Mower slowing down during operation

[Dabbo]

Hi all,
I have noticed that my 145 (hydrostatic) mower is loosing drive while using it for an hour as an example. It starts off well when I first start but as it heats up i.e. after about 20 or 30 mins it slowly looses drive. The cutting remains good but it starts to refuse to go up even a slight slope. I have replaced the drive belt (54") as it seemed to have stretched somewhat but that has not solved the issue. I have also replaced the oil filter and given it fresh oil to eliminate the possibly that it was running thin. The engine runs fine. What would be the next thing to look at.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Andrew

 

[7394]

When was last time you removed the engine blower housing & cleaned the engine, fins & all ?

Same for your trans / hydro or what ever you got.. Dirt blanket really retains the heat. Makes it hard on it.

 

[bertsmobile1]

If treated nicely those trannys are good for about 1000 hours
Driving at anything less than full engine speed drastically reduces their service life
Cheap & nasty test is to park on a hill turn off the engine then lot off the parking brake
A perfect tranny will just sit there .
A totally stuffed tranny will race away like Mulga Bill's bicycle
If it needs a pus to start rolling or rolls away slowly then a change to 20W 50 or 20w 60 fully synthetic will get you a few more seasons out of it
Or you can do a rebuild with the drop in pump/motor unit not difficult but everything has to be clean enough to eat off because dust is the deadly enemy of hydros

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

If treated nicely those trannys are good for about 1000 hours
Driving at anything less than full engine speed drastically reduces their service life
Cheap & nasty test is to park on a hill turn off the engine then lot off the parking brake
A perfect tranny will just sit there .
A totally stuffed tranny will race away like Mulga Bill's bicycle
If it needs a pus to start rolling or rolls away slowly then a change to 20W 50 or 20w 60 fully synthetic will get you a few more seasons out of it
Or you can do a rebuild with the drop in pump/motor unit not difficult but everything has to be clean enough to eat off because dust is the deadly enemy of hydros

How many hours on your riding mower? How hilly is your yard? How did you replace the filter and oil in the hydrostatic transaxle, or did you mean engine?

Once these transaxles start doing what you are describing, it is the beginning of the end. It would most likely cost more to repair or remove and replace than the mower is worth.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I said it was the cheap & nasty test.
I do it with every mower that I service because I have a tilting trailer which tilts to about 30ish degrees
So I test them as I unload them then make notes in the service record .
As for my yard, I do have a honda I scored for free that will need an tranny service very shortly because the owners controlled ground speed by adjusting engine speed and he also used to tow heavy loads .
All my other machines are Greenfields , Coxes or Rovers
Greenfields use cork drive plates , good for at least 5,000 hours
Cox use a cone drive, again good for at least 5,000 hours if you adjust the driven cones regularly
Rovers are from the 60's so use Peerless 6000 series manual boxes .
I fix mowers so I ain't a hydro idiot .
Got 2 MTD's with vari drive used for towing around the yard
Hudros = lazy
lazy = expensive

 

[Dabbo]

How many hours on your riding mower? How hilly is your yard? How did you replace the filter and oil in the hydrostatic transaxle, or did you mean engine?

Once these transaxles start doing what you are describing, it is the beginning of the end. It would most likely cost more to repair or remove and replace than the mower is worth.

I did the engine oil and filter. I wasn't aware of the transaxle needing an oil change and thought it was a sealed unit? Thanks for the advice

 

[Dabbo]

I think the transmission oil for the 145 is John Deeres is called T40. Dose anyone know what type and specs are for this oil? Is it Hydraulic oil or a different engine oil type?

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[StarTech]

SAE15W50 Synthetic for the K46BE. Transmission filter is inside the unit so the unit must be removed and disassemble.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

I think the transmission oil for the 145 is John Deeres is called T40. Dose anyone know what type and specs are for this oil? Is it Hydraulic oil or a different engine oil type?

Cheers,
Andrew

The Tuff Torq T40 transaxle made specifically for John Deere’s specs is a slightly lower quality and specification version of the Tuff Torq K46 (one of the most common transaxles in many different riding mower models. I just successfully removed and replaced a non-working T40 and installed a good used T40, and drained and replaced oil. Mower only has 40 hours on the hour meter and the transaxle failed. Customer was using it on very hilly yard which it could not take. Will sell it in the spring for a nice profit.

Unless you want to go to the trouble of removing the T40 transaxle and trying to change oil and see if that fixes it, or install another T40 that works, the mower won’t be able to be revived. You HAVE to replace the transaxle with another known good T40 for everything to hook up and work properly.