Export thread

First, i'm new here, thanks for having me! (i hope you'll have me

I'm having some minor troubles with my old trusty John Deere 320 lawn tractor...heres the details...

Mower will start up normally, but when given full throttle, there isn't nearly as much power as there should be. There is enough power to run the blades when engaged, but still, not like it should be. Mower did this about a month ago, and I replaced the plugs...problem went away. I cut grass 7 days ago, and everythign was fine....today, i tried to cut and the power loss is back.

Here is what i've done....

1. replaced both spark plugs (last week)
2. clean all air filters (there is a mesh filter over the radiator and another standard filter inside)
3. lowered the deck and made sure there was no grass around spindles
4. pulled off the gas filter and looked at it...lol, seemed to be ok to me, just a few small minor peices of junk on the filter side.
5. added more gasoline, the gas was purchased maybe 2-3 weeks ago
6. coolant levels and oil levels are where they should be (although i did NOT change the oil this season, i know, i know...don't hit me too hard plz)


and i think thats it, right now i've called it an evening as i work outdoors in the heat and needed to take a break from the mower for the evening. I will be thinking about what else i can do and report it here when i do it, which will probably be after work tommorow!

Again, thanks for having me and I look forward to your responses!

Why would you not change the fuel filter? They are cheap insurance. That would be one of the first things I would change for no high speed power. The next thing would be to check the carburetor for dirt in it. I change all filters on every oil change mine or customers.

reynoldston said:

Why would you not change the fuel filter? They are cheap insurance. That would be one of the first things I would change for no high speed power. The next thing would be to check the carburetor for dirt in it. I change all filters on every oil change mine or customers.

Click to expand...

I will pick up a new fuel filter today on my way home and replace that, wasn't aware of the cost and how often they should be replaced, thanks for the tip!
I have pulled the hood off and the firewall/skid plate on the front, i can see the carb, but this is really what I was afraid off...carburetors scare me!

dont be scared....just be very clean with carbs :smile:

reddragon said:

dont be scared....just be very clean with carbs :smile:

Click to expand...

I cannot find the carb lol...i see the throttle cable...and can follow it down front, not sure where the carb actually is....a google search doesnt do any good for me, I cant find a diagram or anything

GIVE US THE NUMBERS OFF THE ENGINE......AND THE MOWER..AND WE CAN NARROW SOME THINGS DOWN :smile:

I found this.... "Liquid cooled v-twin OHV FD590v"
its a john deere 320

i just took a few shoddy photos of the engine if it helps...

YEAH...GO HEAD AND ATTACH THEM TO THIS POST :thumbsup:

http://i.imgur.com/upg2d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rNQSM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jZfDs.jpg


sorry for the large size, 14mp camera

its a kawasaki engine, i cant find the details

I bought the gas at some old country store in the middle of nowhere, i wonder if it could be cheap gas? is it worth it to drain it all out, (full tank) and dispose of it and get new gas from elsewhere?

THIS IS PRETTY CLOSE. ... Parts and Diagrams for Kawasaki Engines FD590V-AS05 4 Stroke Engine FD590V

IT CANT HURT....I ALWAYS START TROUBLESHOOTING WITH FRESH GAS.....THAT WAY IT WONT BE A FACTOR IN ADJUSTMENTS OR SYMPTOMS..ETC..

reddragon said:

THIS IS PRETTY CLOSE. ... Parts and Diagrams for Kawasaki Engines FD590V-AS05 4 Stroke Engine FD590V

Click to expand...

excellent!! thanks! going to be looking through this....also, do you think an old oil filter would cause this power loss?

I REALLY DOUBT IT....I THINK ITS A CARB THING

nate81 said:

I bought the gas at some old country store in the middle of nowhere, i wonder if it could be cheap gas? is it worth it to drain it all out, (full tank) and dispose of it and get new gas from elsewhere?

Click to expand...

Drain the tank into a 5 gal. can put in new gas if it runs ok dump the gas, If it don't improve then use the gas rather than waste it.
You only need a gallon of fresh gas to try it bad gas will make it run really poor.

