking thing goes, by changing oil you may have introduced a detergent effect which may have cleaned out some gunk that was acting as a seal and now it is allowing oil to get through to the combustion chamber, it is highly unlikely that the oil has caused any mechanical damage, it is normally lack of oil that will do that, as far as the blades go, i might be wrong but what shape are they in? they could be worn.
someone else may have a clearer picture so hang in there for one of our experts to comment.
Cheers
:aussie:


----------



## jhngardner367

You might want to check the crankcase breather,to see if it is plugged.If it is,remove it and spray some carb-cleaner through it.As for the mower deck problem,check the belt tensioners for weak springs.That's a commonly overlooked problem,especially on older machines,and may not be spotted right away.


----------



## dangeroustoys56

The differences between normal oil and synthetic are pretty vast - synthetic is actually a mineral oil - using synthetic in a older tractor really doesnt make a difference - since most seals are worn to a degree on older tractors, the synthetic will seep right on past, rings included.

To be honest, it really isnt worth the extra expense of synthetic in a lawntractor - as long as the regular oil is changed often , the motor will last a long time. If its the longer life of synthetic , i wouldnt go by it in by car terms( 6 months, 6000 miles)- if its run in dusty conditions, worked hard - change the oil at regular intervals.

To put it in context, i have motors 28 to 40 years old- all original internals, all splash lube motors and ive run 30 weight, 10w30/40 , 5w20/30 and even 15w30 in my tractors - never had an issue. i also put a healthy shot of lucas oil engine additive to the oil at changes - helps em even more.


----------



## Mickey

Have you checked to see whether there is the possibility of grass clogging the cooling fins. This is something overlooked by many. Clogged cooling and engine will overheat, may bring on smoking and reduced power. Might be worth a look.


----------



## jfway

Thanks for the responses. After posting this, I stopped by my local repair shop and they recommended the springs on the mower deck. Never thought of that. Will check today. Will also check the crankcase breather and the repair shop mentioned to run it with no air filter to see if that helps. 
Not sure why I originally switched to Synthetic. Must have read an ad that said longer lasting engine life and fell for it. Last Cub i had for 17 years and the only reason I got rid of it was because every other part started to break. Engine was strong as day 1, all with conventional oil… 
So do I now have to use synthetic in this tractor for the life of it? Or can I switch back next oil change to conventional?


----------



## farmertim

Mate, just go back to Plain old motor oil.
As dangeroustoys said, synths will probably seep past the seals.
Cheers
:aussie:


----------



## jfway

I double checked the mower deck. Although one of the belts looked fine from appearance, seemed to be stretched so I replaced that and the mower is powerful again.
As for the engine, I cleaned up the engine area as best I could and then ran it for about 10 minutes. There was fresh oil splattered behind the engine just below where the battery sits. Thought it might be a gasket.
I dropped it off at a local dealer, who had it for 10 days and never even looked at it. Got frustrated and took it to another repair shop where this guy told me I need an engine rebuild ~$500.
At this point, I’m just going to pick it up, store it for the summer, and rebuilding the engine will be a winter project for me.
To be honest, I’m not impressed with the Cub Cadet. This is my second. The first I had for 15 years and only minor things kept breaking near the end. That’s why I got this new one. This one had issues from day one. Bagger doesn’t attach easily, engine back fires when shutting off, plus, I didn’t like the service at the two local CC dealers near me. I always got the impression from them, that, you should just learn to deal with these minor issues… I would agree with a 10 year old tractor, but not in the first few years.

So what’s everyone’s take on new tractors? I’ve been comparing the Deere and Husquavana and also a Craftsman. The Craftsman is ~$500 cheaper, same gauge steel frame, and engine’s for all 3 are either Briggs or Kohler. If the frame and engines are the same, why the difference in price? 
I have 1+ acre of grass, and pull a cart for cleanup, mulch, loom, etc… Typical lawn maintenance.


