jstand wrote: The reason you may still get spark while cranking with a bad oil pressure sensor is that the system may have a bypass to allow spark while cranking before pressure has a chance to build. Similar to the way automotive point ignition would bypass the resistor to the coil while the starter was engaged to ensure enough voltage to fire.
well if it did that then it would fire, yes?
Yes, but only while cranking if the bypass was part of the starter circuit.
Depending on whether is sounds completely dead when cranking, or like its trying to fire while cranking but doesn't actually start would be an indicator.
I only put the oil pressure switch out there as something to check for, I'm not sure if that motor has one.
volvoclearinghouse wrote: I've already bypassed most of the safety cutoff switches. I can get off the tractor while it's running, going backwards, with the blades engaged.
say what? 
No safety switch on the seat ? Had a weird one once. New small tractor. customer kept saying how it kept cutting out. Tried it myself, worked fine. customer called, said it was still cutting out. So I went to see what was going on. His 8-9 yr. old son was driving and was not heavy enough to hold the seat down, he would bounce. Seat had two springs, I removed one. Problem solved.
Yeah no seat switch. Bypassed.
Update: Yesterday I unscrewed the solenoid from the bottom of the carburetor. I took an angle grinder and removed about 1/4" from the plunger of the solenoid. Screwed it back in, tractor fired right up. It NEVER fires right up. Today I went out to the tractor, gave it choke, and it fired right up. Wow.
Only problem is, the ignition switch seems to kill the engine via de-energizing this solenoid, rather than interrupting the spark. So, in order to shut the engine off now, I have to shut the choke. shrug At least the bloody thing starts and runs.
Of course, while I was driving it today, I got a flat in the front right tire. facepalm
Yep, those solenoids do fail. They are there to shut off the fuel when you turn it off so it won't backfire. The engine should shut off even with that solenoid not working, the kill wire from the coil may have come off/disconnected or something like that.
Time to un-winterize the 265 for the spring...I wonder if it'll start? ;-)
Just bought a Yanmar 18hp diesel compact utility, 4x4. No mowing deck, but if this JD keeps giving me fits this year I'll use the bucket on the Yanmar to smash it and then go buy a finish mower for the Yanmar.
You do know that Yanmar made the small tractors for John Deere don't you?
If it doesn't start, let me know. I've got an old 185 with a shot deck. Between the two, I might be able to make something useable.
spitfirebill wrote: You do know that Yanmar made the small tractors for John Deere don't you?
That's why I bought the Yanmar, it's basically a JD. And diesel. 1011 Hours, and starts/ runs like a champ. The only thing electrical on it is the lights and horn.
This freaking 265...gah. I might take you up on your offer, foxtrapper. I think the last thing I haven't tried is the coil, which I'm going to replace this weekend. I found a shop up in Littlestown that I get my parts from (cheaper than Finch's)
Are you an 8'er or a 7'er? (Westminster zip code joke) ;-)
Laughing, anyone is cheaper than Finches.
Have you discovered Western Parts there in Westminster? They're just to the left of Bowens Feed Store. Walk past the furniture and clocks and you'll discover a very good small engine supply counter.
I called up Littlestown Larry on Friday, and asked him if he could get me the coil for the 265. He called me back in 5 minutes and told me he had it in stock. $62.
Larry is about 80 million years old and has no use for small talk. I don't think he has much use for anyone younger than him, either, which is pretty much everyone. Especially me. When I called him to ask about the coil, he asked me as gruffly as possible if I was sure it was the coil. I reminded him that he told me last year (when I'd confronted him with this problem) it was either the ignitor or the coil, and I'd already bought a new ignitor from him. I guess I passed the test, so he sold me the coil.
Put the new coil in Saturday morning...and then had to remove the engine cover again when I was done, as I remembered I'd forgotten to attach the hot wire to it...put it all back together, and the 265 fired right up. I went ahead and moved the back field with it- an acre of foot tall grass and brush that had been growing since last fall. Finished the whole thing with nary a hiccup.
I'm guessing what was happening throughout this whole thing was that I had a weak, but not totally failed, coil. This weak coil let the tractor start, sometimes, if the mixture was just right and the battery was fully topped off...and then it would get hot and cut out. But, pulling the plug let the coil fire it in the open. I've heard that a weak coil will do that, too.
So remember, it's not just whether you have spark or not!
I love that joke.
Be aware too that a weak charging system and low battery tends to lead to weak peak power and backfiring under load. For the same basic reasons. The fully self charging magneto systems don't suffer from this, but the charged ones can and do.
The Amp light does flash occasionally. But the battery's always had plenty of oomph to crank over the engine. So I just figured the sensor was broken. I keep a trickle charger on it, too, when it's not in use.
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