Just finished a full rebuild of a Onan P220 and used your videos as a walk through. Now watching this. thanks for all the info man! Your appreciated.

Great video and accurate !! I rebuilt my first Onan 3yrs ago following YOUR video series !! Cost me a 3rd of what I was expecting and I used all new Onan parts. Built my own puller for the crank gear. That engine now has 350 hours on it and runs beautifully. I've since rebuilt another B and 2 P's. Absolutely love these engines.

Lots of great information here! This video should be a must-watch for anyone in the market for a 316/318/420. I'm not the biggest fan of repowers, despite the good reputation the newer v-twin engines have. In my opinion, it doesn't seem logical to spend a lot of money on a replacement engine (which is usually more expensive than rebuilding the Onan), and on top of that, having to modify the wiring, driveshaft, PTO clutch, exhaust, etc. to make the new engine work properly in the tractor. By rebuilding the original engine, everything is kept stock and unmodified, it may save the owner money in the long run, and the machine will still have character (they seem to lose character with a replacement engine in them).

Thanks for the great info. Well thought out. I love my 318 and especially the hydro control off the dash rather than foot control. I will consider all this if needed.

I agree on the rebuild cost. My '86 318 B43G recently threw a rod. Luckily, no other damage was done other than the broken rod. I was able to replace with all new parts, both pistons, rings, new style rods, head gaskets, oil pan gasket, new carb, fuel pump and all new fuel lines and tank pickups all for under $600. Fingers crossed, but it seems to run better than it has for a long time and hopefully it will be good for many more years. One rookie mistake I made was that I forgot to measure the ring gap when I installed the new pistons. I hope I don't have issues with that later, but it seems fine right now. Love my 318!!!

I prefer the onans over the newer engines because of the power and torque of the onan performer and the sound of a onan much like the Detroit diesel they have a special sound to them

That’s a really cool office

I agree with you on many of your points. I am also a fan of Onan engines from my experience with them in JD 316, 318, Bolens QT16, and generators.

Thank You great insight!

You are the most knowledgeable man I know about 326/318. Any chance you can tell me where the oil sending switch is located on a 316? P218 Onan engine. Please sir

Yep, it's hard for me to value a repower over the original OEM engine, I'd always choose to rebuild or refresh if I could

I'm never selling my 318, the B43G runs like a watch (I take damn good care of it). Once the Onan is dead or I get tired of how beat up my tractor looks, I'm re-powering with a Honda kit because I like spending money. Some people have home depot riding lawn mowers others have garden tractors....I'm part of the latter.

Just finished a repower...replaced a high time B43M with a freshly overhauled P220. I do intend to keep the tractor...at least till I'm too old to give a damn lol. It was not an inexpensive overhaul, but still far less than a repower with a new Honda or Kohler ($2400-$3700 CDN)...and the tractor still looks nearly stock and sounds "right".

A decent 318 is definitely worth a rebuild of the onan !

what's your opinion of the WIX filters on the onan engines? are they a good choice?? any thoughts?

I have a 1990 316 with the p218 engine. Where do you get your parts from, the John Deere shop near me is having a hard time get stuff just for a tune up kit

I had to buy the most expensive part on the engine p218g It was the ignition module I bought it brand new at Cummins total $122

I posted a video on my JD 318 with Onan P218 surging engine at higher throttle, cleaned carb, resealed intake, please advise? Thanks

I like onans but hate takin all them shields off when you have to do something lol lol

Hi my name is Steven I'm from Minnesota I came across a known engine just called came out of 1973 Melrose skid loader model 444 the motor was taken out of the skid loader cuz the owner wanted to put electronic ignition on it instead of points

The John Deere Tractor store by me gives out free Hot Dogs.

just rebuilt b43 3000.00 canadian 500 of this for machine, wk/ gaskets pistons rods,same oil pump,old crank,cam. Parts through cummins. Too much money, but i did it.

Hello! My grandpa recently died! I have a chose between 2 318’s and like I just don’t know what one to pick. And older variant and a newer variant. But rumor is that my grandpa rebuilt the newer one 100 hours ago but it also leaks out oil really fast! Also another One is the older variant. I know the newer one sounds clicky could be a valves or could be more. It also has a brand new clutch! Also the other 318 he had was older but backfires shortly after startup and barley gets going after you start it but if you shut it off it starts back up and then seems to run a bit better. I’m still not sure what one to purchase from them and how much they are even worth

$1200 on a rebuild kit for an Onan?!?!? I can buy an entire rebuild kit INCLUDING PISTONS & WRIST PINS for my 2000 Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder 3RZ-FE engine ( one of the most durable gasoline engines ever made by anyone ) for only $600 from LC Engineering....aka "LCE"......and LCE is hands down the very best source for everything Toyota, all of the best quality, whether they stock original OEM Toyota parts or upgraded parts they have engineered themselves, for: the 22r and 22re engines, the 3RZ/FE, and any other Toyota engine that is noteworthy of durability and/or performance. Man, they really charge a lot for tractor parts.

Where can you buy p220 valve seats

Compare the 300 series JD with today’s same style and spec you’ll go away crying

This is Steven again now the engine that he hadn't the skid loader the only in the skid loader it had on the back of the engine had a little cup Charbonier and express a little weights like you having a distributor for advancing the timing what is the purpose of these weights cuz when they're not on there is no timing light Mark or Flash and my dad had to remanufacture to new pegs weight back on