LTX 1040 automatic does not freewheel roll

[mouthman]

Hi everyone.
My Cub Cadet LTX 1040 automatic does not freewheel.
When I bought it I thought it had a hydrostatic transmission but it has a geared transmission with a variable speed pulley so the shift lever changes from forward to neutral to reverse and the pedal just changes the speed.
When I put it in neutral, the wheels bind and if I push harder it moves but grinds in both forward and reverse. When I start the engine the tractor moved fine in both directions, it is only with the engine off that it does not roll.
I am hoping that it is either a brake adjustment or a gearcase lever adjustment, but I haven't seen any videos on youtube that address this problem.
I am hoping someone here has some idea on what it could be and how to start the troubleshooting.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or information.

[ironman]

Did this problem just occur or did you acquire it this way??

[mouthman]

Originally Posted by ironman

Did this problem just occur or did you acquire it this way??

Well, I just bought it and I did not try to roll it until I got home so I don't know.
I asked the previous owner and he said it rolled without any problem.

[mouthman]

Ok, I just finished checking the rear axle. I took the tires off and cleaned and greased the ends because they had some rust and were stuck. I took the brake apart and the two little pins were also stuck, but unfortunately that wasn't the problem. The rod from the pedal that activates the brake was so loose that the brakes actually do not work. I am afraid that it is looking like a transmission problem, and that is something I have never worked on. I am going to see if there is an adjustment somewhere that I can try.

[ironman]

My experience with these variable units is this, which may or may not be your problem but it is where I would start looking......
Your transmission is a single speed unit, with forward, reverse and neutral.
You say it works fine with the motor running, so unless the "grinding" you describes occurs when you operate, I doubt your have a transmission problem.

The "variable" pulley is what gives you the ability to change speed, which the pedal controls.
The variable pulley changes speed by the operation of the "middle sheave" sliding up and down on the pulley's center shaft.
As it slides up and down, it changes how much of the drive belt rides in the "V" groove, in effect changing the physical size of the pulley.
The most common thing I have seen is that the "sliding" sheave either becomes galled to, or rusted to the shaft that it is supposed to slide on, and it no longer returns to the open size that allows the pulley to spin without trying to spin the belt.
If you remove the drive belt from the pulley, the center sheave of the variable pulley should easily slide up and down about one inch or so on the pulley shaft.
If it is rusted, you can probably clean it up. If it is galled, you are screwed and will need a new pulley.

[mouthman]

Originally Posted by ironman

My experience with these variable units is this, which may or may not be your problem but it is where I would start looking......
Your transmission is a single speed unit, with forward, reverse and neutral.
You say it works fine with the motor running, so unless the "grinding" you describes occurs when you operate, I doubt your have a transmission problem.

The "variable" pulley is what gives you the ability to change speed, which the pedal controls.
The variable pulley changes speed by the operation of the "middle sheave" sliding up and down on the pulley's center shaft.
As it slides up and down, it changes how much of the drive belt rides in the "V" groove, in effect changing the physical size of the pulley.
The most common thing I have seen is that the "sliding" sheave either becomes galled to, or rusted to the shaft that it is supposed to slide on, and it no longer returns to the open size that allows the pulley to spin without trying to spin the belt.
If you remove the drive belt from the pulley, the center sheave of the variable pulley should easily slide up and down about one inch or so on the pulley shaft.
If it is rusted, you can probably clean it up. If it is galled, you are screwed and will need a new pulley.

Thanks for the information. I was able to roll the mower this morning. I am thinking the linkages to the transmission lever might be the problem, the parking brake seems to have a lot of play also, I have to raise or tip the mower so I can take a better look.