what happened to my TO20?

csaw01

New User
Today I was mowing. My tractor stalled and my battery was dead. I put it in neutral it rolled back about 20 feet. I tried to jump it and all I get is a clunk. It tries to turn the motor but can't. I pulled the starter and tried to turn the fly wheel but it won't budge. Does anyone have any ideas? I just cant believe a good running engine would cease by going backwards and not even be on. Please help me out here.
 
It made no noise at all. Yes, it has oil in it. I was thinking that it might have spun a bearing. This tractor has been a pain from the day I got it. It has turned into a real money pit. So do I tear it apart or scrap it?

I just put a new govener in it. New gas tank, carb and a bunch of other parts.
 
If it rolled back 20' then you were on quite a little hill and if it was the least bit low on oil , what was in it may have sloshed away from the pick-up long enough with a load on it that could have starved the bearings and tightened up on ya.
 
Yes you are correct. It was on a little hill. So even not being on it could have spun the bearings?
 

Maybe some part of your governor fell into the timing gears? Maybe a valve broke off and got stuck between a piston and the head? Maybe something fell off the clutch or starter and jammed the flywheel?
 
Old tractors are like old men, still plow just as deep, but not so many rounds. Just my guess- probably a dry crank bearing, this site sells them, not to awfully hard to change and not terribly expensive, just hope that the crank shaft is still ok.(If that is the problem)
 
When you tried to turn the engine, was the mower still attached and the PTO engaged? Did you have the clutch pressed down? If the mower was still connected, PTO engaged and clutch engaged, that may be whats holding the engine from turning.

Dan
 
a lot of lawnmowers have been ruined by people mowing ditch banks etc. won't know until you pull pan and inspect as to what needs fixed. my niece ran her v6 cutlass right out of oil and it set up. she let it cool until next day and filled with oil and it started up and she drove it another year w/o problems and then sold it. just have to experiment , have nothing to lose. take spark plugs out and with full oil give it a pull and see if it frees up.(pull coil wire also)
 
If the engine turned backwards it may had sucked the
oil from the air filter and is liquid lock.

You may remove the plugs and try to turn itm again.

HTH

Joe Ferguson
 
Early TO20 had a different flywheel than the later ones.
The early ring gear was installed from the clutch side and over time the ring gear can slip back towards the transmission and teeth jam into bell housing and lock up the engine. Look in the starter hole and you will see if this is the problem. Ring gear should be tight to the lip on flywheel.
 

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