I just had a 318 given to me by my wife's family who are a bunch of farmers. Little did I know how great this garden tractor is till I started doing some research. I love my 318. I am looking to restore it (not that it doesn't run). I just want to make sure I know some things before I get into anything. Great video. I love the detail.
I rather see the process or as much as you want to show, rather then the explanation of the fix. I really like your videos , been a long time fan.Keep em come... Have a fine one
I have oil in my air cleaner box, lost power in my right cylinder, oil over the top of the right cylinder.. and strangely the right cylinder has good compression. Thanks so much for putting this video together.
you prolly dont care but does anyone know of a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow lost the account password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me
@Louie Graham Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Definitely like the longer format on your diagnostic and repair videos. Mostly because I find you share more of the experience info that the manuals don't have. Interested to see what the valve lashes are when you pop the covers. I'm hoping you get outta this with a decarbon and adjust !!! Fingers crossed !!
I like the longer videos- even the screw up parts like getting the wrong socket. I compare it to Andrew Camarata videos where he sometimes puts out a 2 hour video on washing a truck. They're just really interesting for some reason.
Buddy im a Harley mechanic , and i can help you with one thing. The carbon on the threads of the spark plug indicates heat range of the cylinder. Ideally you want the carbon to go up approx 4 threads . The more threads the carbon goes up the hotter the cylinder is . So the passenger side or right side had carbon higher on the threads and notice it had more compression , which indicates a more efficient fuel burn, or possibly a lean condition ,however looking at the plug that is not the case of a lean condition,, or simply the right cylinder is not getting enough air flow across it causing the temp to be hotter so the metal is getting hotter and expanding more letting more carbon past the threads hence the higher carbon mark...plugs are amazing things they can tell you so much about how the engine is running . Retarded or advanced on the timing can be seen on the back side of the electrode ,, lower the carbon mark the more advanced it is, the higher the mark the more retarded , ideal is the mark is even with the porcelain in the center of the plug that holds the center electrode..i actually taught a class on this at dealerships in my area..hope this helped in understanding what the plugs were doing...
My 318 runs fine, but what would cause my mower deck to disengage after an hour of mowing? Sometimes it disengages and then the whole tractor stalls out. I let it sit a minute and the pto engages the mower deck again, but then mower deck disengaged again. I thought maybe it was overheating, but don't believe that's the issue. Any guidance is appreciated!
An intake test is on the list before I dig into the valves. I'm not really sure what caused the hunting shown in the video.... first time this engine has ever done that.
Working on my father in law's old 316, B43E. He had this thing sitting outside for probably 20 years. I have so far replaced: starter motor, every switch related to ignition and starting, spark plugs, points and condensor(both plugs and points gapped), brand new carburetor, known good battery, changed all fluids and filters, new gas line from tank, electric fuel pump, inline filter. Won't run at all, although I did have it pop over a bit on starting fluid last time I worked on it, probably last year. Gas has Startron in it. I have spark, I have gas, i am getting some smoke out of exhaust cranking it, but it doesn't want to fire. And when it does, I get backfire out of the carb. Stuck valve? Any suggestions what else I can do aside from a leakdown test?
There something wrong with mine. when I start it I put full choke out then start it then push it all the way in and it's quits. Then I start it again with full choke then start it and then I put the choke half way in and it runs good. I'm guessing it's not getting enough fuel. You might think what might be the problem? Thank mmrbeef
Does it only run with the choke half way out? If so then you might need to clean your carb and make sure there is no trash in the carb. If you can eventually push the choke all the way in your engine just might be a little cold natured... .some of them are.
He is going in the right direction , by checking things, not guessing what could be causing the low power, hunting and poor dynamic performance.... The valve noise is a good observation. The valve adjustment would be a good thing to do , but before doing that, and stripping the intake off and removing the sheet metal, try to find a vacuum leak, first. That oil spray that he found first, might be coming from something directly connected to the MAP. Like part of a leaking PCV system. Sometimes, oil misting is because of excessive combustion blow-by, that could be caused by stuck rings in the piston grooves... This sticking of the rings could be caused by carbon build-up in the combustion chambers and infrequent engine oil & filter changes. A good crankcase flush, engine oil & filter change along with Rislone oil detergent in the new engine oil could do wonders here, with reduced blow-by, better compression and reduced oil burning in the combustion chambers.Those spark plugs did look pretty dark & oil fouled, no evidence of anti-seize on the threads either... Another good thing to check, in this situation, would be the ignition points & condenser... Sometimes , they wear out or just need cleaning. I have heard more than once, that these Onan Twins have been known to develop problems with loose valve seats. These could be the cause of compression loss issues, that just never seem to go away... Until they are addressed. I had a kart , many moons ago that had a 5hp (12 cid) Briggs & Stratten engine that had barely over 65 lbs of compression... This engine was NOT equipped with the 'Easy-Start' compression release either. I pulled the head off and saw small gaps between the seats and the block (this was an L-head engine, like these Onan's were too). I pulled both valves out, easily pulled both loose seats out and cleaned the seats and the recess"s in the block where they sat, with red Scotchbrite & Naptha (lighter fluid), then put JB-Weld in both recess's where the seats came out of. I wiped the excess JB-Weld away and re-instalked both valves with their springs to center the seats and let the JB-Weld cure in the Hot Sun for 3-days... Then, I lapped the valves in their Re-fastened seats and put the head back on to do another compression test... This time, the machine developed over 110 psi... The engine was easier to start and really came back to life... The JB-Weld repair worked VERY well... I thought the exhaust seat would come loose again, but apparently there was enough heat transfer to allow it to survive...
