Cub 154 not starting

[bookman51]

I had not ran my Cub 154 for awhile so I started it this evening. The carb seemed a little gummed up because it would only run with the choke full open. I hoped that running it awhile with fresh gas would get it going. Then it died and when I tried to restart it ...NOTHING. That is, it did not even try to turn over the engine. The battery is good. Also, I tried the lights and no lights. I ran out of time to start checking things out, but my first guess is loose starter wire. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[SONNY]

Make sure your start/gen. drive belt is tight! they seem to need to be awfully tight , otherwise the pulley turns but motor dont!---I noticed this after they get hot, motor is harder to turn when warm/hot!
check battery ends for good connection and clean if needed!
Your carb inlet needle could also be stuck shut!( I am having this problem on the sickly bar tractor, been sitting 10 years,---started right up wouldnt keep running, had a bunch of bad gas in the tank, also had a plugged sediment inlet along with worn carb. inlet needle! thanks; sonny

[RaymondDurban]

Check the battery connections, then check the jet on the carb. Might want to run a bit of Seafoam in the gas as well.

[bookman51]

When I said nothing happens when I turn the key...nothing happens. There is no click or whir or anything. Now I suppose it could be a bad battery connection, but I did have it started and running for a few minutes.

I do regularly put Stabil in my gas, and I had put a small bottleof carb treatment in the gas, but I may well need to take the carb off and soak it a bit in carb cleaner. A needle or jet being stuck would explain why I need to choke it. A bad battery connect would explain why "nothing" when I try to start it. A bit of the puzzler is why it would have started earlier and "nothing" after it died, but I guess stranger things have happened.

Thanks

[Eugene]

when I tried to restart it ...NOTHING. I tried the lights and no lights.

Remove battery cables, clean battery posts and battery cable clamps. Charge the battery.

If symptoms persist, have battery checked at auto parts store.

[SONNY]

Battery ends lose contact without warning!---may have been part of the reason it died too,--no juice to dist! thanks; sonny

[bookman51]

Yep, I just needed to clean the battery terminals and it started right up. Never had one do that quite that way. That is, lose connection right after I had started it once. It still runs a little rough. I got some Seaform. I will see how it runs tomorrow (I had earlier put in some gas treatment...do not recall the brand). If it runs rough tomorrow, I will put in the Seaform.

Thanks for the help.