JD GX345 Drive problems

[brooklynGP]

I have a JD GX345 that while I was cutting stopped moving. I moved tractor to level surface and all it would do is crawl forward and barely move in reverse. Something is spinning,noise sounds like what a stripped gear sounds like. HELP !

 

[jinman]

This is just a SWAG at best, but do you have a drive release lever that may have moved out of the engaged position? I'd also check the fluid level, but grinding gears is not a good sign.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

This is just a SWAG at best, but do you have a drive release lever that may have moved out of the engaged position? I'd also check the fluid level, but grinding gears is not a good sign.

theres a rod on the back of the tractor just above the hitch plate. make sure its pushed IN.

How old is your traction drive belt? is it cracked or glazed over?

 

[Preludegod]

Check the drive belt first, the belt might still be in place but you have a broken idler pulley or tension spring. If those are all good I once worked on one where the transmission pulley pulled it's threads and would spin making a grinding noise

 

[elroy4455]

On your GX345, check to see if the transmission drive belt snapped or the tension spring has broken. If they are OK, the 2nd most common part to fail is the transmission drive pulley. The drive pulley mates up with the transmission input shaft with splines. The splines on the pulley were designed to be softer than the input shaft, so as they wear with normal use, the pulley will "strip" out before the expensive transmission input shaft.
Simple test: put one of your front wheels up against something solid, like the side of your garage. Have a friend stand behind the tractor looking in above the transmission at the white cooling fan. At half throttle, step on the forward pedal to load the transmission. If the engine doesn't labor (sounds like it is working) and the transmission fan continues to spin, the trans drive pulley is stripped (usually a crunching grinding noise too). If the engine labors and the fan slows down or stops, then the belt is slipping.
Best of luck!

 

[Francis lee]

Any body have a easy way to replace drive belt and transmission pully?

 

[beenthere]

:welcome: to the forum Francis lee

What do you mean by "easy" ? Have you been trying some way already, and it is not working?
Does the tranny pulley need changing?

 

[shortthrow50]

Any body have a easy way to replace drive belt and transmission pully?

Yeah. Remove the whole rear fender assembly. Remove middle platform. Your gonna have to remove the two hydro pedals and deck adjust knob. After that remove fuel tank. Took me about 45 to put new belt on my 325 a year ago. Pretty straight forward

 

[Kschwennsen]

Yeah. Remove the whole rear fender assembly. Remove middle platform. Your gonna have to remove the two hydro pedals and deck adjust knob. After that remove fuel tank. Took me about 45 to put new belt on my 325 a year ago. Pretty straight forward

shortthow50 is almost right, the only difference is that you do not need to remove the middle platform for this model, just slide the rear fender assembly rearward and lift. I'm actually replacing the pulley on my own gx345 right now.

- The process I've found that works is remove the (6) fasteners that hold the rear fender on with a 1/2" socket (2 bolts on each side by the seat and 4 bolt and nuts conecting the fender to the middle platform). you'll need a open end box wrench to hold the bolt end.
- Next disconnect the seat sensor from the bottom of the seat if not already done - perminently.
- Carefully lift the fender/seat assembly off of the tractor being careful not to damage the seat sensor cord, and place in a safe location.
- Next remove the (1) hex nut that holds the fuel line onto the frame using a 10mm socket (this should be located by the middle platform on the "driver side".
- Caefully lift the tank off of the tractor, leaving the fuel line connected and place on the ground.
- Since the pully is stripped there isn't much to hold the shaft and turn the fan nut off, so I found that if you use an impact wrench with a 3/4" socket and give it a quick hit the nut should come right off.
- Remove the fan, work the belt off of the pulley (I just ran a screw driver in and turned the pulley to work the belt off) and remove the pulley.

(About 15-20 minutes tops to take apart)

- just do the reverse to put it back together.

The pulley should cost around $40 at your local JD supply shop.

Good luck and hope this helps everyone.
Kris

 

[Grunt0311]

shortthow50 is almost right, the only difference is that you do not need to remove the middle platform for this model, just slide the rear fender assembly rearward and lift. I'm actually replacing the pulley on my own gx345 right now. - The process I've found that works is remove the (6) fasteners that hold the rear fender on with a 1/2" socket (2 bolts on each side by the seat and 4 bolt and nuts conecting the fender to the middle platform). you'll need a open end box wrench to hold the bolt end. - Next disconnect the seat sensor from the bottom of the seat if not already done - perminently. - Carefully lift the fender/seat assembly off of the tractor being careful not to damage the seat sensor cord, and place in a safe location. - Next remove the (1) hex nut that holds the fuel line onto the frame using a 10mm socket (this should be located by the middle platform on the "driver side". - Caefully lift the tank off of the tractor, leaving the fuel line connected and place on the ground. - Since the pully is stripped there isn't much to hold the shaft and turn the fan nut off, so I found that if you use an impact wrench with a 3/4" socket and give it a quick hit the nut should come right off. - Remove the fan, work the belt off of the pulley (I just ran a screw driver in and turned the pulley to work the belt off) and remove the pulley. (About 15-20 minutes tops to take apart) - just do the reverse to put it back together. The pulley should cost around $40 at your local JD supply shop. Good luck and hope this helps everyone. Kris

Thank you for posting this. It seems all too often posts are left open, and then when some one later tries to search it looking for a solution to a problem they have, all they get is a bunch of questions and no solutions.

 

[JD Power]

I pulled the trans-axle input power pulley off of my GX345. The trans-axle input shaft spline was fine (no wear) but the spline on the inside of the pulley was worn away. I also noted that the plastic cooling fan had suffered from a bit of centrifugal force as the hole that slides over the trans-axle input shaft was out of round and a bit egg shaped. The attached image shows the spline teeth worn away on the inside of the pulley shaft. The nut and washer on the input shaft were the only parts forcing the pulley tight to the input shaft. I was getting a bit of transmission slipping on gradual slopes and thought it was the belt that was not properly snugged up. If the belt had not wore out where I changed it, I would not have found the spline issue. Hope the image helps explain what it can look like when it is worn out.

 

[beenthere]

:welcome: to TBN
Ordering a new pulley?

 

[JD Power]

:welcome: to TBN
Ordering a new pulley?

Yep. Will pick the items up tomorrow locally at a John Deere dealership. Glad I found this website.

 

[kvotava]

Thank you Elroy4455 and JDPower, had the whining noise on my GX325 and found this thread. Pulley was stripped and fan was wobbly. Decided to disconnect fuel tank and discovered grommet that fill tube goes into was breaking down as well. Here are my part numbers FYI:

- AM131020 Pulley
- M145169 Fan
- M149638 Grommet (fuel tank)

About $60 for the whole lot. Had a tough time getting belt back on, but found it had dropped off the front pulley just enough to make my life miserable.

 

[bassman212]

what is the correct way to go about changing the trans drive pulley on my gx345? I think that may be my problem from what I have read on this site.

 

[beenthere]

Remove the fender deck and the pulley is under the small fan. Just a nut holding it on the tranny, I believe.

 

[bassman212]

Thanks I will probably start on it tomorrow.

 

[beenthere]

bassman
You can see the schematic with parts by going to jdparts.com (free registration) and put model # in.. GX345.
Look at the alphanumeric listing and go to Pulley transaxle.. the related parts are shown as are the part numbers.

 

[bassman212]

Thanks for the info. I think that's what's wrong but not for sure.

 

[bassman212]

well I have it apart and when I try to take the nut off of fan/pulley the shaft turns with the nut. Any suggestions?