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Hi. Just acquired a 68 and will not start. It's a pull start. There is no spark, fuel is being fed. Ignition coil or the neutral safety is the culprit. I'm gonna change both just to cover bases.
Question is, what is the second wire coming from underneath the coil then disappearing under the flywheel. One of the wires connects to one of the mounting bolts with an eyelet, the other one does the disappearing act. How would i go about swapping coils? I can cut and put a butt connector if necessary but don't want to do that. Please help.... thanks

The model 68 JD came with a 8 HP Briggs engine. The original ignition came with points and condenser which are located under the flywheel. I have found most of them have been converted over to the pointless system. You will have to remove the flywheel and replace the points and condenser which I have found its getting hard to find anymore.

Your engine has points. you can try replacing the points and condensor, but I have found that most still don't operate even after changing those, and still have to convert to the pointless ignition module.

Rust takes a toll on the module laminates causing failure.

Post up the engine numbers and type.

Thanks for the responses guys. .
Here's a couple more pictures with the serial number involved. In the owners manual it doesn't get real specific it just says briggs and Stratton 8 hp. What is involved in the pointless conversion iLENGINE? Thanks

moody34 said:

Thanks for the responses guys. View attachment 25844View attachment 25843.
Here's a couple more pictures with the serial number involved. In the owners manual it doesn't get real specific it just says briggs and Stratton 8 hp. What is involved in the pointless conversion iLENGINE? Thanks

View attachment 25845View attachment 25846

Click to expand...

Buy the ignition module.
Remove the wire from the coil that goes to the points and the wire that goes to the ignition cut out.
Join both of these wires together then connect to the module.
The hardest part is deciding where to mount the module.
It must have a good earth and get some breeze or it will overheat.
The usual spot is one of the coil mounting bolts,

The single wire coming from under the flywheel would be part of the stator assembly (alternator d.c)

bertsmobile1 said:

Buy the ignition module.
Remove the wire from the coil that goes to the points and the wire that goes to the ignition cut out.
Join both of these wires together then connect to the module.
The hardest part is deciding where to mount the module.
It must have a good earth and get some breeze or it will overheat.
The usual spot is one of the coil mounting bolts,

Click to expand...

Could you post up the part number for the ignition module I would need? Thanks

That model JD 68 the engine is enclosed and you will find the module will ten to overheat on warmer days. Just buy a new set of points and condenser. It will be cheaper, easier, and the mower will start better on the warm days with a hot engine. Its a old mower that doesn't turn very sharp and it is hard to find parts for anymore so how much do you want to spend it. Most of the model 68's have just a pull rope starter.

Reynoldston is giving you good advice.

moody34 said:

Could you post up the part number for the ignition module I would need? Thanks

Click to expand...

There is only one.
Atom industries invented the hall effect magneto control module a long time ago and when they marketed it they sold 7 different color coded models with different advance curves and rates to suit several different types of engines.
However today there is only one so it makes your life a lot easier.
Cunning engine makers eventually incorperated them into the actual coil so in place of getting a $ 15 control module you now have to buy a $ 70 coil + module combination.
Victa mounted them under the carb but most seem to go on one of the coil mounting bolts so they get a good earth and cooling air flow from the fan.

reynoldston said:

That model JD 68 the engine is enclosed and you will find the module will ten to overheat on warmer days. Just buy a new set of points and condenser. It will be cheaper, easier, and the mower will start better on the warm days with a hot engine. Its a old mower that doesn't turn very sharp and it is hard to find parts for anymore so how much do you want to spend it. Most of the model 68's have just a pull rope starter.

Click to expand...

I did a few searches and couldn't find pints and condenser for this engine, any links? How does flywheel come off? I could just blow the thing apart but want to make sure there's no snags I could come across. Thanks

bertsmobile1 said:

There is only one.


Victa mounted them under the carb but most seem to go on one of the coil mounting bolts so they get a good earth and cooling air flow from the fan.

Click to expand...

I don't know now familiar you are with the model 68 John Deere. The engine is mounted inside a removeable steel box with very poor ventilation. It vents from the back of the mower pass the exhaust system and muffler and out the side into a fiberglass engine cover that holds the seat. All this heat has no place to go. Yes I think it was a poor design because the engine did ten to over heat on very hot days. So the big thing here is cooling air flow, it just doesn't have it. Its a older outdated mower that they don't make parts for anymore. Is it worth spending very much money on I guess would be up to the owner. This is the reason I say put a set of points and condenser in and run it.

moody34 said:

Thanks for the responses guys. View attachment 25844View attachment 25843.
Here's a couple more pictures with the serial number involved. In the owners manual it doesn't get real specific it just says briggs and Stratton 8 hp. What is involved in the pointless conversion iLENGINE? Thanks

View attachment 25845View attachment 25846

Click to expand...

Part number for the points and condensor is 294628 and the part number for the magnetron ignition module which doesn't use the points and you can just give the old module a good tug and pull the wire loose from the points and leave them in place, and the new module just installed where the old module that you have in your hand in the picture came from is part number 398811.

moody34 said:

I did a few searches and couldn't find pints and condenser for this engine, any links? How does flywheel come off? I could just blow the thing apart but want to make sure there's no snags I could come across. Thanks

Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton Part 294628, BREAKER-IGNITION | PartsTree.com

Would I have any issues yanking off the flywheel? Gonna go with points and condenser. Thanks for all the help

moody34 said:

Would I have any issues yanking off the flywheel? Gonna go with points and condenser. Thanks for all the help

Click to expand...

They can be a bugger to get off if they have been on for a long while.
I have a proper B & S puller which bolts into the flywheel so I put tension on the flywheel the hit it with the rattle gun, pops off easily
previously I used a 2 or 3 jaw puller and a rattle gun. but once every so often I have bent the flywheel and you need to be really careful not to damage the magnets,

bertsmobile1 said:

They can be a bugger to get off if they have been on for a long while.
I have a proper B & S puller which bolts into the flywheel so I put tension on the flywheel the hit it with the rattle gun, pops off easily
previously I used a 2 or 3 jaw puller and a rattle gun. but once every so often I have bent the flywheel and you need to be really careful not to damage the magnets,

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I assume I yank off the pull start snout first?

yes , unbolt the top cowl and the pull start should come off with it.

The starter clutch usually responds to a big stilsons wrench or a BIG punch and some dead blows just be carefull not to damage the holes that the debris screen bolts into , which I should have mentioned must be removed after the cowl.
Be careful haw you steady the flywheel while you do this as the fins breal off really easy then the mower will be unbalanced unless you do exactly the same to the fin exactly opposite.
A strap wrench or chain wrench is very handy for this.
Undo the center bolt, also a bit of resistance, run it out all thway, remove the washers then replace the bolt down to about 3 threads off the bottom so if you bugger a thread it will be the easy to replace bolt and not the very expebsive crank.

moody34 said:

I assume I yank off the pull start snout first?

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Read the manual I posted up..!

I did and it mentions nothing about the snout it talks about a crank puller and a part number for it. And there's always a catch to certain parts of the disassembly especially something that probably hasn't been open for 30 years so that's why I'm asking.

Looks like this is preventing me from getting to the flywheel nut. I tried a Puller but really didn't want to overdo it. Any other ways to go about this? Thanks

moody34 said:

Looks like this is preventing me from getting to the flywheel nut. I tried a Puller but really didn't want to overdo it. Any other ways to go about this? Thanks

Click to expand...

You don't say what is "preventing you"

Inhibiting? Retarding progress? Failing to adhere to my plan? lol