I do have this transmission in my mower. Thanks for your video. I was trying to figure out how to add oil to mine. My seal came out and I put new ones on both sides. But I couldn’t see where to put in oil. Luckily I found your video. Thanks!
Held up good for me, I run the hell out of it with five acres. Changed seals once and took it out and pressure washed it once in 8 years. Not too bad for cheap.
That's great!! Glad it's working for you. But you're one of the lucky ones. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes so why wouldn't a fair number of these transmissions do OK? The blind squirrel is the designers, not you..... LOL I'll grant you the fact that most of what you read is bad, because the good is rarely bragged about. BUT..... There are enough people coming out with nightmare stories about these things to make me believe they are a serious problem. There should never have been a transmission put on a riding mower where the operator would have to "TAKE IT OUT AND PRESSURE WASH IT". You should be mechanically inclined if you are going to do that. That's much more than the normal operator. Remember the old saying "Keep it Simple"? That was the last thing on the engineer's minds when they came up with the idea of this crappy thing. The top Gears and bellcranks on this thing looks like parts from an ancient Leonardo Da Vinci Robot. Thanks for your post Keke!
I went through 5 of those variation belts... I've been googling hard to figure out why... My rear pulley came off the line assembled wrong... 😒 This video helped me notice it
Mine has been working for a good 7 to 8 years now. The only thing I've had to do is clean the grass and debris out of it and it's fairly simple to do if you are pretty mechanically inclined. I accessed mine from under the seat
Daniel I like my mower and I pretty much agree with everything you said, the second season of use grease started leaking out of the axle and forward and reverse controls where close to impossible to use. Thank you for some insight on this subject!
I wonder if there is any way to add a Derrick fitting in the top and shoot some grease into the main gear housing for after experiencing loss from blown seal?
Thanks for the video. A friend gave me a mower for salvage that had this tranny. It was exactly as you described, grass in mechanisms on the top side was prohibiting drive functionality and it was leaking oil from the axel seals. The case was cemented together and a bit beat up after separating halves with a chisel. Inside was in good shape. half of the drive gears are plastic , and the case is filled with a really thick oil, almost grease.
Thanks for the heads up Karl! Didn't know some of the gears inside were plastic. I've never actually been inside one. As bad as they are, I have saved every one of them I've worked on. Should have done a video on the disassembly.
I feel your pain, I’ve got mine apart again today! I’ve had mine fill up with so much clippings it won’t go forward or reverse. one year it was filled with acorns the squirrels lived in my tractor when I kept it in the shed it’s stored in the second garage now. Every single void fills in tight and gets almost rock hard. I have a Craftsman and I keep mine clean but there is zero access to the transmission top for power washing. I’m thinking of leaving that plastic cover off since it keeps no dirt or grass out.
Yeah Ric, it's a sad fact about these things. That cover doesn't keep the grass out but it will keep sticks out. I think I'd leave it on there..... Squirrels and chipmunks suck. Especially mice under an engine cover...... They love to eat wires :-)
Thanks for this video, I am one of the unlucky. Ordered a Craftsman lt2600 special with the Kohler engine and thought this thing would last forever. 6 years later and the trans lost reverse and now wont go forward. $600 for a new one but still beats $2k for a whole new mower. This video had me smiling the whole time and brought confirmation to my assumptions about what a stupid idea a plastic transmission is. Still laughing at a drunk from West Virginia lol Thank you for taking the time to review this RS800.
Thanks for the comment T&G. I would try the cleanup on it before buying a new one. The Transmission is a pain to take out but cleaning it does normally work to fix the problems.
@@Daneinwv1 Thank you for the advice! Decided to hold off ordering a new one from Amazon and took it apart. It ended up being the reverse safety switch. Here is my video about it. ua-cam.com/video/z5MgkM2iGnc/v-deo.html
It’s awesome when you take it to a repair shop and they laugh at you, one guy wouldn’t even come out of his office, told me to just buy a different tractor.😂
Glad to hear you are from WV. What part? I’ve taken the pulley out and have cleaned debris from every spot I could access and I still have issues with my pedals sticking and sometimes not going back to neutral
I picked that straw in the form of a 2014 ariens. I’m one of those crazy people who actually enjoys taking things apart so I don’t mind the grass and the seals are only a 15 minute job but the older they get the more the grease breaks down and tends to drip out faster. if anyone reading this lost hill climbing ability I would look at the CVT belt first.
