Need Advice

[mfillmore 0]

My father purchased a Sunstar last fall nice tractor. Problem is seems to get hot and thenshuts down?? After it cools of for a while 30-40 minutes fires up and runs again until it get to hot and repeat.. Cleaned all the areas aournd the motor and airfilter to ensur it is breathing but to no avail.. Any suggestions would be much appreaicated.?

[HubbardRA 19]

You may need to remove the engine shrouding. The cooling fins on the cylinders are most likeley plugged with grass and dirt which prevents the cylinders from cooling properly. Other people have found mouse nests built inside the shroud which will prevent the flow of cooling air. Another problem could be a broken wire in the ignition coil that touches to make contact when cold but opens up and loses contact when the coil gets hot. Any of these problems will require removal of the engine shroud to check. Some people recommend removing the shroud annually to remove debris as a maintenance/precautionary measure.

[sandyhillbill 12]

the problem stated above by Rod is definitly a possiblity--the one about the ignition coil getting hot and opening up a wire. this happened to me and it happened to be on a Sunstar 20.

[HubbardRA 19]

sandyhillbill, The reason I mentioned the coil is that I seem to be experiencing the same problem on my 713S. When mowing my lawn, it runs for about 20 minutes then starts spitting, sputtering, and backfiring. Adjusting the carb will not fix the problem. I've checked fuel flow and carb, no problems there. Haven't had the chance yet, but plan to convert to battery-coil ignition, using a Kohler coil on the B/S engine. The engine on my 716H was converted nearly twenty years ago and starts very easily and runs great. This conversion is much easier than pulling the engine and removing the flywheel to install a new magneto. It also puts everything on the outside, so it is easier to work on if another problem comes up.

[Agricola 1]

For the spitting and sputtering... Check valve clearance. For an overheat, check for mouse nests in the shroud

[stevenj 4]

Could the problem also be that the fuel tank is not vented and by the time the engine gets hot it has drawn a vacuum in the tank that is not allowing the carb to get fuel? Next time it happens try loosening the fuel filler cap and then see if it restarts. The suggestions on the cooling fins being plugged are certainly valid also.

[PeppyDan 3]

This may sound a little strange, but my neighbors J. D. 317 did this and after many $$$ he figured out that the switch(3 monthes old) for the electric clutch was the problem. This only happened with the switch engaged. May be worth ruling out as the the problem. Dan

[Roy 0]

Dan, I hope your neighbors electic clutch coil is not shorted to ground through the engine. Re: Post by Al Eden

[mfillmore 0]

Thank all of you for the advice. I will try all of them and see what if anything works. I understand it will take some time to do each as not to try all at once. Peppydan your idea makes me think, when we bought the tractor from a local dealer it was used and the electric pto clutch was bad. They replaced it and it seemed fine. I was told to check the gap each year to make sure it was within tolerence. Have not had any probelms, but I will check the swith with a meter while running to see if it is constant. Thank you all agin for your help I will let you know if I find anything. Mike fillmore