Repairs Stuck in gear

[Davelaz4]

I have a 2006 Craftsman 18hp Kohler, 42" deck, Model 917.27639 its been a very reliable mower for the last 10 years. While mowing the lawn yesterday the mower stopped hard several times as if I hit a stump or something but I did not hit anything. After pushing in the clutch and changing gears it got right back to moving. While trying to get it back on the driveway it did it twice more and finally locked in 6th gear. I cant move the linkage at all. I dropped the deck and checked it out nothing appears broken but I cannot get it out of 6th gear to get it started and back up out of the yard. Has anyone come across this problem before? Its a 10 year old mower so Im not looking to dump a lot of $ into it.

Thanks

Dave

 

[mechanic mark]

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/cr...29/0071/917/model-917276390/0247/1509200.html

Inspect shift rod for being jammed, bent, etc.

 

[bertsmobile1]

And you won't.
The "stop hard" you were feeling was something broken inside the box jambing the gears so you are in for a long hard push.
No magic way to free things up.
Pushing it backwards might free things up a bit so you can push it easier but it is a push just the same.
The box will have to come out & be split.
These boxes take a pounding particularly when people treat them like a car box and not a tractor box.

Good thing is a DANA D4360 box is dead easy to fix and most parts are available.