Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a Craftsman 19hp Twin Turbo lawn tractor with hydrostatic transmission. Recently, the tractor does not go up hills or at any incline like it used to. When the tractor first starts, it seems to be OK. Then, as it heats up, a high pitched whine emanates from the tractor when I attempt to go uphill. I changed the front motion drive belt, but this had no effect. Sears will charge me $96 just to look at it, and if it is the transaxle, it would probably be better if I bought a new tractor?? Looking for advice...it is a sealed unit, but is it missing some fluid? Thanks for any help.

Welcome Tremblay....  How old is the machine?? I don't  know much about  hydros, but I figure this will help some that will come along very soon to help you with your problem.  later Mike

Tremblay:

Welcome to the forum!!!

Is there an idler pulley that puts tension on the motion belt? If so, see if it is exerting ample pressure on the belt. Sometimes the pulley's pivot point rusts up, then their travel is limited which causes the belt to slip when the belt heats up (expands). Otherwise, look for leaks - if you find any, then you definitely have to get the hydro fluid level back to full. Another thing to look for is grass accumulation on the hydro unit itself or a broken cooling fan - this causes it to heat up & become more inefficient.

Let us know what you find & good luck...

Marty

Hi...

I had similar symptoms with a hydro-drive Deere tractor... was a hydro fluid problem... either low on fluid... or old fluid...  a sealed unit may not offer these remedies...

Dave...

Make sure your drive belts are not slipping. And yes, check the hydralic fluid.

Did you ever correct tranny problem ?  My craftsman (hydro gear tranny) is doing the same thing.  Checked belts, changed fluid, etc.  Helped, but still starts slipping after 30-40 minutes of mowing.  Flat's seem to work fine, hills are a problem.

I have a 2 yr old Craftsman 18 HP riding mower with the same tranny issue. Works great on flat ground. After about 30 minutes of mowing, it starts whining as I go up hills. Eventually, it loses all power. If I return to flat ground or park it for about 30 minutes, it will begin working again. Makes for a long day of mowing. I have replaced the drive belt with no success as well as changed out the oil in the tranny oil reservoir. Looking for any advice as well.

My craftsman stop moving forward or backward after finishing the front lawn. Went to do the back lawn, applied the brake, disengaged the blades got off the tractor to move some obstacles, got back on, engaged the blades released the brake and nothing, no reverse no forward just a loud screech whenever I move the selector from neutral to forward or reverse. It was running fine, no fluid leaks or anything obvious. The main drive belt was a little frayed; since I had a spare I put it on with no change. Same here, Sears will come and look at it for 99.99, I’m going to a local guy that will diagnose for 20 bucks. Fearing the worst I asked Sears what the transaxle would cost alone; nasty! This thing has been nickel and dimming from day one. I’m breaking down and doing what I should have done five years ago, John Deer. I’ll let you know what the local guy says, and make sure I go to church this Sunday.

Here is what I did to fix my Craftsman mower tranny. I drilled and tapped a #10 hole in the right rear bottom/side of the case to drain out the old fluid and put in a short machine screw to plug the hole. I emptied the recovery tank and refilled the trans with Carquest Premium Tractor Fluid. I filled the recovery tank about 1/3 full. This all took about 2 1/2+ quarts total. The hardest part was bleeding out the air from the system. I did as instructed in the owners manual several times, waiting about 20 minutes between trials. Also pushed the tractor while the tranny was engaged until resistance was felt and after some time the air was out and the tranny works like new now. I recently had another apart that only needed a 65 cent spring to get it going, but again the hardest part was getting the air out of the system. Good luck!  MrFixAll Update 4/30/08, I just finished repairing my HYDRO-GEAR trans again. It was making a snapping noise with severly reduced speed. Once again I drained out the fluid from an access hole that I made earlier, disassembled the trans, (see owners manual diagrams), and found another broken spring in the Block Assembly. There are a total of 10 springs in two block assemblies in the trans. (The block assemblies pump oil). The springs cannot be purchased from manufacturer, only the block assemblys. The springs I use are from the hardware store and now cost $.75 and are similar enough to work well. (My last repair on this trans lasted almost 2 years and the spring that was replaced is doing fine.) This time, during re-assembly, I filled one case half with oil before attaching the other case half. After assembly was complete, I finished filling the trans, (remove top plug with allen wrench), and now with trans filled with the recomended 20w-50 oil, I then filled almost full, the resevoir and installed it on the tras and installed the trans in the tractor. This time the transmission worked great almost immediately. Good Luck ! ( See http://www.m-and-d.com/Hydro-Gear_parts.html )

