I have a Hustler Super Z (model 927921B, serial 07033202) that just came in, and the engine wouldn't run. I tried to start it and the starter seemed sluggish, like there was a load on the engine. The owner told me she was mowing and suddenly the mower kinda lurched to the right and the engine died. She found a piece of wood stuck between the frame and the metal cooling fin on the left hydro pump pulley. I discovered that the engine would start up and run when I backed out the bypass valve on the pump. With the engine running, I slowly turned the valve back in to see what would happen. As the valve neared being closed, the engine started to get loaded down and I could hear something of a grinding noise coming from the pump. I could also feel the grinding through the wrench I had on it. So we're looking at a new pump (model PW-1LCC-EY1X-XXXX).
Problem is, I don't know what I need to do other than replace the pump. I had someone from Hydro-Gear tech support tell me to follow the path of the fluid flow to find out what had been contaminated. I studied the layout of the hydro system, and it looks like fluid runs from the pump through a hose to the oil cooler, and then from the oil cooler through a hose into the reservoir. Then there's a large suction hose at the bottom of the reservoir that feeds the filter assembly, and then there's a "T" on the other side of the filter that feeds two hoses that go to each pump. I'm guessing the arrows on either side of the filter assembly indicate fluid flow direction. So based on that, it looks like the contamination wouldn't have leaked into the other side, since it runs into the filter first.
So I think I'll run a magnet into the reservoir just to see if any metal debris is in there. But I need to flush out the hose and cooler on that side, don't I? What's the best way to do that? I'll also need to flush out the wheel motor, right? What's the best way to do that? And I'm certainly going to put a new filter on it. I was going to use an Oregon aftermarket 83-011, but the Hydro-Gear tech support guy advised me to use an OEM filter instead.
Any help is appreciated. I haven't done this type of repair often at all, and these are new commercial customers, and I really don't want to screw it up. Thanks.