LX176 Electrical Parts Mystery

[Stubee]

I have a 1992 LX176 with a Kawasaki 14HP engine I bought used about twenty years ago. It has been a workhorse & I’ve had very little trouble with it. It has been blowing oil smoke at start-up and early in load (bagging) conditions for 5 + years but soldiers on. Use is in Michigan.

It starts fine cold but the past few days this happened: turned it off to gas it up and it wouldn’t start, just vigorously cranked until it flooded. I let it sit for several hours, it started right up, bagged one run of leaves and it suddenly cut out as though I’d left the seat. It again cranked but flooded. Left it overnight, pulled the plug and cleaned it, same quick cold start. I ran it around at near full for about two minutes as it didn’t want to idle down and it suddenly shut down again and wouldn’t start. Throttle position on restarts makes no difference.

So it’s getting fuel, air filter is clean, oil clean and full even though it smokes some, spark plug looks good. Towards the end of this it is not holding low idle well like it has forever. So I’m thinking maybe coil and/or igniter + spark plug. The problem is it has the FC420V AS-10 engine and parts are listed for every other AS-number variation known to man but not the -10. Do any of you guys know if the AS-10 shares parts with another, like the AS-9 etc?

I’m calling the Deere dealer tomorrow but thought I’d ask here first. Thanks.

 

[Kish318420]

Smokes - I would look at the crankcase breather first, second would be most likely a need in the valves to be looked at and most likely adjusted. Then look at the igniter unit which drives the coil which fires the spark plug. You don't say how many hours are on the mower.

 

[Richard001]

I have a 1992 LX176 with a Kawasaki 14HP engine I bought used about twenty years ago. It has been a workhorse & I致e had very little trouble with it. It has been blowing oil smoke at start-up and early in load (bagging) conditions for 5 + years but soldiers on. Use is in Michigan.

It starts fine cold but the past few days this happened: turned it off to gas it up and it wouldn稚 start, just vigorously cranked until it flooded. I let it sit for several hours, it started right up, bagged one run of leaves and it suddenly cut out as though I壇 left the seat. It again cranked but flooded. Left it overnight, pulled the plug and cleaned it, same quick cold start.

I ran it around at near full for about two minutes as it didn稚 want to idle down and it suddenly shut down again and wouldn稚 start. Throttle position on restarts makes no difference.

Well bad spark will not cause the engine to run wild with no throttle control. This suggest a problem with the governor or the carb itself. Smoke on start-up could be excess gas collecting in the intake manifold.

So it痴 getting fuel, air filter is clean, oil clean and full even though it smokes some, spark plug looks good.

You say it smokes, but do you have to add oil most of the time?

As Kish said, check the crankcase breather.


Towards the end of this it is not holding low idle well like it has forever. So I知 thinking maybe coil and/or igniter + spark plug. The problem is it has the FC420V AS-10 engine and parts are listed for every other AS-number variation known to man but not the -10. Do any of you guys know if the AS-10 shares parts with another, like the AS-9 etc?

I知 calling the Deere dealer tomorrow but thought I壇 ask here first. Thanks.

Richard

 

[Stubee]

I don’t think I was clear. It didn’t run “wild” but quit idling smoothly at all RPMs when warmed up as it always had. Today I tested it like this: another quick cold start, ran it for less than a minute with throttle near full then reduced throttle to low where it idled fine & shut it off. It then restarted immediately with 1/2 throttle but after running another minute or so it started a slight “surging” like before and it needed full throttle to keep running & indicated it was headed for another shut down. So it’s at least an engine temperature sensitive problem.

I talked to the JD dealer I bought it from ages ago. I could get igniter & coil for $150 but the service guy also guessed governer as a possibility. I was leaving town today for a week & as my trailers aren’t home I had them pick it up. $50 total for pickup & delivery (25 mile RT) + them getting it right was worth it to me as it’s cost very little over the years. They sell yard stuff but are primarily farm equipment guys and know their stuff.

Thanks for the replies.