JD 345 issues: Engine cycling, no spark, PTO kill

[JD2210MAN]

My neighbor has a John Deere 345.
It is a 20 HP Kawasaki and it is a 2000 model year.
I have a few issues I am hopping to find answers and opinions to:

1) Engine cycling (or racing). When no load (driving the mower or PTO engaged) the motor revs up and slows, over and over again. The manual says this is normal but it seems a bit extreme. It does not always do it and lately it is worse.

2) Next issue.. Today it would not start, It had no spark. Then suddenly it did have spark and ran with the heavy Engine cycling as usual. I am yet to figure out why there was no spark and suddenly there was. Very strange! Maybe it was a one time thing or maybe not.

3) PTO safety switch. Has anyone disabled the switch that you have to pull to reverse (so it does not trigger the PTO to shut off).

Things I have noticed, There is no float adjustment but there is a strange sensor on the float. Anyone know what that is?Bring on the great comments or suggestions!

 

[fish_wisperer]

porpasing of those small gas engines is normal, and there could have been several reasons you had no spark, but unlikely its a serious problem or it still would be sparkless. maybe brake wasnt set, maybe nobody was sitting in seat, maybe it did have spark and you missed it from any number of reasons.