Weak drive motor on a Mini Fast trac

[cphilip]

My left side motor is driving considerably less power than the right one. I think the mower is in its third year. Slower and less power both forward and reverse.

Think its and adjustment problem? Not sure I understand the adjustment procedure. I am not sure I shorten the main rod or lengthen it to get more output. Or the little lower rod?

Or could the right side belt be not slipping and the left side one is slipping? Not sure its a belt issue as that looks good but probably wouldn't hurt to put a new on on.

I think I might be out of warranty too if its the motor itself then its probably my dime. Will have to look. It might be out by a month IIRC.

The history of this thing is that it had to have its right side motor replaced almost immediately when I bought it. The nut holding the fan on came lose (was not torqued correctly) and that messed up the threads and threw the belt and damaged the motor and belt. So it had maybe 5 hours on it when that happened. All fixed under warranty with new stuff but the left motor is the original one and the one that is weak ( however they are both about same number of use hours which now sits at 85 hours.

I had to travel a long ways to buy it and need to find a more local dealer to work on it if I need something. Hate to do that to them but they weren't here when I bought. Will probably call the Place in Greenville SC that just became a dealer and make nicey nice with them and see.

Any imput on a weak motor diagnosis appreciated. Right now its taking all the right side motor to do most of the work and difficult to hold straight line at any great speed. Equally weak in forward or reverse. Will spin but not nearly close as fast as it will spin with the right side motor.

[mowerconsultant]

Good afternoon,
Here is the link to the adjustment procedure for your drive system.
This is the parts manual, in the rear of the parts manual the adjustment procedure is outlined.
http://www.hustlerturf.com/Web-content/Manual/manuals%20pdfs/Parts%20Manuals/333559_0908.pdf
I would start by making sure it is within adjustment.
I would also check that linkage is all tight and you don't have anything that loosened up.
Check your belt tension per the manual also to make sure it is tight enough.

Pj

[cphilip]

There does not appear to be any pump drive belt tension adjustment. Says it is constant and done by an Idler and spring.

I can try and see if its slipping or not. But it is difficult to view under load if that is happening.

The only option then is to replace the belt and inspect the drive pulley, Idler pulle and the tension spring. But I don't see anything amiss with those.

I probably should peek in and make sure the fluid is not low in that pump motor. However it does not make unusual noise.

Do these symptoms even sound like a linkage adjustment issue at all? It does return to neutral. Just lack power forward and reverse. I don't see a adjustment that would increase output? or I am missing something?

[mowerconsultant]

I would make sure all the linkage is tight still.
I would also go through the adjustment procedure just to be sure.
Are you mowing any hills?
It has 85 hours on the unit, when did you buy it?

Pj

[cphilip]

I am pretty sure all the linkages are tight. I even tried to back off one of the lock nuts and it was super tight.

As far as hills, there is one long terrace across the back (left over from the old days when it was pasture and farm land) of a hill that I mow parallel. But the whole back yard is a slight incline though, other than that, however I mow it Parallel as well. And back and forth so it is about even on the amount of adjustment side to side when it is all said and done. Both sides are slightly uphill about the same amount of time. So the use of each motor to hold line is pretty much even. There is only one actual hill climbing from the back yard past the right of the house. A narrow area of about four mower passes I mow up and down hill. I normally hit it coming and going from the front yard to the back. The front yard is very small with a lot of narrow obstacles, hence the need for a small width deck occurs mostly there. But it is flat.

I think I bought it three years ago about this time of the year. And that many hours is the total accumulation of time I have had it as I bought and put on the Hour meter immediately along with the arm rests. I think it is now overdue for a new drive belt as its last one was put on just after I bought it when the right side drive motor malfunctioned and had to be replaced.

I first noticed it being weaker the end of last season. Now, while prepping it for Spring (the oil, filter changes and greasing the fittings and checking blade condition) I noticed it more. It has gone through only one set of blades so far (replaced last year late in the year). We have had two years of drought here so mowing has not been excessive on it.

I measured the yard recently for fencing. And I measured about 850 feet all the way around the perimeter. So, I think, that is one acre at most but after taking out the house and out buildings footprints and trees it would be a tad less. I also mow a small adjoining yard to mine that possibly might add another 1/4 acre at most also taking out non mowed acres I bet it would only amount to an Acre of mowing.

[mowerconsultant]

If you can post your serial # I can find out when you bought it exactly.
Otherwise it likely needs to be checked out by a dealer, have you talked to the dealer you want to take it to yet?

Pj

[cphilip]

He just responded to me about that today. He says it will be 4 years old in June (purchased 6/2/05 according to him) so out of warranty by 9 months it seems.

He is about 80 miles away. The newer dealer in Greenville (much closer) was not around in those days.

He did suggest tightening the "Hydro Belt Idler with the chain" and see if that helps. Not certain what he means by that. Will have to look and see what I can figure out.

[cphilip]

Well. I finally had a chance to crawl under and look and I did indeed find the Drive Motor belt did not "feel" very tight at all. I could almost get it to slip by pulling it by hand. And I could depress it at least three inches or more.

And when I got under there to investigate this chain I found out what he was talking about. A short piece of chain attaches the spring to the frame in a notch, which then fastens to the arm of the Idler tensioner pulley.

So what he meant was bring it in a notch of chain and see if that would tighten the belt up enough to improve the out put (minimize the slippage). And I guess it makes some sense the left side would slip more than the right because its the first one driven off the tensioner pulley.

So thats what I intend to do but I am going to have to pull it out tomorrow and around to the shop and get it up on the jacks and stands to get under there and do it. Then if it shows improvement I will know that is it and get a new belt on soon as I can find one.

But at least I can use the tightening up of the tensioner as a diagnostic tool in the mean time. I think there is like five lengths of chain there. And it was in the last one. So I will attempt to stretch it over to the second one and see what that does. Wish me luck! I think it might just work. I mean that belt is going on 4 years old after all.