Mownie,

You were right on the dot. I was having a hard time understanding why the key wouldn't be on the axle if I couldn't find it on the ground anywhere. With the wheel weights on I couldn't see the axle turning so I took the wheel off and sure enough it wasn't there. When all this happened there was a lot of water on the ground from the melting snow. I used a towel to soak it up, scooting the towel to the side of the garage to dry. Guess what was under the towel...the woodruff key...Wow!!! It's the little things that really matter!

Thank you Mownie and rcbe for all the help.

This situation drives me to take extra care for this machine and appreciate how useful it is.

Glad we were able to help.
To answer your question " If the key fell out would both of the wheels not move or just the one?".
The differential gears (which are separate from the hydro unit) try to give each wheel 50% of the power coming out of the hydro. Ideally splitting the tractive load as "half to the left axle and half to the right axle". The problem with this is, in order for this to work.......each wheel must have about the same amount of TRACTION at the ground. Any loss of tractive effort at either wheel results in the differential shifting ALL of the power the the wheel having the LEAST traction. In your case, the wheel missing the key effectively had zero traction, so the power was all sent wastefully to that wheel system, and the tractor was no go.
Some Simplicity tractors have the Locking Differential (an option package) which, when enabled, locks both axle shafts together so that even when one wheel loses traction, the opposite side still has power, dramatically improving overall tractive effort.

avisk8 - glad that mownie stepped in and got yer prob solved. M/W, some add'l info for you: your tractor's full model # is 1690759 - the other number you gave us is for the 36" inch mower deck.
Take the correct mfgr's model number - go to the website below and d/l a free copy of the owner manual for that machine. On Pp 8, 1st para., you'll find detail on the hydro disconnect lever..where it's at and how to use it. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: simplicity manuals

Be sure that you regularly blow off any grass/leaf debris that can collect on top of the hydro unit. This junk, if left caked in place insulates the trans case and makes heat build up an issue.
ALWAYS operate the tractor engine at FULL RPM and use the hydro controls to adjust your ground speed. Don't reduce the engine RPM to move slow, instead use the hydro control to adjust ground speed.
The reason for this is that the trans cooling fan speed is relative to engine RPM, so you need that cooling fan spinning at Max RPM to get rid of heat transferred to the case by oil splash/spray inside.
When using a hydro equipped tractor for plowing or dozing snow you should be sure to give the hydro a chance to shed to shed some heat between each run at the snow. This can be done simply by backing up or doing your turn-around for the next pass at a slow ground speed instead of racing away at a fast pace for the next push. Also important is to let the engine run for a few minutes in neutral at Max RPM before you shut down after a plowing session. This will cool the trans oil down instead of letting it continue to "cook" in its own heat soak built up from the hard work. And it is very hard work.....for the transmission :^)

rcbe,

I do have the 36" mower. I read about the lever and thank you for the research great information.

Mownie,

Great tips. I will definitely pressure wash the casing/deck clean as soon as it warms up a bit.
I am also guilty of not running the machine at full RPM's when moving it, but will change my approach.

Both of you have inspired me to start a new thread called Useful Care Tips. Please feel free to post your great tips.

Be sparing in the use of a pressure washer as your mainstay for this type of maintenance. Pressure washers can force water into places where it should not, and would not otherwise enter. Only pressure was things that have no seals or wiring connectors. After any pressure washing the vehicle should be dried as thoroughly as possible before putting it away. Ideally the engine should be run about 5 minutes afterward to get rid of moisture that may have entered places on the taboo list.
A much safer way to do daily cleaning of the hydro to get rid of grass clippings and leaf debris is to use a "leaf blower" or compressed air wand.

This post was edited by mownie on Sat, Jan 5, 13 at 17:17

Hi. I have a Craftsman 21 Hp Lawn Tractor that I purchased new in 2004. Recently when I tried to start the tractor the engine would only run if I held the Brake/Clutch pedal in. When I release it the engine stops running. I sprayed the mechanism on the right side of the Trans with WD40 and it seemed to fix the problem temporarily. I know that it is not the switch under the seat as this happens when I an sitting on the tractor. When it does run, it quits after about 20 minutes. I would appreciate any info that could fix the problem. Thanks

ronla - try loosening the fuel tank cap and then running the engine. if it does not stall after 30 minutes or so, shut engine back off, remove fuel tank cap and either replace it with a new one or use a thin stiff piece of wire to make sure the air hole in the cap top is open.Insects often deposit eggs in that small hole causing the hole to be blocked, developing a vacuum in the fuel tank itself as fuel is burned off.

Ronla- don't discount the seat switch- or the connector especially if it has the spring inside. Realy, start a new thread w/ model numbers should you need more info.

