john deere G ain't right

Hi, looking for ideas why my G won"t run like it is supposed too. It will crank but acts like it is running on one cylinder. I don"t know whether I should mess with the magneto or with something else. I need some help.

First, before you take anything apart, make sure the weak cylinder is firing. Then, make sure it's getting fuel. If both of these check out, run a compression check. These are things you can't check after you take it apart.

one thing i have found is the valve adjusters loosen up to where the valve dont open right.might check spark plugs also,anplug holes for carbon build up closing up sparkplug.

Not knowing how familiar you are with 2 cylinder JD's, it may be that what sounds like a miss is actually the Rt cylinder "loafing" at idle..
If you remove the plug wire from for the Left cylinder while the engine is idling, it may well keep right on running on the Right cylinder..
That is entirely Normal...
The Left cylinder is the 1st to fire(Lead Cylinder) and then the Rt cylinder fires 2nd.(Trailing Cylinder)..
If is usually the Rt cylinder that fouls a plug because it may not actually get a enough fuel mixture to fire every time..
It is always a good idea to put New Plugs in, when diagnosing an engine problem on a JD 2-Cylinder..

Ron..

Got 2 of 'em so I know their moods (usually). A old G loafs along at idle just firing on the left cylinder all the time and the right one once in a while, and then kinda weakly at that, but when you put him in gear and pull him, he fires both his lungs and says D-Dut, D-Dut, D-Dut instead of Dut, Dut, Dut when idleing. That's 'cause they got a one barrel carburetor that feeds both cylinders and at idle it don't take much to keep the rev's up so the first or left cylinder gets the lion's share and the right one gets the leavin's. which isn't much at idle with no power demand. the plug's firing in there, there just isn't much to burn 'cause the left cylinder sucked most of it up. Now listen to a 60 or 70 idleing sometime, with their two-throat-one barrel-for-each-cylinder-carburetors they go D-Dut, D-Dut, D-Dut even at idleing and almost sound like they are laboring a little.
Now, if the old G misses on a pull, he might have a plug fouled. Over at the mag or distributor you can pull one wire at a time and see if both lungs are firing. If you find a missing one, hold the wire just a little ways off the seat in the cap and see if the missing cylinder starts firing...they often will if the plug's gettin' fouled. Anyhow, pulling one ignition wire at a time isolates the cylinder firing and helps you find the misfiring one. If the misfiring is ragged and "all over the place" it's points or condenser or bad cap or not enough fuel from bad carbureation...or a stickin' or burnt valve....hope not.....

thank you i'll try all that and let you know about my results..






macktater