# Deere 100 Series Questions



## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Afternoon folks, hows everyone been running?

Recently just came across a john deere las100 with about 600 hours on it. It starts fine, runs great for about 15-20 minutes than seems to lose power. It doesnt surge, and it apparently only started happening after a few cuts in the spring.

Any ideas of what this issue may be?! I have yet to do ANYTHING to it, i will start in the morning (to damn hot right now 36 celcius) 

What troubleshooting steps would you take?

Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated!


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

May be getting hot. Use an air compressor to blow any debris out from under the cooling fan. Also, buy yourself a new gas cap as the tiny hole usually gets plugged up after a couple seasons of use. Install a new air filter and fuel filter. Some Seafoam in the tank might not be a bad idea either. Finally, adjust the valves, which is pretty easy to do. If it still loses power, check the compression. Remember that properly-adjusted belts, a sharp blade and clean deck will lower stress on an engine too.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

I took a look at it yesterday, theres lots of trimmings and things floating around the gas tank, the fuel filter is crammed full of things. The air filter and plugs were gross. The carb needs a good soak too. I will try these quick easy fixes first, than run it again for an extended period in order to see if there is still power loss.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Sounds like my daughter's old mower........:nonono:

It's amazing how many grass clippings can end up in the fuel tank.....I've seen plenty of clippings in fuel lines leading from the tank. Then, people wonder why their mower doesn't run the way it should. I always clear the area around my fuel caps (I have two tanks) and all gas can lids/spouts. 

Good luck, FPM........I think you found the problem with your Deere.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Fortunately the fuel pickup tube is a bit above the bottom of the tank in a John Deere, which allows for some sand and other debris to settle without causing much of an issue. Periodically I use an oil syringe to suck the stuff out. I also replace fuel filters quite often, it take only a minute to do this and they hardly cost anything.

The air filter gets changed once a year and just blown out every couple of months. After reinstalling the air filter I blow dust out from under the cooling fan intake and blow the gas cap hole clean too. Oil and its filter are once a year but I lube about four times a year. I Seafoam about once a year then take the plugs out and clean/regap or replace them as necessary (I've actually only replaced them once). My 125 has 600 hours on it and still runs great.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

This LA125 has 600 hours on it as well coincidentally.

*UPDATE:* Okay, so over the weekend I put in 2 new plugs, properly gaped. New air filters, new fuel filter (it was disgusting) I drained all the gas in the tank (there was a ton of leafs and things in there) Cleaned it, put fresh gas in. Did oil and oil filter. Cleaned all fins, cleaned everyone, checked hole in gas cap. Its certainly idling much better, it sounds better and has a bit more GO in it when just driving around but the issue from previous is still there.... 

What happens is that after 15-20 minutes of cutting, (actually using the deck, or under "load" so to speak) the motor loses almost all power. Does not shut off, but reverse becomes super slow mode reverse, and forward the same thing. 

Any recommendations? Where to next?!


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

> reverse becomes super slow mode reverse, and forward the same thing.


Have you checked the hydraulic fluid level? Also, check to see that the cooling fan is still there and turning properly.

Make sure the drive belt is properly adjusted too. A lose belt may slip when it becomes hot and expands.

Also, valve adjustments are relatively easy and should be done every couple hundred hour or so.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Ill be sure to check those things for sure! As well as clean the piss out of the carb.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

You might want to do a search on John Deere LA125 transmission problems.......sounds like the classic symptoms of a failing K46 transmission.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

Is it actually losing engine power and speed or is it just losing motion drive while the mower deck still has full power? These are two mostly unrelated problems.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

As mentioned im not the rider, im fixing for a friend and its apparent he describes things horribly. When he drops it off again ill load it up and go fart around in the nearest school field until i can recreate the issue lol. Ill keep yall posted!


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Okay so, today I got the deck off and everything seemed fine there, mower belt looks a bit worn so ill change that just because. Now I have the deck off, and ive went under what should I be looking for? 

1. Is there a way to check the fluid in the transmission?
2. How can i tell if the drive pulley, or belt or any of the linkages are out of whack? They all seem tight and fine, the belt and brake so on seem good...
3. There is a electrical sensor or something of that nature plugged into the transmission, could this cause issues?!


What should i be looking for under the mower with regards to my problems?

Also Product Number on side of frame was: GX0120A044346 if that helps!


