John Deere 320 Lawn Tractor quit running during mowing

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John Deere 320 Lawn Tractor quit running during mowing

Floyd	I was making a corner on my lawn, while backing up and squaring away there was a faint 'sproing' noise and the engine died and will not restart...has anyone got any ideas why? All help appreciated.
bontai Joe	When you say it does not restart, does it turn over as if it was trying to start? Does it make any different noises now while trying to start than normal? Does it now turn over faster than normal? A faint "sproing" noise I am guessing came from a spring that broke or popped off, and I'm guessing again, that it would have to be a medium large spring to be heard over the noise of the tractor and mower, unless you have exceptional hearing. If it was a valve spring, yu would no longer have compression and the motor would turn over real easy, but not start. A spring on the governor or carb linkage may also be the culprit, but I'd be amazed if you would hear that...... in reality, there aren't many springs directly related to the motor's operation.
Floyd	Thanks for responding,bontai Joe, The motor turns over and seemed to turn over faster at first so I checked the drive belt it was still on so I thought it might be the kill switches( a cut wire or a broken switch or a fuse) but all was normal I even took the mower deck off to check all of this out....one thing I haven't checked yet is whether the plugs have fire or not. I called the John Deere dealer and talked to a mechanic who thought it would be a $300.+ black box and wanted me to bring it in but my thought is to eliminate everything else first...what is your thoughts?
bontai Joe	I'd check if the plugs have a good blue spark, and at least do the thumb over the plug hole "test" to see if you have compression in both cylinders. Then, if the plugs both spark, you have compression, then a teaspoonful of gas in each cylinder to see if it at least burns that gas. Only takes 4 things to make an engine run, spark, fuel, air and compression.
Floyd	Thanks for your help. I'll check it out and post the results

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