John Deere 212

secondtry

secondtry

Tractorologist
Senior Member
Member
Posted Today, 10:08 PM



Last fall i bought a John Deere 212. with Kohler K301. The seat is basically rotted of. the glass on the amp meter gone, the gas tank full of water, coil dead, entire fuel system dirty. Addressed all this last fall before the weather went south excepting the seat and amp meter. Got it running but not good. It got set aside for the winter.
So got it out today to start again. Got it primed with fuel and fired up. At idle it sounds good. As soon as I try to increase the rpm it begins to stumble. Removed the carb again cleaned checked float, needle and seat. No change. Pulled the carb again checked it over and found nothing Installed it again and still no change. I know doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is the definition of insanity.
I can adjust the idle mixture screw for a nice idle. If I back off the idle speed screw the engine will slow to a very low idle and eventually die. When properly adjusted it idles smooth and quiet with the standard Kohler shake. As soon as I start to open the throttle it begins to stumble. It acts like it is only firing about every sixth or eight revolution. It then smokes like it is running rich which makes sense to me if it is turning several revolutions just sucking in gas air mixture without burning it. But also under those circumstances I would expect backfiring in the exhaust. I have swapped the plug with another running engine, neither engine changed at all. Spark appears to be good when cranking the engine. When I next play with it I will put my inductance timing light in it and see if that indicates a problem.
Any help a]or suggestions appreciated thanks.
Don
 
Last edited:
moisture in the coil wire?

I had one that wouldn't run, just stumble around, I pulled the coil wire off and see the inside of the connection on the top of the coil was damp. Sprayed it out with some electrical cleaner, and put it back together after it dried. Ran fine.
 
one note too. after chasing demons on my 854 wheelhorse, I rewired the whole tractor. some fresh copper solved the issues.
 
Cooking bacon now, cook 3 lbs at a time and then keep it in the fridge for a goto snack. I will get on to the tractor later. thanks
Don
 
Like others have said check the points and condenser. I had a mf10 with old techumseh that had points was running similar. When I checked the point gap it was too wide, adjusted to where it should be and runs great.
 
Kohler/ Carter carb, or Walbro? If it's a Walbro, replace it with a Kohler. I have one tractor out of my ten Deeres that has a Walbro and it runs rough above idle, all the others purr like kittens.
 
Posted Today, 03:06 PM



Update
When I checked for spark it was good. Every thing i buy any more I just automatically remove and clean out the fuel system. Crap gas.
I was always told when I was very young. Check electrical first don't mess with the carb until the electrical is straight 20 or 30 years of bad gas had me confused. I checked the points today they are garbage so parts run.
Kohler points 005.jpg
Amazing it ran at all.
Kohler points 007.jpg
It had good looking spark while cranking
Kohler points 006.jpg
Have new points now but side tracked again.
Kohler points 008.jpg
Thanks I will update when I get back to it.
Don
 
Last edited:
I got some time to work on mine today. Replaced the points and condenser, The condenser I installed was for a Chevy not a Kohler oem.

Set the points to . 020 plug to .025. I couldn't find an S in the hole at any time. Could just be tired eyes. The carburetor adjustment now has much more effect. It is now possible to set a very low and smooth idle. Still no good at high speed, better but not nearly acceptable.

I have to make a trip to town tomorrow to get food for the food bank. I hope to get back to this in the afternoon.

The document in post number 11 it says "set spark plug point gap to .020" and readjust the carburetor for peak performance". Since this makes no sense and a spark plug has no point gap I believe they must be trying to say adjust the ignition point gap to .020.

The document in post 11 also says "kohler replacement. Use of the correct spark plug and gap setting is also important. The specified plug is the champion H10/RH10, or equivalent, gaped at 30" (.9mm). Failure to follow these recommendations erratic high speed ignition misfire or cutting out under load". This sounds very much like my symptoms so I have a direction to move.

I have to guess that this illusive S that I am looking for is on the flat edge of the flywheel near the engine. I will try again to find that also.

Don
 
Ok plug gap is now 30 that helped some. cleaned the head and piston.

20200425_1844171.jpg

It needed it.

20200425_1844271.jpg

Found a mark in the cylinder but can't feel it with my fingernail.

20200425_1900531.jpg

Still haven't found the s I might have to hire some better eyes. With all I have done I have made marginal improvement.



List so far.

Clean fuel system.

Replace coil and plug wire.

Replace points. Set to 20.

Cleaned cylinder and head.

Ran out of daylight.

Don
 
Back out playing. Searched for the S for another half an hour, no luck. Different known good plug wire, no change. Play with carb adjustment, not much difference. Since I couldn't find that S to save myself I decided to improvise. Removed the point cover, started the engine and adjusted the points with it running. Timing by ear. Started closing up the point gap and it improved drastically. Adjusted it for best sound and it now sounds very nice. Tightened everything up and then checked the point gap. .009" So .011" under normal. Any one have a guess what could cause this. All I could think of is worn out cam lobe for point plunger. Never actually measured the lift on the valves but it looked good. Any way it sounds good now.

Don
 
Yep. Seen that before and never figured it out. But. All of a sudden I had this thought. Would the cam and crank gears be wearing to cause this. Or are the bearings of both worn to cause play which would change this. Just guessing.

Noel
 
Well it was running good so I started setting up to mount a small back blade on it. Started out back to get the blade and it just quit. Checked the spark and that looks fine so back to pulling the carb. Evidently I didn't get the fuel tank and lines clean, there is now rust and crud in the carb. So I take the carb apart and clean it out again and find that the float is now full of gas. So I heat the float to get it to expel the gas and once it is dried out paint it with fingernail polish to seal it. Put it all back together and now it runs fine again.

This is the carb I have.

sort 010.jpg

sort 011.jpgsort 011.jpg

The float.

sort 013.jpg

I am obviously going to need a new float this one has considerable pitting from the carb sitting for a long time with water in it. Experience tells me that the fingernail polish will stand up for about a year and the deteriorated portion is to large to solder. It is a shame they have downgradedthe quality of the fingernail polish, it used to last forever.
Don
 
That is, without doubt, the first time I have heard or read a complaint about the lack of quality in fingernail polish when talking about carb work.

Congrats.
 
I don't see that you changed the condenser.
They can simulate poltergeists in the effect they have on engines.

Just my $0.02
 
MH81 said:
I don't see that you changed the condenser.
They can simulate poltergeists in the effect they have on engines.

Just my $0.02
Click to expand...
Yep put a Chevy condenser in it. Auto parts wanted $31 and change for Kohler condenser. Runs good now. In the mean time the governor arm fell of so had to adjust that. been working on a back blade for it.
Don
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top