How to Diagnose and FIX a WHEEL HORSE 416-8 that WON'T START 

Thank you so much.

Thanks for the note. Have fun chasing down the problem!

I'm a multi Brand tractor hoarder as my wife would say and like yourself have a couple Cubs as well as the Wheel Horse stable and some besides. I'm very happy to say that my Cub addiction has been a result of getting a 1614LT which was sitting in the weeds at a yard sale with an 8HP tiller and Snow blower. They were covered in moss and with tires flat they looked pitiful to say the least but when I saw that the hour meter had barely 200hrs on the clock I was interested. After talking the owner down off mount "Very valuable", who'd bought a newer diesel unit with all the attachments for his acreage, and into the "well I don't want it you take it" after I pointed out to him that he'd likely have to spend hundreds if not thousands to get it all working! It was a good deal lets say. The major initial issue was keeping it running as it kept seeming to lose fuel. I pulled out the fuel solenoid and cleaned and actuated it repeatedly which seemed to free it up and the Cub although a little ticky in the valve train of the upright Briggs V-twin, however it ran strong - until it didn't. More fuel solenoid seizure issues and a second cleaning didn't seem to eliminate the problem. She sat over winter and I stewed on how much it was going to cost me and how many other expensive issues was I going to face. In the spring I started it and just let it run in the yard for a couple tanks of gas and left it running even between jobs just to see what would happen. It happened when it kept running and didn't quit after the highly touted "Cleaning" additives in modern fuel started to do their magic. I didn't do anything else and now it starts like a dream and is my daily driver when I need to get stuff done. Valves have worked in and quietened down substantially. Only other issue to deal with at the moment is that after I changed the water (I mean oil) in the transaxle there is now a leak in an axel seal which runs out onto the shop floor when that tire gets soft. Minor but so minor as to not need my attention until more pressing matters receive my time. Tractors is great diversion from life's tribulations and give so much back for so little attention. Don't give up and take the time to sniff it out before you spend any money fixing things which ain't broke. Lee

⁠​⁠@@peckerwood6078Thanks So Much For Your Comment. My worst pet peeve with my two Cub with the KT17 engines are that it seems that both of them need ignition switches which require that the gas tank be totally removed along with the hefty metal shield just to even think about gaining access to the area down where the ignition switch is located. The wiring diagram although very available and nice to have easy access to for the Cub Cadets (682 & 1710) which are the exact same tractors other than the numbers really do nothing to prepare you for how spread out the wiring is mostly along the left frame of the tractor. And after several years of “Creative Wiring and Switch Bypasses” which makes what should be a straightforward repair a major pain to say it nicely. @SolunaGarage and @MacklandCadets are really good RU-vid channels especially with the Kohler engine Cub Cadets like my tractors have. I am not very sure about the Cubs with the Briggs & Stratton engines like yours. Personally I have never owned or looked at any of those Cubs, So I am not sure how much they differ or compare to the Cubs with the Kohler engines. The Cubs are way too big and heavy to do anything else with than fix them up and use or unfortunately scrap out. For Me Personally, I never owned any of the Wheel Horse tractors, But I have friends who absolutely swear by them. I don’t think that any of the new tractors being sold nowadays would be around or doing the things that the older tractors would do without issues. Best Regards From Kentucky.

Thanks for the note, Bob. I love the idea of an electric fuel pump that only runs on "crank." My 418 will crank for a long time on a cold start waiting for the fuel to reach the carburetor. Did you just connect the electric pump to the existing fuel line? Or put it on a separate line from the tank? I think the idea has a lot of merit.

Thank you so much, Shawn! I really appreciate it.

@@Buckwsr You're welcome. I learn so much watching your videos

Thank you.

Thanks so much! And good luck!

Not this time. All safety switches on this machine have long been eliminated....

Not on this old girl...

Thank you. I have two more wheel horse videos coming soon!

Thanks, Steve. I'm new to the Wheel Horse family. I sure am enjoying the two I now have. Mostly I enjoy tinkering with them, not actually USING them, ha ha!

Weak battery, corroded battery connections, corroded negative cable connection at tractor frame, starter solenoid beginning to fail.... Those could be a few things to check.

Great info! Thanks.

Yes, Dennis, I think the starting system on the 312 is set up pretty much the same way. Thanks for watching the video. If I had to make a guess, I'd bet your starter solenoid is the culprit....

Great. I'm really enjoying this 416-8. Mowed my whole property with it last week!

Thanks, Joe. I think the 312 and the 416 are set up very similarly, at least in terms of the electrical system. Hopefully you can get it going again.

Thanks!

Thanks so much!