Lawn Mower Repair

Check for a missing brace, should most likely have 4 connection points, possibly 5.

Safety and Preparation Serious injury can occur if the engine or mower blades accidentally start while you are working with lawn tractors. To prevent this, drive the Murray lawn tractor onto a flat work surface and disengage the mowing deck cutting blades. Engage the parking brake to keep the mower from moving; chock the wheels with a wooden block or brick. Adjust the mowing deck to the lowest position. Turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition. While not necessary, you may even wish to disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug. Mowing Deck Removal You must remove the mowing deck on a Murray lawn tractor to gain access to the belts. Remove the adjustment rod hairpins, followed by the adjustment rod pins from the front left and right sides of the mowing deck. At the rear on the left and right sides, pull out the retaining hairpins and slide the mowing deck suspension links from the adjuster plates to separate the rear mowing deck from the frame. Remove the blade control rod stud, including the hairpin and washer, from the top of the blade control lever shift linkage at the left rear of the deck. Remove the front hanger rod, including the hairpin and flat washer that hold the rod in place. Loosen the belt guide retaining bolts with a socket wrench and remove the engine stack pulley belt so you can slide the mower deck out from under the tractor Transmission Drive Belt Installation Slide the new transmission drive belt between the engine stack pulley belt guides, over the belt guide plate and under the engine stack pulley. Fit the transmission drive belt around the top engine stack pulley. Push the free end of the transmission drive belt up through the transmission shifter hole in the lawn tractor floorboard. Slip the transmission drive belt loop over the transmission shifter. Pull the transmission drive belt down through the transmission shifter hole. Fit the transmission drive belt around the transmission drive pulley and tighten the transmission drive pulley belt guide retaining bolts to hold it in place. Fit the transmission drive belt flat side around the idler pulley. Slide the idler pulley onto the idler pulley stud while holding the belt in place. Tighten the transmission idler pulley retaining nut with a socket wrench to secure the idler pulley to the idler pulley stud. Mowing Deck Drive Belt Installation Pull back on the right side mowing deck mandrel pulley spring-tensioned belt retainer. Guide the new mowing deck drive belt around the right side mandrel pulley and release the belt retainer. Pull the drive belt spring-tensioned retainer away from the mowing deck idler pulley, guiding the deck drive belt around the idler pulley. Fit the mowing deck drive belt around the left side mandrel pulley and under the rear mowing deck cross link rod between the right and left side mandrel pulley. Slide the mowing deck under the right side lawn tractor frame, reconnecting the deck to the frame in reverse order of removal. Engage and disengage the mower deck while driving the mower to test the belt for proper operation.

Anon, a lot of these Toro decks do have a type of brake on one of the idler arm and pulley to stop blade. You will have to get a repair/service manual if your owners manual does not show it. Normally can be seen in deck belt installation diagram. If blade brake checks out OK, it is possible one or both blade spindles bearings are seizing.
Check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
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With most small lawn tractors I've dealt with, you want to unhook the deck-blade drive belt, some have one large belt that turns the blades as well as the rear wheels, others have more than one belt.. usually you will find four brackets that suspend the entire mower deck below the lawn tractor. To locate these brackets raise the mower deck so that its not resting on the ground, then push the mower deck side to side and notice where the attaching arms are moving under mower but above the deck, once you find the four brackets, lower the deck 2 its lowest point. remove the connecting pins noting the exact hole each pin came out of, if you have not removed the belt bye now do so at this time. you may find a stubborn piece of metal preventing the belt from coming off near the larger pulley Don't bend it out of the way just remove or loosen its nut,its there 4 a reason. so now, 1 the belts off the pulley. 2. the pins or bolts have been removed from the suspending arms and the hole positions have been noted. remove any other actuating rods or levers remaining so that the mower deck can slide out from under the mower. you may have to put the front wheels on a 4x4 blocks or similar to accomplish this. once you've got the deck out carefully turn it upside down, use blocks to keep from mashing pulleys, etc. you will probably see two or three blades, remove hex head bolt w/ washer holding blade to spindle, be sure to note cutting side of blade and direction of travel. If you don't see bolts in the center of blade look for my other solution for changing blades and blade bearings.

