[nickmell]

I just picked up a 2002 xw2500 dixie chopper that the left side wheel won't drive. The guy I bought it from said it was working fine and then the left side just stopped working.. linkages and everything check out and when you try to run the left side it whines like the pump is working and gives some chatter through the arm but doesn't move. My plan is to rebuild the pump or wheel motor and get it going but I'm not sure which to start with. Since I'm getting some feedback and sounds from the pump I'm leaning toward wheel motor but figured I'd ask and see if anyone has a way to diagnose without pulling them both apart.

I work out of town during the week and haven't had time to dive into it yet but would like to get some parts ordered so I can work on it next weekend. If it stops raining tonight I'm going to try bleeding the pump first but I don't think that's going to do much. Any suggestions?

 

[hal]

Make sure the freewheel nut is tight. When was the last oil change? Hydro filter? Belt snug?

 

[nickmell]

No idea when fluid if filter were last changed. I just checked and belt is tight, fluid was low but I added some to get it to proper height, jacked it up and ran it for a bit forward and back to bleed it. Had a couple small bubbles but nothing major, it will move very slowly in reverse on that side but forward has nothing.

 

[BigFish]

You wanna get the shop manuals fer pump & motor. Each should have a number plate or sticker/ label on it. Wipe off and take pics/ write down. Post em . Should be able to Google the manuals. Study when ya can.

 

[ARN Greencare]

Some of those Dixies had a "T" gear box to run the drives, and it was a common failure cause nobody would keep it full of lube.

 

[Creole]

Some of those Dixies had a "T" gear box to run the drives, and it was a common failure cause nobody would keep it full of lube.

Yes, The "T" box most likely the culprit if the pump still sounds like it is working. The "T" box is located between the two hydro pumps.

 

[BigFish]

Parts lookup can be had here : https://www.dixiechopperpartsdistributors.com/Dixie-Chopper-parts-lookup?aribrand=MCM#/s/MCM/XW//1/y

 

[TPendagast]

I just picked up a 2002 xw2500 dixie chopper that the left side wheel won't drive. The guy I bought it from said it was working fine and then the left side just stopped working.. linkages and everything check out and when you try to run the left side it whines like the pump is working and gives some chatter through the arm but doesn't move. My plan is to rebuild the pump or wheel motor and get it going but I'm not sure which to start with. Since I'm getting some feedback and sounds from the pump I'm leaning toward wheel motor but figured I'd ask and see if anyone has a way to diagnose without pulling them both apart.

I work out of town during the week and haven't had time to dive into it yet but would like to get some parts ordered so I can work on it next weekend. If it stops raining tonight I'm going to try bleeding the pump first but I don't think that's going to do much. Any suggestions?

Planned obsolescence
Now that everyone who bought Dixie is pot business they flipped a switch so they all will stop working ...

 

[hdtvluvr]

Some of those Dixies had a "T" gear box to run the drives, and it was a common failure cause nobody would keep it full of lube.

So what kind of lube does it take? Do you fill to the rim?

I replaced the hydro oil and filters at 272 hours. I have an X2503-60 from 2004 with about 520 hours on the mower.

My right wheel seems to have less power than the left. It's really noticeable when going uphill. When you push both sticks all the way forward, it feels as if there is some slippage. If you back off the right stick a little, it seems to catch up. The belt appears to be tight because the idler puller arm is 90 deg. vertical. Can that be 90 deg. vertical and there still be slippage?

The freewheel nut (actually a threaded "bolt" with a hole in the end) appears tight on the right BUT if I turn it either way it won't turn smoothly. It sort of grinds. The one on the left works fine. Not sure what is up with the right one.

 

[ARN Greencare]

So what kind of lube does it take? Do you fill to the rim?

I replaced the hydro oil and filters at 272 hours. I have an X2503-60 from 2004 with about 520 hours on the mower.

My right wheel seems to have less power than the left. It's really noticeable when going uphill. When you push both sticks all the way forward, it feels as if there is some slippage. If you back off the right stick a little, it seems to catch up. The belt appears to be tight because the idler puller arm is 90 deg. vertical. Can that be 90 deg. vertical and there still be slippage?

The freewheel nut (actually a threaded "bolt" with a hole in the end) appears tight on the right BUT if I turn it either way it won't turn smoothly. It sort of grinds. The one on the left works fine. Not sure what is up with the right one.

The gear box takes 80w90 gear oil. They sometimes have a label stating some special oil, but 80w90 is fine. It shouldn't make one side weak. Either it works or doesn't.

 

[nickmell]

Hey guys, thanks for the replys. It stopped sending me notifications so I didn't know I had any more replys....
If the t box fails wouldn't it kill both side drives and not just the left? I'm planning on tearing into it this week and this will be the first thing I check.

 

[Creole]

Hey guys, thanks for the replys. It stopped sending me notifications so I didn't know I had any more replys....
If the t box fails wouldn't it kill both side drives and not just the left? I'm planning on tearing into it this week and this will be the first thing I check.

I believe that most of the time when the "T" box fails it will not move at all. The "T" box is a good place to start looking because it's easy to open the cover on the top to check and see if there is fluid in there and to check for wear.

 

[BigFish]

I'm thinkin there were several posts about that on here. Prolly quite a while ago, though. Mayhaps search on here or google, right ?

 

[nickmell]

Changed filter on left side, found a pine needle in it. Also change oil since it all ran out when I went to get filter. Made and improvement, I was able to drive it in reverse to get it in my basement but still not right so time to tear into it. On a side note this thing is pretty damn fast in reverse haha.

 

[nickmell]

Tbox looks like new. Mine is plumbed into the hydro oil so it doesn't take gear oil like someone stated earlier. Maybe that was for older units.

 

[nickmell]

Pulled wheel motor and found both of the smaller fitting on it loose and bent. The long one on top is very stripped on the fitting, housing looks fine, and the bottom one that makes 90 was fairly loose and bent. I'm guessing these are some type of circulation or cooling line and there is so signs of them leaking at all but I'm wondering if there weren't sucking air. I think someone has had this side off before and the bottom bolt holding wheel motor on was touching the bottom fitting.

 

[ARN Greencare]

A wheel motor shouldn't suck air, especially from where you are talking. That looks like a case drain in the picture, it relieves the casing of fluid pressure.

 

[nickmell]

I believe I found the problem. Got the wheel motor together with no noticable problems so I decided to tear into pump.

 

[hdtvluvr]

Did you find and fix the issue? Not sure what to make of the photos.

 

[nickmell]

I believe so, cylinder block and valve plate in pump both show a bunch of wear so I'm going to replace those. I'm working 6 days a week out of town for a bit so it will be a little while.