Black Bart said:

Drain the tank into a 5 gal. can put in new gas if it runs ok dump the gas, If it don't improve then use the gas rather than waste it.
You only need a gallon of fresh gas to try it bad gas will make it run really poor.

Click to expand...

I will do be doing all of this on friday, one of these solutions is bound to cure my minor problem!

I was also thinking, could spark plug gap be the cause of power loss? I never set the gap, i just opened box and put it right into the machine...

THEY'RE USUALLY PRE GAPPED....BUT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE INSTALLLING

nate81 said:

I will do be doing all of this on friday, one of these solutions is bound to cure my minor problem!

I was also thinking, could spark plug gap be the cause of power loss? I never set the gap, i just opened box and put it right into the machine...

Click to expand...

The plug gap would not be causing a lose in power if it is not missing it is fuel or weak spark, Plug would have to be wwaaaay off to be your problem.

If this started after you put in the fuel it may be your problem.

When you bought the fuel did you put any of it in your car and if so did it run ok.

Black Bart said:

The plug gap would not be causing a lose in power if it is not missing it is fuel or weak spark, Plug would have to be wwaaaay off to be your problem.

If this started after you put in the fuel it may be your problem.

When you bought the fuel did you put any of it in your car and if so did it run ok.

Click to expand...

I had this problem 2-3 weeks ago, and found out it was the plugs, so i put new ones in and it ran great! and then this past weekend when i tried to mow the yard, it was doing it again...I cannot recall if its since i put the gas in or not...but no, i didnt put any of the gas in my car...i only use name brand for my vehicles

does it run rough when you lose power?.....if so the spark plug thing leads me to plug wires.....and maybe one of your coils..........next time you lose power....i would [ with a glove] pull a wire loose while running and then the other one and see if it makes a difference...its a cost free test:biggrin:

nate81 said:

I had this problem 2-3 weeks ago, and found out it was the plugs, so i put new ones in and it ran great! and then this past weekend when i tried to mow the yard, it was doing it again...I cannot recall if its since i put the gas in or not...but no, i didnt put any of the gas in my car...i only use name brand for my vehicles

Click to expand...

Sounds like the plugs was not the problem it just happened to run better after you replaced them.

If it runs ok until it heats up good it could be a coil breaking down.

As already suggested check the spark when it is running poor.

Poor or weak spark shows up as a miss under a load and not low power.
Does it miss when you say it lacks power.

So i can pull the wires off the spark plugs while its running?

It doesnt have power from startup...no need to wait for it to heat up....i can crank it up fine, and then go to full throttle and it just doesnt have the power it normally does, it still has enough to activate the blades, but still, not quite the 'kick' it normally has. when i try to drive it at full speed, its maybe 50% speed

nate81 said:

So i can pull the wires off the spark plugs while its running?

It doesnt have power from startup...no need to wait for it to heat up....i can crank it up fine, and then go to full throttle and it just doesnt have the power it normally does, it still has enough to activate the blades, but still, not quite the 'kick' it normally has. when i try to drive it at full speed, its maybe 50% speed

Click to expand...

The way you describe this I'm not sure what the symptoms are.

When you say 50 percent do you mean it only revs to half normal speed or has half normal power.

If you pull a plug wire when it is running I would use a special pair of pliers designed for that or you may get a shock

im a little confused too...does it bog down mowing or is it just an rpm drop or ?......give us a scenario

the mower is lacking power...when the throttle is all the way up (full throttle) its not getting enough rpms....its not an rpm drop, it just doesnt get up enough rpms

ok....i see......the picture you gave us that shows the front of the engine?.....the cable looks loose in its clamp....check that first.......especially if its the throttle :smile:

nate81 said:

the mower is lacking power...when the throttle is all the way up (full throttle) its not getting enough rpms....its not an rpm drop, it just doesnt get up enough rpms

Click to expand...

Check to see if throttle cable has slipped or governor spring has broke.

Take your hand and open the throttle linkage by hand and see if it revs then.
It may be running on 1 cylinder if I had it in my shop I bet I could find the problem in a few minutes just can't decide what is going on from the description.

reddragon said:

ok....i see......the picture you gave us that shows the front of the engine?.....the cable looks loose in its clamp....check that first.......especially if its the throttle :smile:

Click to expand...

