John Deere 318 Onan B43G Tear Down P1

Part 1 for tearing down an Onan B43G. Trying to decide what I need to do with this engine.

[@bigredgreg1]

I enjoy watching actual wrenching on a motor.

[@mmrbeef]

I figured most people would find stuff like this boring! Have no fear though. The next 30+ minute installment will go live tomorrow morning at 5:00am central time.

[@artszabo1015]

Thank you very much, that was very informative. I am looking forward to the follow up video. I have a 92 318 with 1500 hours on it. It runs and mows like brand new, I have done a lot of work to it. I also have a 140, a 110 and a 212 with factory hydraulics. Art

[@polarizedoutdoors]

I always enjoy your videos. I kept hoping the electric torque wrench would come out at some point and I was not disappointed

[@jimbennett1519]

Fun fun fun. Looking fwd to the next chapter

[@mmrbeef]

Next installment goes live Monday morning (3/8) at 5:00am central time

[@garymallard4699]

The starter is easy to remove once you get the flywheel tin out of the way...yes one bolt is harder but it still is simple....check that it is not sticking from crud / greasy crap and test it when off...Put a Ground cable from a Battery to the case of starter and Positive to terminal....it should spin easily and the pinion should go out and return when power is removed....the gear might be worn or chewed up from abuse ( starter side )..they are easy to replace... if it is turning slow or irratically working...check that the brushes aren't worn down and clean the contact areas on commutator...gently...lol...broken magnets can cause it to jam up too...depends on the starter type....sometimes the bushings or bearings can be seized up...usually they are fixable at a fair cost and wirth trying to determine that problem...check your solenoid is working too before you think the starter is No Good ...always test and inspect before firing the parts cannon...i keep old parts as many times i need something to fix a good part....saved me many times in repairs

[@jessekooistra6200]

I have a 316 with a P series when I took the flywheel shroud off there was so much gunk it looked like it was molded to the shape of the flywheel. Had to use a scraper to get it all cleaned up. That one ended up being and oil pan swap because of broken starter mounts.

[@MichaelTJD60]

I have a couple B43G and B48G parts engines sitting on the floor in the garage awaiting teardown, and the P218G in my 318 is also waiting to be freshened up. These Onan's are fun to tinker with.

[@mmrbeef]

Yes, they are fun to mess with. My plan for this one at the moment is to get the parts cleaned up and see what I have then decide if it needs to stay apart or possibly go back together.

[@mackendw]

red green called. he wants his dip stick handle back.

[@robertbowling8393]

Lol .. I'm not usually brought to chuckles, but in your opening comments on the dipstick, I'm still doing it. I understand someone's 'ingenuity' in their skills ..... I have an 83 318, and either Onan or John Deere engineering dropped the ball on this frequently used feature .... the dipstick! I have a rule of thumb on any mower I have; I never start out to mow without equalizing tire pressures, a visual look at the hydraulic sight tube, and of course checking the oil. Of course, being at least a 2 step procedure, I get to go thru the aggravation of reaching the dipstick ..... Great fun indeed, esp with fat hands!! I too have thought of some sort of an extension ... I'll try to do better than the 'stellar' one this guy came up with! That was great. I'm still sitting here laughing. All kidding aside, I want to thank you for your JD videos. I own 2 318s and an old 210 .... Your videos are well presented and really are a lot of help. I'm in the process of going through the compete fuel system on the 83 in order to fix a surging issue. The lines are about complete, and now down to the pump, cleaning the carb and probably replacing the intake manifold gasket. From Ohio, thanx again for your videos!

[@garymallard4699]

I been rebuilding starters and alternators for 50 plus years...my Dad showed me how and it is so simple....parts are cheap and it isn't hard to understand how to fix them....

[@jimnelson7740]

Great video! I'd like to install a b43 in a Coot I have. Wishing I could find "footprint" drawings of that engine, with the mounting bolt holes, and the overall dimension so I could figure out if it would fit.

[@garymallard4699]

First thing i do is remove all the engine covers ( tin ) and clean it out...usually they are full of grass / dirt or Greasy oily Crud from leaks... seals can leak or gaskets too... not a sign of Big Issues in most cases....Duct Tape isn't a big issue either....most people are clueless on repairs or how engines work....and make simple mistakes on dealing with simple repairs....

