John Deere 165 Deck height wont stay locked

[slowgsxr97]

Co worker wanted me to look at his John Deere 165 Hydro. The deck height with not stay locked in place. He said he way mowing and the deck just dropped to the lowest setting and wont stay locked, You can raise the deck with the big lever. but the little lever will not hold. I took some pics, I took the height adjustment cover off for the picture. What am I missing here? Any diagrams online, or anyone have a picture of there tractor?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mechanic mark]

48-inch Mower Deck Parts for LA165 see if any of these parts are missing, cracked, broken or worn out.

 

[TomM60]

Co worker wanted me to look at his John Deere 165 Hydro. The deck height with not stay locked in place. He said he way mowing and the deck just dropped to the lowest setting and wont stay locked, You can raise the deck with the big lever. but the little lever will not hold. I took some pics, I took the height adjustment cover off for the picture. What am I missing here? Any diagrams online, or anyone have a picture of there tractor?

Thanks in advance.


I have the same problem with my 165 height adjustment as well. I wish someone would give some advice about this problem. I took the fender deck off of mine and part number 13 in the schematics of the manual is just flopping around in the breeze. Something is mighty wrong but I can't figure out where the problem is.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Co worker wanted me to look at his John Deere 165 Hydro. The deck height with not stay locked in place. He said he way mowing and the deck just dropped to the lowest setting and wont stay locked, You can raise the deck with the big lever. but the little lever will not hold. I took some pics, I took the height adjustment cover off for the picture. What am I missing here? Any diagrams online, or anyone have a picture of there tractor?

Thanks in advance.


I have the same problem with my 165 height adjustment as well. I wish someone would give some advice about this problem. I took the fender deck off of mine and part number 13 in the schematics of the manual is just flopping around in the breeze. Something is mighty wrong but I can't figure out where the problem is.

Are you for real ?
You drop in on a 3 year old thread where the OP got no worthwhile responses because he posted trash and you ad drivel to it.
Part no 13 in what manual for what mower
LA 165
LX 165
D 165
X 165

Pick one any one just don't pick your nose at the same time

You have the mower in front of you we have words on a screen.
There was a good reason why the original post go no answers and unless you provide some useful information then this is likely the only reply you will get as well.
WE ARE NOT BLOODY MIND READERS
John Deer go to great lengths to rivit ID tags to several places on their tractors so people can look them up & find the correct parts so that would be a really good start.

 

[TomM60]

Are you for real ?
You drop in on a 3 year old thread where the OP got no worthwhile responses because he posted trash and you ad drivel to it.
Part no 13 in what manual for what mower
LA 165
LX 165
D 165
X 165

Pick one any one just don't pick your nose at the same time

You have the mower in front of you we have words on a screen.
There was a good reason why the original post go no answers and unless you provide some useful information then this is likely the only reply you will get as well.
WE ARE NOT BLOODY MIND READERS
John Deer go to great lengths to rivit ID tags to several places on their tractors so people can look them up & find the correct parts so that would be a really good start.

OK, so how's this: Model Number M00165X37452. For one thing I didn't know Deere made four different tractors with the same model number. Another thing this thing has been repainted and they went right over the tag with paint. I had to use degreaser to tell what model number after finding where the tag was at. By the way that tag is not riveted on the body, it's glued on and it took a while to find it under the paint. I also have a JD 420 and it's getting repowered the 165 is my back up tractor.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So is this the part 13 that is flopping around http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/servlet/com.deere.u90490.partscatalog.view.servlets.HomePageServlet_Alt
Cranky tabs have now worn off but please understand that we know nothing unless you tell it to us.
When you tack onto the bottom of another thread, people naturally assume you are talking about the SAME machine.
The post immediately above yours was mentioning a 100 series with a 42" deck
Thus the reply you were most likely to get is replace the spring part number 3 in this diagram http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/servlet/com.deere.u90490.partscatalog.view.servlets.HomePageServlet_Alt
There is nothing holding the ratchet plate in position other than the rod and spring pressure from the deck spring on the side

 

[TomM60]

So is this the part 13 that is flopping around ?
Cranky tabs have now worn off but please understand that we know nothing unless you tell it to us.
When you tack onto the bottom of another thread, people naturally assume you are talking about the SAME machine.
The post immediately above yours was mentioning a 100 series with a 42" deck
Thus the reply you were most likely to get is replace the spring part number 3 in this diagram
There is nothing holding the ratchet plate in position other than the rod and spring pressure from the deck spring on the side

Since I'm new on this site and I tried searching for the reason I can't see what your links I'm supposed to see instead of a search page, how do I see what you're talking about? I set up my browser to accept pop-ups for this site and still there is nothing but a search page. The only spring that I know of on the deck is on the other side of the frame of the tractor but there is nothing else unless there are missing parts some where. Plus this site says I need five posts before I can include links.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Since I'm new on this site and I tried searching for the reason I can't see what your links I'm supposed to see instead of a search page, how do I see what you're talking about? I set up my browser to accept pop-ups for this site and still there is nothing but a search page. The only spring that I know of on the deck is on the other side of the frame of the tractor but there is nothing else unless there are missing parts some where. Plus this site says I need five posts before I can include links.

