Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - craftsman transaxle #150073

i have an 18.5 hp craftsman l&g tractor with a hydro-gear transaxle-model #150073. forward movement got slower & slower until it was almost non-existent. changed filter & fluid. now forward movement is non-existent. reverse seems to be fine. makes no unusual noises. took to some guys that "work on mowers" & they have had it apart 2 times. they can find nothing and it still has no forward & reverse seems to be ok. any ideas. thanks. p.s. has excellent kohler engine but a new transaxle is $800-$1300 and i just need it to mow around my shop occasionally.

It sounds like the same problem that Craftsman with Peerless have. There is nothing wrong with the transaxle or the pump. The sleeve between the pump and the transaxle(the one controled by the lever to be able to roll it) gets ground out and will not function, it's a $12 part. I will try to insert an image. Have a good one. Geo
The first link shows the good side of the sleeve
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z120/geogrubb/Picture002-1.jpg
The second is the side that has been destroyed, maybe because of the sealer.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z120/geogrubb/Picture003.jpg

thanks! they said they have checked this collar & also the input shaft & pulley. any other ideas?

It is the only part in the system that will make them act that way(disclaimer: I know nothing about nothing). If you don't want to do it yourself get a neighborhood kid/mechanic wanna be to take it apart and find out. You have nothing to loose and a lot to gain($800-1300-$12). Have a good one. Geo

thanks. may have to haul it home and ck. it myself! "if you want it done right do it yourself." thanks again!!!

I have not worked or trained on this particular transaxle and pump but they are all similar. These transaxles look worse than they are. I do not have the service manual for this one but I will see if I can get it from my distributor on Monday. Try to isolate the problem with your transaxle to the BDU-10L-122 pump or the drive assembly. Possibly the pump is not working or a shaft the pump drives has teeth stripped. I hope that the folks who took it apart put it back correctly.

Send me a PM with an email address and I will send you the manual if I can get it.

Look at this manual it gives basic troubleshooting information. Although, this does not cover the exact transaxle many things are the same.
http://www.gardening-tools-direct.co.uk/content/husqwm246_hwen1998_5321635-78.pdf

http://www.m-and-d.com/pdfs/hydrogear/218-3010L_150073.pdf

http://www.oscar-wilson.com/manuals/HYDROGEAR/BDU-10L.PDF

that would be great. reverse is still working so i would think the pump is still moving fluid. to change directions of travel does the pump change directions or is the flow of fluid re-directed after it comes out of the pump? e-mail is tim.russell@hughes.net thanks again. tim

Please post the results. Have a good one. Geo

can any of you answer this question? reverse is still working on this transaxle so i would think the pump is still moving fluid. to change directions of travel does the pump change direction of rotation or is the flow of fluid re-directed after it comes out of the pump?

The pump turns in the same direction at all times. Reversing pump swash plate angle, which then in returns reverses the flow of oil being pumped to the motor, reverses direction of motor rotation.

thanks. sounds like my pump should not be the problem! at least this elemenates one thing.