craftsman hydro

[jimvb]

Should you be able to push a craftsman rider with a hydro by hand without the freewheel disengaged?

[Rivets]

Yes, but it should be difficult.

[jimvb]

The reason I ask is that I have had a series of problems with the hydro losing power - even after replacing the pump, motor, center section filters, seals, oil, belts etc. I thought that I remembered that it was difficult to push when it was new when the freewheel was off. Just looking for a logical reason for it to continue to lose power when everything has been replace and purged

[Rivets]

Make sure that the belt is tight. A common problem is the the idler pulley or arm get tight and do not put enough tension on the belt, allowing it to slip.

[jimvb]

I raised the battery and watched the belt turn the drive pulley and it didn't appear to be slipping. I wonder if the belt gets warm enough to partially spin the pulley when it is under load. The drive belt would explain the problem since the loss of power was still evident after changing all the hydro innerds.

[Rivets]

You are going to have to get under the unit and physically test to see if the idler pulley and arm are moving freely. Eyeballing them does not work, they both must move very easy.

[Briana]

Hello Jim, I moved your thread to the Craftsman forum. Good luck and welcome!