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Craftsman GT5000 Starts but Will Not Move

13 years ago

I was mowing with my Craftsman GT5000 with Kohler V-twin 25hp 917.276030 yesterday and at the end of the day tried to shift it into 6th gear. I heard a loud grinding noise and now it will not engage in any gear. I smelt a burning odor like plasitc or rubber, but checked the belts and everything looked good. I was able to push it into the garage, but havent gotten it to move since.

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Comments (9)

User
13 years ago
"I smelt a burning odor like plasitc or rubber".

Check the idler pulleys and parking brake...
mownie
13 years ago
***"I was able to push it into the garage"***
Did you have to select neutral in order to manually push the tractor to the garage? Or....can you push the tractor no matter what gear you select?
It is important to know this because:
If you can push the tractor manually no matter what gear the transaxle in in, there is likely some serious damage inside the trans.
But, if you must select neutral position in order to push the tractor, the trouble is likely not inside the trans at all, but with one of the idler pulleys in the ground drive belt set up.
The detail of "burning odor" is significant here because it implies that the drive belt is burning in the engine pulley groove due to another pulley being locked up. At least we hope that is what's going on.
If the answer to the pushmobile question is "Neutral only", you will need to do a "hand on" check of both idler pulleys to see if one is seized (if so my bet is on it being the v-grooved idler pulley).
Please post your answer and we will proceed from there.
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User
13 years ago
The 917.276030 has a 6 speed MANUAL transmission... not a hydrostatic.
mownie
13 years ago
And just whom was that aimed at? Was something inferred that was not implied?
User
13 years ago
mownie,

I mis-read your post. It seemed that you were inferring that a manual trans can be damaged by pushing in neutral.

We agree that "burning odor like plastic or rubber" pretty much narrows the problem to idler pulley or idler pulley bearing unless the trans is locked up and the belt was burning on the locked up drive pulley on the trans.
mownie
13 years ago
No problem. I was suggesting that the loud grinding noise might have been the input shaft locking up and then shearing off itself leaving the input shaft and belt pulley locked to burn the belt but leaving the works below that point now disconnected.
That type of failure would be the longest of shots, but none the less is possible.
My money is riding on a seized idler pulley.
User
13 years ago
I'll double down with you on the idler... the parts house always wins.
nwaflakes
Original Author
13 years ago
bad news as I was am able to push it forward in any gear. crappers. I check the fluid in the transaxle and it was low, so I added some SAE 30 to it. I was able to get it to go about a foot or two in reverse and it made an effort to go forward in the highest gear. Maybe a few inches. If it is a seized idler pully, how would on go about unseizing it
User
13 years ago
Unseizing an idler pulley = replace the pulley

I'd recommend replacing ALL the idler pulleys and the drive belt.

Here's your parts lists...

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-model/Craftsman-Parts/Riding-mower-tractor-Parts/Model-917276030/0247/1509200?sid=PDVertical

And here's your owner's manual...

http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/owner_manuals/14001/CRAFTSMAN-Lawn-Tractor-L0301172?brand_name_search=917.276030

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