Troy-Bilt Pony Squealing Metal on Metal Sound

[D40]

I have a Troy-Bilt Pony riding mower that is only six months old and a squealing noise coming from around the area of the trans-axle is getting worse and worse, almost constant. I can't really tell exactly where it's coming from but I'm pretty sure it's not the kind of squeal a belt would make.
has anyone else had this issue and know what it might be?

Thanks for any advice other than don't but Troy-Bilt garbage.

 

[JJT]

I have a Troy-Bilt Pony riding mower that is only six months old and a squealing noise coming from around the area of the trans-axle is getting worse and worse, almost constant. I can't really tell exactly where it's coming from but I'm pretty sure it's not the kind of squeal a belt would make.
has anyone else had this issue and know what it might be?

Thanks for any advice other than don't but Troy-Bilt garbage.

Is there oil in the transaxle? If so, drain it/change it and check for metal in the oil. If there's metal, the transaxle is the issue. If not, we need more info.

 

[D40]

Is there oil in the transaxle? If so, drain it/change it and check for metal in the oil. If there's metal, the transaxle is the issue. If not, we need more info.

Apparently the transaxle on this mower is filled with grease and sealed at the factory. It does not contain oil and has no drain plug or grease fittings. A real bummer. Rather than trying to take it apart I am considering drilling and tapping a hole in the the top of the case, installing a grease fitting, and pumping a whole cartridge of grease into it.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

If it's 6 months old, does it have any warranty on it? I'd take it back and see if they would address it. It's most likely only going to get worse.

If no warranty, have you tried jacking it up and blocking it, putting it in gear and seeing if you can closer inspect where the sound is coming from?

 

[D40]

If it's 6 months old, does it have any warranty on it? I'd take it back and see if they would address it. It's most likely only going to get worse.

If no warranty, have you tried jacking it up and blocking it, putting it in gear and seeing if you can closer inspect where the sound is coming from?

That's a good idea, I'll try that next time I am out there.

 

[oldnslo]

Double check all the V-belt pulleys to insure they are not rubbing on something. Also verify that the pulley driving the transaxle is not slipping on the input shaft. Had this happen once on a mower and it squealed like crazy.

 

[5030]

One thing I discovered and that is, at the factory, they only put a minimal amount of lubricant in a transaxle and no more. In my case with my sealed Cub transmission on the rear time tiller I own, I removed the top cover and discovered a plastic plug on top that is installed as a vent to allow the transaxle / transmission to breathe and equalize pressure so I removed it and pumped in lots of additional grease, high quality synthetic grease to be exact and that was 5 years ago and it's quiet as a mouse, shifts like a dream now.

You need to see it there is a vent plug on the top of the trans and remove it and add additional grease as it sounds to me like the factory lubricant is lacking. Of course if it's making noise, it's probably already eating itself so hopefully you have a warranty on it.... hopefully.

 

[D40]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I am going to look at it more closely, especially for that loose pulley. Other than that I discovered the thing comes with a 2 year warranty. It's only 6 months old and I've contacted the service center. If it's not a simple fix I can do myself I'll be dropping it off for warranty service.
Great tractor community. Thanks again.

 

[5030]

I take it you purchased it at some box store and not a dealer? Be apprised that any service might turn into a protracted experience as usually dealers with service centers will put items not purchased there at the end of the line when it comes to repairs, warranty or not. How business works.

 

[D40]

I take it you purchased it at some box store and not a dealer? Be apprised that any service might turn into a protracted experience as usually dealers with service centers will put items not purchased there at the end of the line when it comes to repairs, warranty or not. How business works.

Yes, Tractor Supply. That's OK they can take as long as it takes because I have two spares. One has a broken compression relief in the engine but I came up with a work around. To start it I manually rotate the engine to just past TDC on the compression stroke where this allows enough momentum to let the engine continue to spin and start. The other one has a shot engine, but I have a Troy-Bilt generator that died and has the exact same engine with only a few hours on it, so all I need to do is swap them out.