Much needed maintenance

[Old_Paint]

My poor ol' YTH22V46 has been relegated to being stored under the deck since I've owned it. I normally try to take good care of my equipment, but having to leave it outside has done a lot of damage that is slow and cumulative.

I started it up a couple weeks ago, and saw oil splattered on the front of the mowing deck, which told me I obviously had an oil leak. I sort of jumped to conclusions that I had the dreaded sump gasket leak. Fortunately, for me, that was not the case. Somehow, the filter just came loose, and has been that way for a while, but only recently enough to actually dump oil out like it did. The oil was running between the frame and engine, and then dripping down on the drive pulleys on the engine, which is what made me think at first I had a crank seal gone bad, etc. etc. So I tried to crank it to move it into one of my garage bays so I could work on it. It didn't even grunt, so I figured the battery was dead and I just pushed it around to the garage. As soon as I got it inside, I removed the battery and put it on the charger.

So I ordered a tune-up kit, a new solenoid, air filter, drive belt (deck belt's only a couple years old), and set out to do the maintenance. Firstly, I couldn't believe how easy it was to put the drive belt on. It looks hard, but nothing to it with the brake pedal pressed and locked. I also installed new plastic bushings in the front axle, along with new thrust washers on the spindles. I'm thinking about adding a few more thrust washers to get rid of some of the axial play in the spindles. No more wobble, just up/down play. I'll replace the plastic bushings with the bronze ones I ordered later. Changed the spark plugs which were still original from 2012. Installed the new solenoid simply because I didn't like the looks of one of the studs on the old one. It had obviously been hot and that normally leads to starting issues that kill batteries and burn up starter motors. Got all the bits and bobs I removed for the maintenance put back on, put the battery back in which was showing full charge on the charger. Turn the key. Nuthin. Not a peep. Hour meter was on. Got my meter and checked the plug at the fuel shut-off valve connector. Good strong 12.9 there, so the only thing that will stop the new solenoid from picking up (and the old one before I did all the maintenance) is the brake safety switch. GRRRRR. The one thing I haven't ordered for routine maintenance turns out to be my no-start problem. Before anyone asks, yes, I had the pedal all the way down and locked, which is exactly how I leave the tractor parked. If I'm not on it, the brake is locked. Used a screwdriver to bypass the new solenoid, and it cranked and fired right up. It's always the little things (in the hard-to-get-to places). Might address some steering column slop issues while I'm at it.

Things sure get old and fall apart a lot quicker when you have to leave them outdoors.

 

[Rivets]

Go through this troubleshooting procedure to diagnose where you are losing power and report back.


Electrical* problems can be very easy or very difficult, depending on four things.
1. * How well you understand basic electricity.
2. *What tools you have and know how to use.
3. *How well you follow directions.
4. *You don't overlook or assume anything and verify everything.

Remember we cannot see what you are doing. *You are our eyes, ears and fingers in solving this problem. *You must be as accurate as you can when you report back. *The two basic tools we will ask you to use are a test light and a multi-meter. *If you have an assistant when going through these tests it would be very helpful. *These steps work the best when done in order, so please don't jump around. *Now let's solve this problem.

First, check the fuse(s), check battery connections for corrosion (clean if necessary) and *voltage - above 12.5 volts should be good.*

Second, check for power from the battery to one of the large terminals on the solenoid. *One of the wires is connected directly to the battery and has power all the time so one of the large terminals should light a test light or show 12 volts on a meter at all times.*

Third, *check for power at the small terminal of the solenoid while depressing the clutch/brake pedal and holding the key in the start position (you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch). If your solenoid is a four wire solenoid, check both small wire terminals as one is ground and the other is power from the ignition switch. *If your solenoid is a three wire solenoid, make sure the solenoid body is not corroded where it bolts to the chassis of the mower as this is your ground path back to the battery. *If in doubt, remove the solenoid and clean the mounting area down to bare metal. *If there is no power to the small terminal then your problem is most likely a safety switch, ignition switch or in the wiring.*

Fourth, check for power on the other large terminal of the solenoid while holding the key in the start position q(you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch).*

Fifth, check for power at the starter while holding the key in the start position (assistant again).*

Sixth, check your ground circuit back to the battery.

After you have gone through each of the above steps, let us know what happened when you did each step. *At that point we will have great info to tell you how to proceed. *Remember you are our eyes, ears, and fingers, so please be as accurate as possible.

Be as specific as possible with voltage readings as this will help diagnose your problem quicker. *If you do not know how to perform the above checks, just ask and I will try to guide you through it. *Youtube also has some videos and as you know a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Old_Paint]

Go through this troubleshooting procedure to diagnose where you are losing power and report back.


Electrical* problems can be very easy or very difficult, depending on four things.
1. * How well you understand basic electricity.
2. *What tools you have and know how to use.
3. *How well you follow directions.
4. *You don't overlook or assume anything and verify everything.

