I have a Honda 3813 Lawn tractor that I got used about 1 month ago and just
finished putting new bearings in the mower deck, and I have a question.

How much does the average lawn tractor slow down when the deck is engaged?

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.
After I fixed the deck it turns easily by hand, but the engine seems to
strain.

How does your lawn tractor run??

Todd

You have posted to the wrong newsgroup. Regulars in this group have no
experience with internal combustion engines or anything else invented
since 1827.

Todd wrote:
I have a Honda 3813 Lawn tractor that I got used about 1 month ago and just
finished putting new bearings in the mower deck, and I have a question.

How much does the average lawn tractor slow down when the deck is engaged?

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.
After I fixed the deck it turns easily by hand, but the engine seems to
strain.

How does your lawn tractor run??

Todd

"Todd" wrote in message
...
I have a Honda 3813 Lawn tractor that I got used about 1 month ago and
just
finished putting new bearings in the mower deck, and I have a question.

How much does the average lawn tractor slow down when the deck is engaged?

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.
After I fixed the deck it turns easily by hand, but the engine seems to
strain.

How does your lawn tractor run??

Todd

Todd, we've had a 3813 since about 1984 and it's done just fine until last
year. What you're describing is an older engine that's losing compression
when put under strain, and that's exactly what ours has done. The engine
needs rebuilding and new piston rings and probably a whole lot else. We
haven't done that yet, frankly because the parts are so darn expensive. (The
darn Honda stickers for the hood alone are $38 *apiece*, and when we checked
into replacing the starter, it was $300. We rebuilt it instead.) We'll use
it to spot mow in tight places the Kubota can't get to and to give the strip
by the road a bit more of a fine cut to please the unpleasable neighbors,
but the poor thing's just not long for this world. If you didn't put very
much $$ into the tractor in the first place, and you can do the work
yourself, it's probably worth rebuilding as they really do give great
service. But, if you have to pay to have it done, it's probably gonna cost
more than you paid for it in the first place.

Sunflower
MS 7b

"Todd" wrote in message
...
I have a Honda 3813 Lawn tractor that I got used about 1 month ago and
just
finished putting new bearings in the mower deck, and I have a question.

How much does the average lawn tractor slow down when the deck is engaged?

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.
After I fixed the deck it turns easily by hand, but the engine seems to
strain.

How does your lawn tractor run??

I have a Crapsman 25 hp with a 50" deck that bogged to a stop if not at full
throttle. I could pull the choke at the same time and it would not do this,
so I gave it a little richer mixture and it quit.

Todd wrote:

I have a Honda 3813 Lawn tractor that I got used about 1 month ago and just
finished putting new bearings in the mower deck, and I have a question.

How much does the average lawn tractor slow down when the deck is engaged?

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.
After I fixed the deck it turns easily by hand, but the engine seems to
strain.

How does your lawn tractor run??

Todd


Most all engines on lawn tractors or mowers are made to run (under
load) at one speed, full throttle. If it works OK there, nothing is
wrong. Of course if the speed govenor is screwed up, at full
throttle it could run too fast and blow the motor, or have too
little power when it needs it the most. Running it under a load,
like with the blades engaged, at slower RPM's will normally cause
the engine to overheat and fail prematurly.

Tono

In misc.rural Todd wrote:

When I engage the deck the engine slows down a lot. If it were not at full
throttle it would stall. When the deck is disengaged mower is strong as a
mule, and runs very well. It is a 13hp 2-cylinder water-cooled engine.

30 year old John Deere 140, 14 horse 1-cyl Kohler engine, 48" deck.
Slows down momentarily when I engage the electric clutch for the mower
deck, but goes back up immediately.

Does your engine have a governor on it? Is it working properly? I
would think that it should adjust the throttle position at the carb to
compensate for the added load (the deck). Look for something
between what you control (your throttle control) and the carb itself;
if there's something between and it's just directly linked from your
control to the throttle itself, that should be the governor.

Does the throttle plate linkage move (open) when you kick in the deck?

Dave Hinz