Craftsman Rear Tine Tiller - grinding noise when pushing in neutral


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Old 01-28-14, 10:40 AM
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Craftsman Rear Tine Tiller - grinding noise when pushing in neutral

Last year, I purchased a used Craftsman rear tine tiller - 6hp, 14" tine - Model# 917.296020. Tilled a couple of times with no problems. I recently pulled it out of storage shed (after several months of idle) and noticed that there was loud grinding sound when I pushed/pulled it while in neutral (motor not running). I thought maybe needed transmission grease (not sure). Not being an engine expert, I need help with identifying oil fills/drains, as per attached photos. First photo is front view; 2nd is view from rear.

Also, any help on resolving grinding sound would be appreciated.
Thanks for your help

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Old 01-28-14, 11:29 AM
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The points you are showing are for the engine oil lubrication and does not have anything to do with the transmission. There is a right hand grease fitting on the transmission that you will insert grease into seasonally. It is not showing on your engine pix, but is down on the transmission.
 
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Old 01-28-14, 02:14 PM
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Thank you Chandler. Guess I am a little confused. Are there three separate engine oil fill points that one has to maintain? Also, any idea what could be causing the loud grinding sound?

Thanks again
 
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Old 01-28-14, 03:39 PM
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Typical Briggs and Stratton design. They make one baseplate for several configurations. Some have access to the front, some to the back, etc. Yours is fairly freely open, but some are not. Mainly for a manufacturing one-for-all fit. You have to grease the transmission every season. Not sure whether or not you have any trash in it (supposedly not). Now, gears grind against each other in a thick medium and sound a little raunchy when you first get it out and push it in neutral, but my Poulan (similar design) does that. Never had a second thought and it works fine under power.
 
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Old 01-28-14, 04:36 PM
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Thanks again for your help. I can understand now the multiple oil fill points; i.e., the (2) yellow colored fittings (one on front, one on rear). But, is the white fill point on the top of engine in the first photo an engine oil fill also?
 
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Old 01-28-14, 05:19 PM
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The white one isn't to be concerned with. It's for certain applications where an oil fill with dipstick is needed. In those cases, it will have one installed.
 
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Old 01-29-14, 08:47 AM
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Thank you for the info. It is a big help. Is it acceptable to add oil into this white colored fitting, when changing oil, rather than the lower yellow fitting?
 

Last edited by ront162; 01-29-14 at 08:53 AM. Reason: additional info
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Old 01-29-14, 08:59 AM
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No, you will overfill it. As Cheese said, that is for when there is a dipstick present. Use the yellow ones.
 
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Old 01-29-14, 09:29 AM
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Thanks again for all of your help
 
 

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