# John deere 316 pto issues



## johnsnac (Jun 16, 2013)

I just brought home a 316 two days ago. I traded some labor and some $ for it. The older gentleman that sold it to me is retired and "fixes" lawn mowers and sells them. After talking with him a little I realized he does not know a whole lot about the machines. The guy he had working for him didn't do him any favors either
Everything seemed to work when I looked at it. Actually I was going to get a 300 but it wasn't working well so I "traded up". I got it home and realized the wiring to the control panel and lights was all unhooked as well as the seat safety switch. Not too big of a deal. The motor runs strong and seems good. The wiring seems to be kind of a mess.
My main issue is the pto. I checked the gaps and set them to .018 a bunch of times and then even went down to .016. The pto engaged for about 2 seconds the first time and then stopped. After that it did not engage at all. Then, yesterday, the pto seemed to work well for about 5 minutes of mowing and then shutoff. Once in a while it spins a little, but not enough to get the blades up to speed. Since then, no luck. I'm not super good with electrical stuff and voltmeters, but I'm sure I could figure it out.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Welcome to the forum John! I used to have a 316 that never really gave me any issues until the motor finally gave up. I wished I could offer you some advice, but simply cannot. However, there are some super savoy 316 guys on here. I know at one point I had to replace my PTO switch, but it wasn't giving me the problems you seem to be having. Good luck!


----------



## johnsnac (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll get a voltmeter and check the clutch power at various spots to see if it's getting juice. If not, I assume it's the switch. I'll try to be patient with responses. I am just excited to get mowing!


----------



## Dwisn (Oct 19, 2016)

Hello, new to forum but not to my jd 316. Rebuilt an old and abused 316 (16 hp onan), been runnung ok until recently. Pto works fine when cold and will continue to run when hot but if i switch off & try to switch on, will not operate. I must let it sit for about an hour then it will restart when switched on. I'm puzzled? Any ideas? Relay maybe? Thanks Don


----------



## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Welcome to the forum,johsnac !
It certainly sounds like the PTO switch isn't letting the pto get full power.
Test the theory by probing the pto connector,nearest the pto,and watching it as it engages.
If it loses power,it's most likely the switch,connector,or wires.
If it still has full voltage,but still kicks out,it's most likely the pto,itself .

Dwisn,
welcome,also....however you should have started your own thread,in this section.
As for your problem, it sounds as if the pto windings are bad, and you may need a new PTO.


----------

