Update on the JD. She is a running. Got the new fuel line put on, the 1/4 inch one. Blew the gas through the filter, and had a little trouble starting it. But it finally started and ran as usual. Did not get a chance to drive around on it so, hopefully she still drives as usual. I had some other things to get done after the fuel line, and now its been raining all afternoon. I will get out tomorrow and run it around the property and see if she's good to go and post back to hopefully finish this thread off. No pics today, but I will try and remember to get some tomorrow. Thanks to everybody who weighed in on the topic. Your advice's are extremely helpful and a lot cheaper than the local JD service shop. Have a good evening and thanks once again

Jack

 

I have an older 170 (1989?) but it looks like the same Kawasaki engine. I have a similar-looking wire/connector in the same general location that has been unconnected since 1989. I've never cared enough to try and find out what is for and have always assumed that it is for a feature or option I don't have.

 

Yeah mine is a 14.5 kawasaki engine. The mower is great, but today my mulching panel finally gave out on me. Which I knew it was and had purchased a new one last Friday but went ahead and mowed one last time with the old one. That was a mistake. Had clippings for days to rake up. Tried to put the new one on today with new hardware and evidently the john deere place ordered the wrong hardware. So needless to say, will have to go get the correct hardware tomorrow.

 

That loose wire appears to be a chassis ground. used to ground the chassis, in order to run the lights, In my opinion lights on a mower are useless, all of my mowers for the last 40 years had a lighting problem most never worked right, and if they did they ran the battery down between uses.
So just tape the end up, stuff it behind something, forget about it.

As for the throttle linkage you need to get access to the underneath of the lever to replace it, you might need to remove more of the firewall that is there.

As I said white smoke is water in the system, Ethanol gasoline is a water magnet, and will condense water out of the air through the vent hole.

So either never leave ethanol in the thing even one day, or get some stabilizer to add to the fuel.


ED

 

You should be able to find parts diagrams on-line. It's not a service manual but I find the exploded diagrams sometimes helpful for seeing how things go together.

 

Perhaps in hindsight using a generic cable was more trouble than it was worth, but anyway.

I'm not convinced an oversized fuel line is the cause of your no-start - it might be, it just strikes me as odd. Since your dash is apart, make sure all wires and connectors are secure (everywhere, but since you have been working around your dash it's a good place to start). There are some safety lock-outs that if not connected will allow the engine to turn over but not start - same going for some ignition wiring that goes up to the dash. Make sure the multi-connectors are clean and well seated. As a last shot, perhaps that 'spare' wire mentioned in an earlier post wasn't spare after all and meant to go somewhere. If you have a meter, see if it is positive (ignition on and/or off) or ground. If ground, touch it to chassis as see what happens. I agree with another contributor that the connector looks like a chassis ground.

 

The throttle cable should have little clips holding it in to the body somehow, look where it passes through the firewall, also they have clips holding them down to the engine.

White smoke in the exhaust is water vapor, You are probably an air cooled engine, so water in the fuel?

Too late now, but taking a picture of the wiring before disassembly helps greatly when reassembling.

ED

 

Ok, I took a few pics of the cable and the throttle stick. Here they are. The yellow line on the third photo represents the way the cable runs.

 

Thanks for the reply de-nagorg. Yes I should have take a pic of the stuff before I broke it down, but I forgot, and there really was no wire that I took loose, that I could see. I assume the wire either came from the battery(-) or the fuel filter somewhere. I don't know much about engines so I am just totally guessing.

The white smoke has never happened before. I mowed with it 6 days ago, no white smoke, and no new gas, and never leave it in the rain. Would the fuel filter perhaps be on incorrectly and cause this????

The new throttle cable does have clips but the old one doesn't seem to have them. There is one bolt on the inside of the panel that I can't seem to get off. If I could get it off, then I assume the throttle stick would just fall down. I have tried and tried to pry, unscrew, prod and poke that thing but it won't come loose. I am trying not to break it, but I have a feeling that is the way I will be going sooner or later.

Again, thanks for the reply

 

Thanks for the reply's. I appreciate it. Ok, so the wire I will tape off and forget it. Fuel stabilizer is what I forgot to add in last time. I always add it to my 5 gallon jug, but forgot to this time. Glad you mentioned that.

