Intermittent starting problem L2050

LazyFarmer

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L2050 with LA450S loader
Sep 21, 2021
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t1morangeP2d!@#
Hi all. I’ve been scratching my head over this one for some time. Hopefully someone has a solution or ideas for finding a solution.

Our L2050 has an intermittent starting problem. You turn the key, hear a single click, but the engine does not turn over. You can turn the key 50 times with same result. It does this about 50% of the time. The other half it starts normally.

To get it started, we let it roll down hill then pop the clutch, then we can start it. Note that we are not “push starting” it. We let it roll, pop the clutch, then come to a stop. Then, with the tractor sitting still, we can start it normally. It seems that rotating the engine a few turns somehow fixes the problem.

I have replaced the starter, no change.

It has been suggested that we have a “bad spot” on the flywheel. So the theory is that turning the engine a few turns puts the starter at a different place on the flywheel, avoiding the “bad spot.”

Is there some way I could verify that this is the problem without pulling the engine?
What else could I check first?

Any clues greatly appreciated, thanks.
 

85Hokie

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When you replaced the starter - did you rotate the flywheel to look at any of the teeth?

To me - it sounds like a bad connection along the way to the starter - a bad ground, something.
Have you tried bypassing the key switch? By jumping AT the starter, thus bypassing the key?

On that 30 year old tractor - are there "any" safety switches? A pto perhaps? If so - I would move the PTO lever a bit while turning the key.
 

Roadworthy

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L2501 HST
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Start with the basics. If in doubt about the battery have it load tested. Clean battery posts and clamping surfaces of connectors. Tighten cables securely. If you can rotate them they're not tight. Follow ground cable to frame. Clean and tighten there as well. If you have a bad spot on the flywheel the starter will spin but not engage. If you're sure you have a bad spot you may remove the starter. With the tractor in neutral one person can rotate the engine with a socket on the crankshaft while the other observes he teeth on the flywheel.
 

bird dogger

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Kubota B2650 and lots of other equipment
Feb 24, 2019
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Years ago, I had the same problem on my old JD750 compact tractor. It turned out to be exactly that: bad wear spots on the flywheel after years of starting. Since it's a 3 cyl. the wear spots were 120 degrees apart. I wound up splitting the tractor and installing a new ring gear on the flywheel. You may have an inspection cover on your bell housing that might let you see the teeth on your ring gear. Or you can pull your starter off and look through that opening. Use mirrors, camera, etc., to help see if it's in a had to see spot.
Here's a link to another similar thread that I posted some pics of my ring gear with issues:

If I hadn't been able to find a new replacement ring gear I would have just removed it and relocated it 60 degrees from it's original position.

David
 

LazyFarmer

New member

Equipment
L2050 with LA450S loader
Sep 21, 2021
4
0
1
t1morangeP2d!@#
When you replaced the starter - did you rotate the flywheel to look at any of the teeth?

To me - it sounds like a bad connection along the way to the starter - a bad ground, something.
Have you tried bypassing the key switch? By jumping AT the starter, thus bypassing the key?

On that 30 year old tractor - are there "any" safety switches? A pto perhaps? If so - I would move the PTO lever a bit while turning the key.
Thanks for the reply!
No we didn’t look at the flywheel when we replaced the starter, it didn’t occur to me. Someone else who replied says I can rotate the engine with a wrench on the crankshaft while looking at the flywheel teeth. I will give this a try.

i would have thought that a bad connection would be pretty consistently bad? When it doesn’t work the answer is always to roll or tow it and pop the clutch.

Pretty sure the only safety switch is the clutch. I think that’s working, because if you turn the key without depressing the clutch nothing happens. Turn key with clutch depressed it starts (when it’s working) or else single click (when it’s not.)
 

LazyFarmer

New member

Equipment
L2050 with LA450S loader
Sep 21, 2021
4
0
1
t1morangeP2d!@#
Start with the basics. If in doubt about the battery have it load tested. Clean battery posts and clamping surfaces of connectors. Tighten cables securely. If you can rotate them they're not tight. Follow ground cable to frame. Clean and tighten there as well. If you have a bad spot on the flywheel the starter will spin but not engage. If you're sure you have a bad spot you may remove the starter. With the tractor in neutral one person can rotate the engine with a socket on the crankshaft while the other observes he teeth on the flywheel.
Thanks for telling me about rotating the engine with a socket. Next time it fails will try that instead of rolling it downhill. If that does it it will verify turning the engine fixes it. From there will inspect the flywheel as you say.
Thanks!
 

