Garden Tractors - 317 john deere mower

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317 john deere mower

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Garden Tractors
Forum Description: A great place to discuss the Simplicity and Allis Chalmers Garden Models
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=89593
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Topic: 317 john deere mower

Posted By: bobkyllo
Subject: 317 john deere mower
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 6:54am

so i have this john deere 317 and i am not getting any spark at all. i figured the coil was bad so i got a used coil. put it on and still the same thing. so i start checking different things.

i have 12 volts going to the positive side of the coil. i have 12 volts on and off on the negative side. so that would tell me the points are opening and closing. i also checked the terminal on the points where the condensor wires hook to. that also had the 12 volts that turned on and off.

i also turned the lights off and watched the spark when the points would break. sometimes it would be a real dull blue spark, sometimes it was a good healthy blue spark, and other times the spark would jump from the points to surrounding metal.

so my question is could my points and condesor be bad? could i have a second bad coil? how can i test my coil with a multimeter? is there something else i could look at that may be causing my trouble?

Replies:

Posted By: Cen IA John
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 4:45pm

So sorry, the JD 317 had nothing but trouble with the engine. Years ago a friend bought a new 317 and a year later the local JD dealer traded for $100 difference for a 318. Just to get that 317 out of circulation. This was about 25 yrs ago. Just remember the reputation that the 317s had.

Posted By: Toscani NE SD
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 6:37pm

I have had a 317 since the early 80's,kt 17 early,and have never had any trouble,i love the 317's,and I mow a lot of steep ditches even though it doesn't have a pressurized oil system,i used Valvoline 30 wt all its life,as for spark replace condenser,might be a cheap fix,ive had this happen on many tractors

Posted By: bobkyllo
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 7:44pm

i really liked using this mower. it run great never used oil. i had heard these motors were bad but so far its been good except for this.

any way i took my used coil to a guy in town and he tested it and told me it was junk. he gave me a known good coil that he had. put it in and nothing. no spark so he also had points and condensor. hit the key bingo i have spark but wont keep running. alright i dribble a little more gas in thinking carb is dry and again i have no spark.

get my light out and now the points do not turn the power off on the negative side of the coil. i even manually opened the points. i slipped with the screw driver and now the points work again. back to the gas dribbling idea. that works for awhile untill it acts up again.

can i have bad points? what would keep the power on the negative side of the coil from turning on and off?

Posted By: fixer1958
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 8:21pm

What do the plugs look like? Gas fouled?
I would say a condenser or shorting in the insulator going through the distributor housing. Don't know.
I don't know much about the 317. I know more about the 318 than I ever wanted to and I hate that SOB. Supposed to be one of the best they made.
I think I would rather have venereal disease. Be easier to deal with.

Posted By: bobkyllo
Date Posted: 15 May 2014 at 8:52pm

plugs look good. they do not look fouled at all.

there is no distributor at all here. it has a coil that has two plug towers. the spark comes out to both plugs at the same time.

Posted By: Toscani NE SD
Date Posted: 16 May 2014 at 6:44pm

I thought about this a while,i had a similar problem ,try a new key switch and circuit breaker,that item is under the battery tray with 2 wires going to it,i almost guarantee that will solve the problem

Posted By: bobkyllo
Date Posted: 19 May 2014 at 12:08pm

but what would that circut breaker do for me? i have power in to the coil. i have power out of the coil. i put points and condensor in and now the power is not interupted but the opening of the points. but i snaped the points that one time and i had functioning points for a little bit now we are back to the points not interupting the power.

can the points be screwed up? like i say i do have power to the coil.