Tom Bowman
Member
I was using the TO-20 with finish mower yesterday, and about 10 minutes in, I heard a screeching/grating/metal-on-metal noise from the front end of the tractor.
I headed back to the garage, and turned off the engine, while I grabbed a "listening stick" to try to pinpoint the source of the noise.
When I restarted the engine, the noise was gone, and didn't return, after a few minutes of idling, and varying the throttle.
Based of what I've read here, I suspect either the water pump (I haven't touched it in the 5 years I've had the tractor), or the alternator (12 volt conversion with one-wire alternator, done by previous owner).
When I turned off the key, as the engine was stopping, I could clearly hear the "metal-on-metal" noise, like a bad bearing/bushing, but the noise was gone when I started it back up.
I've read how to narrow it down to the water pump or alternator, by removing the fan belt, but first I need to get the noise to return.
Can water pump or alternator noise be intermittent? Am I damaging something by running the tractor, until I can figure out what's going on?
Oil pressure was good, and temperature gauge was normal.
Thanks for any ideas.
I headed back to the garage, and turned off the engine, while I grabbed a "listening stick" to try to pinpoint the source of the noise.
When I restarted the engine, the noise was gone, and didn't return, after a few minutes of idling, and varying the throttle.
Based of what I've read here, I suspect either the water pump (I haven't touched it in the 5 years I've had the tractor), or the alternator (12 volt conversion with one-wire alternator, done by previous owner).
When I turned off the key, as the engine was stopping, I could clearly hear the "metal-on-metal" noise, like a bad bearing/bushing, but the noise was gone when I started it back up.
I've read how to narrow it down to the water pump or alternator, by removing the fan belt, but first I need to get the noise to return.
Can water pump or alternator noise be intermittent? Am I damaging something by running the tractor, until I can figure out what's going on?
Oil pressure was good, and temperature gauge was normal.
Thanks for any ideas.