PICTURE What picture how the **** did i not see the picture

did you see it?.....it looks wonky.......doesnt it?

reddragon said:

did you see it?.....it looks wonky.......doesnt it?

Click to expand...

If that is the problem it will be a easy fix.

Black Bart said:

Check to see if throttle cable has slipped or governor spring has broke.

Take your hand and open the throttle linkage by hand and see if it revs then.
It may be running on 1 cylinder if I had it in my shop I bet I could find the problem in a few minutes just can't decide what is going on from the description.

Click to expand...

exactly! I dont have a truck or trailer, and to have this mower moved would cost so much, and then labor...for someone to fix it in a matter of minutes.....i'm very confident this is a simple 5 minute fix!! I'm hoping I can get off of work a little early today and go poke around on it this afternoon, i'll let you guys know what happened if i can!

ok, well the mower is fine now....this is what i did....

changed oil and filter.
changed fuel filter.
cleaned air filters.
cleaned mower deck off grass.
removed spark plugs and adjusted gap to correct spacing.
and voila...its fine...i have no clue what was wrong or how i fixed it, but i just managed to cut an entire acre flawlessly.

Thank you for the help black bart and reddragon!!! it is appreciated!

happy mowing!

things that fix themselves scare me.....i dont know if its good or bad.....but its great that your back in action :thumbsup:

It had to have been one of the things I did to it...i suppose had i done each repair individually and started it up, i would have figured out which one was the problem. But since i had it all apart and it only took a few minutes i just did all of it at once and when i turned it over, it ran at low rpms...and then suddenly kicked into high gear, i could actually hear the point where the mower got back to full revs.

I figure it was either the plug gap, or the oil change that did it.

nate81 said:

It had to have been one of the things I did to it...i suppose had i done each repair individually and started it up, i would have figured out which one was the problem. But since i had it all apart and it only took a few minutes i just did all of it at once and when i turned it over, it ran at low rpms...and then suddenly kicked into high gear, i could actually hear the point where the mower got back to full revs.

I figure it was either the plug gap, or the oil change that did it.

Click to expand...

Only way what you did could have made such a big change is if the plug was bridged with carbon.

IT may have been and it was very small and you did not see it and knocked it out when you gapped the plug.

I would sooner thing it just happened to open the throttle and your problem will return again.

Black Bart said:

Only way what you did could have made such a big change is if the plug was bridged with carbon.

IT may have been and it was very small and you did not see it and knocked it out when you gapped the plug.

I would sooner thing it just happened to open the throttle and your problem will return again.

Click to expand...

I hope you're wrong! lol....i'll write back after a few weeks of mowing and keep you updated, thanks agian!

I also forgot to mention the mower just yesterday hit 500 hours....the mower is probably 20 years old?? google was telling me they made this model in the early 90s...is 500 hours good? bad? whats average? how long do mowers last? i havent the slightest!

nate81 said:

I bought the gas at some old country store in the middle of nowhere, i wonder if it could be cheap gas? is it worth it to drain it all out, (full tank) and dispose of it and get new gas from elsewhere?

Click to expand...

yes i would do that i use only high test gas at my shop laast 6 years

soooo...the problem came back a week later....same loss of power...i was really really dissaopinted....this thing is tuned up! So, i siphoned out all of the gas, drove the extra few miles and got exxon brand gasoline supreme ....and voila...full power, full rpms. I guess i will be using supreme gas in my mower from now on

nate81 said:

soooo...the problem came back a week later....same loss of power...i was really really dissaopinted....this thing is tuned up! So, i siphoned out all of the gas, drove the extra few miles and got exxon brand gasoline supreme ....and voila...full power, full rpms. I guess i will be using supreme gas in my mower from now on

Click to expand...

Fresh gas is good but you don't need premium in fact it will probably run better on 87 octane.

Mower engines are low compression and putting premium in them is like throwing beef steak to the hogs total waste of money.

i agree with Black bart.....87 is fine....my 10 to 1 motorcycles can run on 87 too....high octane is NOT more powerful....it just combusts at higher compression!....thats it.....save your money :thumbsup:

Black Bart said:

Fresh gas is good but you don't need premium in fact it will probably run better on 87 octane.

