Gravely 44Z acts like I turn the switch off and back on - help please!

I have a 44Z that I bought new 9 years ago - has 315 hours on it. Today it started very intermittently acting like I turned the key off and right back on. There is no consistency to it. Blades engaged and cutting. I have disabled the seat switch to rule it out. I know there is a brake switch and a neutral switch - neither of those would cause this. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Enimo

Have you checked wires at backside of ignition switch by hand & visually making sure connections are tight & secure?

http://apache.ariens.com/cgibin/ctrg0005?SESSIONID=0.8099047919707356&Site=GRAVELYS

after entering model & serial numbers click on service manual, english, then electronic manual search

Yes possibly water in fuel, first check air filter for being wet. You can pick up a small bottle of quality brand fuel treatment & follow directions on bottle.

mechanic mark, Thanks for the reply. I have just checked the ignition switch and it is good. I actually had the mower running and wiggled on all the wires to see if I could make it react and it did not. I know there is a switch on the brake and a neutral switch but neither of those should have an effect once it is running, should it? I have thought it must be electrical, but I guess it could be fuel related, When it "stalls", it has only done it for a second or so and picks right back up. Only once has it actually died but then it cranked right back up. The fuel is new but it did get caught out in a major rain storm a day or so ago. Could it possibly be water in the fuel? Thanks again, Eddie

Anyone? Thanks

Well take it from the top and tell it like your were talking to your grandfather who still uses a sythe to cut his grass.
What stops ?
The engine, the blades , everything ?

The engine is self powering and once started will run forever or till it runs out of fuel, whichever comes first. :laughing:
The seat switch will kill the ignition if activated without the brake being on.
The lap bars will kill the engine if the brake is on
The seat switch will kill the engine if the PTO is on

A bare wire on the magneto ground wire will kill the engine any time it earths out.
The fuel solenoid will kill the engine if it looses power.

And I can not help you if you will not help me.
Mark told how & where to get the information you need to fix your mower.
Every one else who does not own the same mower also needs the same information if they are going to give you specific advice.

I decided a long while ago if owners can not be bothered to help me then I can not be bothered to help them

bertsmobile1, the service manual is not available for my model and serial number (991035/000915). The parts and owner's manual were the only ones available - so I tried to use the information Mark gave me. It is a 44z with 19hp Kawasaki (FH451V). Engine, PTO everything stalls. I disabled the seat switch to rule it out. I thought it was the seat switch because it acts as if you got off the seat for a split second and sat back down. I missed Mark's comments about the fuel at the end of this post - Sorry!

A few things come to mind.
Mowers have 2 power sources, the battery & the alternator both of which work independantly of each other.
This some what rules out power failure other than the battery going dead short, or the main battery wire grounding.
This would be accompanied by reasonable volumes of the smoke escaping from the wires which hopefully you would notice.
However most times both go through the same fuse,

When the PTO cuts out, does it restart all by itself or do you have to reset it by turning it off then on again.?

If the PTO does not dissengage then it could be as simple as the cut out wire on the ignition grounding or the fuel solenoid shutting off the fuel supply.
If the PTO does dissengage then I would suspect the switch.

In the shop I dig up a wiring diagram and bypass the ignition switch by either substituting with a known good one or using patch leads in the ignition switch plug.
If that provides no joy then I bypass the fuel solenoid by replacing it with a bowl nut.
Last chance is to rig up a manual ignition cut out.
I leave the ignition till last as it is the most dangerious.
Where there is a bucket load of relays, they can be tested by substitution with a known good one or hot wiring them.

Fixed the or problem. Cutting today to try a couple things when it stalled. It stalled a time or two and the last time it died completely. Then it wouldn't turn over so I suspected switch but I had already checked that. There was a ground wire loose yhat was bolted to the engine. Thanks for all the help guys!