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Completely lost now. Now the effin thing wont start. I have DONE NOTHING to this mower since it arrived here friday except remove the deck. After that it wont start, i had disconnected the battery and now it doesnt start. It has to be boosted so any ideas there?

It also will stall the minute you press down on reverse. Now the steering weel appears to be jumping gears down the shaft when you try and turn the tires. 

Like I can fix cars, atvs, snowmobiles but im about ready to roll this Deere into Deere because im completely fu%#^#d here.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Okay yeah, well that was what was happening as well as the fuse being blown. So the motor is starting each time now again. No problems there, the issue with turning right is the teeth on the plate bolted to the bottom on the right turn side are worn completely off. That seems like an easy fix. 

Now i ran the mower for an hour PLUS. And cant seem to recreate this guys issue. I am presently uploading a video i made showing all the under workings and such so perhaps when that is ready yall can watch it and see if you can notice or hear anything of note.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Heres the video!


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Nice video........:thumb:. Watch out standing on your head like that.......blood rushes to your head.......:laugh:. I can't do that......beard falls into my eyes and blocks vision.

Sounds good and looks ok.......but check the rear wheels. RR seems to be running faster than the left.......also looks like it's not running true. I'll take a few more looks at the vid.......I've only watched it three times.....:grin:

While you have the deck off take the thing for a ride.......can't tell much unless you put it under working conditions. Ride it around and let the transmission come up to operating temps and see if it becomes sluggish.......an incline would put a little more stress on the drive system and may produce symptoms. The guy did say it ran fine the first 20mins or so and then kinda bogged down?? If nothing happens put the deck back on and do it again.

The steering rack looks like an easy fix......I've done a few on my mowers. 

Latest steering problem for me was a little more involved. Full hydo system (pumps and hyd motors) and the LH pump took a dump.......only $200 for me to rebuild and flush/change fluid and filter.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

I just need to replace the plate with the teeth as it was missing a bunch of teeth. Still havent been able to diagnose the initial problem. Need to get it to steer before i can ride it around.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Make believe you're on an oval race track........nothing but left hand turns......:grin:

The owner must like getting all the clippings in a neat pile if he wore out the right side of the steering rack. I thought most decks have a RH discharge chute......


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Side note, I measured the belt i took off the mower deck and it was 96"'s on the outside, now the parts look up says the Deere belt # is GX20072 and i am getting ALL sorts of measurements online that are contradictory! Some say 104, some say 108... i measured 96 *** lol


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

I'm seeing just shy of 104" from NAPA. About $35 to replace. 

NAPA AUTO PARTS

My deck belt is about twice as long.......$100+ if it breaks.

Found this from JD.....http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/parts/LA120_42_deck.pdf


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Remember that belts stretch over time and there also is some room for adjustment so measuring your old belt is just a rough estimate of what you need. Someone could have put the wrong belt on too.

According to the John Deere parts catalog, the drive belt for a LA120 is the 88.9" model GX20006. The 42" deck belt is the 103.3" GX20072.

I've had good luck buying my belts on Amazon. If they are the wrong size you can just use the website to return the item, the next day a UPS guy will pick it up no charge and your credit card will either be reimbursed or the replacement sent.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Well my concern is the belt i took off measuring 96 inches was really lose on the deck and now its telling me to use one thats 8 inches bigger.. sooo not 100% sure. But still need help with the other issue first lol


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Is your deck 42"? Also, make sure that the belt was routed properly and all the pulleys were in place. Check the John Deere site for a diagram.

OMGX22464_J6


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Yeah its the 42", the deck was operating just fine with the belt thats on it so i will just put that back on for NOW, but for now its back to the "movement" loss after 15-20 minutes of cutting. Did you check out the video MPR?


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

It sounds like it's running well and the belt doesn't seem to be slipping. If it were slipping one would think that it would do it immediately after load. Howerer, there is the possibility that the belt only slips after it's warmed up too.

Have you checked the compression and adjusted the valves? Sometimes a mis-adjusted valve will be worse when the engine gets hot.

Make sure that you clean well under the cooling screen at the top of the motor. My 125 was having trouble restarting and I found that a lot of grass and dirt had built up under there over the years, which was causing the engine to overheat.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

I've done more research on this mower than I wanted to.......but, I now know enough to warn friends away from a mower with the T40 Tuff Torq transmission. I also think I know why I see quite a few JD's sitting in yards with a For Sale sign......and people still keep buying them for the JD name and reputation. 

