# John Deere 318 blades will not engage



## lp284

Have 2 john deere 318s, on one the blades will not engage,Works ok when cold, But when it warms up you have to give it more gas or bump it, That works some times and other times it does nt.The pto light is on, On the other one blades will not engage at all, and no pto light. Worked ok last year, Thanks for any help.


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## Hoodoo Valley

No idea on your issues, but someone here will be able to help you out, and I'll certainly be watching just for my own knowledge, which is very limited!!! Welcome to the forums by the way. This is a great hangout, and I'm certain you'll love it here!!


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## Live Oak

Welcome to Tractor Forum lp284! What is the battery voltage output of the battery and charging system? Could it be a matter of low voltage? Sometimes the electric mower clutch will respond to a "percussion adjustment" if there is a bad connection after setting up all Winter.


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## Rattosh51

Yep, check battery voltage when running first, s/b around 13.5-14v when runnning at wide-open-throttle. If that's ok, the PTO clutch may need adjustment...there are slots on the clutch that s/b .018 inches away from the face of the clutch. Need a feeler gauge to measure...there are three bolts in a triangle pattern on the front of the pulley. Those are the adjusters. You have to adjust one, measure & adjust the next, etc, a few times until they all measure the same.


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## deere4692

Adjusting the clutch should be a regular item for maintenance. John Deere dealership did mine the first time on my 318. I since have learned the art of adjustment. Rattosh51 is correct on the procedure but some tips to help. I put the feeler guage (.018) in the slot between the drive plate and the driven plate. Tighten until the feeler guage feels like its clamped, then back off until it slides easily. Do that to all three and that brings them close together. Do it a second time and it helps to equalize the setting. There are always one or two that need a little more adjustment. The I check all three with just the feeler guage just to confirm that its like I want it.


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## bontai Joe

lp284 said:


> Have 2 john deere 318s, on one the blades will not engage,Works ok when cold, But when it warms up you have to give it more gas or bump it, That works some times and other times it does nt.The pto light is on, On the other one blades will not engage at all, and no pto light. Worked ok last year, Thanks for any help.


"Have to give it more gas..." When running the motor at less than full throttle, you are generating less electricity. The PTO is a high draw accessory and needs current to operate, especially if the gap is bigger than spec. I hope you are cutting at full throttle, or you are slowing down your cutting blade's speed, and not providing enough cooling to the engine or the hydro.


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## lp284

*Just a update for you all..*



lp284 said:


> Have 2 john deere 318s, on one the blades will not engage,Works ok when cold, But when it warms up you have to give it more gas or bump it, That works some times and other times it does nt.The pto light is on, On the other one blades will not engage at all, and no pto light. Worked ok last year, Thanks for any help.


Got the 318`s running like new. Just needed a battery for the one I got this Spring, The other one I`ve had for 20 years, And it was in a fire last we winter, Did not really hurt it that bad, Seat-Hood-steering wheel and paint, I done a frame off redo, Got the pto working, It was a Ground wire, And adjusted the clutch, Good for another 20 years, I didnt take a before picture but here it is now.


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## Crallscars

WOW, your restoration looks great, now you have to do some touch-up on your other 318


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## Gillgetter

*318*



lp284 said:


> Got the 318`s running like new. Just needed a battery for the one I got this Spring, The other one I`ve had for 20 years, And it was in a fire last we winter, Did not really hurt it that bad, Seat-Hood-steering wheel and paint, I done a frame off redo, Got the pto working, It was a Ground wire, And adjusted the clutch, Good for another 20 years, I didnt take a before picture but here it is now.


Very nice machines you have there ... I am jealous.... Are they for sale?
I have one now but would like another one.


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## Hoodoo Valley

They sure are tough! Looking great there LP284!


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## dangeroustoys56

PTO electric clutches are tempremental - a freind of mine has a JD, he had all kinds of problems with his PTO clutch ( it burned out) - he bot a used one to replace it.

I have a couple on my GT's - my 86 GT II languished for years outside ( i could tell from the rusty water that filled the upper intake/combustion chamber) - i tested the clutch and was surprised it still worked - i ripped out the rotten old wiring and rewired the whole tractor- works great.


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## Gillgetter

lp284 said:


> Have 2 john deere 318s, on one the blades will not engage,Works ok when cold, But when it warms up you have to give it more gas or bump it, That works some times and other times it does nt.The pto light is on, On the other one blades will not engage at all, and no pto light. Worked ok last year, Thanks for any help.


My 318 has done that for 10 to 15 years. It only fails when it is warm, Never when cold. I usually avoid turning it off when it is warm. If it fails I usually just throttle some and move the hydro trans from forward to reverse and it kicks in. I would assume it has something to do with a sticky clutch or contact inside the clutch system itself.


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## dangeroustoys56

On my GT, the original setup used a relay - i ditched that and ran a simple fuse - relays do wear out - that could also be the problem.


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