Craftsman Lawn Tractor Transmission Problems

by Jack Grover
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Craftsman Lawn Tractor Transmission Problems

After getting a good lawn service for some years, suddenly your Craftsman tractor is making some mischief. Many people also face this. Their tractor stops without any signal or doesn’t move or overcome the hilly land. So you may have your Craftsman lawn tractor transmission problems.

Whether hydrostatic or manual transmission craftsman, most problems arise with dirt and debris in the tractor system. Clogged and damaged linkage, drive belt, shaft, and wheels resist the power to the transmission. Sometimes old used oil or air filling.

In this article, we will deliver you the real solutions to the specific problem of transmission. Just go through for a while.

Craftsman Lawn Tractor Transmission Problems- Troubleshooting And Way Out

At first, a table will briefly deliver you the Craftsman lawn mower transmission problems and their solutions for your convenience.

ProblemsSolutions
Hydrostatic Transmission
The tractor won’t go forward or reverseClean the clogged part of the shift lever, linkage, and drive belt. Repair the damaged part.
Bad hydrostatic transmissionPurge air from the pump, clean the fans, linkages. Change the leftover oil.
Does not self-propellingReplace the transmission.
Manual Transmission
Transmission Slips Repair the drive belt, clutches the key.
The tractor won’t shift into gear.Use the proper amount of oil. Repair the gear, drive gear teeth, and other damaged parts.

Why My Craftsman Tractor Is Not Running Forward And Reverse?

Your car also does this. Right?

You will find similarities between your automobile and your tractor moving problems. The core causes can be many.

  • A weak battery
  • A damaged carburetor
  • A Damaged and blocked air or fuel filter
  • Jammed or broken shift gear of the transmission
  • A worn-out drive belt

A weak battery or carburetor can start the mower’s engine but won’t support running it properly. Similarly, a clogged air and fuel filter also overheat the engine. You have to clean the filters and replace the battery for these problems.

The transmission letdown results in Craftsman lawn tractor shifting problems. A transmission disconnect position makes forward and backward movement of a tractor. But dirt can jam this disconnected system. As a result, the transmission can not fully push in or pull out by the shift lever.

You have a user manual of the mower. Disassemble the disconnect system and reassemble it. Clean the dirt and debris of the shift gear. Maybe you have to change the drive belt if it is time out.

Is There Any Problem With My Craftsman Mower Hydrostatic Transmission?

A hydrostatic transmission transfers the engine energy to the hydraulic pump and runs the wheels. This system doesn’t need gears, but the transmission components can damage for the time being.

The causes can be:

  • Air full of the pump instead of oil.
  • Damages or debris on the connections and pump cooling fans.
  • Old leftover fuels.

The first step of your should be to remove extra air from the pump. Go to the following instructions.

  1. Correctly fill the oil tanks.
  2. Separate the transmission.
  3. Run the engine. Move throttle control to the slow position and motion control to the natural position. Release the clutch.
  4. Push forward the motion lever for five sec. Pull it backward for another five seconds.
  5. Do this several times. This will remove air from the transmission.
  6. Again push to the natural position and power off the engine.
  7. Engage the transmission before that set the parking brake.
  8. Power the engine and again release the clutch.
  9. Do the forward and reverse task again three times. Now the air inside the pump is purged.

Clean the pump cooling fan, connections regularly. Check the oil level. Drain the old used oil after a certain time.

Can Transmission Problem Stop Self Propelling?

Your tractor transmission gets energy from the engine. There is a drive belt that runs the tractor wheels. When a transmission contracts a problem, you will see its pulley is working, but tractor wheels are not spinning. Here replace the transmission.

Sometimes the gears of the wheel assembly can be worn out for a long time use. This also can stop the wheels. In this case, change the wheel assembly for the cure.

Why My Manual Tractor Transmission Slips?

Craftsman lawn tractor manual transmission problems start with noise or odd sound of the engine. Also, the tractor works slowly. You may experience a wired jerking. When your tractor transmission slip, makes sure that your drive belt is perfect. Check the two clutch keys if there are any damages to the springs. Check the shafts.

Why My Transmission Won’t Shift Into Gears?

There can be a broken issue of this problem. Let’s solve out one by one.

  1. Damage in the detent shaft > repair the spring and ball.
  2. Check the drive belt and rear wheel hub > tight them.
  3. Fill the transmission with oil and heck about any leakage.

This Video Will Help You Too!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why will my Craftsman mower not go forward or reverse?

A weak battery or carburetor may start the mower, but it is not so powerful to run it properly. Also, a damaged drive belt, air, and oil filter or shaft do not provide adequate power to the transmission from the engine. That’s why your mower does not go forward or reverse.

How do you check the transmission fluid on a Craftsman lawn tractor?

Go for the transaxle at the back wheel. Here is the transmission box. Open the lid of the box. There is a squire plug middle of the transmission. Unscrew it. Now push a long stick into the transmission hole to check the oil. Remember, the oil should be one inch from the top. Now you know the fluid level of your lawn tractor.

What causes a hydrostatic transmission to slip?

Most of the time, old overused fluid turns your Hydrostatic slip. You need to drain all the old oil from the transmission and fill it with new fuel.

Final  Words

The transmission takes power from the battery to the wheels and makes the tractor move. And this article will help you nicely mend your Craftsman lawn tractor transmission problems.

Remember, the transmission cant be repaired. You have to replace a new one for any damage issue.

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