Best thing that should possibly be done with this series of mower is to change the transmission fluid every 100 hours unless you are using it on absolutely flat terrain with little load. Even then, it might be wise to change it on a regular basis. 

The T40 can be serviced but it was intended to last the life of the mower without being serviced. That being said, fluid changes weren't intended and to change the fluid you will need to remove the entire transmission (transaxle). Step #4 and steps after #30 will apply in the following pdf file: https://www.tufftorqservices.com/En...Info/docs/repair/axlereplacementprocedure.pdf

One of the axles appears to be bent so you may want to follow the whole pdf if the owner wants to sink that much money into the machine. 

Changing the transaxle oil may offer short term relief but from what I'm seeing don't count on it......:frown:



> If your transmission is having loss of power or no drive when it reaches operating temperature, it is likely that the cylinder blocks and center case need to be replaced. When replacing any of these components, it is critical to replace all components to include 2 cylinder block assemblies with new pistons and springs, and the center case.


https://www.tufftorqservices.com/EnvEEdefault/FlatHTML/TechInfo/help/helplosspower.html


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Interesting SABL, so at this point shes basically a busted transmission..

*UPDATE:*

Well I changed the steering sector and so thats all good to go. Cleaned and put the deck back on. Loaded it on the trailer.. took it to my buddies 2 acre lot to see if i can recreate the problem and sure enough, after 20 minutes or so of cutting the thing just starts crawling. There is no loss in RPM, the motor sounds the same, but after 20 minutes of mowing i began to lose all forward momentum, and reverse doesnt even want to work much at all, soo slow that it barely moves in reverse. The transmission is warm to the touch but nothing outrageously hot.

Any ideas!? I have done so much i think you pros should be able to narrow this down at this point!


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Well.......I'd say you are looking at a classic symptom of failed transmission. No loss of rpm or strain on the engine but once the unit gets up to operating temp pretty much all drive function is lost. 

You could gamble with a little bit of time and 2 quarts of Mobile1 synthetic oil. Tuff Torq calls for 5W-50 but in your case I'd try 15W-50. Pretty much moot point on cyl block and piston wear but your friend may get another season or two of use. When I looked at the parts list I noticed the internal parts are very similar to what I have.....except the JD is in one single unit and I have two pumps and two hyd motors to drive the wheels. 

You do know that the mower will still function until the oil in the transmission thins out from heat......I'd try a higher viscosity and keep my fingers crossed. Why JD uses a non-serviceable transmission I have no idea. If provisions had been made to change transmission oil on a 200 hour schedule the mower would still be running fine........600 hours (or no oil change) is a death wish.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

I believed SABL has it right that the hydro is dying on you but go ahead and check the v-idler pulley in the drive system. These are usually a plastic/fiberglass composite that wears fairly heavily that can cause belt slippage even with new belts sometimes. This wear is the same lengthening belt too much which could make your current belt on the borderline of slipping when cold and then slipping once the belt gets to operating temp itself.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Good point, AVB........worth a check. I'm a pessimist and go for the worst case scenario......:laugh:

Nope, not a pro.......just a guy with wrenches. When the pump went out on my mower I was a real shade-tree mechanic......it died right next to a huge lilac bush. Pushing a 1,000 lb mower to the garage (120 yards away) was not going to happen. It was all I could do to move it away from the bush to get room to work......rough cut 2 X 4 came in handy for leverage to scoot the thing a few feet.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

SABL, After seeing some of those so called Pro shop repairs here in my shop you may be a better mechanic even working under a shade tree. 

Heck even with a shop those trees are a lot more inviting on those 100+ days and a lot more comfortable than working in a hot shop. 

Just because I work under shade trees sometimes doesn't mean I don't know what I am doing; it just shows smart enough to get out of the hot sun. I do put put down a trap in case I drop a small part just make it easy to find.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

What should i be looking for on those plastic pulleys?


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

On the v-ldlers it is belt guide portion that wears that allows the v-belt to bottom out. Usually you will see to bottom of the v-groove is polished from the belt slipping. 

Here's an example of how belt rides on most of pulleys. It is a little over exaggerated for some pulleys as top of a good belt and pulley might look more like my rough second image example. My image editing isn't very good.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Thanks AVB. Yall have been teaching me a pile of really good stuff! have been doing a bunch of learning on this project.