Thanks for your comment! I like tinkering with things too. But the grass and debris can turn into 2 or 3 hours work if it clogs up the pulleys and you have to pull the transmission in order to disassemble things and get it all cleaned back up. Personally, I would hope that a mower transmission would be maintenance free these days. This one is definitely not.
I understand that this video is 3 years old , but guess what ? I good friend of mine , back in July of 2022 this year actually gave me his husqvarna yta24v48 automatic riding mower, and yes it has that transaxle , or whatever you call it ! Well he was up front and honest with me and told me he wasn't sure about how much longer it would actually work, because he was told by a repair man that it was about to die ! He told me it needed new axle seals , and he just decided to go but himself a new zero turn . Up until just yesterday I only replaced both axle seals which keep popping out and yes I'm having to put more grease back in because it now sounds like it's empty and I. Nit a lawn mower machanic, and I've replaced the 139.7 inch deck belt because I have 3 blades and a 48 inch deck ! I'm slowly learning ! And I wanted to thank you very much for your video , because I almost put 15-50 oil in it ! You stated it only take grease , I almost screwed up ! I'm trying to research research research . I really need this to last me til next year at least ! I can't complain I got her for free ! Take care. From north Carolina
Glad the video could help you AC72! I know what its like to have to research... We all have to do it the 1st time don't we? I still research many, many things I do before I tear into things and it has saved me a world of problems. It's kind of like the ol' carpenter's saying, "Measure twice and cut once".... LOL
I'm having this same problem - mechanisms are utterly clogged with debris. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Nice to know I'm not alone :)
Thank you for your advice and words of caution on this type of transmission. I am currently in the market for a new riding mower and have been trying to decide on what kind of transmission is best.
I hope this gave you an idea of what goes on with these transmissions. They were a great idea but didn't work out well in actual operation. Who'd have thought a little grass would have caused so much trouble. Good luck with your search....
@@jamesmatheson8939 Probably not. They are just rubber and it just sits in the case opening. It's pressed in finger tight only. Nothing to hold it in when it comes from the factory. it can work the seal out. As the bearings get some age on them the axle gets some play and wobbles ever so slightly as it rotates.... Just enough to work it loose and then out. Have to clean it and dry it all up and reseal it with permatex.
Other than the seals leaking on mine at 240hrs after mowing in 100 degree day it's been a great transmission for the price. Compared to my John Deer with non repairable hydrostatic drive that after 120hrs won't move. I'll take my yta24v48 husqvarna from Lowe's at 1000 bucks with some basic preventative maintenance including blowing the grass out from underneath 5 minutes tops after mowing but nope people have to get their alcohol and sit in front of the tv
Thanks for the input General. I'm sorry but I did have one problem understanding your post. Did you mean that you paid 1000 bucks for it at Lowes or did you mean that it performed like 1000 bucks after keeping up the maintenance? I thought those mowers sold for like $2700 new. Maybe you got a closeout or scratch and dent model which would be great fortune for you. Regardless, you are correct. Like everything mechanical, keeping up with the PMCS is the golden rule. I will say that it is extremely difficult for an owner to keep the grass out from under the dust cover of the RS800. You don't have good enough access to be able to blow it out unless you take the battery and tray out of the mower. Then you can only get what debris is on top of the transmission. If it's already under the dust cover, it is most likely it will stay there. I'm glad yours is still running well and I would suggest you go ahead and replace those seals ASAP. There's no way to really judge how much grease has came out of it and no way I see to put grease back into it. There are cavities behind the seal area and cold grease won't get back into the transmission from there.
