John Deere 1LT133 Hard to Start - Need Help

[buffumjr]

I have a John Deere 1LT133 riding mower. It is very hard to start. I just burned up the starter, today, trying to start it.

To start it, push the throttle to choke, push the clutch/brake lever in, and turn the key.

Letting it crank more than a few seconds floods it. If you crank without choking, it does nothing. Starting fluid does nothing. There is not single behavior that I can cite to make it start reliably. Some days, it starts after a few tries, some days, it will not start at all.

Suggestions where I can start?

 

[buffumjr]

Starter is replaced. All ate up. Replaced the spark plug. It tried to start, did some backfiring, then wouldn't fire anymore. The spark plug was covered in soot.

I'm taking it to the shop. I need to mow. I'll publish what they found.

 

[tomplum]

Please do. Good luck!

 

[radios1]

it may have a plastic needle valve in the carburetor, which sticks, it needs the stainless steel needle valve..

 

[buffumjr]

Shop still has it. There is a battalion of zero turns ahead of me. Never knew there were so many zero turn brands.

SOOOO lucky I had the old Craftsman front wheel drive push mower as a backup.

 

[radios1]

I should have added, maybe it's not getting a spark?.

 

[buffumjr]

It was. With a brand new plug, it would stutter for a short while, then quit. The gasoline ran the trimmer and the backup mower just fine. The trimmer is very bad gas sensitive, so, if it runs on it, it's good.

 

[radios1]

It was. With a brand new plug, it would stutter for a short while, then quit. The gasoline ran the trimmer and the backup mower just fine. The trimmer is very bad gas sensitive, so, if it runs on it, it's good.

ok, if a plug gets wet with gas, it won't fire. unless the engine has a CD(capacitor discharge ignition) that is!..

 

[buffumjr]

I'm guessing, from the plethora of wires and boxes, this has CDI. Best to let them jack with it. Has a fuel pump, too. My guess is carb problems. On old timers, I could fix that. This new stuff, no.

The problem is not fuel starvation, as in bad fuel line, but fuel glut, as in carb problem.

 

[buffumjr]

OK, the shop found what was wrong.

The magnets inside the flywheel came unglued. The mounts are rusted, so regluing would be unreliable. A magnet got caught between the flywheel and the stator, and ruined the stator. $300.. Ouch!