John Deere Z445 (Kawasaki FH721V) Start Issue

[gsueagle22]

I am looking for a little guidance on how the flywheel on my engine needs to be positioned.

I had an issue with the engine running very rich after it ran about 2 hours, and was able to figure out I had a bad ignition coil. Had 750 hrs on the original set, decided to change them both out while I had everything pulled apart. In checking things over I found a wire that had been severely chafed/ground down by the flywheel, almost in 2, so I spliced that back together and threw some heat shrink on it and tucked it under an adjacent wire, out of the way. In that process I moved the flywheel around to make sure it wasn't binding, but didn't think about repositioning the flywheel 'back' where it was .. probably rotated it 90-120 degrees.

Put everything else back together, went to crank it up and nothing but a whine (sounds like a balloon leaking air). After looking at schematics, I'm thinking that maybe the flywheel has to be out of alignment and that a portion of it has to be set in the right place in relation to the voltage regulator. Am I on the right track or is this just coincidence ? I know my battery is good, starter, solenoids, etc all were working earlier.

Thanks for any assistance or pointers you can provide.

 

[ILENGINE]

Unless you took the nut/bolt loose that holds the flywheel and didn't retorque it properly you didn't change the flywheel timing. Did you set the air gap between the new ignition modules and the flywheel properly. On some engine the flywheel magnets stick out just slightly further than the rest of the flywheel. and if you don't set the gap with the magnet facing the ignition modules they will bind on the flywheel when attempting to start.

 

[gsueagle22]

Unless you took the nut/bolt loose that holds the flywheel and didn't retorque it properly you didn't change the flywheel timing. Did you set the air gap between the new ignition modules and the flywheel properly. On some engine the flywheel magnets stick out just slightly further than the rest of the flywheel. and if you don't set the gap with the magnet facing the ignition modules they will bind on the flywheel when attempting to start.

No, I didn't loosen the flywheel nut or bolt. Just rotated it.

Any idea where I can find the gap distance spec between the flywheel magnets to the ignition coils ? I'll make sure the magnet is also facing the modules, that may be the issue.

I put a business card in between it to gap it so it wouldn't touch, probably around 0.25mm but I have gauges I can use.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[ILENGINE]

.010 inch or in your case .25 mm is the correct air gap

 

[gsueagle22]

.010 inch or in your case .25 mm is the correct air gap

Thanks. Turns out one of the coils was touching the flywheel not allowing the magnet offset to move by, must have shifted when I tightened down the opposite side and I didn't catch it. Re-set it and also lined up the magnet to the first ignition coil and closed everything back up. Cranked on the first go, and ran like a champ. Now just need some serious rain so my grass can grown for me to cut.

Appreciate your help !