Im trying to fix my dads New Holland Tz18 DA tractor that when trying to go in reverse go extremely slow and under any load won't reverse at all. It moves forward just fine. I have looked in the manual but fund nothing... I need to save dad some $ any help........
Jeff

Inside pictures of Hydro Gear transaxle T2AABC-1XA-1GX1 off Craftman YS4500 .
I could only upload one picture ? I have more !
This is the first time i used this forum.

more inside views of Transaxle.

What exactly are you wanting us to do with these images?

I have a Craftsman Lawn Tractor LT1000 Model No 917.271920 that stop going forward the other day. It will back up just fine just wont go forward. You can hold the handle down into drive and it will sit there for a second then take off until you have to turn around then it stops until you hold the handle back down then same thing happens, will jerk then take off. I had a buddy of mine that works on 18wheelers and cars to look at it and he said the forward gear was broke and needed to be replaced. I've been on the phone most of the day talking to Sears and no one seems to know what this gear is called or the part number. They give me someone in Tech then the Tech guy gives me someone in parts, then the parts guy puts me on hold and gives me a Tech guy. Been going around in circles for the past 4 hours with Sears.

Cuppla things - This is Sears busy time - don't expect much. Also - the fact that the tranny is functioning in reverse makes one think that the forward stop/hesitate/jerk prob might well be related to the control linkage. Might be a good idea to drop the mower deck, get under there with a strong trouble light and do a close inspection of same plus a little help from an assistant. Jack the rear wheels off the ground, run the machine and see if the prob still exists....be careful.
You don't say how old the machine is and how hard it has been used. Mebbe the tranny is tired. But, a change of tranny oil might help. Start a new thread here to get help for such. this post series is getting too long and too old.

Mike - another thing - look closely at how the park brake and caliper is behaving (located on the outer shell of your tranny) - it could also be part of the hangup problem when traveling forward.

Thanks rcbe, I'll check all that out. Its a 2002 just mowing 1 1/2 acre weekly. Change oil every summer, mower also in garage so no weather damage. Looks and rides like new until last week.

I have a craftsman YS4500 tractor and have been having some drive problems recently.
Last year the main drive belt started slipping so I replaced with a new one. It fixed the problem for a while but then I noticed the tractor laboring up hills with (what I think is) the transmission making a kind of whirring churning sound - whir whir whir up hills. I have also noticed that I have to kind of stamp on the brake pedal to release it and engage the belt. Also, the brakes to stop the tractor seem to be failing. As I don't see "brake pads" per se, I assume that the tractor is stopped using the transmission or by some means other than traditional pads and hubs/rotors. Can I assume that my lack of drive on hills, coupled with the noise and the lack of stopping power can all be attributed to something wrong with the hydrostatic unit ?
I've had the tractor 7 years, I don't think I've beaten on it particularly. I've changed the engine oil and filter every 50 hours, air filter and plugs but have never touched anything else...including transmission fluid...

Any suggestions ?

I suggest that you create a new thread of your own to address this issue.
In that thread you need to include the technical model number of the tractor (usually found under the tilting seat on the chassis).
This number typically has 9 digits in it and may begin as 917.
4500 is only a "marketing model designation" and will not enable anyone to view online info about your specific year model or build date.
If this tractor has a manual mesh gear transmission, the whirring noise might be coming from an idler pulley in the belt system.
If this tractor has a hydrostat transmission, the whirring might be an idler pulley or the transmission itself.
How about that new thread please?

I did some digging around and was able to find a YouTube video for changing transmission oil, at least on a mower that had a drain screw. My transmission has no drain screw so I drained it from the fill hole and refilled it with 2 quarts of 20W50 as advised in another thread which covered my transmission. (351-0510)
Two quarts of grey oil came out of it as well.

However, my problem persists.

I have also noticed that if I am having problems setting off and I pull my toe up the back of the brake pedal I set off at full speed. I had a look underneath and the brake return spring is rusty but other than that seems ok.
When I release the brake normally the pedal goes about 2/3 of the way back to the top. The push rod that runs to the brake system is also not all the way back but when I push it all the way back the spring in the brake system is slack, almost like it's the wrong one (to long) or hooked in the wrong place, maybe because the metal plate is resting against the bolt head that is visible in the center of the picture. I bought the tractor with 8 hours on it so I'm pretty much the only owner and it's never been shop serviced while I've owned it. I've attached a picture of the brake area in the rear showing the spring that looks like it's wrong.

With the pedal not returning all the way I'm guessing that the pulley isn't exerting full tension on the drive belt....should I just buy a new brake return spring (the one for the pulley that is under the tractor and connects the pulley to the chassis ? As I said before, it's rusty but looks ok.

