Mower Rear Wheels Locked

[Berniebac]

I have a Columbia 16 HP lawn tractor(rebranded MTD) and the rear wheels have locked up on me. The tractor is fitted with a "hydrostatic relief valve" which normally you pull back on a lever and it release the transmission when it is in neutral. You can then push the tractor around without starting the engine. The relief valve worked last year when I put the tractor away, but it won't work now. I took it out a couple weeks ago to adjust the valves and clean the carb and had to push it from the shed to the basement. The only way I can move it is to lift the rear end off the ground and push it on the front wheels. I pull back on the hydrostatic release valve and the wheels stay locked up.

Any suggestions?

 

[ILENGINE]

Parking brake lever on right side of the transmission stuck in the on position.

 

[Berniebac]

Parking brake lever on right side of the transmission stuck in the on position.

I forgot to mention the parking brake was disabled before I bought the tractor. There are a few safety features that have been disconnected and I wish I could restore them. But, the hydrostatic lock has always worked properly.

 

[bertsmobile1]

raise the rear wheels free of the ground.
Try to turn a wheel
If it turns one way easily & the other wheel turns in the opposite direction then the parking brake is locked on or the entire tranny is trash.

Dissabled tells us nothing.
Remoived the brake mpads ?
Removed the brake rotor ?
or just backed off the brake rod ?

 

[Berniebac]

raise the rear wheels free of the ground.
Try to turn a wheel
If it turns one way easily & the other wheel turns in the opposite direction then the parking brake is locked on or the entire tranny is trash.

Dissabled tells us nothing.
Remoived the brake mpads ?
Removed the brake rotor ?
or just backed off the brake rod ?

I will give that a try on the weekend. Tractor is at my cottage and I will be there on the weekend . I don't know how the brake was disabled as it was done before I bought it but I will try to investigate.

When I was moving it the right wheel would turn and the left was locked.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The parking brake works on the layshaft
This locks the diff so the rear wheels can only turn in opposite direction.

 

[Berniebac]

raise the rear wheels free of the ground.
Try to turn a wheel
If it turns one way easily & the other wheel turns in the opposite direction then the parking brake is locked on or the entire tranny is trash.

Dissabled tells us nothing.
Remoived the brake mpads ?
Removed the brake rotor ?
or just backed off the brake rod ?

I jacked it up and the left wheel rotates forward and the right wheel rotates backwards.

They do not rotate independently, if I rotate the left wheel forward the right wheel rotates backwards on its own and vice versa. Don’t know if that helps you guide me in a fix or not. To get at the brakes I am going to have to remove most of the body panels. What a pain to work on.

 

[Berniebac]

I got it. Removed the rear wheel and checked to see if the disc brake rotor was loose. It was tight. So I tried to move the brake lever where it attaches to the caliper and it moved about 1/4 “ freeing up the the rotor. Put wheel back on and it rolls as it should.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well done.
Now you see how it works you might like to think about getting the brake to work.
Using a mower without a brake is just a tad on the dangerous side for both the operator & the mower.

 

[Berniebac]

Well done.
Now you see how it works you might like to think about getting the brake to work.
Using a mower without a brake is just a tad on the dangerous side for both the operator & the mower.

The brakes work with the foot pedal it is the parking brake that doesn’t work. I wouldn’t use it if it had no brakes at al. Too dangerous.

I moved it out a second time and the brakes locked on again. Do the brakes need adjusting from time to time?