Weight transfer sacking-out?

[prs]

Model 4500Z running tough cut and contour finish mower. Only about 35 hours now. When I first began using it the weight transfer operated fairly easily from lowest setting to highest. Now, the lever that operates the transfer will not engage the lowest setting, the one all the way forward (be mindful that the 4500 series no longer has the chain arrangement on each side just the left side with a little lever). When I raise the implement and try to go all the way forward, the big spring just bottoms-out in the tractor's frame as best I can see in there. So, I am probably losing one whole setting of pre-load. Is there an adjustment. Has the heavy contour mower sacked-out the single spring? Is there an adjustment?

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[prs]

Got this one resolved. Leaves, sticks, chaff had collected under the front attachment for the spring. Way down in there where you can hardly touch it and can not see it. Garden hose and nozzle and dow rod finally got it cleared out. Then the settings easily engaged at all detents. The chaff and such dry debris might also play a roll in the squeak. It did not squeak on way back to shop.

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[prs]

Revisited this today. I got a thorough inspection of the transfer spring area and the body pivots with one of those very bright little flashlights. There was more debris packed into the spring channel and the body pivots were still impacted to some degree. Very difficult to get anything down in there to pull the stuff out, but using a garden hose with nozzle and my fingers and a coat hanger I got it all out. Mowed a couple of acres with no squeak and no problem setting transfer to where ever I wanted.

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[BKBrown]

Glad you found the problem.
Showing my lack of knowledge - What is "sacking-out" ?
I have the 4231 with the 3 cyl Briggs/Daihatsu gas, liquid cooled. I find it is good to use the leaf blower on the engine compartment and top of the mower deck when I have done any work in tall grass.
The squeak thing bothers me too - I grease the bottom bar (front rear connector link) where it can rub, grease all zerks, & spray everything that moves when steering or flexes (I used silicone or dry lube until I got the "no-squeak") I still don't know where the noise comes from, but it stops after everything is greased and sprayed.

 

[prs]

Springs have a memory, that is why they return to original minimal length (expansion springs such as this one my Ventrac) or return to original full length (compression springs such as ones on a coil over shock). With use and especially with abuse, a spring will eventually loose some memory and the expansion spring will at full rest be longer than it should be (stretched) and a compression spring will be, at full rest, shorter than its original full length (squashed). This deformation is what I understand to be the definition of "sacked-out". Maybe not a true technical or engineering term, but the shoe seems to fit nicely.

A leaf blower seems to be the tool for frequent routine use in this. I have yet to own one. Never liked that loud high pitched whine noise. I may have to alter my preferences, the noise beats the tedious cleaning job I just did. I just bought a fabulous rechargeable 20" push mower, maybe have some shopping to do.

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[BKBrown]

OK -- I have the Sears Craftsman Shop Vac with the detachable blower that doubles as the vacuum head. that blower is great. Sears.com this is not the exact vacuum I have, (mine are older - I have 3) It doubles as vacuum and blower. I use the ear plugs when running it.

 

[prs]

After replying about sacked-out springs I noticed my 3.5 HP ShopVac has blower capability too and I have the adapter to use smaller hose to fit in tighter places. Yes, with mine too, ear plugs are needed.

prs