Mownie, sorry, I posted a follow up before refreshing my browser so I didn't see your reply. I've started a new thread here.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tractor/msg101940045655.html

I have a Craftsman Lawn Tractor model 917.28851 bought June 2013. While mowing two weeks ago the drive belt came off the pulley and broke off the fan blades on the pulley. I put the belt back on and continued to mow. After about 30 minutes there was a severe grinding of metal when I would change speeds or go into reverse after which the mower would not move. If I turned off the mower and left it a while it would work fine - for a while. Then repeat grinding and no movement.

From the forum I know the transmission was overheating.

My question: If I stop mowing as soon as I hear grinding - allow the transmission to cool - continue mowing until grinding reoccurs - will I ruin the mower?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

donaldray - IF your tractor is a 917288510 (you left off a digit), then the sears replacement part # for the tranny fan assy is 414415 (around $35) which needs to be replaced ASAP, imho. You need to recheck that Model number.

As to operating the machine "as is", suspect damage has already taken place and - at the minimum - the hydro tranny fluid needs to be drained/replaced now as it has prolly already been overheated/scorched. Not good, IMHO.

If....you stopped mowing with the tractor as soon as you knew the fan blades on the pulley broke off, and replaced the fan. The tractor might be OK.
If you have already subjected the transmission to such abusive conditions (as you suggest) to the point it has already made some noise, it might already be too late.
What a question to ask. Would you ask your doctor if it would be OK if you work in the hot sun until you overheat to the point of passing out, and then cool down until you regain consciousness.....will I cause myself any harm?
You still have an even chance to rescue the tractor.
Replace the fan. Drain and refill the transmission with the specified oil and give that a try. If the transmission has overheated to the point of making strange noises and ceasing to work, at least the oil has been "cooked" beyond being useless.

This is refering to the Craftsman Lawn Tractor Automatic Transmission Model No. 917.28851

Thanks to all for the help - now, in the owners manual under transaxle pump fluid it states "The transaxle was sealed at the factory and fluid maintenance is not required fot the life of the transaxle. Should the transaxle ever leak or require servicing, contact your nearest Sears service center."

Guess my next contact should be Sears Repair Service.

Unless you are fairly handy with a basic set of tools, and are willing to/capable of removing the transmission to change the oil, then you should try to find someone other than Sears to handle the work of changing the oil.
As I see you only just joined up to the forum on May 8, 2014....it might be fair to presume you have not utilized the search topics feature of the forum to research the topic of changing the oil in these "sealed and unserviceable" transaxles.
By the way, that phrase "for the life of the transmission" is about as ambiguous as it gets.The "life of the transmission" by their definition means that when it begins to give trouble, its life is over.
Whether that happens inside of a year (due to abuse), or if it happens after 10 years of use with care.
If you are planning to use the services of the folks who caused the term "sealed and unserviceable" to become an accepted slogan, then you still have a rocky road ahead.

I have a Craftsman model #917.276681 24 HP 42" cut riding lawn tractor with hydro-static trans. The last two uses it has slowed down to a crawl especially in turns or up hill. I took deck off and belt looks like it is in good shape and appears to be working. No obvious leaks.

I bought new in 2006 and this is first issue.
Any thought on this particular issue? repair?

Thanks,

The oil in the transaxle is worn out.
Use the forum search utility with key words Hydrostatic trans oil change. Study the threads and you decide if you are up to the task of changing the oil in what is mistakenly called a non-serviceable transmission.

I did, it works great, wife just finished cutting lawn. Not bad for a white collar banker from South Georgia !!!!
$8 worth of oil, 2 hours work beat the heck out of replacing transmission/drive axle.

Thanks Mowie !!!

Yes Im Stillhere.

Great!!
Thanks for the feed back.

For what it's worth, I was having a similar problem. All of sudden, my 13-year-old Craftsman LTX1000 wouldn't move forward or backward. While trying to find the tranny fluid plug, I spied a pulley above the mowing deck that was all gnarled and had a chunk missing. The drive belt was no longer threading around it and pressing against the tensioner pulley, hence no pressure to move the drive belt. I was mowing in some pretty rough brush when it happened, so I probably got the pulley stuck against a piece of tree branch or something. Ordered a new pulley online; I'm sure when it arrives, I'll be up and running.

Replaced the pulley; all is well.

This post was edited by DougieD on Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 11:49

I started my post somehwere else but would like to repost here. My tractor locks up. We got it started last weekend - was very sticky. But he could move with difficulty in free wheel. I could not. Checked fluid - not only full but clean. Only 100 hours on this transaxle, it is a 314-0510. My handyman is wondering if any special tools are needed to put this think back together if we take it appart. Sounds like some of you have found smaller inner parts that have gone bad. So far everything visible to the eye- brakes, belts, fluids are fine. It has locked up again now after sitting for 5 days in the garage. HELP?

I didn't need any special tools, just the basics. Make sure that reassembly is exactly as disassembly.
I changed fluid and looked inside at the moving parts. There is a guy in this forum who goes by "mowie" that is extremely versed with these issues.
Start with please and ask him for his advise.