. I'm an electrical engineer, and have been for 38 years, in field service for heavy industry. I probably have some basic electrical knowledge. I started working on tractors, Jeeps, pickups, and cars when I was 12, and owned an air-cooled VW for 35 years, so my mechanical skills are better than some, too.

The battery was plenty hot, but while I was doing all the other work and since it had been sitting since I found the leak, I took it out (because I thought I was pulling the engine for the oil leak) and was going to leave it on trickle charge the whole time I was working on the mechanical issues (wear and tear). It showed full charge in about 15 minutes, so no doubt about the battery. After I finished the other work, I put the battery back in. Turned the key, no start, not even a grunt, obviously, no current path to the coil of the solenoid (which I'd just replaced for good measure). I eliminated any battery issue by shorting the large studs on the starter solenoid. That ain't easy to do on these tractors because it's under the seat platform and the battery tray is in the way. I still managed to do it without melting my face or vaporizing the end of my screwdriver, though, and the engine cranked right up. Did I mention that I started it without the muffler? I won't do that again. I suddenly had Harley's circling the neighborhood like my little Briggs just let out a mating call. I've had two rotator cuff surgeries this year, so I knocked off when I started hurting and after the successful start. Pain is Mother Nature's warning.

Today I got bored and decided to do a little more troubleshooting. I pulled the fuel tank loose to access the brake switch and wiring under the cowl, and the problem stuck out like a sore thumb. At first, I thought maybe the brake switch because of the age of the machine, but I unplugged that, and found no voltage at the plug there when I turned the key to start, so the next thing in line (going toward the battery is the key switch). When the brake is set, the only things in the starter solenoid circuit are the key switch, brake switch, and solenoid coil. Easy peasy. That's when I noticed half-eaten acorns on the cowl where the steering shaft goes through, and just as I suspected, I found a chewed wire. It was cut clean and hanging, so I cut the harness apart to find the other end and butt-spliced the wire. Added a few more wire ties to suspend the harness where it wouldn't be quite as likely to get chewed. No acorns laying by it, no reason to chew the wire. I'm not real happy about the design of this thing where I can't clean behind the fuel tank and under the cowl. I guess riding mowers should never get dirty.

While I was at it, I decided to see if I could correct some of the slop in the steering wheel. Interesting wheel mount on a Husqvarna, but I found that the large fender washer that SHOULD compress the wheel down on a plastic splined hub was bottoming out on the steel shaft. Ok, so I cut a spacer large enough to put under the fender washer and to let the shaft go through so I could tighten down the wheel more. Didn't get all the slop out, but did get what there was at the top of the column. Still needs a new guide bushing, which of course, is plastic, too. I've figured out I'm going to need hanger bushings for the front axle too. I could see the axle twisting as I steered. Being cast iron, well, it ain't gonna twist unless something's loose or worn out. New plastic spindle bushings helped, but I'm still gonna replace them with the bronze ones I bought at the first sign of wobble in the spindles. Grease is only going to soften that plastic and make it come apart again.

Bloody chipmunks around here are destroying everything. Time to start baiting them. If they gonna tear up my stuff, I'm gonna fight back.



BTW, here's one of the things I do for a living. I build high voltage isolation switches with vacuum circuit breakers in them. I do much more, such as automating 108 servo drives to control the shape of a wind tunnel. I think I got basic electricity covered.

 

[bertsmobile1]

You would be alarmed to find out just how many people have less than no idea.
We have even had people call me an idiot because you can not have a ground circuit

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I'm an electrical engineer, and have been for 38 years, in field service for heavy industry. I probably have some basic electrical knowledge.


Well........ maybe.??

 

[Hammermechanicman]

You would be alarmed to find out just how many people have less than no idea.
We have even had people call me an idiot because you can not have a ground circuit

If you pick the mower up so it doesn't touch the ground you loose the ground connection and things won't work. Mower always needs a good ground connection.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

If you pick the mower up so it doesn't touch the ground you loose the ground connection and things won't work. Mower always needs a good ground connection.

 

[Old_Paint]

If you pick the mower up so it doesn't touch the ground you loose the ground connection and things won't work. Mower always needs a good ground connection.

Unless you're using it for a hedge trimmer. Then you have to use the virtual ground.

 

[Old_Paint]

You would be alarmed to find out just how many people have less than no idea.
We have even had people call me an idiot because you can not have a ground circuit

Oh no, I wouldn't. Sometimes I read forums like this just for a good giggle. I'm pretty careful who I try to help, and how I dispense it. I learned my lesson a long time ago about hurting a millennial's feelings.

 

[Old_Paint]

BTW, finished the oil change tonight. Took forever to drain the oil. Should have warmed the engine up first. Forgot what I put in it last, so just put Castrol GTX 10W30 in it this time. That stuff's great for high temperature air-cooled engines. My old VW had 400 degree head temps, so had to find something that wouldn't gunk up. GTX was the answer.

Leaf pickup begins tomorrow. Seems a little backward to have the itty bitty Husqvarna picking up leaves to dump into a trailer towed by a Kubota LX2610. Just somethin' wrong with that picture. I gotta get me some more attachments for the 'bota.