I checked the clutch pulleys on the drive belt for what you mentioned and they are not bottoming out. Pretty sure we've got this one wrapped up as a transmission problem!


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Good luck. They may have discontinued the T40 and you'll have to go with a T46......unless you want to try to rebuild the thing. After looking at prices for parts I'd go with a new transmission and change the fluid every other season. 

My mower calls for fluid change every 200 hours.......4 seasons. After having pump failure this year I'll be changing fluid every other year.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

It appears that T40J is still available thru JD but at over 800 usd it is a little costly. There is an alternate Ebay supplier that has it for under 600 usd including shipping which is about same as the JD repair kit.

John Deere Transmission MIA10910 for La D x 105 115 125 110 120 145 130 140 150 | eBay


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Yeah this is a very expensive fix at this point. The Canadian dollar is terribly weak right now. 800 USD is 1050 canadian.... he paid 1000$ for the mower so its on him now to see what he wants to do.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Bought it used?? Could be the seller knew what he was selling.......

It would be OK to repair *if* the rest of the mower is in great shape.....structural integrity of the frame and the engine is OK. Engine sounded good to me. I've junked three lawn tractors in the past due to frame problems.....and one for transmission failure. I gave up and bought a commercial mower 11 years ago.......but, that's all it's good for.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Transmissions, even if you repair them yourself, will cost a bit. I repaired a simple transmission in my tiller and it ran $250 for the parts and oil (the gears alone, which were stripped, were $100 each). It was worth it because a new tiller would be $800 and the engine was still good.

From what I can see, transmissions for the John Deere 100 series and even upgrade kits cost several hundred to over a thousand dollars. You need to ask if you want to put that much money into an old mower. Of course, you might be able to replace specific transmission pars for less but the least expensive option might be to find an old mower with a good transmission but bad motor and swap the motor out.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

FPMotorsports said:


> Yeah this is a very expensive fix at this point. The Canadian dollar is terribly weak right now. 800 USD is 1050 canadian.... he paid 1000$ for the mower so its on him now to see what he wants to do.


Not to mention the import duties and shipping if ordered it out the country. That one of the reason I added that prices quoted were in US Dollars.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Alright, transmission is out, its open its drained. Its really clean, no unnecessary movements, no natural disasters so to speak. Tomorrow ill refill it and see!

Any recommendations on what i should refill it with!?


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

https://www.tufftorqservices.com/En...INTERNAL RESERVOIR CHECKING & ADDING OIL.pdf


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

*UPDATE: *Today i came home.. put a gasket on, filled it with new 5W50.. installed it. Instantly started making a grinding type noise... Pulled it back into the shop.. put it on stands. I also lost all power WITHOUT cutting, so zero load in about 5 minutes this time. Before it lost power the same way.. after 15-20 minutes of cutting..

When i turn A wheel the other turns opposite.. now im not a master mechanic but that seems not right. What I am saying is if i turn say the right axle forward.. the left axle goes backwards. And vice versa. So the tires are turning... opposite directions.

I didnt remove any parts of the transmission when i opened it.. just opened it checked the magnets for shavings, cleaned it real good let it dry over night. New gasket, new fluids. reinstalled..


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

FPMotorsports said:


> When i turn A wheel the other turns opposite.. now im not a master mechanic but that seems not right. What I am saying is if i turn say the right axle forward.. the left axle goes backwards. And vice versa. So the tires are turning... opposite directions.


This normal operation when both wheels are off the ground. This operation is most automobile transaxles and read-end differentials to prevent one being slide in a turn. The drawback of this system is that if one loses traction it will spin while other does nothing. Most of newer Tuff Torq transaxles have either an auto locking or a manual locking spider gears. If both axles turn as one then making turns would hard as the mower would try to go straight even with the front wheels turned.

For reading on how this system works in general here is article on differentials explaining the operation of spider gears.
How does a Differential work ? ~ Learn Engineering

I would advise you if your unfamiliar with hydrostatic transmission repair seek some local help. These transmission can overwhelming for inexperience repairman.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

Ive rebuilt atv transmissions, 454s, all sorts of motors. It just never OCCURRED to me. Its something I didnt ever think to notice. I will not be seeking no local nothing, but appreciate the advise..