Stillhere

If the tranny seems to lock up, won't go forward or back and growls when you try, the parking brake may be stuck. Take the right rear wheel off and tap the little disk break on the shaft coming out the side of the tranny. If it's froze up, you'll probably hear it release. This was the advice that was given to me a few years ago and it worked. Just saying, maybe.

What causes a jackrabbit start in a Sears Garden Tractor Model #917.217141?

Possibly the brake is adjusted too tight or the brake arm is sticking in place until the load is applied.

I have a craftsman garden tractor with the hydra static trans (lever control), I was mowing and the machine stopped moving and was in a free wheel neutral mode. the control lever moves real easy and the trans axle disengagement lever under the fuel tank also moves easy. with the motor running it sounds like the drive is belt is running when you move the forward/reverse lever. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated. Thanks

post back with the FULL model # (usually found on a plate/decal in the cavity under the tilting seat) so that we have a chance to look at related documentation for diagnostic purposes...

917.273041 20 hp craftsman 46 " mower

I have the owners manuel

would look under the machine to find where/how bypass rod contacts/activates tranny freewheel function - mechanism may be sticking or gummed with trash, causing tranny to be inop fulltime....

Also look to see that tranny driven pulley is not turning freely on it's own input shaft...

Jacked tractor up took both wheels off, checked key on both axles ok. Checked brake blowed out and wd-40 on it then checked tranny disconnect lever every thing seems to be working. Jumpered the safety switch under seat and started the tractor with the brake pedal pressed down, once started released the pedal and moved the hydra static drive lever forward and reverse, got no movement on the axles. The pics are model #. tranny plate and pump filter #. Any thing else I can look at, how about oil change in the pump and filter change. I changed my engine oil and filter every year but never changed oil or filter on the hydra pump, there is a hose coming off the top of pump with a plug type bolt in it which I assume is to fill the pump. I can't find any specs on type of oil for this, I think I saw some where that the pump and tranny are 2 different types of oil. Thanks for any help you can give me.

do a google search on "hydrogear 222-3101"... there's a lot of info out there on similar problems; also possibly some downloadable repair manuals for the tranny - if you are into that sort of shadetree mechanicing...

I seem to have the same type of problem within early nineties cub cadet my transmission won't go into forward or reverse gears but it will start up the mowing deck will run but somehow when I try to freely push it it won't move freely without engaging the transmission into a forward position reverse or neutral modes of seems to tighten up to where it's almost impossible to freehand push it I kind of figured it might be something in the lines of air in the lines or maybe it might need hydraulic fluid has anybody else had any of these type of issues I would appreciate the feedback

Man ir problema ar hidrogaitas karbu 20min. darbojas tad palenam apstajas ludzu palidziet ar padomu.

OK. Listen up people. In the 60s oils were developed for Jet aircraft which operated in the extreme cold (like -50) at 35000 + feet and yet could handle the extreme operating temperatures ( 300 + degrees ) generated by the jet turbine engine, basically a giant blowtorch. These are what we now know as "Synthetic" oil or hydraulic fluid. I live in Northern Canada where in the winter I have experienced -55 degrees F. and summer temperatures of 120F. Cold Temperatures such as this cause oil not to flow where needed, to seals and bearings and bushings, and to seize or wear out or just break or don't function. Synthetic fluid continues to flow at these extremely low temperatures, therefore the components are lubricated, do not dry up, and do not break. As well the load on your starter is less, quick start without overheating your electricals. Very high temperatures (+80) have a similar effect on normal oil by causing it to break down from the engine/system heat into it's constitute parts and thereby lose lubricity. Synthetic oils do not break down inl heat, again all the parts are lubricated and can withstand the loads on them.

I know it is much more money to run Synthetic fluids, but the savings in time, Repairs, and frustration is worth it. Synthetic fluid costs more, but your change intervals are longer, therefore it works out to about the same. When you first use Synthetic you will find everything starts to loosen up and work much easier. It is important to choose the right Synthetic for each load application. Here in Canada, Toyota now uses only their Synthetic at about $5.00/ quart on their vehicles since their research

proved that it worked better, and they had fewer service recalls. I change my Synthetic every three months, my hydraulic fluid once a year. At -40 my Kubota starts

every time and runs better than the day I bought it used. If you can't afford to use Synthetic all the time, just replacing one quart in your engine with Synthetic will cause wonders. All the best, lubricate and save on repairs.

Hankster , welcome to the forum , wish more people realized the long term benefits of proper syn oil usage . You get what you pay for...eh !

Most definitely. Like getting a new machine!

I have a cub cadet LT1045 hydrostatic. I was mowing a ditch and as I can up it just quit pulling. the drive belt was off so I thought maybe it had gotten stretched. I replaced it and got it all back together and still won’t move. Any suggestions