Recent 318 Purchase

The only issue that I can see with the mower deck is while the mower is engaged (full throttle) the middle blade seems to bog a bit. Is there a tensioner that needs to be adjusted? The seller told me that the mandrel didn't seem to be the issue.

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glc said:

Hi Ed
I have a 316 with the 50" deck. What exactly do you mean by just one blade "bogging"? Is the spindle stiffer to turn than the others? If that is the case,I'm thinking the spindle bearings are pretty much on their last leg. Normal hour life is roughly 500 on the spindle bearings,give or take. There is no tensioner adjustment. Just the spring that keeps eveything stretched. If you are planning to use your 318 for grass cutting,I would suggest getting what JD calls the "speed up" pulley to replace your main center one. It will give your blades a bit more speed. Every little bit helps on these older machines. Any other questions I'm glad to help. What T-Mo suggests (JD Parts) is a good idea also. Very nice of him to offer the pdf's too. You may also find a chute or a cover on eBay or Craigslist.


Greg

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glc said:

Hi Ed
Thanks for the compliment. It's not quite that clean now after cutting for 2 summers,but it,and the tractor definitely needed some TLC back then.
I would definitely replace those bearings,they are JD #9296 sealed bearings which are a popular size for alot of decks. At the time,they were around 7.00 apiece. You can find them on eBay a bit cheaper,but they will be China made. The ones from JD were (at the time when I bought them in 2010) made in Japan.I'll take those any day over the other ones.
The speed up pulley is #AM116141 ( current price 72.00). It's a good thing I decided to get it,because I destroyed the stock one removing it. The two end pulleys came off no problem,but that middle one was a bear. I also replaced the center spindle hub #M45273 ( current price 50.00) because the bearings came out just a little too easy which concerned me. It takes the most punishment. I was able to use a press,but I've read where a decent vise and the proper diameter "tooling" will do the job just as good. I also replaced all the snap rings #J2376M (current price 3.36 ea.). I gave the part numbers and prices in case you need them.

Glad to help

Greg

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Greg thanks for the info

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edmckna said:

UPDATE:

Well it took a bit longer than I was expecting but I finally got my 50 inch deck completely powder coated. Turned out awesome! Minus the (transport) lift arms having a bit too much powder coating around the holes and springs (yeah, they're bound together :tongue, everything turned out great. Since I bought the 318, I upgraded the Headlights to LED with the JDLED kit, bought a snowthrower, replaced front and rear rims & tires (V61's and Carlisle Tru Power), bought a seat cover and a great tractor cover. Such a great feeling to have hydro assisted steering Anyway I've got a few odds and ends that I'd like to see if you guys could help with.

1. When I took a look at the 50 inch deck shields I noticed that there was a small warp on the chute side and a substantial warp on the opposing side. This could have been from when I pulled it, could have been stepped on or the baking process from the powdercoater could have sent it out of whack. With a rag, a pair of pliers and good push from my right knee, I managed to get everything close. Since I do have a Power Flo system, the chute side shield has a heavy duty piece of weatherstripping that guards the Mandrel. Any gap will allow debris onto the top of the deck. I've come this far with it and really wouldn't want to half a** it. Is there weatherstripping available (specifically) that I could round both shields with? I know it'll make a huge difference with keeping debris out. The Stripping looks very similar to what was used for the engine partition. John Deere lists it as being cut 10 inches from the following:

John Deere ISOLATOR M89467

That would come out to a dollar an inch :thumbsdown:



2. Unfortunately the Powdercoater couldn't give me a guarantee that when he media blasted the deck that the Model Tag wouldn't bite the dust. I told him to just blast it off. I know that all of the decals are available for my deck are still available. Are there any vendors who sell replacement Model # Decals? (M01011x508158) It's a shame that it had to go since I know for a fact that the one off decals I had made for two of my Sears Tractor restorations can run $50-$60 for a one off shifter plate or Model # w/hood pinstripe (layout time/vectoring).

3. Did the Exhaust side Engine Panel come with any type of isolation ring to dampen the heat? I know that I saw a picture of Hammerdowns tractor and saw something that looked like it. JD doesn't show anything and I know that on my tractor the heat has caused some minor issues.

Thanks!!!!!! I can't wait to hop on and mow some lawn already :yahoo:

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And for Other's Interested in making a Chrome Tail Pipe Exhaust Tip. I Looked everywhere and could not Locate any Chrome Pipe with an Inside Diameter of 1-1/2" what you would need to Place the Pipe over the existing Muffler Tail Pipe. I did Not want mine any Larger in diameter as I would have had to Modify The engine side Panel Port where the Exhaust Passes through, so the 1-1/2" Inside Diameter Pipe served it's Purpose well I Found & bought mine at Home Depot. You will find it in The Plumbing section and it is called a Brass flanged chrome finish Tail Piece fitting. These are used under your sink when making the connection from the drain to The waste line. The cost of it is Modest at $3.79. I Bought the 6" One for my 318 to keep The waste & Price down. It is made of Brass then Chrome Plated. The one end will have a bell shape to it, that will Fit right up the the Onan Muffler base. Cutting the 45 Degree Bevel can be challenging as the Pipe flex's when attempting to Place it in a Vice. I chose to Place mine over the Onan Muffler Exhaust Pipe, Then I drilled an 1/8" Hole and Placed a nice stainless screw to secure it to my Muffler's Tail Pipe. I measured this chrome extension Pipe to be about 3/4" Longer than my existing Onan Muffler exhaust pipe.

By adding an additional length of 3/4" on your New Chrome Exhaust Tip it will allow your engine to Rid it's Rich Exhaust without Puking the Black Soot on your side engine panel that we commonly see on these 318's, as who ever made the muffler's for these Onan's did not make the Exhaust Tail Pipe Long enough to Begin with. Feel free to leave it longer if you wish in your Modification, I wanted mine close to The machine and wanted to keep it clean looking in my Modification, to Keep The Factory Lines & eye appeal. I did Not cut my Exhaust pipe as I figured if this did not work out {Possibilty of The Chrome Pipe Turning blue from heat later On} I would still have my Existing Pipe length on the Onan Muffler, No Harm No Foul just an 1/8" Hole in the tail Pipe to seal up. I then used some Masking Tape to Lay out the 45 Degree Bevel. By using the Tape it alow's for a nice even degree cut of the Pipe as well as Protect's the chrome on the Pipe should you slip with The Hack saw Blade. Once I got my Bevel cut, I used my Air Operated D-A sander to The face of the bevel with some 220 Grit sand Paper to remove the sharp edge left by the hack saw cut, and by using the sander it insures a dead even Miter when you are done. I hope this helps, and here is a Link to The Part needed to do this Job. For Less Than $4.00 you can Now add Some Very Affordable Chrome BLING-BLING to your 318. Regards, Kurt

DBHL 1-1/2 in. x 6 in. Brass Flanged Strainer Tailpiece in Chrome-H800-1 at The Home Depot

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edmckna said:

Hi folks, after a five year break, I'm ready to finish my 318 restoration. Are the decals still available online for this 50 inch deck? Any pics or examples where someone has replaced them and measured it out? What about model plate? Unfortunately, I had to let the powder coater strip everything off the deck and didn't think to measure or take pics ahead of time. Thanks!

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