# Simplicity K57 Transmission FAIL and FIX



## sstressfl (Jun 10, 2020)

My Father in law gave me an older Simplicity Broadmoor 16hp, 38" deck... my very first lawn tractor. I had to put a new engine in it because the B&S was destroyed - found a new Kohler 20hp, required a minor exhaust modification to make it work but it was a bolt in. Happy mowing for the summer but then the trans stopped working. So I took a chance that it just needed a fluid change. I emptied it and put in Amsoil hydromatic fluid. And it worked! I even put on a new drive belt. It ran great this summer until recently when I tried to move it and it moved really slow and made some noise. Then it wouldnt move at all. I found the transmission was leaking. Left a small puddle on the floor. I found fluid was coming out of the top. I noticed that the cap was popped up a little bit too. So I yanked it once again, but this time I feared it was going to need a rebuild, or worse, replacement.

I thought maybe the popped top could mean it was pressurized. Maybe I missed some air bubbles and they worked their way to a place where it caused it to stop moving, perhaps helped to pressurize the unit and pushed fluid out? I cracked it open to see what I could see.

I discovered that it had a filter inside (I'm new to this!) and it was old and nasty (reduced fluid pressure?). ALSO, there was a SECOND magnet and it was pretty full of metal. So I cleaned the magnet and ordered a new filter and picked up 15w-50 Mobile synthetic from Walmart.

I left everything where it was. I did not pull the parts out. I was hopeful that the new clean filter and a proper priming would fix everything. I used cleaned the gasket surfaces. Put gasket maker goop on the outer case edge and down the seam in the middle (on the cover side) and put it back together. Torqued slowly and evenly until tight at 200 in lbs. Filled it with fluid

Installed it. It still wouldnt move. So with the leak fixed, I moved onto the belt. It was new but very loose. It was not an OEM belt so I thought maybe it wore too much? I decided it was best get an OEM belt and I found one locally. Installed it.... it was loose too. Very loose. But it moved. I mowed for a little while and it seemed ok, but on hills it started to buck a little. Back to the garage.

I couldnt find a single adjustment for the drive belt. Nothing. The tension wheels were really strong. All steel. No wear. But the belt was really sagging. So I got under it and studied the way it was built.

While I was pressing the parking brake, I could see how it moved the tension wheels. And when I let the brake go I could hear it hit a stop. I thought maybe there was an adjustable stop-bolt it was hitting so I looked closely from underneath. It was definitely hitting a stop-bolt.... but it was not a factory part!! It was a bolt that had fallen into the frame of the tractor (dunno where it came from as it was not the style that I have seen on the tractor) and slid into the gap in the frame that the brake lever moved through. It was keeping the brake from disengaging fully and therefore the belt was not getting enough tension. I pushed the bolt out with my finger and reached underneath and removed it.

Tractor is perfect now. In fact, smoother, faster and quieter than it's ever been. And I'm pretty darned excited about it and wanted to share it with my fellow tractor geeks  Pics for reference.


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

You get one zillion and one bonus points for your detective skills and determination! Congratulations on your getting it fixed and running by using some logic and carefully using your eyes to study the problem.


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## sstressfl (Jun 10, 2020)

bontai Joe said:


> You get one zillion and one bonus points for your detective skills and determination! Congratulations on your getting it fixed and running by using some logic and carefully using your eyes to study the problem.


Thank you so much  I am so glad I didnt have to spend big bucks to get it back to working order. So happy with the outcome. WHEW!!


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

It's very rewarding and gratifying to make a discovery like that. Congrats!!


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## sstressfl (Jun 10, 2020)

BigT said:


> It's very rewarding and gratifying to make a discovery like that. Congrats!!


It sure is  Thank you!


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