LazyFarmer

New member

Equipment
L2050 with LA450S loader
Sep 21, 2021
4
0
1
t1morangeP2d!@#
Years ago, I had the same problem on my old JD750 compact tractor. It turned out to be exactly that: bad wear spots on the flywheel after years of starting. Since it's a 3 cyl. the wear spots were 120 degrees apart. I wound up splitting the tractor and installing a new ring gear on the flywheel. You may have an inspection cover on your bell housing that might let you see the teeth on your ring gear. Or you can pull your starter off and look through that opening. Use mirrors, camera, etc., to help see if it's in a had to see spot.
Here's a link to another similar thread that I posted some pics of my ring gear with issues:

If I hadn't been able to find a new replacement ring gear I would have just removed it and relocated it 60 degrees from it's original position.

David
Thanks for the reply! Someone else on the thread explained that I can rotate the engine with a socket on the crankshaft. Next time it fails I will try that, which should verify for sure that rotating the engine is allowing it to work. From there will try inspecting with starter off to see if I can spit the bad teeth on the flywheel.
I have no clue what a ring gear is…
 

bird dogger

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Kubota B2650 and lots of other equipment
Feb 24, 2019
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North Dakota
Thanks for the reply! Someone else on the thread explained that I can rotate the engine with a socket on the crankshaft. Next time it fails I will try that, which should verify for sure that rotating the engine is allowing it to work. From there will try inspecting with starter off to see if I can spit the bad teeth on the flywheel.
I have no clue what a ring gear is…
the ring gear is the outer gear at the circumference of the flywheel. The starter gear engages the teeth on the ring gear to spin the engine. If the two gears can't mesh properly because of wear.....the engine won't/can't turn over. There's pictures of it and the wear caused by years of starter engagement in the thread link in my previous post above.
 

DLStryker

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Aug 29, 2021
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Dallas, TX
Try jumping the solenoid. Put a screwdriver across the two terminals on the solenoid. Yes it will spark... that is normal. See of you still have the same click with no turnover. If it cranks each time, then you have a very well know problem of voltage drop in the wire going from the key switch to the solenoid. With age, all of the wiring and the protection switches that are inline with this wire cause a voltage drop and the solenoid will only push the bendix out and not crank the starter. I have/had two Kubotas that way. There is a very simple fix of adding a relay into the mix.

Read the below link. BTW, you do not need to spend $30 in the John Deere part for fixing this. Any 40 amp, 12V relay will work. I got mine off of Amazon

ttps://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/b2400-starting-problem-finally-solved.42640/

If the fix does not make sense to you, DM me. It is really very simple. Takes 10/15 minutes
 

mmgunner

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Equipment
Kabota L210
Jun 23, 2021
9
0
1
1490sw cr760a arcadia fl
Hi all. I’ve been scratching my head over this one for some time. Hopefully someone has a solution or ideas for finding a solution.

Our L2050 has an intermittent starting problem. You turn the key, hear a single click, but the engine does not turn over. You can turn the key 50 times with same result. It does this about 50% of the time. The other half it starts normally.

To get it started, we let it roll down hill then pop the clutch, then we can start it. Note that we are not “push starting” it. We let it roll, pop the clutch, then come to a stop. Then, with the tractor sitting still, we can start it normally. It seems that rotating the engine a few turns somehow fixes the problem.

I have replaced the starter, no change.

It has been suggested that we have a “bad spot” on the flywheel. So the theory is that turning the engine a few turns puts the starter at a different place on the flywheel, avoiding the “bad spot.”

Is there some way I could verify that this is the problem without pulling the engine?
What else could I check first?

Any clues greatly appreciated, thanks.
When it wont start , pull the starter out and see if the ring gear is messed up. If it is, you could heat the ring gear up, thru the starter hole . Then slide the ring ear a few teeth. I t should get you to a good spot on the ring gear . They tend to stop in the same place. Becarefull not to push the ring gear off of the flywheel
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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re: 'click'.. can you hear the starter spinning ??
If it is spinning, then yes, ringgear has chewed teeth. Every 4 stroke engine will stop at either of 2 places( it's not random). You may have to pull the starter to then see the ringgear to inspect the teeth.
I suspect it is chewed as you can start normal IF you turn the engine a bit from going downhill. You can confirm this by rotating the engine, say 45* or so, (KEY OFF) and then trying to start.

If this happens then you'll eiher need new ringgear or rotate yours 45*. You'll have to split the tractor,so take pictures BEFORE so you know where stuff is supposed to go.