Hi Folks, Need some help here. I have toro lawn tractor 16-38 hxl with a B&S OHV engine that when it gets warm, after about 15 -20 minutes of mowing wants to quit. It starts fine. I've replaced plug, checked and adjusted valves,. I thought it was a carb issue and replaced it, so I know its not the carb (24 hours old)or a fuel delivery thing. When it starts to hint that it wants to die, I can stop the blades then the engine runs fine, can even drive it fine. When I think I can continue and engage the blades it wants to almost die quickly sputtering with a bit of popping. SO I press on the parking brake and notice that too saves the engine from dying. Like many now a days money is tight, wife lost her job and I cant afford to have the mechanic fix. I had to throw $300 at it 3 years ago due the ethanol issue in the gas ruining the carb. Been good about using fresh stabilized gas. Could this be some kind of safety switch realted to the blades engaging or the parking brake, that begins to fail when things get hot? I got it in 2003. I've been good in changing oil and all the typical matainenance. I did see a switch that engages under the frame for the parking brake and I dont know where one like this is for the when blades to engage. I notice that when I take the brake off or engage the blades upon starting, that the engine idle changes a bit as if more "load" is being placed upon it. Could his be a symptom of a switch barely engaging? Again things are tight for me and I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts or reccomendations. Thank you.

My husband replaced the drive belt on this mower two times with two different belts, one from our local Napa parts store and one from Lowes. The problem is that the belt has too much slack in it. We found the manual online at the Troy Bilt site and we have it threaded the way that is shown, however there is still too much slack and the mower will sometimes go into gear and sometimes not -- this is an automatic transmission machine. He has not put the deck back on yet, but he says that the deck doesn't have anything to do with the drive belt. Just want to see if anyone has any ideas. We're to the point of trying a shorter belt, but the ones we got were replacements for the original. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.