1988 John Deere Hydro 175 - Engine stalls when I engage the blades

[Runner]

My 1989 185 has sort of the opposite problem: sometimes, I turn the key and no workie. Then, if I jiggle the PTO switch while turning the key, it starts right up. However, it never cuts off while running or mowing which makes me think it's not the seat switch, so I'm betting a new PTO switch will fix it.

 

[SquatchLife]

Update: Got the new PTO Switch and installed it. Checked all the wiring and there is a loose connection down by the clutch but it’s connecting. Turned the engine on and it runs fine like normal. Engage the switch and I get movement in the blades but the engine bogs and dies. This is progress since I’m now actually getting blade movement. Woohoo!

Would the loose connection cause the bogging?

 

[SquatchLife]

Do you have a wiring diagram for you machine ?

I don’t.

 

[SquatchLife]

Update: Got the new PTO Switch and installed it. Checked all the wiring and there is a loose connection down by the clutch but it’s connecting. Turned the engine on and it runs fine like normal. Engage the switch and I get movement in the blades but the engine bogs and dies. This is progress since I’m now actually getting blade movement. Woohoo!

Would the loose connection cause the bogging?

Ok so it’s a broken PTO clutch connector. The plastic housing is broken. I need to get some wire and hard wire it together. Is that ok to hardwire it in rather than relying on a plastic clip and connector?

 

[oldnslo]

You just need a good solid connection but down side to removing connector is if clutch fails you would have to cut wires on the new clutch.

 

[Richard001]

Ok so it’s a broken PTO clutch connector. The plastic housing is broken. I need to get some wire and hard wire it together. Is that ok to hardwire it in rather than relying on a plastic clip and connector?

Very unlikely that a poor connection to the clutch coil will cause the engine to stop when engaging the clutch.

The problem could be electric or just poor carb adjustment. If your engine is running lean, the sudden load will cause it die when the governor suddenly opens the throttle to accommodate the extra load.

Does your carb have a idle and high speed adjustment screws ?

Here is a link to the service manual:

Google Search

Richard

 

[alexpops]

He was stalling with the clutch completely disconnected. As I read it, both electrically as well as via the belt, so no load. I'm leaning towards an electrical problem in the circuit or pto switch. Something is shorting when he engages the mower pto & robbing the ignition circuit of power, OR, a bad/mis-adjusted safety (reverse/seat/?) switch is doing the same thing. He doesn't have a wiring diagram, & said the seat switch didn't make a difference when jumped, so, since I don't know his machine, if it was me, I'd start tracing the wires along the whole circuit after testing another pto switch to rule that piece out.

 

[etpm]

We have a Deere lawn tractor with the electric clutch. My wife complained that turning on the mower would kill the engine. It turned out that the problem was the key position. I don't remember exactly which way the key needed to be turned but after the tractor was started I think she bumped the key so that it turned one position farther than run. Anyway, keeping the key in the proper position keeps the engine from dying.
Eric

 

[Richard001]

Very unlikely that a poor connection to the clutch coil will cause the engine to stop when engaging the clutch.

The problem could be electric or just poor carb adjustment. If your engine is running lean, the sudden load will cause it die when the governor suddenly opens the throttle to accommodate the extra load.

Does your carb have a idle and high speed adjustment screws ?

Here is a link to the service manual:

Google Search

Richard

OK my faut, I didn't check it to make sure that it was complete. However after searching for hours, I did find the complete service manual, but it's to large to post here. Try this link:

1988 john deere hydro 175 service manual pdf free download\ at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

When you get there, you may have to scroll down a bit, then click on this blue text.

Richard

 

[tude]

If it is like turned the key off I would suspect a safety switch is the culprit. I am not sure how many switches there are on that tractor though.

Does it have a switch on the seat for operator presence? If yes I would check that and then look for more. Hopefully someone more familiar with that model will chime in with other things to check.

I have a 1988 JD 160 which would stop the engine when I flipped the PTO switch to engage the blades. I traced the problem to a worn seat safety switch which no longer was held in position correctly. A new switch fixed the problem.