Old GTS5 blade won't engage.

[kbowley]

Has been the most reliable mower ever.Always starts 1st pull and always engages blade when lever is pulled back.Worked fine
on last use before winterizing.Started yesterday on 1st pull after being stored since Nov. All seemed normal but blade would not engage.
I did notice that while warming up the motor kinda bogged down a bit when trying to engage the blade.seems like something has decided
to bind up while in storage.Need your experience please. Charlie

Charlie, flip the mower onto its right side and check the clutch visibly, and check for any side slop by grabbing the blade as well as disconnecting the spark plug and rotating the blade. Does it turn by hand? Next, use a bungy cord to hold the blade engagement arm in the engaged position and rotate the blade...the engine should turn with the blade

 

[Honest Abe]

is the brake releasing properly....?

 

[crazy charlie]

Thanks guys.Thanks Toby for the step by step instructions.Thats exactly what I need....step by step.I
will pressure wash the underdeck and soak any bolts before any wrenching.Charlie

 

[crazy charlie]

Charlie, flip the mower onto its right side and check the clutch visibly, and check for any side slop by grabbing the blade as well as disconnecting the spark plug and rotating the blade. Does it turn by hand? Next, use a bungy cord to hold the blade engagement arm in the engaged position and rotate the blade...the engine should turn with the blade

Good top Kbowley!!! Thanks.I know for sure that the blade does turn by hand with some friction noise when not engaged.

 

[Rivets]

You can call it a clutch, but if you look closely you will see that it nothing more than a CV drive where the more tension you put on the handle, the faster the unit will drive and the blade will engage with very little tension on the handle. Take a look at the manual I posted earlier to see how this works. If it seems to be going slower, the most common cause would be a worn belt or bad idler pulley.