Wiring and deck questions

PTmowerMech

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13AN77KG011 Troybilt

Got this in the other day with the wiring ALL messed up. Seriously, I've never seen anything like this mess. The man had the + battery wire going to one post on the solenoid. On the same solenoid post, was the starter wire. The other post, was a ground wire going to the negative side of the battery. And a few other things.
I got most of everything straightened out. Burnt wires replaced. But I have two wires that I'm still not sure about.
The ground wire from the key switch
At the back, there's a single yellow wire, that has a connection that would fit a safety switch. The two that go to the seat switch are connected. They don't look like they've been disconnected ever. The PTO safety switch is connected also. I'm pretty sure it went somewhere, because it had the same jumbled mess of a tape job as the rest of the messed up wires.


Now the deck. The brake on the left side (drivers side) is metal to metal with the spindle pulley. The other side is at least 1 inch from toughing it's pulley. And honestly, it looks like it's been that way from the start. Looks almost new. The spring that pulls that brake tight is in tact.


P.S. Just an idea, has anyone ever tried using an old fat belt, cut about 1.5 inches long, to use as a pulley brake?
 

MowLife

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The extra yellow wire is probably the reverse safety switch. Many people remove them to be able to go in reverse without shutting off blades. As far as the brake pad on the deck...they are really cheap I doubt any block of rubber will hold up.
 

bertsmobile1

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The wire is most likely the reverse cut out switch wire.
Check it for voltage & ground
If there is no voltage on it engine running or engine off, then ground it engine running.
If it kills the motor then it is the MIR safety switch wire,
On a lot of mowers the MIR switch sits on a bracket which is easily removable.
The other option is a neutral switch that hangs off the F-N-R shifter
 

PTmowerMech

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The ground wire from the key switch, does it need to ground anything else? Or can I just find a place and ground it?
 

PTmowerMech

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As far as the brake pad on the deck...they are really cheap I doubt any block of rubber will hold up.

The PTO cable may be too short. When it's disengaged, there's still a lot of tension on it. Which is why the brake on the drivers side doesn't reach the pulley.
Pull the brake lever towards the pulley, and it stretches the cable spring?
 

bertsmobile1

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The ground wire from the key switch, does it need to ground anything else? Or can I just find a place and ground it?

Just find any bare bolt head.
There should be a spring to pull the tension arm off so the cable goes slack and another spring that pulls the brake pad onto the pulley..
Looks different on the parts diagram to the ones I have seen here but we tend to get older , obsolete models down here & I never see them till they are older still.
They are not vitally important, just another brain dead operator injury preventer.
Having said that I have spent near a year on & off with an MTD that continually ate belts.
The problem ended up being that this deck needs to brake to stop the blades so that all of the slack ends up at the engine pulley.
Had to cut the 3 non adjustable deck hangers & thread them so I could get the deck to come up high enough to engage both brakes.
A 1998 mower so all of the lift pins were very worn.
 

PTmowerMech

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The side that has the extra spring, is the side where the brake doesn't touch. I can move the spring to another notch. But that wouldn't make any difference since it's pulling against a much stronger PTO cable spring.

20190811_183608.jpg
 

bertsmobile1

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It should not be pulling against the PTO spring.
When the PTO is in the off position the PTO spring should be quite slack.
If not then the PTO cable is wrong or something is causing it to hang.
When you disengage the PTO, the tension on the belt should push the tension arm back till the pulley just touched the belt and the return spring ( which may also be the brake spring ) pulls the tension lever further back making the belt very slack.
 

PTmowerMech

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It should not be pulling against the PTO spring.
When the PTO is in the off position the PTO spring should be quite slack.
If not then the PTO cable is wrong or something is causing it to hang.
When you disengage the PTO, the tension on the belt should push the tension arm back till the pulley just touched the belt and the return spring ( which may also be the brake spring ) pulls the tension lever further back making the belt very slack.

I bolted the cable closer to, which relieved the tension on it. But then it was too short to tighten the deck belt all the way. I'm thinking this PTO cable is too short. With all the other rigging that was done on this (wiring), it wouldn't surprise me.
Also, it may be fraid inside the plastic tubing, and sticking in one spot, keeping it from coming all the way out.
 
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