----------



## Mickey

How old is this LT? Did you qualify for the class action suit from lat yr and if so, did you file a claim? The cash settlement wasn't much but I did get an additional 1 yr extension on the engine warranty. 8 yr old GT and still has a yr to go on the engine warranty. May may have helped you with your current issues.

Since MTD bought Cub some yrs back, their entry level machines are not the qlty Cub once had. I blame a lot of this and with other brands as well. Typ customer doesn't want/can't pay for a real qlty machine. Companies are then left with the decision of loosing customers or making cheaper machine that people will buy, but at some point qlty suffers so much, things start failing fairly quickly.

The "backfiring" is the result of Gov regulations for pollution control. Engines running very lean at idle. Engine designers have tried to deal with this and has lead to placing a solenoid on the carb to shut the fuel supply off when ign switch turned off and have met with mixed results. With only a couple makes of engines, this issue is not tied to just one make of tractor. You are just as likely going to have this problem whether you buy brand A or brand B.

Not a lot of small tractor manufacturers. Most brands made by only 2 companies, MTD and AYP. Huskies and Craftsman both are AYP products.

As for price differences, How do I respond without getting too blunt? Are you aware that the engines companies make various qlty levels and even make engines specifically tailored for their major customers. A B&S engine on brand A and brand B may not be the same even though they may appear to be the same. Same for transmissions. You may have a HST on your Cub but I can guarantee you there is a world of difference between the trans on your Cub and mine. Then there is always the differences in cost of operation between companies and customer perception. For many, there is the perception that JD is a better product than brand B and JD takes advantage and asks a higher price for very similar product. How close have you looked at various models and the small things that in fact count? For instance, wear points. Is there a ball or roller bearing being used? How about a bushing? If so is it oilite bronze or maybe plastic. Differences can be many and some are directly related to durability/reliability, you just have to pay attention to the details. Don't take these comments personally as they are not meant to be personal.


----------



## jfway

Very helpful Mickey. Thank you for the insight. I did not know that Husky and Craftsman were owned by the same company, nor did I realize that the engines too made cheaper models. Makes sense. I did know about the cheaper quality CC and JD are putting out. When I bought the CC ~5 years ago, someone did tell me that those companies had to sell a cheaper product just to stay in the game with the general public. Face it; we now live in a throwaway society…
Well, one more twist to this whole ordeal. Showed up at repair shop #2 yesterday to pick up the tractor with the blown motor (as they told me on the phone). Guy comes out from the garage and says you’re all set, tractor is fine. It was the head gasket after all…
So I loaded it up, went home and cut the grass and it ran fine. Little smoke at first but seemed fine after about 15 min. checked the oil level a few times and was fine. Looks like I’m off the hook for the new tractor. 
Thanks everyone for your feedback and advice. Very helpful and I will continue to search/post to this forum as needed.


----------



## Mickey

Glad to hear all is well again.


----------



## IH farm boy

i wish i would have got on here sooner i had a jd with the same problem. and the same thing happend it was sucking oil threw the head gasket as the oil returned to the crankcase from the head , as far as synthetic goes i love it , i have very good luck with it i have it inn all my lawn tractors and my truck and fourwheeler . i run rotella synthetic 5w 40 . one thing i have heard alot about oil is the mojority of the oil , has lost some of its zinc and a few other compounds that coat and lubricate parts . and since small engine lack all the cool roller bering parts that the cars have now . they say you want to use diesil grade oils they retained more of there lubricating qualities for them big machery and small engines have a lot of similarites in there desings . and as far as changin one way or the other , wont be a problem i have done it to my car and truck and both are well over 100.000 miles . my car i have switched back and fourth three times . i would put a lot of stock in what most of the big chain parts stores have to say! the main this with sythetic is not to use it till the motor is broke in it will cause the rings not to seat . i do know that !!


----------



## parapower

Cub cadet parts have a very long lead time do to the fact all parts now come from over seas as they sold out. Therefore, they r now having major issues. People are getting stuck with inferior parts and cub poor quality of good mowers. Look else where before u buy and look around for a mow that is built out of steel instead of tin. Pay a little more and get quality.


----------

