317 Onan p218

317140 · Jul 7, 2011

I have a 317 with an onan p218 engine. the engine has locked up and will not turn over. I am getting ready to take it out of the tractor. I talked to a mechanic yesterday and he said some of these engines locked up because of a broken tang not lubing the bottom end. He also said he had sometimes freed these engines up by turning them backwards. He said on some of them there was an inspection plate that you could remove to check the damage. He said you could clean up the rod and crank and sometimes get it running again. This engine was a replacement for a kohler. I used an onan because I thought it would be a better engine. I was wondering if anyone had heard of this or had tried it. This engine has less 800hrs on it and I am just exploring options before I remove it and tear it completely down.

oldnslo · Jul 7, 2011

I have not heard of this but I do know some of the Onan engines had problems with lubing the cam bearings. When these bearings wore out it could cause the the cam gears to break. All of these I have seen never caused the engine to seize though.

glc24 · Jul 7, 2011

I talked to a mechanic yesterday and he said some of these engines locked up because of a broken tang not lubing the bottom end.

No part of this engine is lubricated by a splash system,if that is what this so called "mechanic" is referring to by a broken tang.
The P218 is entirely lubricated by a pressurized oiling system.

Greg

317140 · Jul 11, 2011

Thanks for the info. I hope to get into troubleshooting it this week. I have been too busy lately to give it any attention. Thats why I wont let him borrow my 3520.

Ledgemere Farm · Jul 23, 2011

the series one Kohler in the 317 was prone to engine failure, particularly if used on hills. The splash lube system was ineffective. They were replaced by a series II engine, which was fine. The 317 and 318 are almost identical. JD changed the number to recover from the damage the series I caused.

Mickey_Fx · Jul 23, 2011

Glad to see someone has already pointed out the mechanics lack of knowledge about the oil system.

What you might do is pull the front shroud cover off and take a look at the starter. My 318 would from time to time get the starter and flywheel gears jamed. removing the starter to free things up and then reinstalled and all was back to normal for quite some time.

Might be possible to see if starer is jamed without pulling the shroud cover but pulling the cover sure offers a better view.

Ledgemere Farm · Jul 23, 2011

BTW, the series I engine was a Kohler, not an Onan.

317140 · Jul 24, 2011

My engine is an onan p218g replacement engine. I finally got it torn down. It had spun the crank bearing behind the electric clutch. It also broke a connecting rod and broke the skirt on the piston. I don't see any obvious damage to the cylinder wall. I was wondering if anyone has rebuilt one side and what kind of luck have they had. I am also looking for a good source for used parts and new gaskets. Thanks for any help

glc24 · Jul 24, 2011

I haven't touched the bottom end of mine yet,but IMO, I don't think doing one side only is wise. With almost 800 hours,I would think a complete rebuild would be best. The other side more than likely has damage also.
As for used parts,not sure,but if you plan on keeping your tractor,I don't think that is a good idea either.

You can find the gaskets from alot of places,but I actually like dealing right from Onan for any part.Better price too.

Onanparts.com, Your Onan Parts Solution

Greg