warpedskydiver 0 #1 May 18, 2011 I have a problem with my mower deck, if I engage the PTO the engine bogs down and dies. I have taken each spindle apart and inspected and greased all of them, the deck is stiff to turn by hand once the drive belt is on but it does turn. Each blade spins easily when the belt is off. When I install the drive belt from the PTO and engage it starts to slowly turn but bogs the motor and will not run it. Any ideas? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
profallrate 0 #2 May 19, 2011 Sounds like it could be a safety switch. Mine has one under the seat.------------------------------------------------- Lord please help me to be the person that my dog thinks I am. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #3 May 19, 2011 Nope I don't have that anymore, it is able to turn but loads the motor enough to bog it down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewGuy2005 51 #4 May 19, 2011 Check the idler pulleys that put tension on the belt when you engage the mower. One of those may be frozen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #5 May 19, 2011 You mean the ones on the undercarriage? I checked all the ones on the deck, yeah I will check those as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Niki1 1 #6 May 19, 2011 Have you just changed the belt? Or anything else having to do with the deck. Is it the correct belt? Will the mower move normally without the PTO engaged? Does the RPM sound right at full throtle and low? How did it act the last time you used it? When was that?Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done. Louis D Brandeis Where are we going and why are we in this basket? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #7 May 19, 2011 Everything other than PTO and deck is great, last time used was last fall. No changes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #8 May 19, 2011 Stiffy idler pulley would be my first guess. Cool to see someone else working on an issue like this. A buddy at work GAVE me a $1000 Honda self propelled mower that a neighbor replaced because it wouldn't start. $20 coil and it started first pull. Works MUCH better than my 30-year old Lawnboy - that's going on Craigslist tomorrow!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackwallace 3 #9 May 19, 2011 Check for old grass inside the deck. Stuff dries like concrete. Check belt routing. There are guides, little metal rods. Got to be on the right side of them.U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler. scr 316 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewGuy2005 51 #10 May 19, 2011 QuoteCheck for old grass inside the deck. Stuff dries like concrete. Check belt routing. There are guides, little metal rods. Got to be on the right side of them. That's a good point. If a belt is mis-routed on the wrong side of one of the pushrods, that would do it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #11 May 19, 2011 Very good idea...and do the pulleys, idlers, and journals all have grease fittings? which reminds me...I need to put a zerk fitting on the Harley shift linkage.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #12 May 19, 2011 Everything was greased and belts routed correctly, deck has been cleaned thoroughly. This is the reason I am kinda stumped, if it is not the pulleys under the tractor frame I do not know what the hell it would be. Mind you I am mechanically sufficient rebuild motors and also work on many other things, that is why I am wondering what the hell is going on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 197 #13 May 19, 2011 Did you treat the gas in the tanki before you put it away. Phase seperation happens in 2-3 months.Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #14 May 19, 2011 try putting some Jet A in the tank!!!!!!! might help the RPMs....sorry,,, i got nuthin' else.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #15 May 19, 2011 QuoteDid you treat the gas in the tanki before you put it away. Phase seperation happens in 2-3 months. New fuel, plenty of power, it will pull wheelies if I am not careful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #16 May 19, 2011 QuoteQuoteDid you treat the gas in the tanki before you put it away. Phase seperation happens in 2-3 months. New fuel, plenty of power, it will pull wheelies if I am not careful.and not a whisper of thanksYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 197 #17 May 19, 2011 Give the pros a crack at it. I've learned that once I've tried everything I know who to fix something mechanical I should put down the pliers and let someone who knows WTF they're doing go at it. http://www.lawnmowerdealers.net/dealers.php/IL/1 Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #18 May 19, 2011 Quote Check for old grass inside the deck. Stuff dries like concrete. Check belt routing. There are guides, little metal rods. Got to be on the right side of them. I clean my deck and sharpen the blades every season. Fuck, yeah, old grass can get real hard. I have had to use a chisel and hammer to scrape that shit off. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #19 May 19, 2011 Quote Quote Check for old grass inside the deck. Stuff dries like concrete. Check belt routing. There are guides, little metal rods. Got to be on the right side of them. I clean my deck and sharpen the blades every season. Fuck, yeah, old grass can get real hard. I have had to use a chisel and hammer to scrape that shit off. After every use, I tip the mower on its side and not just scrape, but hose clean the underside of the deck with a standard garden nozzle. Every time; never let the grass dry to the deck. Only takes a minute. I also use a file to sharpen the blades 2-3 times a season. Only takes about 10 minutes. Sharp blades make a big difference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Niki1 1 #20 May 19, 2011 Quote Everything other than PTO and deck is great, last time used was last fall. No changes. OK, this is a long shot but ... My Craftsman has an ignition switch that, when you turn it on and leave it there, engage the PTO and try to go into reverse, the engine wants to die. You have to put the key (ignition switch) in another position for the PTO to stay engaged and the engine not die. Maybe chack the ignition swithch and /or the relay (or whatever it's canlled) for that safty feature. If that doesn't work, take the deck off. chabge the pully on the engine drive shaft one size larger and the pully on the axle one size smaller. Tell your kid it's a new kind of go kart. Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done. Louis D Brandeis Where are we going and why are we in this basket? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #21 May 19, 2011 OK so what I did was pull the deck off for maybe the 5th time removed every last pulley and spindle, disassembled/inspected/cleaned then reassembled. I removed all belts and adjusted the spindle nuts until I could easily spin them with one finger. I then greased them, but only until I heard the air escape and a tiny amount of grease showed at the seal. Then I reassembled after sharpening the blades and balancing them. The mower deck now works better that ever before, it sounds like a vacuum when it runs, it cuts perfectly. I think what was occurring was that it was over-greased, plus the nuts possibly being overtightened. Thanks to everyone that tried to help. As for those who seem to only try to be an asshole to me, yeah I figured as much. You show people what you're truly like and that lets them know how they should view you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Niki1 1 #22 May 19, 2011 Way cool!! Good job on a tricky mystery. Huskvarnas have a feature that I think may be available after market. It's a fitting on the deck that, after mowing, you attach a hose to and are able to wash out the just cut grass. Check at you local home improvement store. (I work at Lowe's but any place should have it if it's available.)Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done. Louis D Brandeis Where are we going and why are we in this basket? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #23 May 19, 2011 That reminds me that I need to order a chain for my Huskvarna saw, most places locally do not carry them. They offer Stihl and homelite etc. I asked at a place that has high end equipment and the guy told me to throw away my Huskvarna "because they are crap" I think he never used one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #24 May 20, 2011 The local shops in Orlando have all stopped carry Huskies. Mostly due to the company and the way they deal with them and handle warranty claims. They apparently want to sell volume and not keep customers happy. I have a weed eater/edger and a blower of theirs...seem to be a quality product so far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #25 May 20, 2011 This has got to be the fastest cutting chainsaw I ever used. The only thing that was close was an 80cc Stihl with a carborundum set of teeth. That thing was a beast as well and needed a compression release. If you forgot to use the release you instantly lost skin off your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
