Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Engine bogs down when blades are engaged
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leedale
07-04-08, 09:54 AM
I have a Craftsman DLT3000....Brings & Stratton 18.5 OHV....Automatic Transmission. Engine runs great when blades are NOT engaged, but once blades are engaged two things happen.....a) when blades are disengaged, they do NOT stop until 10-15 seconds after (this is a new and unusual development)....and b)the engine gets bogged down and wants very badly to stall. I have replaced spark plug, and one of the belts, but this has nothing to do with it....I have also made minor adjustment to the throttle (?) so it idles a touch faster.....and replaced the oil....Help!?!?!? I am growing a forest in my back yard (and I love to use my bagger but any longer and the bagger will have to be bagged!!!)
rogerflies
07-04-08, 10:37 AM
It sounds like the something is wrong with the electric clutch. It has a brake built into it that is supposed to stop the blades when the clutch is disengaged.
The clutch has a rotor attached to the engine shaft. The coil is inside the rotor toward the engine. There's a clutch disc attached by leaf springs to the pulley for the belt that drives the blades. There's a brake ring around the disc. When the clutch is engaged, the disc moves away from the brake ring and is held tight to the rotor.
http://farmex.now.tc/catalog/images/to/99-8011_t.gif
left to right top to bottom:
bearing, rotor
coil
brake adjustment nut and spring, disc/pulley
brake ring, bearing
I'd check first to see if there's some debris in the clutch that's keeping it from working properly.
You might find that one or two of the three leaf springs between the disc and pulley are broken. That could account for the engine bogging down and the brake not stopping the blades. With the springs broken the disc could move enough to drag on the brake ring and turn the pulley at the same time, but it wouldn't press hard enough on the brake ring to stop the blades.
Let us know what you find.
The clutch has a rotor attached to the engine shaft. The coil is inside the rotor toward the engine. There's a clutch disc attached by leaf springs to the pulley for the belt that drives the blades. There's a brake ring around the disc. When the clutch is engaged, the disc moves away from the brake ring and is held tight to the rotor.
http://farmex.now.tc/catalog/images/to/99-8011_t.gif
left to right top to bottom:
bearing, rotor
coil
brake adjustment nut and spring, disc/pulley
brake ring, bearing
I'd check first to see if there's some debris in the clutch that's keeping it from working properly.
You might find that one or two of the three leaf springs between the disc and pulley are broken. That could account for the engine bogging down and the brake not stopping the blades. With the springs broken the disc could move enough to drag on the brake ring and turn the pulley at the same time, but it wouldn't press hard enough on the brake ring to stop the blades.
Let us know what you find.
leedale
07-04-08, 01:16 PM
okay...replaced the drive belt (since I had purchased the part already) and it fixed the problem with blades stopping after they were disengaged, but still has the bogging down problem with engaged....still think it may be the clutch??
rogerflies
07-04-08, 02:01 PM
I need the model number for your mower. It might not even have an electric clutch. :o
leedale
07-04-08, 02:54 PM
the mower model number is 917.273821
rogerflies
07-04-08, 04:06 PM
I looked at the manual, and it doesn't have an electric clutch.
Looking at the parts diagram, it's got some sort of belt-tightening clutch arrangement on top of the mower deck. Without having ever seen one, I'd suspect there's a pulley with a bad bearing somewhere on the mower deck.
When you had the belt off, did you check all the pulleys to see if they turn freely? If not, I'd do that.
If you don't have a manual, you can go to Sears Parts online to get one in pdf.
Looking at the parts diagram, it's got some sort of belt-tightening clutch arrangement on top of the mower deck. Without having ever seen one, I'd suspect there's a pulley with a bad bearing somewhere on the mower deck.
When you had the belt off, did you check all the pulleys to see if they turn freely? If not, I'd do that.
If you don't have a manual, you can go to Sears Parts online to get one in pdf.