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Weedeater 13.5HP : rear end locked up?

12 years ago

I was cutting the grass and the engine stalled. The engine started up but there was no drive. Go it in the garage and saw the drive belt had fallen off a pulley. Fixed that and the engine won't start now. It tries to, but it won't turn. Of course I have to press the clutch pedal to enable the starter. If I put the mower into 1st gear and try to push it, the rear end is locked solid. Should it have a bit of give at least? I'm wondering if the rear diff is locked, and if so, why and is there any hope?

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Comments (5)

mownie
12 years ago
If you put the transmission into NEUTRAL, can you push it then?
IF this transmission is actually a "hydrostatic drive" transmission (like an automatic trans automobile where you don't upshift and downshift manually) you will have to find the "free wheeling" knob or lever and enable it to the free position to unload the transmission.
rustyj14
12 years ago
How old is the battery? Have you ever checked the cable connection bolts for being clean and tight?
Some of those tractors have a lever, or a rod type of thing you have to pull out, or push in, to push the tractor. Some of them are in back, at the flat plate where the draw-bar is, and some have a diagram that tells how it is used. And, if it is not a hydrostatic tranny, you can't push it in gear-it must be in neutral (N).
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The nut that holds the blade on is usually quite tight. You must hold the top nut, block the blade, and use a big wrench on the bottom nut. Another caveat: Sometimes, the large flat bar on the underside, that the blade bolts onto, might be bent down, allowing the blade to hit the edge of the deck. Seems unlikely it would bend, but they do. And they are very hard to take off, if the machine is very much older than 5 years. If so, removal of the deck makes it much easier to work on. That blade with the square end is the stock blade. Some have 3 holes on each back edge, which is where the "wings" bolt on, that are used for the grass catcher system! The wings give "lift" to blow the grass up the tube into the grass catcher on the back--hangs on the bent pipes at the rear, behind the engine.
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kallsop
Original Author
12 years ago
The tractor has a regular old school clutch. With the drive belt off its tensioning pulley, the engine starts and there is no drive wheel movement because the belt is too loose. With the rear wheels elevated, I can rotate e.g. the left wheel, and the right wheel turns opposite direction, and vice-versa, so the differential output side appears to be ok.

When the drive belt is threaded over the tensioner, the engine won't start. It turns enough to take slack out of the belts and no more. Something doesn't want to turn. The clutch/brake has to be pushed to the floor to engage the starter. The brake mechanism is a part of the diff, right? Does it sound like the diff is hosed? Could the brake mechanism be broken and on all the time? I don't have a detailed manual for the tractor.
Alont
12 years ago
I don't know if this will help, but I have just repaired two different lawn tractors with the same symptoms as yours.
Both faults were traced to the disc brake operating pins
seizing in their housings.
I drove out the pins an polished them in a pillar drill,
greased and reassembled everything, both worked as they should
rustyj14
12 years ago
Ohh, my---! Ohh, for the good old days. when most folks could at least figure out how to operate their machines! How did so many regress to this point:
" If i put the mower into first gear--i can't push it!" Well-duhh--no kidding!
"With the belt off the tensioner pulley--it won't move!"
Well-DUHH!
Better unlock yer wallet and take it to somebody who can fix it for you! It is obvious that you aren't going to be able to fix it!

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