Zt1 42" drive issues

[KINGSKIDS2]

I am one month out of warranty. Have loved this but now I have to push the bars to the limit to keep a decent speed and when I'm on a slight hill or if I get the bar near the end of it's limit, it makes a noise like when your power steering on a car is low and you turn the steering wheel all the way.

There is no place to check or add transmission fluid levels on this one.

All help appreciated

 

[KINGSKIDS2]

i think that reply was for soemone else. mine is a cub cadet, not a kawasaki. my cub cadet has a kohler engine and my issue is not engine but drive related. perhaps this message was for another thread.

 

[mechanic mark]

TRANSMISSION NOISE ZT1 42" CUB CADET - Google Search

 

[StarTech]

It appears that your ZTR is using the Hydro Gear ZT2200 (EZT) hydrostatic drives. They are sealed units. Oil is only add or changed during their removal. If no leaks are present then they should be full of oil.

With one of them cavitating it sound like it has an internal failure of the center section. Changing is one option the service manual in case of degraded or contamination of the oil but most time that will not work. It is very rare that both unit will go out at the same time. I recently tried changing oil in another Hydro Gear where the oil was black as tar with no success in correcting the problem as the cavitation damage to the center section was already done.

With cavitation damage there is only three options. Repair, replace with an used unit, or replace with a new unit. Your looking at $760 to $1100 for just for one unit plus labor.