As far as more access to the throttle lever. I had the whole firewall/ dashboard lose except for the steering wheel. Which I assume was the only thing left holding it on. There was a bolt with a nut on the steering wheel which I was able to get the nut loose, but the bolt/ screw would not come loose. If you look at the first picture above you can see the nut that is on the steering wheel. Is that what I need to do too gain access? There are two bolts on either side of the fire wall that I removed and I could move the whole panel around but couldn't get it all the way loose.

Thanks for the advice and assistance. This is a heck of a lot better then taking my mower in and getting charged out the wazoo for someone else doing it. Have a good one.

Jack

 

It does look as if the steering wheel needs to be removed, does the Deere emblem center remove so you can see under there for what clamps the wheel to the shaft?

Remove the nut / bolt to loosen the wheel, try to pull it up and away, Careful here, as a young man of 20 I was removing one from a car without the use of a wheel puller, just pulling BRUTE FORCE, pulled it free and bent my nose.

That hurt.


ED

 

LOL, that sucks Ed. Not sure if the emblem is removable or not. Will check in the AM. I do know at the bottom of the steering column it is held in by a cotter pin??? The type you slide in the shaft and bend the sides over to ensure it don't fall out. When the nut from the bolt was removed, I could lift the steering wheel up about an inch or so. Didn't pull to hard was scared to f-something up.

 

You might try removing the cotter pin, see if you can now remove the wheel and shaft as a unit.


ED

 

Will give it a shot. Just seems like a lot of extra just to change out the throttle cable. But will try tomorrow.

 

Ok, so I had some luck and some not so good luck. Was able to loosen the cotter pin at the bottom of the steering column. Which then allowed me to get the pesky screw/ bolt out of the steering wheel with a few taps from a punch and hammer. Next I was able to dismantle the throttle cable housing and remove the old line. Got the new one put on, but put it on opposite of my previous set up. Which just means the rabbit is slow and the turtle is fast.

Got it all put back together ands fired it up and it worked for a few seconds. Had to leave to go see the daughter do karate and when I came back, I decided to replace the 22 year fuel line on the mower. This put me back a little. I got some fuel line, but I believe I got to big of a diameter. I got 3/8 fuel line which I am not having any luck getting the mower to start now. I blew the fuel into the fuel filter, literally blew it. Then tried to start it multiple times with no success. My assumptions are that my fuel line is letting air out and is to big so I need to go to a 1/4 inch line, and possible replace the fuel filter since I may have screwed it while replacing the line. I tried using ether to get it started and nothing. When I blew the fuel to the filter, it came out of the line at the filter.

Would that be a fairly accurate statement about the size of the fuel line? Being too big? Here were a few photos of the carnage today. Not much I just figured I throw in a few to go with the progress that I have made. Sorry for the late reply but its been a busy day.

Tomorrow the plan is to get the 1/4 fuel line, new. Replace the 3/8 I put in today with the 1/4. Put the body back on mower and hope like hell I am done. I got other things I need to get back to, and this mower issue is really putting a damper on things.

Thanks for the help so far, and if you have any more advice I am all ears. Its always good to learn from those who have been there, done that. Enjoy your day.

 

You do realize than now the throttle has to be set the opposite way from how you used to start this, since you got it backward.

And get some real hose clamps for that gas line. Worm drive band clamps, not the old wire , or other types.

They come in a box of up to a dozen for a few $ and are a must keep in supply at my place.

P.S. Those clamps that you have on there LEAK, over years they lose tension.

ED

 

Ed yes, thats why I said the rabbit is slow and the turtle is fast. Now the dashboard is opposite of what it shows. Yes, I agree about those damned clips. I have many issues (disabilities) with my hands and arms and those things there piss me off to no end. I traded up to some real clamps, problem is they aren't working with the sized hose that I got. I have them tighten to the gills and still got fuel leaking out. Thankfully, or maybe unthankfully, my dad lives in the next property over so he is able to point out the things I screw up on. I tend to not enlist his help when it comes to, well pretty much anything. If you have a son, you know how it gets sometimes.

I will post pictures tomorrow once I get the new fuel line in, and hopefully we can close the book on this chapter. Thanks for all the advice, I truly appreciate it.

Jack