I have a Craftsman lawn tractor model 917.276903 automatic transmission. I bought it new in 2006. I just replaced the ignition switch on it. I started it up and moved it about 10 feet to air up the tires. Started back up and it will not move forward or reverse. It whines and smells like the belt is heating up. I pulled the push rod out on the back of the tractor and it would not let me push it. I picked up the back of the tractor and the wheels are spinning in opposite directions. What have I done? What do I need to do. Thanks Mike

 

Sounds like the brake may have stuck. It's on the side of the transmission. Could also be that the belt jumped off a pulley and got stuck under it. On the hydros, this often happens on the transmission pulley. It may have the relief valve jammed, which would be why it won't roll with the rod pulled. The wheels turning opposite directions is what it's supposed to do.

 

Thanks Cheese. I checked the belt it is fine. I live right on the edge of the service area for my online provider and have not been able to down load the repair manual. What should I do to check the relief valve? The brake is on the front drive pully correct?

 

No, the brake is on the side of the tranny.

Is the belt actually in the pulley on top of the tranny, or is it under it? Does the transmission pulley turn when you try to move it?

Don't worry about the relief valve until we figure out the belt problem. The relief valve isn't causing the problem.

 

When I put the park brake on I can move the tranny pulley, I cannot move it when it is not on. the belt is on all the pulley not under it. I have had problem with the belt slipping before, replaced the belt last season. Thanks for your time.

 

When the engine is running and you let off the clutch, is the tranny pulley turning?

 

Yes it is turning. asking for 25 or more characters so adding this.

 

You didn't remove one of the rear wheels, did you? If so, the axle key fell out.

 

No I did not remove a wheel. I replaced the ignition switch. I started up the mower I moved it up ten feet I aired up the tires. ( One of the front tire was low, I have slime in it and was going to air it up and run around the front yard to fill in any holes it might have.) It would not move forward or reverse. Did nothing more nothing less. It had set there for a month waiting for the switch to get ordered and mailed and installed. Anything else you can think of.

 

Darn. Sometimes folks will remove a back wheel to air it back up if it comes off the rim and I was hoping that was what you might have done. It wouldn't smell hot or whine though, so it was a stretch anyway. The fact that the pulley is turning and you get a whine and hot smell still points to a stuck brake. The whine is the pump moving fluid at high pressures. The smell is the belt getting hot because the pump is building so much pressure that it is making the belt slip. This tells me that the hydrostatic part of the transmission is probably in good shape and working, something is just stopping it. The fact that the wheels rotate opposite directions tells me the differential gears are ok and not locked with a broken piece of metal, so that pretty much leaves the brake.

 

Take the bake assembly apart and see if it moves then. It is next to the Right rear wheel. Sometimes the pins that move the brake pad get corroded and they lock up. When you parked it did you set the brake when you got off it? Like cheese has said everything seems to point to the brake, as the transmission wants to work but is being held back by the brake. Good luck.

 

It was the pins on the brake! Thanks guys. I took the brake off and cleaned everything up and did a light brass brushing and put it back and goes forward and reverse. Now I have to spend my Saturday mowing.

 

That is a great thing to hear,,WONDERFUL!!

 

Great! Glad we could help!

 

Been helping my cousin work on his Craftsman lawnmower,I'm not sure what model or size but it does have Hydrostatic transmission.Well our problem is when we put it in forward(drive?)...the mower goes backwards(reverse) and vice versa.Unfortunately he had a few other people work on this mower so I really have no clue what was done to this mower. Any idea's?

 

I would say recheck the belt installation. Maybe helpful for all of us to post model number of mower.