[@garymallard4699]

I have a Plethora of Garden Tractors... 4 Roper / Sears GT from the mid to late 70's 2 Onan's and 2 Briggs. ..1 Onan is down with a Knock as the same in 1 Briggs ( which has a broken Piston Rod )... Onan's are Expensive to rebuild or get parts at reasonable prices...or get the part New as they are discontinued and not supported by Cummins....used parts are ridiculous to buy or hard to find... thus i bought a Chinese 420cc to repower one tractor this winter.. i can get those at reasonable prices ( around $400 sale and $500+ Regular price ) here in 🇨🇦 I still will consider a rebuild but it is actually not practical but is an option.... i also have a used 18 HP Kohler that i plan to inspect and test before deciding it's use or fate and bought a used 16 HP Kawasaki Industrial engine for engine $200 🇨🇦 but it is going into a used Chipper Shredder unit i bought for now...i might get a chinese engine and use the Kawi in one of my Tractors if it seems to be Running good enough ( it runs fine )...

[@MikeOrazzi]

Cool project.

[@davidshipulski4532]

I feel your pain! Trying to sell my 318 with a 44 loader but the starter went! I ended up cutting the bendixen so I could take off.

[@jessekooistra6200]

44 loader....where are you located?

[@davidshipulski4532]

@@jessekooistra6200 In New Hampshire.

[@davidshipulski4532]

The machine is solid! Only has 800 hrs.

[@jessekooistra6200]

Messaged you on Facebook

[@chadbain559]

I put spacer between case and starter gets it closer to flywheel and it don't eat the flywheel

[@garymallard4699]

The dipsticks for Onan's are hard to find and expensive if you do find one and someone repaired or modified one to fit that Engine... that is an easy fix ..

[@rickharless8779]

Is there any alternative to the ignition module on the P series and what is the fix for the loose valves seats?

[@glennplungis5743]

Oh how timely! I'm about to do the same on my '83 318. Mine is in better shape than that, but not much. 1400 hrs.

[@robertbowling8393]

Congrats on your ownership of SN 83 318!! We should start a club! Lol ... I bought one two years sgo, with 1,975 hours showing, and probably should have looked around a little longer. Its really a nice running old machine, but it IS costing slime maint! No complaints tho really .... It's a 318, and without a doubt just about the best thing in its class that Deere ever made.

[@natisandronicus]

That dipstick 😂. Glad you’re still messing with the 300 series.

[@mmrbeef]

The application of Gorilla glue was impressive.

[@buder5116]

oooh an onan i rebuild 1 2 year ago :D it got rained inside and out and started to rust 1 piston was full of rusted mud and carburator full of white stuff to be cleaned couln'd figure out the real variant of this engine though i found all the gasket those gasket cost an arm :S

[@jordanc1910]

So I have this exact mower and model. It runs perfect but I am thinking about deleting all the tins… what do you think ?

[@mmrbeef]

The tins are very important for keeping the engine cool. Without the tins there is no way to direct air around the engine and it will get hotter during operation leading to a shorter life.

[@jordanc1910]

@@mmrbeef appreciate that input I didn’t realize that! Thanks and one last question here.. my deck has took a squat you got any websites or links to deck spindles. Can’t find em for the 318 anywhere

[@hunter7476]

There’s a junk 318 at the mower shop I work at and it has a b43g that apparently have both con rods snapped due to a major mouse nest Is it possible I can fix it and are connecting rods and gaskets even available other than common maintenance items like air and oil filters for Onan engines any feed back would be appreciated

[@mmrbeef]

Most major parts have plenty of availability. Boomers Onan is a great source for all parts. Give Boomer a call and he can help you out with just about any part you need. Filters can be cross referenced from Deere to Wix or purchased at Deere, which I find to generally be cheaper.

[@hunter7476]

@@mmrbeef thank you I will try that

[@samuellemaster4360]

Where do you get your rebuild kit for the b43g

[@mmrbeef]

The best advice I have is to give Boomer at Boomers Onan a call - boomersonanparts.com/ With these engines a kit is often NOT the best way to proceed. It is a good way to waste money on unneeded items. Tear down the engine, determine what you need, order parts, reassemble.

[@Dillon-Bowman76]

Would you have a B43G for sale.

[@mmrbeef]

Sorry I don’t at this time.

[@jamesyurkovich2506]

Good camera work but your narrative has way too many “uhs” and “ums”.