OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions On Victa Ride On Mower Frames victa gearbox

hi guyz i have a victa viking MT435H ride on and i'm having trouble, when i push the go peddle forward it has little or no drive, every thing works to the gearbox, is the gearbox a serviceable unit and if yes where can i get a parts break down of it
cheers gypsyblood

As I understand it the MT435H has a hydrostatic transmission, and amateur overhauls of those have a very poor success rate. Are you sure the belt drive to the hydrostatic transmission is working properly, and not slipping? If so, there seem to be three remaining issues:
Is the shift linkage correctly adjusted and properly engaging the drive on the transmission's external shift lever?

Does the transmission contain the correct amount of transmission fluid?

Is the transmission worn out or damaged?

The "worn out or damaged" possibility is the least likely of the three, if the machine has been in your hands for a long time and has suddenly stopped working. However if you have just bought it you have to face the possibility that someone had a good reason for selling it.

I suggest you check whether the shift lever on the transmission itself is going all the way in (to the detent) when you apply the operator's shift lever. If it is, inspect the transmission carefully, looking for a filler plug and a way to check the fluid level. Some transmissions can be topped up with fluid and others cannot.

cheers for your reply grumpy
the machine in Q is an auto drive model
the problem seems to be with the lever under the seat, it's almost as if it isn't going back into gear after iv'e push the machine around by hand, the problem is intermitant
cheers GB

OK, I still have no manual for that mower, but there are other mowers with "auto drive" and they may use the same system. The auto drive in those seems to just be a single pedal control that operates forward and reverse friction clutches, driven by a belt, like the Greenfield system. The mechanism seems to be fairly simple - if it doesn't work it can only be clutch wear, linkage wear or damage, or a need for adjustment. However I haven't found an auto drive that has a "lever under the seat" to engage and disengage the drive, though they do sometimes have a parking brake lever low on the left side. To get further with this we'd need to have some pictures of the mechanism and work it out that way. Alternatively there may be an Outdoorking member who is familiar with your mower and already knows the answer.

cheers for your reply grumpy
i think it's time to pull the gearbox out and have a look inside

Please take some pics and post them, so we can see how it works. Even if you find the answer immediately when you look inside, it will make a useful archive. However if it is similar to the Rover auto drive, it is just a system of belts and counter-rotating pulleys, and all the pedal does is engage one or other of two clutches, attached to the pulleys. "Auto" drive means the clutch is slipping unless you are pressing the pedal firmly and running the engine slowly. I expect the outcome to be a worn out forward clutch in a fairly short time.

If it is a variable ratio drive in there instead of a slipping clutch, the words auto drive are being used very differently by different mower brands.