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Hello everyone. New to the forum and am seeking help on a mower I just picked up today.

It is a 2012 MTD Gold 50" tractor with hydro. Previous owner took pretty good care of it and I feel like a picked up a solid unit regardless of what happened today while mowing.

25 minutes in to mowing our yard, the blades shut off on their own. Pulled it into the shop and it appears that the rod that held the PTO in place snapped, allowed the PTO to spin and pull the wires apart.

The PTO still works. Hooked it up to a battery and it still operates. Re ran the wires from the plug with a blue and white wire, rebuilt a new rod to hold the PTO in place, but the PTO will no longer engage. Any thoughts on what I need to check? The switch appears to be functional as well. I pulled it up before trying to crank the mower and it wouldn't let it, I assume that means it is fine.

Does the PTO ground on the crank of the engine? I ask because I had it setting on the front tire while testing it to hear it click. Hadn't made the new rod yet at that point.

Any help is much appreciated!

-Dan

First lets make sure you are getting 12 volts to the clutch by testing with a volt meter connected to the two wires going from the tractor to the clutch. Will need to be on the seat with the key on and then engage the pto switch and check the voltage. If you have 12 volts then i would go back and check the wires on the clutch that you repaired.

You do not want the clutch grounding through the crankshaft. Tends to do bad things to the crankshaft to oil pan bearing surface. And a electric pto switch is actually three separate switches which connects different terminals in the up or down position.

ILENGINE said:

First lets make sure you are getting 12 volts to the clutch by testing with a volt meter connected to the two wires going from the tractor to the clutch. Will need to be on the seat with the key on and then engage the pto switch and check the voltage. If you have 12 volts then i would go back and check the wires on the clutch that you repaired.

You do not want the clutch grounding through the crankshaft. Tends to do bad things to the crankshaft to oil pan bearing surface. And a electric pto switch is actually three separate switches which connects different terminals in the up or down position.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the response! I will pull out the volt-meter tomorrow and test voltage at the plug. I'll report back what I find out...

ILENGINE said:

First lets make sure you are getting 12 volts to the clutch by testing with a volt meter connected to the two wires going from the tractor to the clutch. Will need to be on the seat with the key on and then engage the pto switch and check the voltage. If you have 12 volts then i would go back and check the wires on the clutch that you repaired.

You do not want the clutch grounding through the crankshaft. Tends to do bad things to the crankshaft to oil pan bearing surface. And a electric pto switch is actually three separate switches which connects different terminals in the up or down position.

Click to expand...

Well, no voltage getting to the PTO. I am wondering if there is a safety switch somewhere or a fuse that could have popped when the wires were pulled apart?

Most MTD have just the main 20 amp fuse. I suspect the short caused by the damaged wires to the clutch could of damaged the pto switch itself.