Your travel pedal has a double function as it is two pedals in one (reverse and forward) that sit on u shaped teetering brace which is then connected to the transmission travel leaver by the linkage system.
When you press on the reverse plastic boot of the teetering pedal, it pulls the transmission lever towards the front of the tractor through the linkage system; when you press the forward boot, it pushes the transmission lever towards the deck of the tractor through the linkage system.
If you suddenly have found yourself in a situation where you come up to your tractor, fire it up, and are excited to do some mowing, but you notice that the travel pedal doesn’t work properly anymore; this article will probably help you.
What are the symptoms of a pedal problem?
If you’ve noticed that your pedal wiggles around with absolutely no resistance or the opposite: it is somehow stuck, then it’s certain that tractor mobility issues are caused by a pedal problem
What could possibly be the reason for the travel pedal problem?
Basically, there are three main reasons for a faulty pedal.
- The problem may lie in the travel pedal linkage to the transmission itself which could be either damaged, bent, corroded, or disconnected on some linkage joint.
This can happen due to the tractor’s age or harsh exploitative environment. The symptoms may vary from loose and disconnected pedal to limited motion on the pedal (when you cannot engage forward or reverse mode to the full extent). - The pedal may be stuck due to some sort of debris or dirt that could be trapped either under the pedal itself or in the linkage system. Again, heavy usage under harsh conditions can be the cause of this.
- The reverse plastic boot of the pedal can fall in and prevent the full range of pedal movement in reverse directions. This can happen simply because with time and wear, the plastic boots can get damaged and slip down.
Typically, the plastic reverse boot is held up to the metal pedal through special punch holes in its body where the casted nobs of the metal pedal fit. But once the plastic boot cracks and loses its integrity over time, it can not be fixated on the metal pedal anymore.
What are the possible fixes?
First of all, as it’s always a great idea to keep your equipment clean, take a brush and cleanse the whole linkage system that linked the pedal to the transmission and lies underneath the right foot-weld. Note if there isn’t something stuck in the system.
Also, check if some piece of debris hasn’t stuck between the pedal itself and the body of your tractor.
If your pedal teeters loose, you should inspect where the linkage is disconnected and the linkage integrity altogether.
The linkage system has two main joints: the first one is connecting the linkage to the teetering pedal (underneath the right foot-weld), and the second one connects it to the transmission lever ar that is directly connected to the swash plate. Joints should be connected with a bold and a star-lock pin.
You should also inspect the integrity of the linkage itself.
If your pedal has a limited range where you cannot engage forward or reverse mode to the full extent, your travel pedal linkage could be bent or deformed. In such a case, you should replace the linkage.
In case only the revere mode range is limited, you should inspect the reverse pedal plastic boot integrity. Take a look if it hasn’t fallen in. If so, inspect its integrity. Normally the boot shouldn’t be cracked or deformed in any way, and it should sit tightly on the metal pedal.
If there is some sort of problem with your reverse boot, you should replace it. But a temporary solution, you can fix its position with a bolt and a washer placed inside the boot’s square hole that would prevent the boot from slipping down the metal pedal rail.
What if the problem is elsewhere?
When you’ve done your inspection on the travel pedal and its linkage system, but the problem still persists, you should move to troubleshoot other components of the tractor.
There are quite a few systems in your tractor failure which could result in similar symptoms as pedal problems: bad response to pedal input or zero response at all.
Your engine, ignition, fuel system, drive belt, drive belt pulleys and of course the gearbox.
To test the engine, ignition, and fuel system; take listen to how the engine works. It shouldn’t misfire, it should run smoothly when idling, and shouldn’t choke under throttle input.
To test the drive belt, swiftly engage the PTO lever or button (depending on what your tractor is equipped with). The mower blades should kick in immediately (in under half a second). if that didn’t happen, you have a belt problem (although it could be just a deck belt).
But if the problem was building up slowly with time, if the problem gets worse as the tractor warms up after a cold start; you may have a faulty transmission (especially if every other system tested ok).
