Takeuchi TL 150 fuel solenoid trouble

[GrandpaScott]

Well if turning the key only, allows it to move, then more than likely it’s the solenoid pull in coil and not the relay.

So, I'm "assisting" a weak solenoid?

 

[HarleyHappy]

Certainly sounds like or your linkage is bound up, to a degree.
My fuel solenoid is a bit weak and monthly I have to lube up the lever and linkage as it binds enough, it won’t shut off with the key occasionally.
I just shut it off by hand and lube everything up and then it goes back to working fine.
Don’t forget, it is a spring closed solenoid, so by turning on the key, it is unlocking and trying to suck in, then with the wire, you are helping, pull it in.

 

[thepumpguysc]

1) If mine, I’d remove it and bench test it with a battery charger or jump box.
2) That type of sol. the plunger will come out of the body..
You can run some scotch brite on the inside to clean it up..
3) You can see on the breakdown the adjustment nuts, 14 & 15.. MAKE SURE the plunger bottoms out in the body when activated.. THATS VERY IMPORTANT.!! It MUST bottom out in the body..

Hope u figure it out.. good luck

 

[GrandpaScott]

Happy Spring, all(or summer, I guess!)! I got back to construction season and kept messing with the pull wire workaround, and finally said enough is enough. I'm pretty sure I've been avoiding the repair needed since 2019/2020, so 3 minutes every time I start and stop the machine has probably added up to at least ~3000 minutes (50 hours), so time to face reality and get after it.

I got a new solenoid off eBay for about $30, I think. It was just a hair longer than the OEM, but the same form factor. Just in case, I called Takeuchi, and they want $620 for the OEM replacement. I did bench test my original one, and it functioned properly (full pull, no muck to hold back the plunger, etc. - @thepumpguysc). I went ahead and put the new one in, anyway, just in case the original was lacking power. I plugged in the connector, turned on the key, and hit the starter position. The machine cranked over, but still nothing. I reached in and manually engaged the solenoid, and it fired up. So I pulled the connector apart and put the Fluke(s) to it, and I have 12 volts at the "prompt" terminal (for just a second), but no voltage at the "hold" terminal. This is kind of sending me back to the relay theory that was proposed earlier in this thread.

I have a digital manual that I downloaded a while back, and I think I'll get after the relay for the float, and the horn (it looks like that is "I" relay from @heymccall on Oct 11 reply). It doesn't seem related, but I don't have float, nor horn, so while I'm in there I'll probably deal with that, too.

That doesn't mention the stop solenoid (that looks like the #3's from the schematic of the same, specifically "C"). I'd better get the soldering iron out and see if I can find a cold joint, it's looking like. Here are some pictures from the "open" machine.

You can see the $1.15 spacers that made the new solenoid fit (savings of $618 over dealer replacement), the solenoid wire connector picture shows my 12V diagnosis (12V on prompt, 0V on hold, not in picture, but that was result), and the 5-year wire shows that I didn't have much life left in the workaround (that was for you @HarleyHappy - Oct 1 reply ).
I'll let you all know where this takes me.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Looks just like mine. I will say, adjusting it right was a PITA.
The rod needs to be drawn in complete, not a millimeter off, or it won’t connect for the initial pull in. The hold current will go through a relay and fuse, shouldn’t be too hard to find with the schematic.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Amen to that..^^^