I had the right side axle seal go out on me last year, lost a little bit of grease but everything seemed fine. This year, I started noticing a grinding noise every time I disengage the clutch/parking brake. After a little investigating, I found my left side axle seal was leaking now. I got it replaced and cleaned the hell out of the transmission. Used a shop vac and air compressor to clean out all of the grass, dirt, and dust that gets wedged into small spaces then lubed up seals and other parts that I had access too. I also replaced my transmission drive belt thinking maybe it was worn down a bit and possibly causing slippage; however, I'm still hearing the grinding noise every time I disengage the clutch. I'm beginning to think I've lost too much grease and its causing gears to grind within the transmission. Do you think it would be possible to turn the transmission on its side, pull one of the axle seals, then add a little bit of grease in from that point if I can figure out the type general transmission was using in these?
Ian, you can try to add the grease if you really think you need to. Most of the time the grinding noise you are talking about isn't coming from the transmission but one of the bellcranks, belt, or pulleys that hold the transmission belt tensioner. Most of the time its a Husqvarna or Craftsman that will do it. If you watch your clutch pedal, it will probably move very slightly in and out even with your foot not on it. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2" or so. This is no big deal and nothing really to worry about unless it is REALLY excessive. You will get highly annoyed from that noise though. I've seen clutches really jump around like crazy and then it's time to fix it because a belt probably has a burnt section somewhere or a pulley is worn out. Good luck.
7 years still going... yes, they have issues. Yes you have to clean them and yes the axle seal "leaks". Keep it clean, it works... and easy to fix. PS I am not drunk.
Mine under 50 hours won't go forward or backward. Now is about 135 hours 4 years later , sometime stuck in forward or backward position. After spray wd-40 at the linkage then I was able to move the lawn mower. At the beginning the machine was under warranty and cost me 65 dollars to get it fixed. Now I am on my own for this piece of junk. They advertised it built like a tank. Actually it is a disposable transmission because you can not go inside to do anything. I have spend some time to check and clean this piece of junk..
Yepp, they're junk all right. But you won't have to go inside of it normally because the problems are almost always with the pulley system on top of the transmission getting clogged up. Take it out of the mower and clean it good and you should be fine. Good luck Buddy!!
Mine just started making an RPM dependant noise when the brake is not engaged. Do you think cleaning the top would help that or will it need a tear down?
William, if it's the noise I believe it is, (Metal scraping metal sound) normally it's created from one of the small pulleys somewhere between the engine and transaxle. It's a bearing problem. It's usually coming more from directly under your feet than from the back of the mower. If the noise you are hearing is coming directly from the transaxle for sure, you need to see if you can find anything rubbing a fan or anything else that moves on top of the transaxle. Worse comes to worse, you will need to pull the transaxle, clean it all up and check everything for serviceability. If it makes the noise even if you aren't moving, the problem is outside of the transaxle and the gears inside are ok. Put on your detective hat and go to work. Look for anything that has been rubbing. Good Luck!!
I bought a craftsman in 2017 with this transmission. Was pretty good at cleaning the grass off of it with a leaf blower. Last year I noticed the pedal wouldn't go back to neutral . I did notice the rod from the pedal to the transmission had a lot of play . Dropped it off at the shop . Any ideas?
This whole video covers these type of problems. Packed grass in the linkages located on top of the transmission seizes things up. I hate to be the barer of bad news but the shop will probably charge you around $300 just to remove the transmission and clean it up. If you need parts on top of that..... who knows. They should be able to fix yours though so don't let them charge you over $600 for a new one. Make them fix yours! Good luck!!
Well I have one it can set awhile and it will pull out good a few minutes into it it's like it kicks into neutral sometimes I can roll it back and forth and it will lock back in
After each mow I took my leaf blower and blew out the grass on top of the transmission and a few times removing the battery and holder to get to the top of the transmission and took the cover off then blew it out. If you mow a hilly lawn it will wear out the trans fast. I do not think they use these transmission anymore because of lot of warrentee work claims on these transmission. I had a Poulan mower and it needed to be replaced by Poulan which cost $700.00 dollars.