Anywho, besides that ive done a pile of research, and will take this basic tranny apart, check the pump and motor pistons. I got breakdowns and the service manual. I just basically enjoy these forums to seek ALTERNATIVE recommendations. I dont know it all. But when 5 people attack it you get generally 5 sorts of ways of doing things.. and than you can draw to a conclusion a best attack plan. This is my first hydrostatic transmission, but ill have these back of my handed after this one. Ive already learned a metric shi& ton.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

Okay when you take it apart again pay special attention to pump slip plates. Any small grooves will cause pressure lost at operating temperature. These hydraulic motors are very sensitive to these just like they are to nicked o-rings. Also the work environment need to be as dust free as possible as if anything get inside it can scratch these plates later. 

As for new grinding noise you need to carefully go thru whole transmission as it sounds like something foreign or a loose screw has got somewhere it shouldn't be. It one of the reason I always at least with any machine is sealed up before leaving the shop. Mice have the habit of carrying and dropping things in equipment while we are gone. Take your time as it like fine tuning a race engine; everything got to nearly prefect for these to work right. 

I have had the old TorqueFlite 6's and 8's not even work because a nicked o-ring in the oil pump.

Metrics are here to stay but finding metric screws (bolts) in the sizes needed local is still nearly impossible even with cities that supports the space industry. If I do find what I need locally I buy a whole box of them when I can. 

I even had to order my metric tap and die set because no one would stock it. I use it nearly weekly working on small engines. There are times that I got to add to set the French metric sizes and the bottoming taps. Nearly all of my reamers and other metal working tools has to be ordered from online vendors as the locals won't even try to get these for me.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

What AVB said......^^^

Except.......I'll add that splitting the case was a mistake when the intent was to change the fluid. Many times during final assembly some small parts may be held in place by both case halves......if you're unfamiliar with all the components one small part may fall into the inner workings. If the transmission was not making noise before, there is no reason for it to do so unless something dropped into the case. I just reviewed the manual for replacing an axle (which requires splitting the case) and didn't see any warnings about small parts that can become dislodged. There are three magnets and you'll need to confirm that all are in place.......my guess is one may not be where it should be.

I watched a video and read the tech manual before even starting to disassemble the pump on my mower......which was far easier than what you are dealing with. I only had a single pump unit and not the entire drive system to work on. Oh.....the video I watched, the guy made it look harder than what it really is. 

I have complete metric sets of wrenches/sockets.......but I still despise the system.......:laugh:. More fun is when the fasteners are a mix of SAE and metric.......:nonono:. Metric taps and dies I don't have and do not plan on buying any. I'm a retired commercial carpenter and have installed quite a bit of commercial hardware on steel doors/jambs and other security situations. When others would ask to borrow a drill bit in a fractional size I'd have to ask "what size is that"?? Then I'd go to my drill index and see what wire gauge would be equivalent (or the closest). All my metal bits were for tapping holes.....:smile:.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

I split the case because I wanted to see. I had the opportunity to see the inner workings.. it wasn't functioning properly. It was a good time. There was a bit of shavings on the drain plug magnet so I figured id split the case just to see all the inner workings, its very basic actually. I was camping all weekend, got to clean and reorganize the shop and than ill get back at it. 

Been watching a load of videos and reading a pile on these transmissions. The following set of videos is by far the easiest to understand, best displayed, best described that I have found. 




Ill be sure to check the orings, ill be sure to check all the pistons, the ports. The piston play, the filter was in good shape. When i opened the case originally there was a lot of gasket material floating around. I also could have done a better job at getting oil down into the pump and on the pistons PRIOR to closing the case and just filling it. Will keep updated.

I have easy access to metric everything, canada is loaded with it.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Good luck. I haven't watched the video yet......I'll do it later. I went through plenty of brake cleaner and compressed air when I rebuilt a single hydro pump for my mower. Watch out for small steel discs inside the pistons.......if they are present. Make sure you do not assemble anything dry......the OEM for my pump said to coat all moving parts (and seals) with petroleum jelly.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

*UPDATE TIME:

*Well folks, after it sitting in my garage under a bed sheet for a month my friend decided to order up the tuff torq rebuild kit (1A646099590) It contained a new center case, motor, pump, all pistons, orings, seals, even gasket maker. So, I pulled it all apart again (3rd time), this time I removed everything, all the internals. Layed them out, cleaned everything thoroughly and went ahead with the rebuild kit. New oil, installed. Runs like a banshee. Cant even keep up to her now. She jerks ya back good and hard when ya press on the peddle. 

