Personal Safety

Safety and Preparation Serious injury can occur if the engine or mower blades accidentally start while you are working with lawn tractors. To prevent this, drive the Murray lawn tractor onto a flat work surface and disengage the mowing deck cutting blades. Engage the parking brake to keep the mower from moving; chock the wheels with a wooden block or brick. Adjust the mowing deck to the lowest position. Turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition. While not necessary, you may even wish to disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug. Mowing Deck Removal You must remove the mowing deck on a Murray lawn tractor to gain access to the belts. Remove the adjustment rod hairpins, followed by the adjustment rod pins from the front left and right sides of the mowing deck. At the rear on the left and right sides, pull out the retaining hairpins and slide the mowing deck suspension links from the adjuster plates to separate the rear mowing deck from the frame. Remove the blade control rod stud, including the hairpin and washer, from the top of the blade control lever shift linkage at the left rear of the deck. Remove the front hanger rod, including the hairpin and flat washer that hold the rod in place. Loosen the belt guide retaining bolts with a socket wrench and remove the engine stack pulley belt so you can slide the mower deck out from under the tractor Transmission Drive Belt Installation Slide the new transmission drive belt between the engine stack pulley belt guides, over the belt guide plate and under the engine stack pulley. Fit the transmission drive belt around the top engine stack pulley. Push the free end of the transmission drive belt up through the transmission shifter hole in the lawn tractor floorboard. Slip the transmission drive belt loop over the transmission shifter. Pull the transmission drive belt down through the transmission shifter hole. Fit the transmission drive belt around the transmission drive pulley and tighten the transmission drive pulley belt guide retaining bolts to hold it in place. Fit the transmission drive belt flat side around the idler pulley. Slide the idler pulley onto the idler pulley stud while holding the belt in place. Tighten the transmission idler pulley retaining nut with a socket wrench to secure the idler pulley to the idler pulley stud. Mowing Deck Drive Belt Installation Pull back on the right side mowing deck mandrel pulley spring-tensioned belt retainer. Guide the new mowing deck drive belt around the right side mandrel pulley and release the belt retainer. Pull the drive belt spring-tensioned retainer away from the mowing deck idler pulley, guiding the deck drive belt around the idler pulley. Fit the mowing deck drive belt around the left side mandrel pulley and under the rear mowing deck cross link rod between the right and left side mandrel pulley. Slide the mowing deck under the right side lawn tractor frame, reconnecting the deck to the frame in reverse order of removal. Engage and disengage the mower deck while driving the mower to test the belt for proper operation.

Did it stop suddenly? Or splutter and cough like an engine problem? If suddenly I'd suggest checking the seat switch wire hasn't become disconnected, if this doesn't solve it then check all the other safety switches.

May have a safety switch problem. Check brake controls, or look for other safety switches. Check for voltage at clutch. Do so with engine off and seating on seat, turn on key to run position and engage blade switch, should hear clutch engage. If it doesn't then check for voltage at clutch and if no voltage work your way back from there. Follow wires back until you find your problem.

are your blades engaged when you try to do this??
if so it is a back up safety feature from factory,turn blades off and try?
Or put the ignition switch in the position that will keep the mower running when you go in reverse with the blades on or push a button on dash when you go in reverse,probably not on yours just some of the features on some models and just something to look for on yours

All riding mowers have a seat safety, blade engage safety and a brake clutch safety, some mowers have a reverse mowing safety. Seat under the seat, blade and brake you will have to check the linkages underneath, and if there is a reverse mowing one I have seen them near the shifter handle right under the fender.