OT PLEASE HELP

We have a Craftsman lawn tractor and when I went to start it and mow the yard something wasn't right. When you turn the key to the first notch it makes this extremely loud "CLICK" then you can turn the key completely off and an equally loud "CLICK" is heard. All of this is without moving the key to the start position. The lights work fine but when you go to start it no noise is heard but the starter doesn't even think of working. I checked the battery and it is clean and was actually bought new this year. It is also connected good. I know this doesn't involve Allis-Chalmers but it's kind of important.

most ignition systems with a key have a solenoid and starter connected by a big wire. the key has small 12 volt wires that run to the solenoid and magnitize a coil, to pull in contacts that engage the wires to the starter. when you turn the key to the frist position you put power to the light switch, and distributor (on a bigger tractor), when you turn to the second position, you hear the "click" which is pulling in the  solenoid contacts and then the starter cranks.  You normally dont hear a click in the first position. The "click" happens just prior to the starter running so it is hard to hear sometimes.  You might bang on the starter with a small hammer to see if its "stuck" Also, go to the end of the crankshaft (maybe a fan sticking straight up at the hood), and turn the motor a few revolutions by hand to see that it is not stuck.

open the hood, lay both hands on top of the plastick fan on the motor and try to turn it clockwise to make sure the motor is not stuck.. then do as leonard said.

steve(ill) wrote: open the hood, lay both hands on top of the plastick fan on the motor and try to turn it clockwise to make sure the motor is not stuck.. then do as leonard said.

 

Well after about 15 times of push,pull,s**t with the PTO knob it finally stopped doing that and is working as it should.

Beat me to it Steve. My old Snapper YT-16 has an electric PTO clutch. It will click on and off when you have the switch on, but the motor off. Was the first thing I thought of when I read the post. 37, you probably have some crud in the switch. I would take the air hose to the switch(won't hurt to blow out the rest of the mower while yer in there.) Then get a can of electrical contact cleaner. Give it a few squirts(wear safety glasses, don't ask how I know, but contact cleaner burns like a mother when it gets in yer eye). Work the switch a few times, squirt it some more, then blow it out with the air again. Don't spray the contact cleaner on it for too long. Most contact cleaner comes out of the can REALLY cold, and may freeze and break any plastic parts of the switch. If that don't fix it, you wanted to go to Sears anyway, right?