Troy Bilt lawn tractor clutch/brake issue

[Alfred_B]

I have a three year old Troy Bilt Pony lawn tractor. It's a manual transmission.

Lately it has been having an issue with selecting the neutral or reverse after the mower has been in forward. When I press the brake/clutch pedal, the mower will stop but will not allow me to shift into neutral or reverse. I have to "double clutch" it.

Yesterday was a new trick. With the brake/clutch pressed, the tractor slowed down but continued to move forward slowly.

I can select the gears just fine.

Before I open up the transmission, what kind of trouble shooting should I do? There is not much on this on Youtube or Google (or maybe I am not searching the right terms).

 

[OneEyeJack]

Call Troy Build customer service. They talked me through a problem about 10 years ago. I thought they did a great job helping me. The guy understood what was going on and the way he described what to do showed that he has had his hands on tools and done this work before.

 

[bubbatime]

Belt driven transmission? Probably have stretched belts.

 

[old1]

Sounds more like the belt SHRUNK. But I can't remember seeing that happen, as usually they wear/stretch with age. Maybe something jumped out of place and belt is not in the proper groves now. Need to look and see why the belt is now tighter than it use to be.

 

[JTK]

When you say manual transmission, does it have one lever for forward-neutral-reverse and then another for 1-2-3-4-5, etc?

If so, it's not really a manual gearbox. It's an MTD Transmatic, belt and variator pulley drive. Not being able to easily shift from F-N-R could be a linkage binding.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: JTK
When you say manual transmission, does it have one lever for forward-neutral-reverse and then another for 1-2-3-4-5, etc?

If so, it's not really a manual gearbox. It's an MTD Transmatic, belt and variator pulley drive. Not being able to easily shift from F-N-R could be a linkage binding.


That's exactly how it is -- one shift lever for F-N-R and another small lever near the steering wheel for speed control/parking brake.

Page 4 of the manual (or page 12 of the PDF). http://www.troybilt.com/wcsstore/TroyBiltUS-CAS/Attachment/ownersManuals/riders/Pony_LT.pdf

 

[Dallas69]

Make sure the blade is not engaged when trying to put it in reverse.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
Originally Posted By: JTK
When you say manual transmission, does it have one lever for forward-neutral-reverse and then another for 1-2-3-4-5, etc?

If so, it's not really a manual gearbox. It's an MTD Transmatic, belt and variator pulley drive. Not being able to easily shift from F-N-R could be a linkage binding.


That's exactly how it is -- one shift lever for F-N-R and another small lever near the steering wheel for speed control/parking brake.


Google "MTD Transmatic". There's some youtube tutorials on the system. My experience with it is it's a pain to keep adjusted. Sounds like your clutch/brake pedal isn't releasing belt tension all the way. If there's still some rotational (belt) force applied to the trans input pulley when your trying to shift from F-N-R, it's going to bind and be difficult to shift F-N-R.

Worst part of this system is the variator sheave. The center bushing will inevitably corrode on you and you'll have less and less ground speed.

Best to keep them clean and dry. Don't soak the machine. Blow it off with a leaf blower after use.

 

[Alfred_B]

JTK, thank you. The 6-th result on Google is a BITOG post

 

[HM12460]

Just buy a 20 year old John Deere that has been well maintained and be done with it.

 

[JTK]

Alfred- Let us know how you make out with it. You should be able to access most of the drive system fairly easily. Some have an access plate. Some you have to pull the battery and tray to get at the linkages for adjustment. Work the clutch/brake pedal and watch the linkages and pulleys to get a feel for how the system works.

 

[Alfred_B]

JTK, thanks for the tips.

I will see if I have time this weekend to work on it. I've always felt the clutch pedal traveled too far (one reason my wife couldn't use it). Will need to take things apart to gain an understanding on the transmatic system. I think I now know enough to understand what not to do.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
Just buy a 20 year old John Deere that has been well maintained and be done with it.


Yeah, I should have bought a John Deere to begin with. Had a Craftsman with a Briggs Stratton engine that a valve went loose. Should have been a sign to buy proper lawn tractor instead of cheaper junk.

 

[LX289]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Just buy a 20 year old John Deere that has been well maintained and be done with it.


Yeah, I should have bought a John Deere to begin with. Had a Craftsman with a Briggs Stratton engine that a valve went loose. Should have been a sign to buy proper lawn tractor instead of cheaper junk.


Yes i would have done that too. Make sure it has a Kawasaki engine and not a Briggs and scrap iron.