How to Adjust a Clutch on a John Deere 314

The John Deere 314 is a retired riding lawn tractor manufactured by John Deere that features a Kolher K341 gasoline engine running at 14 horsepower. The engine features a clutch that helps to control the movement of the mower blades by providing power. This clutch can become damaged, requiring adjustment or replacement to get the John Deere 314 tractor back to a proper operational state. Fortunately, you won't need a professional or a background with operating on Kolher engines to adjust and repair your mower's clutch.

Socket wrench
Flywheel pulley
Rubber mallet
Replacement clutch shaft

Instructions

- 1
  Park the John Deere 314 tractor and power off the engine. Allow several minutes for the engine to cool.
- 2
  Open the front hood over the engine. Look to the top rear of the flywheel. The flywheel is distinctive in that it is a circular part with an iron cover that is held in place with multiple bolts. Remove this cover by first taking out the bolts with a socket wrench and then pulling the cover off the flywheel.
- 3
  Set the flywheel cover aside and examine the flywheel. There is an additional bolt at the center of the flywheel itself. Remove this bolt with your socket wrench.
- 4
  Position a flywheel pulley over the exposed John Deere 314 tractor's flywheel. Position the pulley so that its two arms reach just over the outsides of the flywheel, then tighten the pulley's center bolts with your wrench to pop off the flywheel with pressure. Set it aside.
- 5
  Remove the oil pan on the very bottom of the John Deere 314 tractor by using your wrench to remove its bolts. Removal of the oil pan grants access to the bottom of the tractor's clutch shaft. Removal of the flywheel already granted access to the top of the clutch shaft.
- 6
  Check to ensure the clutch shaft has been properly secured. There are numerous bolts along the shaft that secure it in place, and if any of these bolts have loosened it may have compromised the clutch. Tighten these bolts by using your socket wrench to twist them clockwise.
- 7
  Remove the John Deere 314 tractor's clutch for replacement if the clutch's bolts were not loose or if your bolt adjustments did not fix the clutch's problem. Remove all the bolts along the clutch shaft with your wrench.
- 8
  Hit the top of the clutch shaft with a rubber mallet to dislodge it from the Kohler engine. You will need to strike just below the removed flywheel.
- 9
  Position a replacement John Deere tractor clutch shaft by sliding it into the space vacated by the old one. Insert the shaft bolts into the new shaft using your wrench.
- 10
  Follow your oil pan and flywheel procedure in reverse order to reassemble your John Deere 314 tractor's engine.

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