fter a second or two, and then the deck began to vibrate. By that time I had shut the mower down. This occurred without hitting anything in the lawn. After examination, a pulley appeared to have loosened on top the mandrel. When I removed the top bolt I realized the bolt was not loose at all. The pulley itself was loose due to the grooves from the mandrel scoring a circle in the pulley where it is normally notched. Of course, the mandrel also had the notches round off in the corresponding area. When I dropped the deck and removed the belt, the blade and mandrel turned easily. I thought it would have been locked in place. After looking over the entire deck I noticed that the idler pulley spring was missing. Could this one little $2.00 spring have caused all of this damage? I can’t find any other reason for it.
Also, I have purchased two new heavy duty mandrel assemblies and a replacement pulley and spring. Are there torque specs for the mandrel housing bolts, and the mandrel top bolts? Should I use anti-seize or lock-tite in these areas? Thanks…
Garden
Experienced gardeners share their insights in answering this question :
DCJohnson, let me start by saying that the only thing you may want to put on the bolt would be a anti-weather, some of these come as anti seize, but it must be patroleum based. You definatly dont want lock tite in these areas due to the climate changes. This could prevent you from EVER getting that bolt out with a wrench again.
As for the tourque specs, the ft-lb specs really aren’t that important, especially if you dont have a tourque wrench, which will guess you have. SO to get that out of the way, i would say roughy 35 ft-lbs of tourge would be fine. This is how i always judge my tourque by hand
1. Hand tighten the bolt until you feel your bicep working to turn it.
2. Then pull the wrench to you with the force equivillent to pulling yourself out of a chair or equivilant position. (typically 1/2 up to 1 full turn after reaching a tightened state.) you will know when its tight because you will here creeking sounds form the bolt. DOnt go more the 1 full turn if you do hear the sounds
GOOD LUCK AND PLS RATE THIS POST!!!!
How to Identify and Fix Common Gardening Problems ?
We provide a variety of viewpoints on how to identify and fix common gardening problems. Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced gardeners :
Failure of any mechanical component, a broken hose, or clogged filter will cause tractor hydrostatic transmission problems. But the most common issue will be the oil itself. In the transmission section of your operator`s manual, you`ll find a section that covers oil viscosity.
Troubleshooting Hydrostatic Drives
If the system is overheating, check the oil level in the tank, inspect the heat exchanger, check the inline pressure filters, inspect the crossport relief valves, and check the pump and motor case drains for excessive bypassing.
Grinding gears, starting and stopping during operation, and the wheels not rotating with the pulley are common signs that your mower`s transmission is breaking down.
In an automatic transmission, slipping can be caused by wear and tear on numerous different parts. These include damaged or worn clutch plates, transmission bands, and solenoid packs. If your automatic transmission has been slipping, it`s likely a technician will replace some or all of these parts to fix the problem.
Air in the hydraulic fluid makes an alarming banging or knocking noise when it compresses and decompresses, as it circulates through the system. Other symptoms include foaming of the fluid and erratic actuator movement.
Pump trouble is usually characterized by increased noise, increased heat, erratic operation of cylinders, difficulty or inability to develop full output, decreased speed of cylinders or hydraulic motors, or failure of the system to work at all.
Although cavitation is much more common with hydraulic systems, it can also seriously damage hydrostatic transmissions. Caused when gases in the fluid vaporize, it`s characterized by noisy, erratic transmission operation.
These control rods are adjustable. By rotating the threaded linkage connector ferrules, the length and the resulting range of movement at the regulator valve can be altered.
Transmission Fluid Low transmission fluid is one of the most common reasons for a slipping transmission.
These control rods are adjustable. By rotating the threaded linkage connector ferrules, the length and the resulting range of movement at the regulator valve can be altered.
Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
2005 Craftsman DYT 4000 18.5hp Briggs: As I was cutting I heard a whirling sound as if a belt was slipping on a pulley. The sound went away after a second or two, and then the deck began to vibrate. By that time I had shut the mower down. This occurred without hitting anything in the lawn. After examination, a pulley appeared to have loosened on top the mandrel. When I removed the top bolt I realized the bolt was not loose at all. The pulley itself was loose due to the grooves from the mandrel scoring a circle in the pulley where it is normally notched. Of course, the mandrel also had the notches round off in the corresponding area. When I dropped the deck and removed the belt, the blade and mandrel turned easily. I thought it would have been locked in place. After looking over the entire deck I noticed that the idler pulley spring was missing. Could this one little $2.00 spring have caused all of this damage? I can’t find any other reason for it.
