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Bought a John Deere 185 that a exhaust valve broke off and put a hole in the top of the piston. Seeing the John Deere wants a 110$ for a new piston and seeing I am cheap and don't want to spend this much so I called a welding shop. They told me that they could weld the hole. Has anyone ever had this done? I was also thinking about JB weld but don't know how it would hold up with the heat and compression. I am putting a used head on it so that part of it is OK but can't find a used piston.

Let us know what engine you have include model # and someone here can direct you to a less expensive replacement. I doubt that JB weld would work on this repair.

It's in a John Deere 185 with a Kawasaki single clynder 17 hp. model FC540V

reynoldston said:

Bought a John Deere 185 that a exhaust valve broke off and put a hole in the top of the piston. Seeing the John Deere wants a 110$ for a new piston and seeing I am cheap and don't want to spend this much so I called a welding shop. They told me that they could weld the hole. Has anyone ever had this done? I was also thinking about JB weld but don't know how it would hold up with the heat and compression. I am putting a used head on it so that part of it is OK but can't find a used piston.

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Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
I hope you don't intend to sell it to someone after you get it together.
Things like this is why it is so scary to buy a used one.:frown:

Speaking as a welder, just because something can be welded does not mean it should be welded.
Buy another piston, you will be happier in the long run.

I found a used piston at a salvage yard and it was like new so I used that. I wasn't going to sell it but just use it at my camp with very few hours per year. I was going to weld it before I would spend big money on it. If it didn't hold it wouldn't be no big deal seeing I don't have much money in the mower just retirement type labor. If I was going to do this job for a customer and not myself it would only be done right with good parts. It just seems that new parts for this Kawasaki engine is very expensive and I can't see spending big money on a 23 year old mower.

You would have been fine TIG welding the piston...
That is assuming you checked out wrist pin and skirt for any damage...
JB weld is a plastic epoxy ...it is NOT a weld, just has the word in it's name...
The temperature inside the combustion chamber will not agree with plastic... :smile:KennyV