I read the reply by MrFixAll and am intrigued.  Mine is a 19.5 HP Craftsman with the hydro-static transaxle.  Problem is slippage mostly after it warms up. 

I had the Sears repair man out and he said there is no tension adjustment for the belt, which I thought was odd, but he's the pro, right?  Is that correct - no tension adjustment?

Sears and other shops all say the transaxle cannot be serviced.  Approx. 10 years old.  Does the fluid deteriorate?  There is no drain, there is not really a fill hole either, but rather what would appear to be a vent.  If I drilled the case and replaced the fluid, what precautions would I have to take to get the air out of the system?  Would I fill it from the bottom or from that vent-like gizmo on the top?

Another similar complaint. I have a DLT2000 Sears lawn tractor with 20 hp Khoeler, 48 in deck purchased in 2001 with 175 hrs on the machine. I mow approximately 2.5 acres, with half of that on a slight incline (10ft drop over 100 ft). Transmission is going out after 30 mins after starting cold. After complaining to Sears the best I could get from them is 10% off the cost of a new transaxle ($400) and free installation. The mechanic who came out to my property stated that I should be using a Garden Tractor vs a lawn tractor. The weak link on my tractor is the tranny. Its a sealed unit and I get the same response that it is unserviceable. It doesnt appear to leak and runs fine until it warms up then moves slower than a slug. I like the idea of drilling/draining/and replacing the fluid as I think this could work. I dont understand why they would design a tractor such as this w/o a transaxle resevoir and the ability to change out the oil. Also the technician stated that unless Im mowing flat areas, I should have been directed to a Garden tracor series, so Im a littled miffed as to why the salesman didnt say the same initially. Now what can I do with the old tranny?

If I could get a new tranny for $400 I probably would.  Mine is a little smaller than yours, and they said it would cost $800+ just for the part.  Wonder if yours would fit mine?

Does anyone know a place that sells hydro trannys that will fit Craftsman mowers and that doesn't have Sears' pricetag?

mackernanr did you try online places? If you google hydro-gear you should get a few. Not sure if they will be cheaper but worth a try. I cant believe $800! for a transaxle! How much did the tractor cost initially? I did peruse ebay before buying from Sears. Had they not offered a percent off and free installation/labor, I would have gone ebay. There is a seller named sel_lo out of Georgia that sells a lot of Sears transaxles. I cant vouch for him but his feedback looks pretty good and his prices are good. Here is a link of one of his auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CRAFTSMAN-42-RIDING-LAWN-MOWER-HYDRO-TRANSAXLE-171613_W0QQitemZ230002173739QQihZ013QQcategoryZ82238QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just make sure it is the right part number before agreeing to buy. Ithink he gives the hydro-gear part number in the description. If you cant find an exact match you might try hitting the button 'ask seller a question' and see what he has.

mackrnanr do you have a transaxle part number? Try this link:

http://www.m-and-d.com/Hydro-Gear_parts.html

When you enter your part number you will get the option of purchasing an AYP/Sears part or a Hydro-Gear part. I called and talked to a rep and he told me the parts are identical just who you are purchasing from. If you urchase direct from Hydro-Gear you get a considerable break on the price. For example mine drops from $587.07 to $440.80. He said AYP marks up their parts considerably and by purchasing directly from the manufacturer you can get a discount. Try it out and let us know how the price differs from Sears.

i have a sears DLT2000 lawn tractor...also getting a transmission issue as of last week

serviceability does not sound nice if that transaxle is sealed...will be very interested how you make out on that web site

sited as a source for alternate part

this tranny issue seems to be thermal...i let the tractor cool down it will move but when heats up..........it locks up and even using the

release lever on the rear of tractor to try and move...won't release ....tractor is locked...so sounds like fluid somewhere

other ideas also welcome

thx! for everyone's help!!

