I was mowing today and the blades stopped mowing. I turned it off and looked under the mower and saw the belt had come off. I went to put the belt back on and noticed the pulley was loose. Then I noticed that the jackshaft had slid down and the blade was on the ground. I don't know a lot about mowers. What would cause the jackshaft to slid down? What part do I need to replace? I found a parts diagram with part numbers online (it's how I know what the jackshaft is called, lol). What parts would I need to replace? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. I have a Murray , Model 4054x92a
Could be one of several reasons why the jackshaft (spindle) dropped down. One could be the bolts that secure it vibrated out. I saw another mower where the entire jackshaft broke in two pieces, and the pulley flopping around on top. Sometimes the shafts will seize up and fry a belt before you can say "What was that?" By the time you see a cloud of smoke and smell it, the belt is history! Sometimes the deck will crack and the jackshafts will work loose, bolts break or loosen etc.
Thank you for the reply. I didn't see a crack in the deck and there was no smoke or anything. I did notice when I slide the jackshaft back up under the pulley looks like some threads were chewed up. I guess I may start by replacing the jackshaft and go from there. Thank you for the help, and if anyone else has an idea it would be greatly appreciated.
