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Garden Tractors Discussion Forum

JD LX178

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Gary in SW MO

06-08-2007 20:06:43




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I have a JD lx178 which until recently has run well and cut grass well. It acts and sounds like it is running rich. The owner's manual does not show a load mixture adjustment, just an idle mixture screw which is at the back of the carb and under plastic air duct that exhausts air from the engine to the front of the tractor. I can't even get to it. The picture in the owner's manual has another air passage removed to show the idle mixture adj screw, but says to not make the adjustment with the air passage removed.

This has been a great grass cutter. What do I need to do to get thing back in service? The grass is growing by leaps and bounds.

Gary

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buickanddeere

06-08-2007 21:04:11




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 Re: JD LX178 in reply to Gary in SW MO, 06-08-2007 20:06:43  
Those single barrel carbed Kawasaki’s are a constant topic of aggravation on the garden tractor forums. Kawasaki has released an engine series with dual carbs. Look like they just caught up with John Deere in 1952. Those Kawasaki’s like to draw crankcase oil into the PCV system and into the engine. A reed flapper that's stuck or not adjusted to 8 thou will do it. A carb with the choke blade partly closed due to operator error or a miss adjusted choke linkage is as common as sunrise and sunset. The carb by the way is a miserable brute to re-install. An air filter that is only a little bit dirty will foul plugs. Running those engines at less than 3600rpm will load them up. I don't know why but there are scads of garden tractor operators who want to here their twin cylinder garden tractor run at 1125 rpm like a 720. Operation at light loads without warming will foul plugs. The new factory replacement thermostats operate the engine warmer. The compression ratio is 9.3 to 1 on those engines. Anybody who says they don't need 91 octane gasoline is a stingy short sighted cheapskate. The ignition coils on those engines are fragile. Load a plug up and having it short will burn out the windings. There is an Autolite non resistor plug in the bantam length required with an improved tip. # SE2976. Using a low ash engine oil rated CF-2 for Detroit Two stroke diesels will foul plugs less vs. the "best" rated gasoline lube oil if it's using oil. Those engines will warp a head or at least blow a gasket if overheated. Overheating is all too common as the early version of the water pump tended to fail. And of course the operator that fails to clean the rad and screen at every fuel fill deserves a repair bill. I've seen the LX188 we are using would plug the cooling system tight with dandelion fluff if allowed to. I just caught my kid today even after he was warned several times. “Don’t run the engine with the choke on”. The words if they did go in his head, they just sailed right through and out the other ear. Tonight in fact I checked the fuel level before cutting the lawn & it was down to ¼??? Odd, it was full to the brim when I parked it four days ago. The only operator was one of my boys who drove it around the yard for less than an hour. I checked the throttle and sure enough. It was found jammed all way ahead past full throttle and to max choke. Odd thing is my Father owned two LX188’s for 11 years, now one is mine. The one he kept has never required more than regular scheduled service. The LX188 he parted with and I accepted has been trouble it’s entire life. I’m getting a feeling it was the tractor my Mother often drove and she likely didn’t know the difference between full throttle and full choke either. It's cheaper to sell the LX 178/188 to some budget minded "fixer upper". Take the sale money and with less addition $$$ than major engine work on the old machine. And have a new LA140 with more power, cruise control, better lights, superior seat, a front bumper, warranty & no past history of abuse.

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Gary Epps

06-10-2007 16:45:48




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 Re: JD LX178 in reply to buickanddeere, 06-08-2007 21:04:11  
Thanks for the reply. I may be guilty of running the engine too slow. I grew up believing that you didn't run an engine any faster than necessary to do the job at hand. I will be in town tomorrow and stop by the Deere dealer and pick up a new paper air filter.

I just checked the choke plate and it straight, front to back at the high throttle setting. It doesn't move until the throttle lever is pushed all the way forward. The choke plate doesn't move until about the last inch of throttle travel.

I check the radiator screen every time I start it.

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