John Deere 318 transmission won't shift

brandonstclair20 · Jan 2, 2017

I picked up a John Deere 318 lawn tractor at an auction. It had been sitting for years. I got it running good but the transmission won't shift out of neutral. It has a hydrostatic transmission. I jacked up the back of the lawnmower and when you try to shift it, the right rear wheel moves extremely slowly. The left wheel doesn't move at all. I tried to move the left wheel and it will not turn at all. I originally thought the brakes were locked but they are moving freely. It seems that the wheel is locked up inside the transmission. What do you guys think could be wrong?
Thanks

Kish318420 · Jan 2, 2017

Did you - 1.0 Check the free wheeling valves on top of the transmission, 2.0) See if they move freely, 3.0) Change filter an fluid in tranny. Do linkages move freely correctly?

beenthere · Jan 2, 2017

brandon
:welcome: to TBN
Get yourself a copy of the service tech manual for the 318. Very helpful as it sounds like you are wanting to do this work yourself.