Z121s stalls, won’t cold start, won’t run without choke.

[Walt_l]

I have a Z121s zero turn that is about 5 years old. Every year I send it to the dealer every fall/winter for “orange club service”. For the last three years I have told them I can’t get it started in cold weather without starter fluid. This years when I got it back, I gain I couldn’t start it without starter fluid. When I engaged the PTO it stalled and I can’t keep it running unless I keep the choke on.
I got the manager involved and today he came to get it. He told me the manifold was warped. Part is $400+ and no idea on labor!
He tells me this isn’t a recall or warranty issue. He tells me they determined the manifold was warped by spraying carburetor fluid around the manifold. Is he blowing smoke or does this sound reasonable? It’s mowing season and I don’t have much choice to get it done.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Starting fluid is the death of many a engine.
New engines are really not designed to use it.

 

[Walt_l]

Starting fluid is the death of many a engine.
New engines are really not designed to use it.

I’d rather not but it’s that or mowing hay!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You need it fixed and throw the starting fluid away!

 

[Russell King]

I have a Z121s zero turn that is about 5 years old. Every year I send it to the dealer every fall/winter for “orange club service”. For the last three years I have told them I can’t get it started in cold weather without starter fluid. This years when I got it back, I gain I couldn’t start it without starter fluid. When I engaged the PTO it stalled and I can’t keep it running unless I keep the choke on.
I got the manager involved and today he came to get it. He told me the manifold was warped. Part is $400+ and no idea on labor!
He tells me this isn’t a recall or warranty issue. He tells me they determined the manifold was warped by spraying carburetor fluid around the manifold. Is he blowing smoke or does this sound reasonable? It’s mowing season and I don’t have much choice to get it done.

The warped manifold on the intake side seems like a reasonable cause for your problem. It could be letting air flow in and messing up the fuel/air mixture. Assuming that it is carbureted not injected engine.

I would not think that using starter fluid would cause the warping of the intake manifold since the air is still cold before it enters the cylinder.

you might be able to machine the manifold flat again but I would probably just buy a new one and be done with it.

Which manifold are the saying is warped? Are the both (intake and exhaust) on one side of the cylinder?

 

[whitetiger]

He tells me they determined the manifold was warped by spraying carburetor fluid around the manifold.

First, do not ever spay starting fluid into a small air-cooled engine, ever!!!! Use carburetor cleaner, which is one of its intended uses.

Is this the Briggs & Stratton engine?
I have never seen an intake manifold warp, but I have found a lot of intake gaskets or seals leak.

 

[DustyRusty]

I would double up the gasket to see if that solves the problem inexpensively. Many times the gasket will be enough to take up the gap. I wonder why it took them 3 years before they diagnosed the problem. Would it have been under warranty had they found the problem 3 years ago?

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Using carb cleaner/brake cleaner to spray around an area is a common tactic for finding vacuum leaks.

I have no idea how he knows its warped without taking it off and looking at it though.

Maybe there is some sort of "common problem" that he knows about?????

 

[Walt_l]

First, do not ever spay starting fluid into a small air-cooled engine, ever!!!! Use carburetor cleaner, which is one of its intended uses.

Is this the Briggs & Stratton engine?
I have never seen an intake manifold warp, but I have found a lot of intake gaskets or seals leak.

Kohler engine

 

[whitetiger]

Kohler engine

I was just curious, the Briggs has a plastic intake and the Kohler has an aluminum one. We replace Kohler intake gaskets once or twice weekly during mowing season. I seriously doubt that one could warp.

I have seen a Briggs plastic intake that was split though.