yardman riding mower problem

mtd46

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I have a yardman select series my friend gave me before he died,he bought it new and used it maybe 5 times or so.
you can crawl faster than this thing goes,motor is fine and will idel and run wide open just fine,it just will not move fast at all,anyone have this problem and if so how did you fix it?
 

SeniorCitizen

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The infamous variable speed pulley is stuck and not responding to the changes in spring tension that is placed on it with the speed selector.
 

bertsmobile1

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Have a good look under the mower there should be a belt from the engine ans another belt from the rear axel and both of these should end up on a single pulley.
The top & bottom flanges of that pulley are fixed but the middle one can slide up & down.
This changes the circumfrences of both pulleys one gets bigger so that belt goes slower & the other gets smaller so that belt moves faster..
If the sliding member can not move freely up & down the mower speeds can not change.
All of this is controlled by a whopping big spring.

There are a few variations on the theme depending upon how the belt tension is maintained.
some have discreet tensioning pulleys while others the double pulley itself is on a pivoting arm.
So get it up in the air and have a look.
Usually you have to remove the battery & battery tray to get access to the rear pulleys.

This system is very sensative to belts and the belts used are usually deeper than standard mower belts and they must be wrapped.
 

Boobala

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bertsmobile1

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Also in the diagram the two clutch pulleys ( 63) can give you grief and cause loss of drive if they do not pull the belt tight enough.
 

Roger B

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Have a good look under the mower there should be a belt from the engine ans another belt from the rear axel and both of these should end up on a single pulley.
The top & bottom flanges of that pulley are fixed but the middle one can slide up & down.
This changes the circumfrences of both pulleys one gets bigger so that belt goes slower & the other gets smaller so that belt moves faster..
If the sliding member can not move freely up & down the mower speeds can not change.
All of this is controlled by a whopping big spring.

There are a few variations on the theme depending upon how the belt tension is maintained.
some have discreet tensioning pulleys while others the double pulley itself is on a pivoting arm.
So get it up in the air and have a look.
Usually you have to remove the battery & battery tray to get access to the rear pulleys.

This system is very sensative to belts and the belts used are usually deeper than standard mower belts and they must be wrapped.

Berts-Man - You're the bestest!!!

I do have a question though... What do you mean when you say that the belts "must be wrapped"? Heck, I'm "wrapped", just not very tightly!!!

Rog B
 
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