Correct, the question becomes why is there so much oil residue to cause that much dirt to stick in a short period of time? Maybe it is as simple as too much excess oil on the pre-cleaner but if it not that simple the oil residue is coming from somewhere. Just have to establish where.
Loose valve seats in the P series is an occurrence. However, the sound the engine is making isn't nearly as bad as the couple of loose valve seat I have heard in the past and the compression test being similar makes me think the valve seat is probably not loose... but we will eventually find out. Stay tuned.
@@mmrbeef I was going to ask the same thing. I'm going to look at a 318 guy thinks its an 85 with 600 hrs on it seems low to me for an 85 and so if its got 90 on both sides I'm going to call bull shit meater has been unplugged for a while . He wants 1400 is that fair if the motor checks out and tranz isn't leaking? Its got the 46" deck
I like the process you go through to analyze the situation. Very informative. I look forward to the next installment.
I just had a 318 given to me by my wife's family who are a bunch of farmers. Little did I know how great this garden tractor is till I started doing some research. I love my 318. I am looking to restore it (not that it doesn't run). I just want to make sure I know some things before I get into anything. Great video. I love the detail.
I love diagnostic videos in length like this
Thanks for the feedback.
I rather see the process or as much as you want to show, rather then the explanation of the fix. I really like your videos , been a long time fan.Keep em come... Have a fine one
I have oil in my air cleaner box, lost power in my right cylinder, oil over the top of the right cylinder.. and strangely the right cylinder has good compression. Thanks so much for putting this video together.
Love the detailed format, even the goofs. All teachable moments! Thanks for the efforts on these, so helpful!
you prolly dont care but does anyone know of a way to log back into an instagram account?
I somehow lost the account password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me
@Kylo Joseph instablaster :)
@Louie Graham Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Louie Graham it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thanks so much you saved my account!
@Kylo Joseph happy to help xD
Definitely like the longer format on your diagnostic and repair videos. Mostly because I find you share more of the experience info that the manuals don't have. Interested to see what the valve lashes are when you pop the covers. I'm hoping you get outta this with a decarbon and adjust !!! Fingers crossed !!
I second this comment
Thanks for the feedback! I think we are all interested to see what the valves look like!!!!
@@mmrbeef im wondering if the caps came off the lifters
Looks great, not skipping through. Talking while doing seems to work for most of it.
I like the longer videos- even the screw up parts like getting the wrong socket. I compare it to Andrew Camarata videos where he sometimes puts out a 2 hour video on washing a truck. They're just really interesting for some reason.
Oh I screw up like that all the time..... I'll just have to be a little more careful with my language as I wonder around looking for tools!
Like your "complete" video format...
Before finish watching the whole video...
Uh oh!!
cylinders got the egg shape going on
P. S Thanks for a longer video
Since leak down not bad, I'm thinking camshaft, or valves just so far out of adjustment its not letting enough air in to get enough to compress. .?
Buddy im a Harley mechanic , and i can help you with one thing. The carbon on the threads of the spark plug indicates heat range of the cylinder. Ideally you want the carbon to go up approx 4 threads . The more threads the carbon goes up the hotter the cylinder is . So the passenger side or right side had carbon higher on the threads and notice it had more compression , which indicates a more efficient fuel burn, or possibly a lean condition ,however looking at the plug that is not the case of a lean condition,, or simply the right cylinder is not getting enough air flow across it causing the temp to be hotter so the metal is getting hotter and expanding more letting more carbon past the threads hence the higher carbon mark...plugs are amazing things they can tell you so much about how the engine is running . Retarded or advanced on the timing can be seen on the back side of the electrode ,, lower the carbon mark the more advanced it is, the higher the mark the more retarded , ideal is the mark is even with the porcelain in the center of the plug that holds the center electrode..i actually taught a class on this at dealerships in my area..hope this helped in understanding what the plugs were doing...
