... then the blades wouldn't engage!??! Help!

... then the blades wouldn't engage!??! Help!

I'm really liking the new (to me) T3300 (273900) I picked up several weeks back. It's made quite a difference and saved me a lot of time. I'm developing different ways to cut the lawn for the most efficient, time saving method over the last 6 weeks.

Yesterday, after a successful cut where the blades were randomly activated and deactivated, I pull up to blow it off and hook up the washout spickett, start her back up, yet the blades won't activate!
Fiddled and fussed with the deck height, brake peddle, seat sensor, forward/reverse selection on the ignition, started-shutoff-started it several times in a row with random settings changed with each turn of the key ... yet the blades just don't engage!?!

I checked the cable ... it's doing it's job.
I checked the electrical connections ... they all seem in proper order.
I pulled the seat and examined the seat sensor ... all in correct working order.

Before I spend a few hours on line seeking out other solutions, I figured I drop this dilemma here and see what advice I get here.

Thank you in advance for your help and guidance.

Craftsman T3300 (#273900)
Oregon Gator Blades (installed just before this weekend)
Less than 15 hours.

remove the spark plugs, raise the deck , engage the blades and try turning the blades.
You should be able to turn the engine over by moving the blades.
If this is not the case remove the covers over the blade pulleys and check that the belt is sitting in the pulley and has not fallen off.
If that is OK remove the belt and check for missing chunks
If that is OK, take the deck out and look for debris stopping the tensioning arm travelling full distance.
If that is OK push mower to the middle of the lawn on a full moon and dance naked around in in an anticlockwise rotation at midnight

Thanks BertsMobile1 ...

Oddly and unknowingly .... I may have screwed up by not following your instructions in order, as last night I did the last thing on your list!

I'll be under the hood and into the deck a bit later today, thank you for where and what to focus on.

It isn't clear to me what happens when you activate the mower switch.

Does it do nothing at all? Like the PTO clutch is not engaging?

Or does the engine load up and struggle trying to turn the blades?

You'd notice the difference. In the second example, you'd ruin the belt if you let it run like this for more than a few seconds.

If it's the first example...are you sitting in the seat when you do this?

cpurvis said:

It isn't clear to me what happens when you activate the mower switch.

Does it do nothing at all? Like the PTO clutch is not engaging?

Or does the engine load up and struggle trying to turn the blades?

You'd notice the difference. In the second example, you'd ruin the belt if you let it run like this for more than a few seconds.

If it's the first example...are you sitting in the seat when you do this?

Click to expand...

I should have been more descriptive, huh?

It does nothing? The blade engagement process doesn't work, and yes, I am on the seat. If I lift off the seat with the brake off, the engine cuts out, so I think the safety-switch is working. In my head, I'm thinking it's a relay or there's a safety switch somewhere other than the seat that actuates the blades.

Thanks for responding ... I hope to get this figured out tonight.

No problem.

Get out your voltmeter and start tracing the wiring for the mower clutch. Start at the clutch and work your way back until you find voltage. When you do, the problem is between there and the clutch. If you have voltage at the clutch...it's the clutch. $$$

Probably a blown fuse.

You'll probably need a helper monkey for this because someone's going to have to sit in the seat, though I have used concrete blocks. They're better because they don't ask questions.

cpurvis said:

No problem.

Get out your voltmeter and start tracing the wiring for the mower clutch. Start at the clutch and work your way back until you find voltage. When you do, the problem is between there and the clutch. If you have voltage at the clutch...it's the clutch. $$$

Probably a blown fuse.

You'll probably need a helper monkey for this because someone's going to have to sit in the seat, though I have used concrete blocks. They're better because they don't ask questions.

Click to expand...

Please either read the original post a little more carefully or check the model number if you are not familiar with it.

This is an AYP lawn tractor and uses a mechanical PTO not an electric one

Not trying to be smart just to prevent you post causing confusion.

Well, you got me there.

Have bert tell you how to fix it. I haven't seen a mechanical clutch since 1970.

My experience with machines using mechanical blade engagements, is there is nothing electrical causing your issue. How many (if equipped with an hour meter) hours on the machine. The engagement cables stretch over time, as do belts. with the deck engaged, is there enough, or any tension on the belt? Do you have spring tension on the engagement lever itself? I have seen the tensioner arm seize on the machines. It should move freely when the blades are engaged and disengaged.

UPDATE;

Got into the workings of the blade activation lever, it's cabling, deck, pulleys, belts and safety brakes and all seemingly in order ... till I noticed how much slack there was in the belt.

The belt tossed itself off the engine crank-pulley. Not sure how this happened as the belt is taut when in activation mode, and all the fixed guides seem to do their job when it's not activated (although maybe I'd take out a little of the slack - and will if it happens again), but it's back to being the mower I know.

Now that I have visualized and understand the workings of this thing, I'm not so apprehensive about what could go wrong as almost all of it is rather simple and straightforward.

Thanks for any and all advice! Just glad I don't have to do another nekid dance in the middle of the yard again tonight! :laughing: