# Sentinel Riding Mower - Tension Spring Questions



## BeardedMowerGA (Jul 12, 2013)

SENTINEL RIDING MOWER E3912-000 39" w/ Briggs and Stratton 12hp Model 282707


Ran fine, mowed for 30 minutes, hit a chunk of wood sticking up from the ground which stopped the blade(s). Engine cut off and small amount of gray smoke came off engine for a minute or so. Now I get NOTHING when I turn the key. 

Upon inspection I noticed a spring was broken on the deck. Maybe the spring broke and killed a safety switch or something?

I have attached a picture of the diagram for my mower deck. The picture shows 2 springs, parts #9 and #10. Here is my question - where does spring #10 go??? It's just floating in the picture. 

The spring that I found broken was connected on one end at the notch that the dotted line goes to from part #10. It does not however show where the other end should connect. 

I have no second spring, so I guess I need to replace both? Could it have functioned with only one spring? 


Lastly, the replacement springs I find when I look up the part numbers mentioned in the parts list don't look like the one I found on my mower. They all seem to have a coiled section and a long straight section. The spring on my mower is entirely coiled. 


Any help is greatly appreciated!


- Cameron
NW GA


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Spring #10 should go back to the axle to some sort of hook up.


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## BeardedMowerGA (Jul 12, 2013)

Great - thank you very much. Could it be either front or back axle?

Do you know if there is any reason why the spring popping could have stopped the engine or keep it from making a single sound when I turn the key?


- Cameron


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Rear axle there should be a wire type loop, or hook sticking down for the spring to attach to. If not look for a hole that lines up with the spring coming from the deck on the rear axle tube it will be on the lower part of the axle.


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## yellowlabrat (Nov 13, 2013)

Let me know if you still need help with this. I've got the same type of mower and just changed the belt on it recently.


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