Very happy to report, that its been two weeks since the rebuild (I wanted to wait before updating, dreading that I would get a text any minute saying "hey buddy, bad news" haha) and everything is still working totally fine!

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations, for all the help and suggestions. You can consider me very well versed in the removal, rebuild, understanding, and reinstallation of the K series hydrostatic tuff-torq transmissions!


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

Glad to hear it going fine now.

Did you get to look over the old parts for the culprit of the problem? Just curious....


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Great to hear, FPM.........:thumb:. It's always nice when things turn out as planned.

Did they recommend synthetic oil?? For the extra cost it may well be worth it.

One thing nice......if you ever run into this problem again, you'll know what to look for and where to start.....:grin:.

No warnings when my Toro blew a pump earlier this year.......it stopped dead in it's tracks. Well........it would still move but only in circles.....:nonono:


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

AVB said:


> Glad to hear it going fine now.
> 
> Did you get to look over the old parts for the culprit of the problem? Just curious....


Probably plain old worn out......that transmission is not known to have much of a life-span from the research I've done on it. I think they last 400-600 hours before trouble starts.


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

SABL said:


> No warnings when my Toro blew a pump earlier this year.......it stopped dead in it's tracks. Well........it would still move but only in circles.....:nonono:


Maybe it just wanted to chase its tail and didn't want to stop until it caught it.:rofl: Just couldn't resist. 

Personally I stick with the MTD auto drive much less expensive to repair when they fail. I have not seen the newer MTDs so they may change it.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

AVB said:


> Maybe it just wanted to chase its tail and didn't want to stop until it caught it.:rofl: Just couldn't resist.
> 
> Personally I stick with the MTD auto drive much less expensive to repair when they fail. I have not seen the newer MTDs so they may change it.


:laugh:.......left side not working and it wanted to see what was holding it back?? Input shaft seal completely pooched outward.......pump compartment covered in oil and things not looking good. Mower was pinched in at one of the tightest sections of the yard......large bush and the fence. It was all I could do to move the thing a few feet for working room......I was a real backyard mechanic on that project. 

I'm not familiar with newer MTD mowers........I've had a commercial mower for 11 years. My lot is too rough for a stamped steel frame and I wore out 4 mowers in 15 years. Trying to get a professional looking stripe cut I wore out the transmission (not hydro) on my last mower. What used to take 8 hours to do I can now do in 2 hours......less gas and less wear on the mower (hour-wise)......and less wear on the operator.....:thumb:


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## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

I was using my JD 650 to cut the bulk of my place. The old place was 14 acres and only the 3 ac as a lawn. I got to rebuild the JD as it blew a radiator drain line and ran too hot. The idiot temperature light never came on. I might be in for re-sizing the cylinders. I won't know the extent of the damage until I go in. It still runs but is heck to start as there not enough compression to ignite to the diesel fuel on start up.

Going to need to slow on the tear down as I never worked on a diesel before and injectors are mechanically timed. I hoping not to need to split the tractor in half as I would need a second crane.

I have only wore out one rider in 20 years and it might have been still going if I knew what I know now. I had a bearing to go out and the mower parts place said it unavailable which in fact was available.

The little 38" Bolens I using now to cut 6 acres did developed a grinding noise earlier this year. It turned out be worn out axle bushing. It probably would not worn out if MTD actually put grease in the area. The RH had grease but LH had none from the factory. Still not bad for ten years of use and a 240 lb operator.


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## FPMotorsports (Apr 13, 2015)

AVB - Its funny you say that, when I was riding this mower up and down the lane in order to recreate the issue.. I lost the ability to turn right.. so push it back in the shop. Lift it up.. sure enough all the teeth on the one side of the steering sector were gone. So I picked one of those up and did that quickly too.. I felt like a nascar driver.. hardcore ******* version on my only goes left riding mower hahahaa.

SABL - Yeah, I had read about running a 5w-50 full synthetic. Thats what I went with, it was actually surprisingly hard to find. As for the reason of failure, I would honestly imagine general wear and tear. As mentioned before they are really finicky. Like carbs are. So anything valve, or valve spring, or valve filter, or any of the pistons and spring wear than issues will occur. The motor and pump have 5 pistons and they are simple a cap over a spring in a block. They wear etc. I couldnt tell you an EXACT root cause.. there was no major noticeable issues like blown orings or anything.


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