JD LX255 - Engine Fire - Trying to See if Salvageable
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I would bet the carburetor is badly damaged to the point it is no longer serviceable. From the JD Parts it shows the LX255 has three (3) carburetors depending on the Engine Model ..Serial Number.
The fuel pump is working as it is pumping gas from the tank, but, the carburetor functions are just barley getting fuel to the combustion camber. I would also replace the "whole" wiring system with a new wiring harness from JD Parts.
The fuel pump is working as it is pumping gas from the tank, but, the carburetor functions are just barley getting fuel to the combustion camber. I would also replace the "whole" wiring system with a new wiring harness from JD Parts.
Joined
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Hi All,
Quick update... Complete success!!
I tore down the carb yesterday. It was a mess, completely gunked up. The engine was running great before the fire, so I suspect the gunk was caused somehow by the fire. Good news all of the parts were fine. the needle, float and gaskets were all in good condition. I cleaned it up and put everything back together and now the engine is running perfectly and starting every time on the first turn.
I also replaced all the wiring that was damaged. I do all my own boat wiring so I had all of the crimp and heatshrink connectors I needed. I spliced the wires from the point before any damage and replaced all the connectors, including the carb solenoid and ground wiring. Everything is working perfectly. One exception, if the blades are NOT on I can get off the seat and the motor keeps running. If the blades are on, the motor shuts off. I'm thinking I might leave it this way. I don't use cruise control, so unless I'm missing something there isn't any risk in this scenario. I like ability to get off the tractor to open the shed doors without it shutting off. Is there a risk I'm missing in leaving it this way?
The traction belt replacement was easier than I anticipated. Getting the bolts on the pulleys loosened was the hardest part. Some PB Blaster and a pipe over my ratchet handle did the trick. Getting the belt to feed over the transmission fan was bit tricky, but spinning it helped. Wear goggles if you need to do this because all sorts of crap fell in my face while doing it.
The PTO clutch was fine. All my mower belts survived, but as I mentioned before, I had a drive belt ready to replace the existing one that was starting to fray so I did that too. All in all, this mower is in better shape than before the fire. I learned my lesson about keeping things cleaner under the engine. The day the fire happened, I had removed the 'upper' hood because it had cracked almost in half. So we were operating the mower with just the lower hood attached. Understanding that the upper hood probably protects the console wiring from excessive dust etc., is there any danger in operating the mower with just the lower hood? Is it at all possible that this contributed to the fire starting, or was that just a coincidence? I'm considering just rigging some plastic pieces to protect the console wiring and leaving the upper hood off. Any thoughts on whether that is a bad idea or not?
Once again, thanks to all of you that helped me get through this. Here are some pictures of the undercarriage as well as the carb. I will say that working on this LX255 was a pleasure compared to my Honda push mower. Getting the carb on and off is a breeze.
Thanks!
Rob
Quick update... Complete success!!
I tore down the carb yesterday. It was a mess, completely gunked up. The engine was running great before the fire, so I suspect the gunk was caused somehow by the fire. Good news all of the parts were fine. the needle, float and gaskets were all in good condition. I cleaned it up and put everything back together and now the engine is running perfectly and starting every time on the first turn.
I also replaced all the wiring that was damaged. I do all my own boat wiring so I had all of the crimp and heatshrink connectors I needed. I spliced the wires from the point before any damage and replaced all the connectors, including the carb solenoid and ground wiring. Everything is working perfectly. One exception, if the blades are NOT on I can get off the seat and the motor keeps running. If the blades are on, the motor shuts off. I'm thinking I might leave it this way. I don't use cruise control, so unless I'm missing something there isn't any risk in this scenario. I like ability to get off the tractor to open the shed doors without it shutting off. Is there a risk I'm missing in leaving it this way?
The traction belt replacement was easier than I anticipated. Getting the bolts on the pulleys loosened was the hardest part. Some PB Blaster and a pipe over my ratchet handle did the trick. Getting the belt to feed over the transmission fan was bit tricky, but spinning it helped. Wear goggles if you need to do this because all sorts of crap fell in my face while doing it.
The PTO clutch was fine. All my mower belts survived, but as I mentioned before, I had a drive belt ready to replace the existing one that was starting to fray so I did that too. All in all, this mower is in better shape than before the fire. I learned my lesson about keeping things cleaner under the engine. The day the fire happened, I had removed the 'upper' hood because it had cracked almost in half. So we were operating the mower with just the lower hood attached. Understanding that the upper hood probably protects the console wiring from excessive dust etc., is there any danger in operating the mower with just the lower hood? Is it at all possible that this contributed to the fire starting, or was that just a coincidence? I'm considering just rigging some plastic pieces to protect the console wiring and leaving the upper hood off. Any thoughts on whether that is a bad idea or not?
Once again, thanks to all of you that helped me get through this. Here are some pictures of the undercarriage as well as the carb. I will say that working on this LX255 was a pleasure compared to my Honda push mower. Getting the carb on and off is a breeze.
Thanks!
Rob
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15 Posts
Yes, I was considering doing this if there was damage. Everything looked good though and it cleaned up good as new.
Thanks,
Rob
Joined
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15 Posts
Also, the 'foot brake' rod is broken underneath (you can see it in the pictures). I assume this just shifts the transmission into neutral when the foot brake is depressed. I suspect this has been broken for a while. Everything seems to be working, what is the exact purpose of this rod? I don't think you can start the tractor with the forward or reverse pedals depressed. Is this for safety purposes?
Thanks,
Rob
Thanks,
Rob
Joined
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15 Posts
This was very helpful replacing the belt. Thanks Again!
Rob
On mine, with the PTO off, if I get off the tractor the engine will die unless I set the parking brake first. I can't start the engine unless I press the foot brake or have the parking brake set. I must be on the seat when the PTO is engaged or the engine will shut off.
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