I feel pretty stupid, but I was mowing some tall grass . . . ok, bushhogging a meadow . . . and things were going fine.
Then, all of a sudden, the tractor stopped moving forward. Also would not move backwards. When I tried pulling the freewheel release rod to push or pull the mower, the rod didn't seem like it would engage or disengage like it normally does.
I have checked the main belt that runs from the engine to the transaxle and it seems loose. But, I can't find a belt diagram anywhere online. Does anyone have one?
Or, could it be the other belt on top of the transaxle?
Or, I suppose, the freewheel release rod could be jammed into some middle position, causing the transaxle to not move at all, but also not allowing the wheels to freely spin.
Any other ideas or diagnostic tips? If I get it fixed, I will not be taking it down into the tall grass again.
Flipped the seat forward, pulled out the battery, and battery box (which is just held in with plastic tabs. That gave easy access to the belt and rear pullies above the transaxle.
Whether the brake was pressed in or out, the drive belt was very floppy. Referred to the diagram above and the belt had definitely jumped off one of the pulley which is tensioned by the brake pedal. Flipped it back on the other side and I was back in business.