Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - MTD Yard Machine...how do I grease it?

I have a 14.5 hp, 42", MTD Yard Machine (model 675) that has a squeaky right front wheel...how do I grease it?

I've gobbed grease on/in every spot I can see and then some, but there's no info in the manual on exactly how or where it needs to be done.

Should I remove the wheel and grease inside? or does it have something called "zerk fittings"?

HELP! and thanks! Sue

What I can say is that the vast majority of MTD machines have few, if any, grease fittings (zerks) and you simply need to look for any, if you have any. Do you know what they look like? If not then do a search on the web, for "Zerk fittings", and you'll see what they are and what you, then, need to be on the lookout for on your machine. If you have none in any areas of concern then you'll need to remove any problem areas and grease it/them by hand. You'll want either a wheel bearing grease or a multi-purpose grease.

Thanks for the quick reply....the owner's manual says that "the front wheels may be provided with optional grease fittings" and I found a little "nipple" sticking out behind the front wheel...is that it? and, if it is, how do I grease it?

You found it, now you need to go to your local auto part store and get a grease gun and grease(maybe a neighbor has one to save you the expense). Lack of lubrication is never a good thing. Have a good one. Geo

Give the grease gun a try and see if you can save it. You might have to pull the wheel from the spindle and replace the bushing or bearing in the wheel. It kind of sounds like the bearing has frozen up and is spining the inner race on the spindle or the outer race in the wheel. Good Luck

I have a couple of grease guns...a big one and a smaller one...but, do I need a special fitting of some kind on the end of the gun to fit the "nipple"? I looked up "zerks" and saw loads of pictures of all types...the ones on my MTD seem small, so would the end of the gun work on them? Thanks.

They are standard size, and the fitting on your gun should fit. The ones on MTDs are usually plastic, so be careful to not break it off.

Got the squeeky wheels fixed...had to take them off and grease them by hand...and all went well until today! As I made a turn in the yard, I hear a squeal and the mower stops moving forward...I'm thinking it's stuck on a root, so I try to back off...no go. I shut it off and pushed it to the carport, let it cool off, tried it again...it won't move at all.

I check underneath...no obstructions...so is it possible that the drive belt or belts may have slipped off their pulleys? I could feel one and it seemed lose...but then I'm flying blind here. HELP!!!!

It does sound like a belt problem. A pulley may have siezed, tranny may have bound up, or the belt may have come off.

It can be hard to see the belts on these. If there is a removeable plate in between the seat and console, then you can remove it and inspect the bets and pulleys. If not, you might be able to get a view by removing the battery and battery box from under the seat.

Thanks for the quick reply....and I was wondering;

Can this mower be tipped up/back so that you can see underneath?

You can tip them up, but be sure to remove the battery first. Also make sure that gas and oil don't leak, if you get oil in the carb it will be difficult to start. I use an oold lawn swing frame with a chain hoist for this.

Without emptying out the oil, fuel and removing the battery I wouldn't tip the mower up more than 24" from the front. For safety sake, it is best to hoist up the front end and also place a safety jack under the front axle before you crawl under the machine. MTD vari-drive belts can be very tricky to remove and replace if you've never done them before. Just be sure to use safe methods to lift up the mower!!!

Took that plate off where the F-N-R lever is...got a look at the belts and found that the bottom variable speed belt, the one that runs to the engine pulley, is off its pulley...not completely, but on the left side it seems to be wedged between the frame and the upper pulley and on
the right side it's outside of the little guard post (not exactly a technical term). The pulley seems to turn, so I'm guessing it's not the problem????

So...how does one get the belt back on? Can you take that upper pulley off, or at least loosen it to get at the bottom belt? I already know that standing on your head doesn't help...

When you say "upper pulley", are you talking about the upper part of the varidrive pulley where both belts share the same pulley? If so, you can remove the snap ring that holds it on, and slide it up on the shaft enough to get the belt on. The fact that it came off points to a problem somewhere though. Is the belt in good condition along the entire length?

Yes, it is the upper part of the shared pulley.
The belt is the original one... aprox 6 yrs old.
Am I looking for a weak/overly worn part of the belt? From what I could
feel, it didn't seem to be broken. I'll do a better job of checking...thanks.

Finally got the varidrive pulley and the short belt off...evidently the pulley had seized up because it really needed lubrication to get it off...and bought a new long belt (the one that runs between the bottom of the pulley and the engine pulley) to replace the worn old one.

It looks like the only way to get the long belt completely off and the new one on is to drop the engine + mower pulleys at the front of the machine????

On the older models, there is a plate that can be removed to gain access to remove the belt from the engine pulley. It goes across the frame under the engine and is held on by 3/8" head screws (2 on each side). The newer models have parts of the frame bent downwards to function as belt guides and won't allow belt removal without removing the engine stack pulley. It is held on with one 5/8" head bolt in the center of the pulley. Make sure you get this bolt very tight when you reassemble if you do take it off.

MTD varidrives are not fun to change belts on, huh?

Double check the needle bearings in the varidrive pulley now that you have it off. They may be bad, or may have fallen out.

Thanks CHEESE! My MTD uses the frame as a belt guide, so it looks like it's going to take removing the bolt to get the job done.

Now, about these 'needle bearings'...I think I see what they are on the parts list...but how do I know if they're bad?

Now I know why people hire their yardwork done!!! :thinker:

Look in the hole where the shaft goes into the varidrive pulley. At the bottom is one set of needle bearings, and at the other end is another set. They should look like tiny bits of straight wire lined up in a row all the way around the inside with no gaps or crooked spots. If they don't look uniform and neat, then they need to be replaced. Often times the shaft itself is worn where the bearings contact it, and needs to be replaced also.

If you mower has the frame bent in the way of removing the belt, then your varidrive pulley is probably not held on by a clip, but rather a nut, right? Does yours take the 954-04001 and 954-04002 belts or the 754-0280 and 754-0281 belts? (new style VS old style). If it's the new style, it may not have the needle bearings to replace. I have to check and see...I think they changed the design.

I need the 754-0280A (long) vairspeed belt and the parts list has 754-0370 for the short belt (didn't replace that one), so I'm thinking it's the older style? Model 675. And there is a bolt holding the engine pulley on. Probably does have 'needle bearings' to check....

The owner's manual just says "do it"...but how exactly do I get the keeper pins lose at the engine stack pulley???? and then how do I get the bolt lose when the pulley keeps turning??? if I can get the bolt lose and drop the pulley, can I leave those stupid pins where they are?? :wall:

I thought you had the frame tabs bent down as keepers instead of the pins. If it has the pins, they should be removeable with a 7/16" wrench. If it has the tabs integral to the frame, you have to drop the stack pulley. Use an impact if you have access, or hold the pulley with a pipe wrench on the tube part of it between the 2 pullies.

Yes, it does have the 'frame tabs' that keep the belt that I need to remove in check...but there are also two long 'pins' on either side of the mower belt that the manual says need to be removed, then the belt, then the bolt to drop the whole pulley. There just isn't anything to grab on to...unlike the pic in the OM...except the pin itself which only mars it because the 'nut' is smooth sided like a washer. :confused:

You can leave the pins...the pulley will come off without removing them.

Thanks again, Cheese...I'll give it a try!