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I just picked up a Toro Out Front Z model 78478. It's an old one, and one of the drives was replaced on the traction unit. Now, when I take the parking brake off, the unit wants to die. Can someone point me to documentation that can help me diagnose this problem and come up with a fix?

The model number you are posting is for the deck. If you want more help you need to post the units model and serial numbers from the ID tag under the seat.

Rivets said:

The model number you are posting is for the deck. If you want more help you need to post the units model and serial numbers from the ID tag under the seat.

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Thank you. I'm really ignorant, just beginning my learning process!

Thank you for the help
One step closer. Sadly I don't see *any* identification stickers here.

Where should I be looking?


I do see this on the drive motor.


And this on the back wheel of the traction unit.


It looks like the seat safety switch had failed and the previous owner bypassed it - but his wire came loose and the seat safety switch was showing no one sitting on the seat, so it shut off. One mystery solved. But I still am concerned about the brake maybe not working on the right side.

Try here. https://www.toro.com/en/parts/findmodelserialplate

Doing a little more digging I think this is the parts manual for your unit. Second, I would recommend only using OEM blades. https://www.toro.com/getpub/16416

Thank you. This looks really promising. And thank you for the input on the blades. #Learning

The parking brake exploded diagram should be super helpful. Toro corporate has not been much help, and I've been on hold with a distributor for about 40 minutes hoping they could help. They specialize in golf equipment, but apparently getting actual assistance is not top of list for them.

Unless you have a lot of spare time and have worked on Toros, it is very difficult to find answers for you without model and serial numbers. There shouldn’t be an ID tag on the mower, as they were riveted to the frame. See my other reply. Also, please don’t start a new thread when you have a different question. This will get very, very, very confusing to everyone, especially when you don’t have numbers.

I'm sorry. I'm obviously new to the forum and I was trying to *not* complicate things by keeping separate questions separate.

I am surprised that I do not see the ID tag. The one on the mow deck is riveted, and you suggest, and I'm stumped that there doesn't seem to be one elsewhere on the traction unit. The mower is pretty dirty and I'm working to clean it as I examine it. Perhaps it's buried under years of filth?

What the one distributor told me is that when this unit was made, they often sold the mow deck and traction unit separately as options. This is the tag that is on the mow deck. I'll keep searching for a riveted tag on the traction unit. I do really appreciate your help.

It sounds like your Toro Out Front Z model 78478 might be experiencing issues with the parking brake system or the traction drive. To diagnose the problem, I recommend checking the wiring and connections related to the parking brake and drive system, as a faulty switch or misalignment could cause the engine to die. For documentation, you can check the Toro website for service manuals or troubleshooting guides specific to your model. Additionally, you might find helpful information in forums or groups dedicated to Toro equipment where other users have shared their experiences and fixes for similar issues.