Sorry, I was being lazy
Some times links directly to a JD parts search work & sometimes they don't
In any case, if you type 165 into that window then go down to item 2055 you should find your mower.
If you go down further you will find L 165 & X 165, these are both 100 series mowers with the JD "EDGE" deck
I am assuming you have the 38" deck although we don't know cause you haven't told us, See how hard we have to work in order to help you ?
So this is what I assume you have
View attachment John Deere 165 deck.pdf
It will download as a 3 page PDF the JD web search is designed to be difficult to stop people reprinting it.

And not this
View attachment John Deere 100 series deck lift..pdf

IF it is the former then check the plate itself, the teeth round off over time.
Also check that the latch part 3 in the first diagram.
It is held in place by the spring, part 9 in the deck lift handle.
All of this in under the turret / operator station/ dash whatever you want to call it so is a PIA to get at.

Search the forum for JD manual I am fairly sure there was a link to a downloadable copy of the 130 >185 series manual.

 

[TomM60]

Thank you very much, I have the PDF's downloaded. Tomorrow I'm going to take the fenders off again and have a good look at that plate. As far as I remember the teeth on it were good. From the day I bought that tractor this height adjustment didn't work, there wasn't even a handle on the threaded end of the linkage. The reason I took the fenders off was because there was a lot of noise coming from under the seat and I found the problem quick enough, it was the idler pulley, there was no bearing left in it. I went to the dealer and picked up a new one and put everything back together again with my son's help. I didn't look at the height adjustment that much because I didn't know anything about it and if there was anything missing under the tractor. I started looking for help online and there was no information until I ran across the pictures on this site. I do have a 38 inch deck and it's off of another 165 X because the other deck had too much wrong with it and I found a used one in good shape at a good price. Plus this replacement deck has grease-able spindles on it and the old one didn't. What I can remember of that plate with the height adjustment teeth on it the teeth were hanging down and not up. So it wasn't doing anything. I bought a new knob for the linkage and that's as far as I got with it. I don't know how I managed to cut with the way it was but it sure is hacking up my lawn the way it is. I also got the technical manual in the mail today. It is Technical Manual-1351 and it doesn't have any of the diagrams that you show and I also found online. I'd like to know what manual I should get that shows these diagrams. This manual is for the 130, 160, 165, 175, and 185 tractors but it has nothing about this height linkage in it. And it doesn't designate the models as the X model and doesn't even state any other models under the number 165. That's the reason I listed my question under just 165. Until I found that name plate under the paint then I knew what model it is. On the hood it only says 165 and that's what I went by. My guess is when this model was built it was the only 165 on the market????? As far as the engine goes, this tractor runs good and there's nothing wrong with the transmission. It just didn't cut well after I got it started this year. I had turned it over to a mechanic and he said he sharpened the blades and leveled the deck and was ready to run. Then I found a loose spindle on the deck and went after the one I found. I suppose I should have told the whole story long ago. I'm learning on both tractors that I have. I had my 420 repowered with a Vanguard engine and the minute I got it home I burnt up the front PTO coil on it. I got a replacement and it started burning even though I gapped it properly. Now we took that PTO completely off and I found I think what's causing the problem. The PTO is binding up because the installation kit has the wrong parts in it. I'm still boiling over what I paid for the kit and the engine but I'm learning to take care of things myself because some mechanics these days are not mechanics. It's funny I'm learning something new at the age of 70. ))))

 

[bertsmobile1]

TM 1351 is the correct one for your mower.
The only height adjustment information is how to take the parts off & replace them.
When you hang upside down from the rafters to get behind the dash you will see all the grubbins and if you get some one to work the levers a few times it will become apparent how the system works.
I could write 8000 words and you will be none the wiser till you see it in the flesh.
And once you see it in the flesh you will realise the photos originally posted were less than useless.

The parts diagrams I posted came directly off the JD web site, use the link in the post that did not work to get to the search page.
That page is difficult to get to off the public web sites cause they want you to go to a dealer.
the 130 to 185 are identical apart from the engine & deck size.