My 318 runs fine, but what would cause my mower deck to disengage after an hour of mowing? Sometimes it disengages and then the whole tractor stalls out. I let it sit a minute and the pto engages the mower deck again, but then mower deck disengaged again. I thought maybe it was overheating, but don't believe that's the issue. Any guidance is appreciated!
Could be the intake manifold. They are two piece and some time leak causing that hunting issue. They can be re sealed though.
An intake test is on the list before I dig into the valves. I'm not really sure what caused the hunting shown in the video.... first time this engine has ever done that.
Working on my father in law's old 316, B43E. He had this thing sitting outside for probably 20 years. I have so far replaced: starter motor, every switch related to ignition and starting, spark plugs, points and condensor(both plugs and points gapped), brand new carburetor, known good battery, changed all fluids and filters, new gas line from tank, electric fuel pump, inline filter. Won't run at all, although I did have it pop over a bit on starting fluid last time I worked on it, probably last year. Gas has Startron in it. I have spark, I have gas, i am getting some smoke out of exhaust cranking it, but it doesn't want to fire. And when it does, I get backfire out of the carb. Stuck valve? Any suggestions what else I can do aside from a leakdown test?
There something wrong with mine. when I start it I put full choke out then start it then push it all the way in and it's quits. Then I start it again with full choke then start it and then I put the choke half way in and it runs good. I'm guessing it's not getting enough fuel. You might think what might be the problem? Thank mmrbeef
Does it only run with the choke half way out? If so then you might need to clean your carb and make sure there is no trash in the carb. If you can eventually push the choke all the way in your engine just might be a little cold natured... .some of them are.
He is going in the right direction , by checking things, not guessing what could be causing the low power, hunting and poor dynamic performance.... The valve noise is a good observation. The valve adjustment would be a good thing to do , but before doing that, and stripping the intake off and removing the sheet metal, try to find a vacuum leak, first. That oil spray that he found first, might be coming from something directly connected to the MAP. Like part of a leaking PCV system. Sometimes, oil misting is because of excessive combustion blow-by, that could be caused by stuck rings in the piston grooves... This sticking of the rings could be caused by carbon build-up in the combustion chambers and infrequent engine oil & filter changes. A good crankcase flush, engine oil & filter change along with Rislone oil detergent in the new engine oil could do wonders here, with reduced blow-by, better compression and reduced oil burning in the combustion chambers.Those spark plugs did look pretty dark & oil fouled, no evidence of anti-seize on the threads either... Another good thing to check, in this situation, would be the ignition points & condenser... Sometimes , they wear out or just need cleaning. I have heard more than once, that these Onan Twins have been known to develop problems with loose valve seats. These could be the cause of compression loss issues, that just never seem to go away... Until they are addressed. I had a kart , many moons ago that had a 5hp (12 cid) Briggs & Stratten engine that had barely over 65 lbs of compression... This engine was NOT equipped with the 'Easy-Start' compression release either. I pulled the head off and saw small gaps between the seats and the block (this was an L-head engine, like these Onan's were too). I pulled both valves out, easily pulled both loose seats out and cleaned the seats and the recess"s in the block where they sat, with red Scotchbrite & Naptha (lighter fluid), then put JB-Weld in both recess's where the seats came out of. I wiped the excess JB-Weld away and re-instalked both valves with their springs to center the seats and let the JB-Weld cure in the Hot Sun for 3-days... Then, I lapped the valves in their Re-fastened seats and put the head back on to do another compression test... This time, the machine developed over 110 psi... The engine was easier to start and really came back to life... The JB-Weld repair worked VERY well... I thought the exhaust seat would come loose again, but apparently there was enough heat transfer to allow it to survive...
I just bought my neighbors man I cant wait to dig in
The dirt in the air filter is from the flywheel picking it up and it goes in there
Correct, the question becomes why is there so much oil residue to cause that much dirt to stick in a short period of time? Maybe it is as simple as too much excess oil on the pre-cleaner but if it not that simple the oil residue is coming from somewhere. Just have to establish where.
mmrbeef dont you think it would have an oil leak then? I can’t really say because i can’t feel it to feel what it’s like though
Valve seats I bet have come loose. Think I've heard of this happening to Onan engines.
Loose valve seats in the P series is an occurrence. However, the sound the engine is making isn't nearly as bad as the couple of loose valve seat I have heard in the past and the compression test being similar makes me think the valve seat is probably not loose... but we will eventually find out. Stay tuned.
How many hours are on the meter?
On the 318 itself about 950... on the engine ~1150, since the rebuild... ~40 (I think)... I can't find my notebook I wrote all that down in.
@@mmrbeef I was going to ask the same thing. I'm going to look at a 318 guy thinks its an 85 with 600 hrs on it seems low to me for an 85 and so if its got 90 on both sides I'm going to call bull shit meater has been unplugged for a while . He wants 1400 is that fair if the motor checks out and tranz isn't leaking? Its got the 46" deck