[cmendla]

I have a Craftsman YS 4500 that is about 4 years old or so. My son hit a steenking Norway maple root while mowing. That seems to have shifted the linkage so that it doesn't want to go into reverse. I can sometimes get it into reverse by slamming the shifter hard into R.

It seem that now

R = N
N = 1
1 = 2

etc.

My suspicion is that something is bent in the linkage.

I tried looking through the parts diagrams but I don't see any obvious adjustments.

My questions are

1. Is the adjustment in the linkage or is it in the transmission itself?
2. How do you adjust the linkage back to normal and how hard is that to do?
3. are there any parts that I might want to order before I start to mess with this??

Thanks.. With snow season coming, I really need to be able to get this back into reverse.

BTW - I don't think anything in the frame bent. Everything else is working well.


thanks

Chris

 

[Mark / Ohio]

Welcome to the forum Chris!

Do you have the Sears 9xx.xxxxx model number so we can look it up and see the exploded view for it. Might help us get a better idea how the linkage works on it to offer some suggestions.

I'm trying to figure out how a root might have got up high enough into the frame to catch the linkage. Could it be that he had his hand on the shifter at the time he hit the root and came to an abrupt stop, sliding forward in the seat and bending it in that manor? Might be removing the shifter and bending it some would do the trick if all the mounting and hinge points look OK.

 

[cmendla]

The model number is 917.288330

What I think happened with the roots is that the norway maples have roots at the surface. Over the years, they were getting 'topped' by the mower. THe result is something akin to a rock about 8" in diameter and about 2" high. Most likely he was cutting in 3rd or 4th gear and something from the bottom of the tractor snagged on the root.

I looked at the diagrams at http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...P0712040/00001?blt=06&prst=0&shdMod=917288330

I figure that if I can find the shift lever on one of the diagrams I can work back from there. I can't seem to locate that even though I know it must be there.

thanks

chris

 

[cmendla]

I think I see the problem with the diagrams.

I did a search on the page for my mower for "Shift"

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...47/1509200?pathTaken=&prst=0&shdMod=917288330

When I looked at parts such as the "Shift Console" which I assume to be the shift lever and panel, it says 'no image available'. In other words, the part of the tractor that I need does not seem to have a parts breakdown.

I might not get a chance to take a close look at things until about Monday.

If I don't have any definite info before then, my plan is to try to examine it as much as possible without disassembling. Hopefully there is some kind of adjustment screw or something that can be bent back into shape. I did see one part on the transaxle diagram that looked like it had multiple attachment holes that appeared to be some type of adjustment.

 

[bwdbrn1]

Take a look at this diagram. The "Ground Drive" parts. The shift linkages seem to be in this group.

Looks like part #22 is your shift lever, that is attached to part#175, and makes it's way to the transmission through a couple of other joints. How's that old song go? The hip bone is connected to leg bone...the leg bone is connected to the knee bone...well, you get the idea.

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...P0909030/00003?blt=06&prst=0&shdMod=917288330

I'm going to guess that the mower deck will have to come off so you can really get at the parts that might be affected.

 

[Mark / Ohio]

I concur with BW's thoughts. For other's that may be passing through this thread here's the exploded view we're referencing:

http://c.searspartsdirect.com/lis_png/PLDM/P0909030-00003.png