Also, I have purchased two new heavy duty mandrel assemblies and a replacement pulley and spring. Are there torque specs for the mandrel housing bolts, and the mandrel top bolts? Should I use anti-seize or lock-tite in these areas? Thanks…
ANSWER : DCJohnson, let me start by saying that the only thing you may want to put on the bolt would be a anti-weather, some of these come as anti seize, but it must be patroleum based. You definatly dont want lock tite in these areas due to the climate changes. This could prevent you from EVER getting that bolt out with a wrench again.
As for the tourque specs, the ft-lb specs really aren’t that important, especially if you dont have a tourque wrench, which will guess you have. SO to get that out of the way, i would say roughy 35 ft-lbs of tourge would be fine. This is how i always judge my tourque by hand
1. Hand tighten the bolt until you feel your bicep working to turn it.
2. Then pull the wrench to you with the force equivillent to pulling yourself out of a chair or equivilant position. (typically 1/2 up to 1 full turn after reaching a tightened state.) you will know when its tight because you will here creeking sounds form the bolt. DOnt go more the 1 full turn if you do hear the sounds
GOOD LUCK AND PLS RATE THIS POST!!!!
How do you remove an engine from a Craftsman dyt 4000 lawn tractor?
ANSWER : Remove the deck and drive belt, then the pully and the four mounting bolts. unplugg all the wires and lift the motor out.
rural king has briggs and straton motors at their stores for a cheaper price than on line. I got a 18.5 hp for $420.
I have a Poulan push mower that after mowing in a ditch started making a loud noise and running rough. It almost sounded as if metal was hitting metal. The mower was vibrating more than normal. I checked under the mower and nothing is hitting. After a few times of stopping the mower engine because it sound as if it is going to die down the mower will not start now. The shaft does not appear bent and the blade appears ok. The mower has oil, a good spark plug and a clean air filter. It was running fine until that moment. I did not see anything that I hit but it is possible I hit something in the ditch like a pine cone or branch. What could the problem be and how would I go about fixing it?
ANSWER : If you are sure the oil level is correct then it sounds like it’s about to die, unfortunately. A pine cone shouldn’t cause any damage, but a large branch may do so. Was it smoking before you shut it down? The vibration could be caused from a bent blade. It could also be caused from a part breaking in the motor. I wish I could have given you better news!
Good Luck,
Jim
My craftsman riding mower vibrates so bad when I engage the mower. How do I stop vibration?
ANSWER : Things you need to check, loose blades, blades out off balance, bad belt or loose belt, bearings in the blade mandrels worn.
Refer to brake pad arm assembly :I don’t understand what keeps the
brake pads from always riding on the idler pulleys. the springs keep them against the pulleys.
ANSWER : Hi, the spring on the brake rod pulls the lever forward when the brake is applied and a short lighter gauge spring pulls the lever back. This spring may be missing. Regards Phil.
My 42 in Craftsman Tractor will not start. It normally runs great. I went to start it the other day and it ran for about 5 seconds before shutting down. It felt like it was getting no fuel. Any Suggestions?
ANSWER : Try and run it with the gas cap loose the vent could be plugged also see if it cuts out while keeping you foot on the brake and its just a bad safety switch shutting it off
I would like to replace the mulching blades on my Sears Craftsman riding mower with regular cutting blades. I can find plenty of sources for new mulching blades, but not cutting blades. My mower is a model 917.259541 tractor and the blades currently on it are part #134149. I want to make sure I get the right size to replace them. Also, is there a source for a bagging system for this mower, that won’t cost as much as one from Sears?
ANSWER : The straight blade for the 42 inch mower is 138971.They cut better and are easier to sharpen and you will need them if you use a gass catcher. If you do not want to use sears for parts you may be able to find good deals on ebay.
Primary mower belt on my Craftsman 48″ lawn tractor has worn out prematurely. I installed a new belt this spring, & after less than 25 hours of service, it is 75% shredded from the inside. When I installed it, it didn’t appear to be rubbing on anything, as I ran it in the garage with the clutch engaged to test…..please advise what could be causing the premature wear….
ANSWER : Hi. The belt must be trying to move a pulley that is either frozen, partially frozen or excessively loose. remove the belt and check the action of each pulley. If you have a frozen one, use some WD-40 to unfreeze it and if you have an excessively loose one replace the entire pulley assembly as it is worn out.
