john deere lx 279 spark issue

harvy

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Runs for 5 to 30 minutes then dies. Have ruled out a fuel problem. Has a weak spark, not enough to fire up when I sprayed brake cleaner in the carb. Could the switch circuit board have anything to do with this issue? Also how would I test the ignitor? Any help would be appreciated.
 

fender62p

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Jun 20, 2019
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Runs for 5 to 30 minutes then dies. Have ruled out a fuel problem. Has a weak spark, not enough to fire up when I sprayed brake cleaner in the carb. Could the switch circuit board have anything to do with this issue? Also how would I test the ignitor? Any help would be appreciated.
FIrst, I'm no mechanic, but hear me out.
I bought a used LX279 about 8 years ago. It had a cracked hood/body which I patched and nursed along for a while.
ON very hot days (80 plus?), it would stall after about 30 minutes of use.
I'd give it to my mechanic - he'd run it for hours, and it would work fine.
After 3 trips and many "shot in the dark" attempts by mechanic, I discover, my mechanic took the hood off the tractor when he used it, so he could immediately get to the engine if/when it stalled.
About the same time, the hood's crack became so bad, I took it off.
For the next 2 years, it ran fine with no hood - I figured my mechanic had it figured it out with that last filter/pump/coil/magneto/circuit card replacement.
So this spring, my wife is embarrassed running the ugly mower, so I buy a new replacement hood which I installed. Sure enough, 30 minutes of use on the first HOT day with the new hood, and it craps out?!!?

Sounds silly, but if your tractor is still stalling, please try removing your hood and try it. It and easy task - it just hinges on two pins and can be lifted AFTER you disconnect headlight wires.
It seems, in my case at least, the hood restricts airflow or something which causes the engine to shut down.
 
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