If your hydrostatic transmission is locking up, it's possible that the brake system is malfunctioning when the pedal is pushed.  My Sear DLT 3000 was completely immobile.  It would not even roll when the transmission disengage lever was set.  With the motor running, it would make a ratcheting sound and drag the motor when trying to move forward or back.  I found that the brake lever on the tranny was sticking when the pedal was pressed.  This lever is meant to immobilize the mower as a safety precaution.

Here's a bit more detail:  When the brake pedal is pressed, which you must do to start the machine, a rod is activated that moves a small lever on the right side of the transmission.  This lever was sticking on mine. Even when I reached under & manually released the lever, it stuck again as soon as I pressed the pedal to start. I just cleared a little debri from around the lever and it worked fine. I'll take a little more time now to clean and lubricate the lever.

BTW, I found this fix on another forum and wanted to spread it around in case it is of help.

I have a 11 HP Toro w/hydrostatic tansmissiont has a tranny issue and was wondering if anyone could help id the problem.  The problem is that the the mower jerks or bucks while driving in gear.  I don't think it's the brake grabbing as it makes a snapping noise when it happens.  The tranny is a sealed unit.  Could it be the transaxle? or is it one unit?  Thanks!

hello all, need help also..

i have 3 yr old craftsman riding mower hydrostatic transaxle.

its lt1000,17.5 hp...

when it is in forward postion i hear a snapping or clicking noise coming from transaxle.

it also slips going up a grade...

in reverse it is fine, no noise or slipping only in forward.

anyone know what is causing this in the teansaxle and how you repaired it?

mower is only 3 yrs old  and sears wants 800 dollars for new tranny and other vendors dont have this tranny in stock..

transaxle no. is 2000-006A made by tecumseh.....

I too have tranny problems with my Sears DLT 2000.  It has 125 hours on it (which I believe to be really low) and its kaput!  I pulled it off and broke it down and found nothing burnt, broken, galled, or snapped.  Oil was kind of dirty so I soaked everything in a parts washer and cleaned it up.  After everything dried, I re-assembled and filled with new oil.  I think that it needs to have the air bled out of it, but I don't know how to do it.  Has anyone out there purged one of these Hydro Gear units before?

Thnks

I just bought a new drive belt for my Craftsman 1000, 5 years old. After I dropped the deck and cleaned that, I was on my back staring at the drive belt and system. Dirt was caked into crevices (and there are a lot of them) near the transmission. I used a bamboo skewer for shish kabobs to poke around in there and accumulated quite a pile of dirt. Checking the belt, it didn't seem like it needed replacing. After reattaching the deck, the test drive showed that the caked on dirt was not allowing parts to move where they needed to move. Check that first before doing anything. I don't think you'll really need to even drop the deck.
One more thing... I will now use a leafblower to move the dust and dirt off the mower; no more water that cakes on and compacts the dirt.
Hope this helps because it's sickening to think about dropping hundreds on a new tranny.

With all I have read about all the problems with this type of tranny.  Is there anyone out there that knows of a way that you can swap this type for an older more reliable type? One guy wrote that he is on his 4th tranny.So getting a new tranny with the same old problem doesn't seem like a solution.

I have a Craftsman LT 1000 (Briggs and Stratton, 42 inch cut) and the trans just crashed. Where is the best place to get a replacement transmission and how do I get the part number to order. Thanks, Randy

The best place to find the part # is at the sear parts webpage....

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action?intcmp=xsite_Sears


... but the that is one of the most expensive places to get things. Find the part number there, then google the part number and see what you can find.


What is wrong with your transmission? you may be able to repair it, or if it is hydrostatic it may be low on fluid...

