Jim wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:30:23 -0500, Gordon Shumway wrote:

On 23 Sep 2009 22:49:40 GMT, Jim wrote:

Just took delivery of my first ever lawn tractor with a hydrostatic
transmission. Not being a Lexus I don't expect silence, that said when
engaging forward or reverse it's not exactly quiet either.

Curious to learn from others what "normal sounds" to expect. I'm
purposely not including the sounds I'm hearing so I can instead compare
users descriptions to the sounds generated. Hopefully with your inputs
I'll have an idea of what is normal and what should be of concern.

The only noise is the pump whine. That's normal. There's absolutely no
sound from the transmission. That, by the way, is for a 32 year old,
Case 222.

It sounds like you have a problem. No pun intended.

Gordon Shumway

Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

Discovered the noise I was mistaking for the transmission was actually
further forward. A "scrunch, clang" and engine stall forced me to
investigate closer. Turned out the pulley on the left side mandrel wasn't
properly positioned. The extra tension was playing havoc with the deck.
Fortunately a few minutes with a wrench resolved that. Afterwards machine
ran well for the rest of the afternoon.

Next project will be to check what else may not have been assembled
properly.

For those interested the culprit is a Sears Craftsman YT3000 (28922)

A quick search found some owners telling new owners to be sure to "purge
the transmission." Check your manual, maybe that will help with
whatever problem you are having.