[gkingbing]

I recently acquired this machine from a friend who states that it will not do well on hills and has an oil leak in the Briggs Engine. I noticed that the drive belt was not very tight and has a lot of slop. As indicated by the attached pic the brake spring is just hanging there loose. although it is hooked properly. Short of an incorrect belt installed has anyone experienced this problem and come up with a fix for it? Thanks much for any feedback before this rookie starts disassembling stuff that need not be. :tango_face_surprise

 

[Dixon Driver]

I'd be concerned about what looks like a crack in the frame

 

[gkingbing]

Ouchie! I did not notice that crack. Back to the drawing board. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[gkingbing]

The good news is that what appears to be a crack in the frame is only a scrape in the dirt. No crack Which leaves me with the delemma of a very loose belt. The idler spring appears to be what it should be doing but even at the extent of its movement is not enough to provide a tight belt.

 

[B440]

The brake spring looks normal. "Loose" is how it should be. If it was tight, your brake might be dragging and slowing down the tractor.

How many hours does the machine have? There is a high probability that the K46 transaxle is failing. Husqvarna put 23" tires on this model and the transaxle manufacturer (Tuff Torq) doesn't recommend anything over 20". The K46 wasn't really meant for steep hills or heavy loads either.

 

[Ingersoll444]

Check the bolts holding the transaxle to the frame. Its not uncommon to have them loosen up.

 

[gkingbing]

I finally had time to mess with the machine and replaced the loose drive belt with an OEM belt. (93") I drove up the steepest hill on the lawn which is about 40 degrees several times and no slippage. Its good to know what to look for with any future issues with the transmission and I plan to remove it to change the oil and install drains. Thanks for your support.