I remembered that last year my deck was getting a bit noisy, so I knew that the first thing this spring I wanted to go over it. I changed the blades (bought new ones and sent the old to be sharpend). Greased it up, and changed the gearbox fluid. By the way, cut the side off a gallon milk jug. Leave a 1" lip. Makes an excellent catch for the old gear box fluid. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Got her all done and went out to cut. Hit a granit stone which rattled around and spit out the side. So much for the new blades... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif And it still makes the sound. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I think it is a bearing, but I don't know why since I grease them regularly and never wash the deck.
I also need to set this deck up some time, I think it is all out of whack in the alignment dept. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Ouch! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif New blades and rock first thing, that sounds like my luck. I think I still have a week or two before having to mow here. Of course with the 70's here for a few days that will probably change fast. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
What noise are you hearing? If the deck is spinning and you reduce engine speed you'll hear gearbox noise as it back-drives the engine, no problem there. I think other people have had spindle bearing problems on the BX, relatively uncommon though. Pull the belt off and spin the all by hand, check for side to side play and rumble.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What noise are you hearing? )</font>
Generally the deck is just much louder than it was when new (3 yrs and approx 80 hours of use). The noise that I mention as the key culprit is at 60 to 80% throttle. It is a "chunk chunk chunk chunk..... chunk chunk chunk chunk..... chunk chunk chunk chunk..... chunk chunk chunk chunk..... " It also has a bit of a whine at full throttle, but I rarely run it that hard.
My dealer told me that running it full throttle was the correct way to get the needed speed out of the MMM. I also have the 60. I have not experienced noise with mine, and just did the blade, thing and greased it up real good with it off the machine.
My next adventure is going to be taking it in for the 100 hour service, top to bottom front to back sometime soon. I will let you know if they find anything.
You have terrible luck. What noise is it? I tell you this, both my decks seem to have trouble getting grease to the lower center spindle area. I think there is a design problem. I expect at some point to have to do something about them but so far they are doing OK with minimal lube. I do wash my decks, I still have original blades, I have not eaten any stumps, granite stones etc. No noise or vibrations, but I only cut grass with my MMMs. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif J
I'm thinking of sending it in and letting them do the coolant flush (since I really don't want to deal with disposal of that much material - oil is bad enough). So if I do that, I will have them check it. It seems to be the left bearing, and now I guess I'm out of warrantee. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Have you checked the belt to see if there is a chunk missing from it? I'm not familiar with the BX deck, but my B2400 uses a double "V" belt and I've occasionally lodged a rock between the V's and that will cause some noise.
Decks from what I understand are only warranted for 12 months. I do know attachments are that way ,as I just bought a front mounted blade for mine last fall and it was only 12 months on it.
