kawasaki engine in john deere LX 188 riding mower

ejensen · Nov 16, 2014

I would like to know the following: removed the 2 cylinder Kawasaki 17 hp 2 cyl. watercooled , vertical shaft engine from my JD LX 188. Had a water leak and think I have it repaired. Tried to bench test the engine, and have no spark. Build a bracket and have the engine set up to run. Does anyone know if the wiring harness , which I disconnected, to remove the engine has to be connected for the engine to run. Have used this procedure on other air cooled, and water cooled engines. This particular engine has two triggering devices on each side of the flywheel, a coil for each cylinder, and an ignition igniter unit which is rectangular box shaped . I also know this may be the wrong place to ask advide on a riding lawnmower engine. I have always used the forum for help with my regular farm tractors.
The ignition system is of the magneto type so battery voltage is not necessary, only for starting to turn the starter.
Have a battery connected, and an exterior gas tank. Engine turns over perfectly but there is no spark.
Appreciate any help, advice anyone could provide me.

barry county · Nov 16, 2014

Yes, it needs to be connected to the harness. Why are you " bench testing" it? Why not simply set it back down on the tractor chassis and start it there with the wiring and tractor fuel supply.

buickanddeere · Nov 16, 2014

Occasionally a water pump impeller would fail and there were a few batches of Kawasaki twins built with a plastic timing gear set. Other than that the engines were of premium quality and longevity.
A shorted spark plug or a spark plug with too large of gap will stress the electronic modules that switch the coils current on and off.
Later versions of the engine ran even better with a two barrel carb.

ejensen · Nov 16, 2014

Buickanddeere,
The Kawasaki engine I have is good quality . I think there is
something in the master switch that needs to connect wires to
provide spark. I have the main wiring harness disconnected
which may be the reason for no spark

ejensen · Nov 16, 2014

Barry country,
I had our car when I brought the engine back. Unable to get the mower chassis in our suv. Place where the LX 188 is 100 miles from where we live. Planning to take our F 100 and pick up the mower chassis

ejensen · Nov 16, 2014

Barry country,
I think my ideas about the ignition system on my JD LX 188 being magneto type is wrong.
The ignition system looks more like a solid state system needing battery voltage to operate. There are no magnets in the flywheel just some type of triggering device each side of the flywheel. Secondly there is an ignitor box. Your idea about testing it in the tractor got me thinking about the ignition system.
This is the way I would have proceeded if I had the tractor chassis here. I'll have it here next week.

Lee B · Nov 19, 2014

Good reason then. There might be a small block of plastic on the tractor yet that is necessary for the ignition system to work. Just what's in it, is a bit of a mystery, but if it's not plugged in - no spark. Or if it's bad - no spark. It's a standard modern electronically controlled magneto system, pretty much been that way for at least one decade if not more. This module would be the electronics part of that. Your smaller push type lawn mower has those parts molded into the coil itself, but it's still there. Complete with built in low speed timing retard function for most models. After the engine is back home where it lives and all hooked up to the wiring harness and it still don't spark then I'd worry some, but not until then.

Jeremy89 · Jan 9, 2015

Yeah dear, kawasaki LX 188 riding mower is indeed a good lawn mower but just few days ago I also bought a Honda lawn mower from Lawn Mower Sales Alpharetta and I am very satisfied with my purchase.

kawasaki engine in john deere LX 188 riding mower

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