Good Luck,

Friiy

mlupone wrote: These hydro transmissions are shipped with grease in the gear box that stops working after a few years. You need to drill a hole in the top of the transmission and push about 1/3 quart of gear oil in. Then seal the hole. I used metal tape. If the shift lever F-N-R is out of adjustment the tractor will go in and out of gear as you drive. Once it is adjusted you should stay in gear and it will run smoothly. It will leak the gear oil out various unsealed spots until it find the level below these spots. Don't do this if you don't want oil drips on the floor! This dripping should slow / stop after a few days.  

I have a sears craftsman DYT 4000 series..was mowing with it last summer..put on brake to lift deck..after lowering deck mower would not move forward or backward..also had a screeching sound when put in gear..Back tires wont turn at all even when pulled...mower is about 6 yrs.old...wondering if it could be some of these other problems i have read on here such as brake or the gear oil...Seras wants 400.00 for a rebuilt tranny..I know I wont by another Sears mower..have had to put 2 new carbs on it sense I have had it..Should I try some of these suggestions first

Since it happened all at once, including when you applied the brake, and moved the mower deck, it makes me wonder if something more straightforward happened. As you mentioned, perhaps the brake, or brake linkage, got stuck? You might look down at the rear axle for the brake assembly, and find the cable or rod that actuates it. With the brake engaged/released, does the cable/rod move smoothly back and forth?

Does the tractor have a lever to disengage the transmission? Something like a setting to make it easier to roll? Can you push it with that feature enabled?

Are the transmission and deck belts both on properly? Is anything touching the transmission belt that should not be?

Does it screech immediately when put into gear, or only once you release the brake, and try to actually move?

I would check the simpler things like these before I considered doing anything with the transmission itself.

In my search for the solution to my 20HP  V Twin model 272440  hydro transaxel p/n 166678- buy new lawn tractor (didn't like the new model options),spend big bucks on new or rebuilt replacement or buy a used one online (questionable reliablilty) I have also experienced some of the other problems along with  transaxle probs you guys have discussed on here and would like to offer what has worked for me.
 To the the guy with the won't move forward or backward suddenly problem , I had and resolved the same problem. The gear lever retention spring (not the proprer name of it I'm sure -look for it in your manual's diagram  was replaced and checked the brake adjustment at same time. The problem was that the  tranny belt kept coming off  (thus wouldn't go forward of backward suddenly and it was a real bugger to get off and back on since it jammed under the  the pulley  each time-plus sometimes also damages the belt. So anyway-replaced the spring (you can get a glimpse of it down thru the opening where your  F-N-R gear lever is). After and not until I put back on the wheel weights and the tire chains did it solve the problem immediatly and no problem with it since then.

I have same problem thats been coming on for a a couple of mowing seasons-the whine especially on hills and seems to be loosing some power on hills also (have to move the gear lever forward more now to get the same speed out of the transaxle as I used to). Then recently started getting another noise (it was the fan on top of trans. hitting the support bar sometimes particularly when pulling a loaded trailer). I did have the Sears tech come out who discovered all the above and gave and showed me in my manual and online the p/n for a new one $1000. or rebuilt $650. He was a great guy  full of good info worth every bit of the $96. In the meantime I think I've found another hydro transaxle -used- and am gonna try to install myself bar any real brain puzzlers. The Sears guy said not difficult to replace-disconnect brake and two bolts holds it in place. He said the front bearing was going out allowing the tranny to move upward thus the fan blades hitting the support bar. He showed me the movement of the tranny. But I may also try the other guy's suggestion on here -the drill a hole in top of tranny and ad gear oil first.
 I' m open to any and all suggestions any may want to send my way. I have loved this  hydrostaitic mower for the past 12 years with very little problems with it until the gear lever spring last year and now the showstopper transaxle.  I have very steep hills and about two acres to mow.
 The new models at Sears this year don't reccomend hydro for hills since they dont "pump" the oil to the gears thus good for flat only they say unlike they did when I bought mine in '01. But I think 11-12 years out of my mower is pretty damn good-that's why I hate to give it up for a bright red (yuk) 6 speed with a no mow reverse safety feature and less heavy duty deck and not twin V engine( louder). Send me all the help you fellas wanna tell me 'cause I intend to fix 'er up at this point.

