Toro 4000 center deck Cancel The title field is required!

1. Bradley Frunchak

   

   24 posts
   
   7/12/2017 12:07 PM

   7 year old Toro 4000, when it gets into thicker areas of rough the center deck doesn't cut as well as the 2 side decks. The speed of the blades on th center deck seem to slowdown and the grass is barely cut. The operator needs to go back and cut it over again.
   The mower also seems to be bogging down a bit as it goes up Hills.
   
   Never had these issues before.
   
   I just had the mower returned to me from the dealer as the hydraulic pump was leaking. The seals were replaced and two bolts had the heads snapped off of the pump. The mower had similar issues just before the dealer repaired the leaking pump. Figured it was the leaking pump causing the issues.

   
   
   
   
2. Price Mark A

   
   7/13/2017 6:07 AM

   Do a efficiency test on all the deck motors. It sounds like with 7 years of age you probably have a lot of hours on the machine as well. The way the motors a plumbed together it may not be the center deck motor that is bad but a weak wing deck could be robbing the center deck of oil. I have also seen bad cartridge o rings on the deck manifolds also. There is no real way to test for it you just need to pull the large cartridge valves(1 1/8" or 1 1/4" socket) and look at them.
   
   Mark Price
   Equipment Manager
   Country Club of Leawood

   
   
   
   
3. Bradley Frunchak

   

   24 posts
   
   7/13/2017 7:07 PM

   Update:
   
   Mower has 2000 hours on it.
   
   I removed the solenoid valve from the 'S' port and checked it and was able to move it manually.
   Reinstalled and mower continued to have same issues.
   Moved the solenoid valve from centre deck to the left deck to see if problem followed. Neither solenoids worked. I was unable to move either solenoid manually.
   I removed the solenoid from the centre deck and tapped it to the open position and reinstalled.This allowed the blades to operate whenever mower is running.
   Took the mower for a test mow with all 3 decks running.
   
   Whenever the mower went through thick grass it bogged down(could almost get it to stall) and the center deck just kind of knocked the grass over.
   When I went through the same area with the center deck raised and the side decks operating. Mower worked fine. Cut was normal and no bogging down.
   
   Not sure what to look at?

   
   
   
   
4. Price Mark A

   
   7/14/2017 7:07 AM

   "Whenever the mower went through thick grass it bogged down(could almost get it to stall) and the center deck just kind of knocked the grass over.
   When I went through the same area with the center deck raised and the side decks operating. Mower worked fine. Cut was normal and no bogging down"
   
   Well that makes sense if you have a weak Hydraulic motor. Have you done a flow and pressure test? This is the first thing to do and the ONLY way to test for a properly operating hydraulic system. Much like electricity the oil is going to flow in the path of least resistance. That said you have three ports on a hydraulic motor. A pressure in, pressure out and a drain line to the tank. The drain line takes the excess oil that the motor can't handle and send it to the reservoir. This keeps from blowing out the shaft seal and leaking oil out. When a motor gets worn out the machine tolerances become too great and the motor doesn't work efficiently thus being the weak link. Sometimes a weak motor can fool you into thinking it is good by the way it is plumbed in a series with other motors. The return oil can supercharge the weak one and give it the oil it needs to operate. Buy a hydraulic flow meter and test gauges or call someone who can test it for you. You really need to know what you have to properly diagnosis it.
   The valves you tapped on send flow back to the tank to create a path of least resistance with the decks off. These only shut off flow when the decks are turned on. These work backwards from what you think. In the By tapping on them can ruin them since the spools are precision and should work freely. The testing procedure is in the Toro service manual. If you do not have one ask and I can forward you one if you provide me a email.