Problems with engine stalling while engaging electric clutch??

[TLS]

Try this....

Keep your choke on about 1/3. Thats it! It really seems to help me. I can now engage at just above idle and NO stalling.

Cant try it with my SCAG WB, as it doesn't have a seperate choke control. So you guys without a seperate choke control are out of luck here.

Last few weeks, the mornings have been cold here, and I let the LC Lazer warm up a few minutes on my first job of the morning. Sometimes this requires 1/3 choke to keep her running a bit rich. In the wet mornings, the clutch plates are often grabby due to rust, and the belts are also quite grabby. By keeping the choke on, and throttling it up just above idle, I can engage the PTO without any hiccups. Try it without the choke, and you need almost 1/2 throttle!

P.S. Dont forget to push the choke back in !!!

[UGA]

That sounds like some good advice. I've been studying clutches lately to see if there are heavier duty after market clutches made for most commercial mowers. After using doubles most of this year and never wanting to go back to singles I am trying to find out all I can about keeping clutches running right. My buddy 'wattsup' just burned his clutch up on his Snapper Pro and he hasn't been running doubles long at all nor does he cut super tall grass either; luckily it was still covered by warranty.
Thanks again, I'm going to start trying that choke routine.

[Pro-Cut Lawns]

Thanks TLS
I'll give it a try. It does drag my Lazer down somewhat trying to engage the blades with the throttle down low.
Larry

[Jimbo]

This is something the manufacturers should look into. My manual says engaging the clutch at high RPMS reduces the life of the clutch....Well the stinkin thing stalls if the RPM's arn't high. Sounds like a catch 22 to me....

Give us a break Manufacturers..we need one

[TLS]

Jimbo,

Give this choke thing a try! It really DOES work. I do it all the time now.

[Pelican]

I've found that if I pulsate the clutch switch a few times on cold mornings, the blades will come up to speed without stalling the motor. Kohlers just don't like cold weather.

[HOMER]

OR ,

Buy a Chopper and forget about those electric cluthces.:D

Ok, I'll shut up.:rolleyes:

[roscioli]

Hey TLS- Thanks, I will give it a try once this rain clears up! I thought something was wrong with my new LC Lazer the way it makes so much noise and bounces around and almost stalls,,, I cant wait to try this method.

[smburgess]

Known this for many years, always engage the clutch at the lowest rpm's as possible. It will increase the life of the clutch. It's sometimes a bear first thing in the morning, but after the engine is up to operating tempature it's engages pretty easily.

[AltaLawnCare]

Are you guys doing this only when cold?

I tried it and didn't seem to make any difference! I just throttle up to 1/2 and it seems to do OK.

.....I don't know Homer - that was actually one of the things I didn't like on the Chopper. With a manual clutch, the safty has to shut off the engine, every time you hop off the seat to pick up the trash people are soo nice to throw out!

Big, Bad Lazer - just idle down, hit the PTO, set the brake and get trash.

If you bypass the safety, and then if the chopper ever slings you off, it will chase you down and chop you up! :eek:

[TLS]

Originally posted by Pelican
I've found that if I pulsate the clutch switch a few times on cold mornings, the blades will come up to speed without stalling the motor. Kohlers just don't like cold weather.

:eek:

That or you have stock in Borg-Warner or Ogura, and want them to sell more clutches~!

****************************

YES, I do this when its warm out also. Just pull the choke out enough for it to just start sputtering (barely) and engage clutch. Then, push choke back in. The extra "enrichment" that the choke provides gives it more low end power and will all but prevent a stall!

[Pelican]

I only use my method on cold mornings at first run, not all the time. I've tried the choke route with little success. I prefer to let the motor warm up so none of this is neccessary, but on cold mornings when the spindle grease is stiff as well, my machine occassionally needs help. I've got over 1500 hours on the original clutch with no problems, I'm not saying to do this at full RPM. To each his own.

[MATTHEW]

That happened to me one day. It turned out to be a partially clogged gas filter. Enough gas was getting through to run the engine on idle, but when a load was added, it died...until I put a new filter on.