There are two safety switches that work off each other when the blades are engaged. The seat switch and blade engage switch. Someone has to be in the seat when the tractor is not in neutral and or when the tractors blade engage lever is engaged. Other reasons for the tractor dying would be that the blades are hitting the deck. That could be caused by bent pulley shaft or bent blades or even a bent deck. First check the blades and make sure they spin freely by turning the tractor off and the blades are not engaged and spinning the blades (with gloves on so you do not cut your self)
Test the blades by measuring on side of the blade to the inside of the deck then rotating the blade 180 degrees and meandering it again (same side of blade 1st time measuring the blade is pointing towards the outside of the deck 2nd time of measuring the blade it is pointing to the inside of the deck). Do the same to the pulleys.If the blades are bent you may want to check the pulleys as well. sometimes both may be bent and the cost of replacing bothe is not worth it. You may want to check with a service repair person. If I can help further please contact me

First check to make sure you can turn each blade by hand, with the mower off. If neither blade spindle is frozen remove the deck and make sure all the pulleys move freely and function like they should. The cable should have been operating a spring loaded pulley arm that applied tension to the deck belt to make the blades function. Some times build up with block that from moving or rust will make it stick.

Check for bent blade against deck housing.Possible you bent something on mowing deck,check all spindles and pulleys.You could have something hung on blade and making contact with deck. Rarely will the motor be hurt from hitting object on rider.

Hi,
You will need to get some information from your mower. Click on this link to get started:

http://www.outdoordistributors.com/MTD/MTDpartslists.html

Good luck!

Hello:

This is Usually Caused by Worn Blades or a Bad Mandral/Blade Spindle Bearing.
Remove the Deck from Under the Mower.
Remove the Deck Belt.
Check the Mandrals/Blade Spindles for Bad Bearings. Do the Sound Rough when you Spin the Pulleys by Hand? Can you Move the Mandralls/Blade Spindles from Side to Side? If Yes, then the Bearing s Require Replacing.
Look At the Tips of the Cutting Edge of the Blades. You will Se the Tips are Rounded and Not Square. This Condition will cause the Strip in the Center of the Deck.
I have Just Joined this Site. If you Send me the Model Numbers Off the Unit, I can Assist you Better.
Please, Do Not Hesitate, If you Hit a Snag or this Does Not Correct the Problem, I am Here if You Require More Assistance.
Hope this Helps. Let me Know What Happens, Please. May the All Mighty Bless You and Yours. Be Safe and Be Happy. Thanks.

Good Luck

Respectfully

John

Maintaining Riding Mowers Regular maintenance can reduce repairs.

Components of a typical riding lawn mower. (click to enlarge)

It's fun to ride around the yard on the mower, watching scrubby grass (and weeds) turn into trimmed lawn. However, when the grass looks as bad after you mow as it did before, or the mower doesn't want to start, riding mowers aren't as much fun. That's when it's time to put on your Fix-It Club hat and have some more fun.

A riding lawn mower is a gas-powered machine for cutting grass. The engine turns a rotating blade that cuts the top off the grass blades to a specified height. The operator sits atop the mower on a tractor-type seat with speed and height controls nearby. Riding mowers also can be used to pull small utility carts for other yard jobs.

To remove the mower deck:

1. Make sure that the parking brake is locked.
2. Place scrap lumber under the front and rear of the deck.
3. Use the deck lever to lower the deck.
4. Remove attachments from the deck.
5. Remove the blade drive belt from the front pulley.
6. Remove the front and rear deck fasteners, following instructions in your owner's manual.
7. Use the deck lever to raise the deck.
8. Remove the scrap lumber.
9. Remove the deck from under the mower.

To adjust the drive belt:

1. Remove the belt from the large idler pulley.
2. Remove the belt from the adjustable idler pulley.
3. Carefully remove the spring-loaded large idler pulley.
4. Loosen the adjustable idler pulley and move it slightly toward the rear of the mower to tighten it[md]or move it toward the front to loosen it—and retighten the pulley.
5. Replace the belt.
6. Check belt tension and readjust as needed.