Mower engines are low compression and putting premium in them is like throwing beef steak to the hogs total waste of money.

Click to expand...

87 is regular unleaded gasoline right? the cheapest one? Do you think some gas stations offer better quality gasoline than others and this was my problem?

nate81 said:

87 is regular unleaded gasoline right? the cheapest one? Do you think some gas stations offer better quality gasoline than others and this was my problem?

Click to expand...

If the pump says 87 then it is 87 regardless of brand.

The difference is the top tier gas has some additives that the cheap stuff don't.

I buy gas for my mower and before I put the gas in the can I add a little Carb Cleaner and in the fall I add Stabil this will keep it from getting stale while parked all winter.

Number one problem with mowers is carburetor problems, I have never had a carb problem the gum that collects in them can be prevented by using carb cleaner.

I still have my doubts that you have found your problem I think it may return.

Bad fuel don't run poor one day and good the next, You may have got some bad fuel but it sounds like it still may have problems.



TIME WILL TELL

did you check that throttle linkage to see if it was loose?

Black Bart said:

If the pump says 87 then it is 87 regardless of brand.

The difference is the top tier gas has some additives that the cheap stuff don't.

I buy gas for my mower and before I put the gas in the can I add a little Carb Cleaner and in the fall I add Stabil this will keep it from getting stale while parked all winter.

Number one problem with mowers is carburetor problems, I have never had a carb problem the gum that collects in them can be prevented by using carb cleaner.

I still have my doubts that you have found your problem I think it may return.

Bad fuel don't run poor one day and good the next, You may have got some bad fuel but it sounds like it still may have problems.



TIME WILL TELL

Click to expand...

I siphoned out all the old fuel and replaced it with new high octane fuel from a different gas station...just to clarify , but in the back of my mind, i kind of agree with you...i think the problem may return...

reddragon said:

did you check that throttle linkage to see if it was loose?

Click to expand...

throttle linkage seemed ok to me, my brother mentioned that he though the carb wasn't opening fully and that it was 'choking' the engine out...

I hate to beat a dead horse but....
the problem w/ my mower is still hanging around. I'm able to crank it up and run it like usual, but something isn't right...seems to 'struggle' still for power....I've noticed some extra oil collecting around the engine...I'm wondering if a gasket could have blown out? I called the dealer which is 9 miles from me, and they said they would charge $45 round trip to get the mower from my house to their shop and then a non-refundable $80 diagnostic charge that would be applied to any work i would get done on it. I'm thinking about just biting the bullet on this one to ensure that I get some more time out of my mower....its got 502 hours....how many more can I expect to get from this model?

This is just for anyone that may google this problem in the future....

I had the dealer pick up my mower this week to asses the problem, this is what was found...

A spark plug was bad. It was misfiring which caused the smoke and the lack of power. When I told them that I replaced the plugs, the only answer that seemed reasonable was that I purchased a bad plug.

Here are the other things they found wrong that I had fixed while it was there...

Clutch was about to go...i had that replaced.
Two spindles were replaced.

So, when I got it back last night, it runs so smooth now, and boy it sure is nice and quiet running!

its good to hear your back in business.....but thats an odd one.....similar things have happened here ...but after a week or two the problem crops back up....lets hope thats not the case:wink:

reddragon said:

its good to hear your back in business.....but thats an odd one.....similar things have happened here ...but after a week or two the problem crops back up....lets hope thats not the case:wink:

Click to expand...

Well, I paid $500 to john deere to get them to fix my problem.....i hope if it crops back up...its within the next 30 days so I can get them to fix it right for free...

To all who suggested ignition coil....Thank you.

John Deere X500 would start and run fine for a half hour or so and then lose power. Tried all the usual stuff, plugs, new gas, carb spray, gas filter, spindles, air cleaner, etc. After reading the posts by others with the same problem I ordered two new coils and installed them. Could've gotten by with one but didn't want to do this over any time soon. It was an easy install. Mower runs like new. Thanks again