Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): JD317 PTO Clutch ?, circuit breaker trips, ogura clutch

Question
I have a JD317 hydrostat, Kohler 17 horse mower with the following symptom: After 5 to 30 minutes with the mower engaged (PTO) the circuit breaker trips. Only occurs when mower is on. Circuit breaker has been replaced. Have gone thru the electrical system and found the Ogura clutch p/n MA-GT-JD7 pulls 15.8 Amps at 1st, then drops to around 12.5 Amps before the entire engine shuts off. Wire from PTO clutch gets excessively hot before circuit breaker trips. This Amperage seems excessively high. What should this Amperage be? Can a misadjusted clutch cause this issue? I notice the coil on the outside has gotten hot and outer coating is discolored and breaking down. I appreciate any feedback to verify if the coil is the issue before replacing. Thanks, Matt.

Answer
 Hello Matt:

 Yes a MisAdjusted PTO Clutch can Cause the Problem you are Having. The Voltage is Not Supposed to be Over 13.5 when Enagged. The Charger is Overheating and Causing the Shutdown. The Coil is Heating up Because of the 15.8VDC that the Stator is Charging. What is the VDC when the PTO Isnt Engaged? The Voltage Regulator May be Bad, Allowing the Stator to Overcharge. You can View a Breakdown of this Mower at this Addy http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/servlet/com.deere.u90490.partscatalog.view.servlets.H... and Enter the Model Numbers 117. Hope this Helps. I am here if you Require more Assistance. Let me know what Happens, Please. Thanks.

 Good Luck

 Respectfully

 John