Been tuning up my old John Deere 318 since we've had a few freak storms here in southern Indiana with branches all over the yard. Neighbor swears by his newer X350 for clean up but I can't let this classic sit. Anyone run into starter drag when it's hot and humid out?
Midsummer prep on the 318 before storms hit
- Thread starter 6-chan
- Start date
Starter drags when it's hot and humid. Its pretty normal as the heat can thicken the oil and slow things down. Checking the solenoid and cleaning connections usually helps. Newer models like the X350 are nice, but sometimes you just want to keep the classic running
evening-walk3624
New member
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- Jul 14, 2025
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- 1
That could be heat soak affecting the ignition coil or even vapor lock in the fuel line. Have you noticed if it cranks slower or just struggles to fire up?
ArianaVenti
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- Apr 8, 2025
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Yeeeep it happens to mine too once it's been running a while and sits hot. I added a heat shield near the starter and it's been way better since.
I've noticed it cranks slower when hot. Would heat soak affect the starter motor itself or just the ignition system? Also, where exactly did you install the heat shield on your starter? I'm hoping to get this sorted before the weekend storm forecast hits.
