JD 345 1995

[backroadsbruce]

Howdy!

I'm new at this "forum" stuff. I have a 1995 JD 345 with the 18hp w/c Kawasaki engine. The tractor has a little over 1000 hrs. I bought this tractor new. here's my problem: I tried to start the thing this morning and it cranked normally for about three seconds. Just as the engine was about to catch, there was a change in the sound of the cranking and the engine didn't start...a first for this tractor. I drug it up to my shop and tried it again. It was still cranking. I put an inductive spark tester on each plug wire and neither was getting spark. After doing some web searching (including this site), I went out and just for kicks, tried it again. This time, it wouldn't even crank. The battery light blinked while I had the ignition on but has quite doing that now (just lights up steady along with the oil pressure light). I have never known a piece of equipment continue to get worse on its own, lol. I do not think my early 345 has a AM128906 time delay module...at least I haven't located it yet. I do have a 21119-2120 igniter. By the way, the battery is fully charged and the battery terminals were taken off, cleaned and put back on securely and the 2 20A fuses on the circuit board are good.

So... any ideas?

 

[beenthere]

The battery is how old?

:welcome: to TBN

 

[backroadsbruce]

Maybe around four years old. It was fully charged on a 2A charger when I cleaned the terminals as part of the "eliminate the obvious" process. Do you think the battery won't work under load?

 

[bruceatlam]

You can figure out for yourself if the battery is any good under load if you have a VOM. Or, pull it out and take it to an auto parts store and have them load test it. If you have a VOM hook it up to the battery to read battery voltage. Then hit the starter while at the same time looking at your VOM. If it's good under load, you should see at least 10V or so with the starter engaged. If the voltage drops way down to 4, 5 or lower then it fails your simple load test.

Have you replaced that plastic cam gear in your engine??? Sounds like it may have just checked out -------

 

[beenthere]

Four years... I'm thinking the battery.

 

[backroadsbruce]

I'll hook it up to a relatively new 12v marine battery I have and let you know. I've heard about the plastic gear issue...I hope it's not that. Do any of you think it might be a failed starter switch?

 

[bruceatlam]

If I were you, I would see if I could turn it over by hand before I did anything else. Take the deck off ---- or just drop the main deck drive belt off the pulley on the electric clutch and then put a socket on the clutch bolt and see if you can turn it by hand. Helps to pull the spark plugs ---- at a minimum, pull the leads off the plugs --- you don't want it to start while you have a wrench on that bolt.

What is bothering me is you're statement --- "there was a change in the sound of the cranking and the engine didn't start"

If you can turn it by hand, then try your battery idea. See what happens ----

 

[backroadsbruce]

I hooked the tractor up to my ultra cool Anti-gravity" battery/engine starter. The engine now cranks but no indication of any ignition. Still no light on the inductive spark tester on either cylinder. So, either it's no spark or no fuel with a lean toward no spark. Does any know some general procedures to start to isolate which electronic component has failed using a volt meter?

 

[bruceatlam]

Or, no compression ----- pull off one of the rocker arm covers and crank it over while watching the valves work. Are they moving as you would expect them to move????? Do you have a compression gauge ---- if you do, check the compression.

 

[backroadsbruce]

I have spark (a lot of spark, BTW) but the plugs are dry when pulled after cranking and the fuel filter is dry. I pulled off the fuel pump and found that the gasket was half gone with one large piece stuck to the engine nearby, lol. By manually depressing the mechanical part of the pump, it seems like it sort of pumps fuel but the diaphragm seems like it will not completely hold vacuum by sealing one of the ports with one's finger. Therefore, I ordered a replacement pump from Amazon for $59

I have not checked the compression because I do not own a gauge but I will buy one the next time I'm out and about.

 

[bruceatlam]

Sounds like the right track to me ---- make sure that the new fuel pump has the drain hose that lets any future pump leak drain to the ground as opposed to letting it drip on the muffler.

 

[leftybob]

I removed the circuit board disconnected all plug ins and found dirt caked to the solder connections. Cleaned them with carb. cleaner and wire brushed all connections.

 

[backroadsbruce]

The new fuel pump was not the problem. Lessions learned: I should have taken the old pump, stuck a piece of fuel line to it and placed the line in a container of fuel, manually actuated the rocker arm and saw if it pumped fuel...the old pump did exactly that. THEN, I should have cranked the engine with no fuel pump on and observed if the plunger that comes out of the engine actually was moving. The new pump is on and on the assumption that it is (also) a working pump, I'm thinking the plunger is not going in-and-out to operate the pump. So, what kind of a repair would this en tale? A partial engine take down, I assume? What internal mechanism causes that plunger to operate? The only other thing I can think of (before putting the tractor away for a year and tear into the engine later) might be replacing the fuel linr from the tank to the inlet of the pump. I assume since this is a pulling pump (as opposed to an electric pushing pump inside the fuel tank), any air leak in the fuel line might be preventing the pump from picking up prime?

 

[bruceatlam]

The camshaft drives the fuel pump ------ you're saying that it's not pumping any fuel???

Did you ever check for valve train movement ----- pull off a rocker cover and see if you have any valve movement at all --------------

 

[sklunk]

The camshaft drives the fuel pump ------ you're saying that it's not pumping any fuel???

Sounds to me like the dreaded "plastic camshaft gear" issue. Your model year and hours are right about where the failure usually occurs. Search the threads on this forum for more info on the camshaft gear and how to replace it with the updated model.

WARNING:
If it IS the camshaft gear be ready for an expensive bill (anywhere from $700-$1200 depending on how much you replace and whether you do it yourself or have a dealership do it). On the plus side once this repair is made the machine is pretty much bulletproof.

 

[backroadsbruce]

Tried gravity feeding fuel to the carb...no success. Took off the valve cover and no rocker arm movement. Took out a plug and checked that pistons are going up and down (they are). So, I reckon it's the infamous plastic camshaft gear. Pulled the tractor into the barn to be considered for repair or scrap next off-season. Thanks all for your help and suggestions!