You're lucky to have gotten 12 years out of that tranny based on your  conditions and use. It is most likely an entry level Tuff Torq or Hydro Gear transaxel without any means to change the transaxel fluid (a so-called sealed unit). Using a lawn tractor to mow on hilly terrain or pull heavy loads is the kiss of death for those light duty transaxels. You may want to consider a  used Garden Tractor (GT) as a replacement based on the much heavier duty (ground engaging) transaxel that is typically found on this type of tractor. Everything else on a GT is also much heavier duty and will last much longer than it would on an LT (Lawn Tractor).

You got your moneys worth out that LT and it earned it's keep but you may want to consider either a new LT (and hope for another 12 years) or spend a few extra bucks and get a GT that is more up to the task. "They don't make 'em like they used to" definitely applies to the tractor world (and other OPE as well) these days. Any tractor less than $2K is considered a disposable product with a limited shelf life, especially under the conditions you described. It would suck to replace the tranny and then have all kinds of other items start to fail and you end up spending more time (and money) fixing it than actually using it. Just something to consider...

If you have a Tuff Torq K46 hydro, you're not alone with problems. Those are very lightweight and will provide good service as long as you only mow on mostly flat ground. You can drop the transmission easily (6 bolts, belt, 2 linkages) and open it up to replace the oil, but you can also rebuild it yourself. It is also possible to upgrade it to a K66 model which is MUCH heavier and readily serviceable. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/164892-tufftorq-k46-repair-guide-pictures.html IMO, it is borderline fraud to call anything (and I don't care what brand it is) equipped with that K46 hydro a tractor. They're pure lawnmowers and doing anything else besides pulling a light cart is too much for them.

Yes, my LTX1000 is a hydro transaxle sealed so my understanding is that it cannot be rebuilt. I have used it 12 years on 1-1/2 acres of mostly hills and most fairly steep -usually takes about 2-1/2 to 3 hrs to mow all at same time. It has had wheel weights and chains on it the whole 12 years .  I've kept the oil changed and lubed every year. The hydro tranny is wonderful for hills to adjust the speed according to the condition-up,reverse and turns on the hills. I can't say enough good about this mower. That said I've taken the chance and purchased a used tranny from Florida (no hills) and should receive it soon. i hope that it all works out but still would like all the thoughts anyone may have on my upcoming project. Thanks !

It CAN be rebuilt - the Sears guy even quoted you a price for a rebuilt trans, right? - but it is considered not "user-serviceable". Sealed just means you have to open the case and replace the gasket (RTV) when you close it up again. Anyway, since you have another one the way, consider changing out the oil before you install it. The new one may not have a drain hole in which case you'll have to pry off the vent cover and flip the thing over a few times to drain it. You can just add as much as came out, but better to do some research and find out how much should be in there. If you're careful you can reinstall the same cover, but if you break it you'll have to buy a new one - not expensive by itself but shipping and possible minimum order charges may bite you.

I would definitely change out the dino oil and replace it with the same viscosity synthetic oil which has a much higher temperature tolerance. The Tuff Torq K46 transaxel calls for 1.9 litres of 10W30.

Your Craftsman mower has a Hydro-Gear model 319-0650 transmission (http://www.m-and-d.com/pdfs/hydrogear/319-0650_150071.pdf) Sears part #150071. Try googling those numbers. Good luck.

Thank you for the reply and schematic site.  I just looked at the transmission and it says a 310-0650.  Is that the same as the 319-0650?  ...or will it work the same?

Sorry, no idea. You sure it's a 0 and not a 9?

Hello, I have a 19hp craftsman, I changed out the 16.5hp for a 19.5. After i did that it was hard to shift the gears. its like a standard car with the clutch starting to go, it seems like its locked up. any suggestions to my problem?

thanks