Hello everyone. I made another thread about this issue in a different subforum but I fear I was not clear enough in my description of the problem. The mower is an Ariens 42" hydro, model 936038.
Please view the short clip here to understand the problem:
As the primary user of this mower is 91 years old, we need to eliminate the lurching and also we need the motion lever's middle position to work properly as the fully forward position can be too fast. A fine gentleman in the other thread offered:
I do not know how to locate the "tensioning arm" or how to fix it. Also, according to my owner's manual, the transmission fluid should be sufficient for the lifetime of the device. I am wary of tearing the transmission apart as I think I might not be able to put it back together. Could anyone offer advice?
Please view the short clip here to understand the problem:
- When the motion lever is in the middle position, the tractor will not drive consistently. Instead, it lurches forward, then stops, then lurches forward, then stops,....
- When the motion lever is in the fully forward position, the tractor lurches forward HARD but then drives smoothly.
- If the motion lever has been forward, pulling it back into the "neutral" position causes the tractor to go into reverse
- Reverse works well after a lurch
As the primary user of this mower is 91 years old, we need to eliminate the lurching and also we need the motion lever's middle position to work properly as the fully forward position can be too fast. A fine gentleman in the other thread offered:
3) the tensioning spring on the tranny pulley is probably weak so when the harsh jerk happens the belt goes loose a bit so it then slips a bit.
4) the pivot point on the tensioning arm floggs out oval over time cause they never get lubed by home owners who do their own maintenance.
The tranny might be a little low in oil or need to have it replaced.
Down side is you usually have to pull it out in order to check it.
I do not know how to locate the "tensioning arm" or how to fix it. Also, according to my owner's manual, the transmission fluid should be sufficient for the lifetime of the device. I am wary of tearing the transmission apart as I think I might not be able to put it back together. Could anyone offer advice?