20 Most Recent Troy Bilt 5.5hp Self Propelled Mower - Page 5 Questions & Answers

Left side of engine if standing behind mower. Follow cables.

Disconnect fuel line from tank. Dismount fuel tank or flush out with clean new gas. Always use Stabile in gas!

Replace engine, only 1 yr. warrenty. Engine about $119 at Harbor Freight. Easy to change out. all Harbor Freight engines are Hondas. Bolt pattern same. 160cc or 190cc will work. Remove blade, remove mounting screws, replace engine. Carb may be the same for throttle connections. Reinstall blade. 10 pulls required to start engine 1st time. 1 pull after that. Pull 1/2 way 4 times 1st to prime even if you use the primer bulb. Ensure oil is full, 30w oil. Excellent engines good for 7-8 yrs with proper maintenance. Observe cable connections before old engine removal. Take pics.

Check oil level . Dump out old oil and fill with new 30w oil.

Check transmission fluid. Ensure belt is good or replace. Check belt tensioner if installed.

Normally an indication of poor air flow. Replace air filter. Clean outside of carb with carb cleaned to ensure choke is free to operate. Go real slow in tall grass, some mowers don't have the torque to do tall grass, only use 1/2 of the deck width and have side discharge open.

Parts Finder Search Results 46 732-1043 Belt Tension Spring open the above link above and zoom in as much as possible on the diagram. Find part #46, which is the belt tension spring. Now locate it on your mower and look at the whole mechanism , where the pulley is. Check to see if it engages when the cable is put put into drive. Order new parts as needed.

belts usually come off for a few reasons.
They become loose...stretch or the tensioner moves,  Make sure that none of the tightening bolds are slipping.  You can dab them with a bit of paint.
when the pulleys are not in alignment or crooked or bent.  Eyeball the path from one pulley to another, also make sure the tensioner is in alignment and there are no other obstructions.
good, high quality belts are required, and they must be real drive belts...not regular v belts.  If there is a way to watch the belt in operation you can usually see what's going wrong.
On my lawnmower I had to grind some metal away where the belt went from the motor to the transmission.  Good luck 

Fuel specifications are in the owner's manual. Your mower requires no lead, e10 gas. Regular is sufficient. I add ethenol treatment to protect the metal parts from corrosin.

Based on your description, it really sounds like a transmission problem. I would check the linkage between the engage bar and the transmission to be sure that it has not come loose and there is not engaging. if the linkage is intact and when you grip it to engage it and the belt still turns then the problem would appear to be internal to the transmission. If the mower is still under warranty, I'd take it to an authorized repair shop and have them fix it. If it's out of warranty, you have nothing to lose by taking the transmission apart to see if it is something you can repair such as a loose gear that can be tightened with a set screw or something simple like that. If you find a stripped gear, it still may be fixable with a part order from the manufacturer. Or, you can simply replace the whole transmission but that won't be a cheap or quick fix. Before making a final decision on any of this, it also might be well worth you while to contact Troybilt to see what they advise. In fact, you probably would have been a bit wiser to have contacted them before posting here because it's extremely difficult to diagnose a problem without having a "hands-on" look at the machine, itself. I am not a mechanic but I'm an experienced do-it-yourselfer and I was able, years ago, to repair the transmission on a John Deere riding lawnmower, first by replacing a stripped gear and then a few months later replacing the entire transmission. I did not find either job terribly difficult but I had nothing to lose because I bought the mower used for very little money so I had some tinkering room. After replacing the transmission I was able to sell the mower for enough to cover its original cost and the cost of the parts. Obviously, I did not recover the cost of my time or the frustration of dealing with a bad machine from the start.

IF YOU HAVE A NEW BATT IT COULD NEED THE VALVE LASH RE SET

often the last ounce of gas in the tank has some crud in it. Get a can of carbeurator cleaner spray. Remove the air filter and squirt three short bursts of the cleaner spray into the air port and then start it. Keep giving it short bursts of carb. cleaner until it runs smoothly again.

Is the parking brake on? Or if it's a hydrostatic (automatic) there is a release lever to push the unit around when it isn't running. Most of those releases are on the back of the machine, and you just push it in for drive and pull it out to push.

Was this helpful?
yes
no

Well, If it worked last time...I would say it is the gas..moisture.. if not, then both ends of your cable. If nothing moves. it is either broke or came undone from lever by engine. I lean toward the gas, especially if it sat up all winter. (A new plug would be a good idea,Stranger things have happened) I had to do that to mine.

most lawn mower primer blubs have a metal ring holding the base in. Just uses use a small screw drive or hook and drag in out.

you will have to check a few things to diagnose it: 1) check the spark plug. check it for spark with a spark tester (best way) or by holding it against the engine metal somewhere and give a pull to see if you see a spark. If no spark go to #3 else go to #2. 2) if you have spark, you need to see if it turns over. get some starting fluid and just give it a quick spray in the intake (air filter usually) to the carburator. try starting it fairly quickly before the spray evaporates. If the engine turns over, then you have a carburator, fuel or fuel tank problem. 3) if you have no spark, replace the spark plug. if you still have no spark likely you need a new starter coil. Remember you could have a combination of both of these types of problems. RayRay If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/ray_6d6dc1dfa6f18dc1

what machine?? Hydraulic trani of not? Have you flipped it up on the Auger and taken the bottom cover off yet?