I need to order the top plastic cover at the bottom of the pulley system that the pedal move to speed up and reverse. My mower stopped moving yesterday and the bottom of the assembly had melted. Where can I get it?
This link will get you to a starting point Donnie. You need to figure out which unit you have to be sure to order the right part..... Hope that helps! services.generaltransmissions.com/en/ride-on.html
These aren't bad transmissions. I have had to repair two of them, but they work great. I was told that mulching blades were more of a cause for the clippings building up. There should be a better shield over it. There is a stigma it being a plastic, but it is a strong plastic composite. There are some unscrupulous mower service shops that when a customer brings a mower in this transmission in the shop, just tells customer they need a new transmission. They don't want to fool with them, even though just maybe have to change the parts out on top of transmission. I have had a shift cam break on one and it was a $20 something part. Then one I had to change a driven pulley as its called, due to owner neglect with another issue not related to transmission.
Well Thomas, I don't understand your reasoning. In one breath you say "These aren't bad transmissions" and in the next you tell us how you've "had to repair two of them". Evidently you are a mechanic and can do this work yourself. The average Joe can't take a transmission out of a mower. Let alone figure out what needs repaired. For him, he's looking at the very least paying a shop for 2-3 hours labor. And before you say it, yes I do know it only takes 45 minute to take one out. But I also know a shop will get an hour's pay each way to work on it. Plus the time to diagnose and repair. Plus parts!!!!! At least about $350 out the door.. All this for a part of the mower that has always been very dependable in the past. So no, I don't think these transmissions are worth squat. And it doesn't bother me that they're made from plastic composite, it bothers me that they have bellcranks all over the top of it that look like a Leonardo Da Vinci contraption . Sorry...
@@Daneinwv1 I did say there could be a better shielding to keep clippings and debris from getting on transmission. The two RS800s I had to repair were from owners' neglect. The first transmission, owner never cleaned mower and allowed clippings to build up on top of the transmission. This resulted in a jammed fwd/rev shift cam and the continued stomping on pedal broke the fwd/rev cam. The second transmission the owner for some reason, mower was missing the support rod at front of deck. Which made deck like a bulldozer blade in grass and leaves. The shift cam was cracked, the driven pulley (rear most pulley) on transmission had over heated, metal pulley was warped and belt burned. I don't believe the transmission was at fault in either case, operator error was more the cause. The gentleman at tech support at General Transmission Texas office was very friendly, answered questions and told me that mulching blades caused more clippings/debris to build up on the transmissions. If the 2 mower's owners had cleaned their mowers and the one owner had the support at front of deck, both would not have given them trouble.
Brent, if you look under the mower, there are things hooked to the transmission you need to disconnect. Linkages and a wire connector. It's all there to be seen. They don't hide from you. :-)
Sorry Cody. I just saw this... Guess you've already figured out by now what you wanted to do but I'll say this anyway for the next person. There's no way to add grease cause there's no way to open anything up to add it. Can't put it in where the axle comes out either. But, no reason worry. Transmission only has gears inside, and there was a crap load of grease in there. You would have to leak a pound or two out to have a problem. Doesn't take much grease to make a huge mess and I doubt you leaked out as much as you think you did. I just replaced the seals and go about my business.
ROGLMFAO !!!!!!! How did you guess ! I "survived" WVU 80/81 with my Engineer dorm friends ! In the TOWERS ! 9th floor "Penthouse" It was THEM that designed the RS800 in the middle of a Frat Party !
I had my seals go out and they said I couldn’t fix so I ordered new seals from another transmission the same size and turned mower on it’s side put a funnel over the shaft and let the oil slowly drain into the transmission then resealed and has been good since.
James I hate to be the one to break the news to you buddy... :-) ... There's not suppose to be any oil in that transmission. It's all grease up in there. The leakage that people had was from the grease heating up and flowing past the bad seals. It may look like oil but its just really hot grease coming out of there. Hydrostatic transmissions use oil pressure inside the transmission... This piece of work is just a bunch of gears with a couple of pulleys on top... Now...... I don't really know what the oil is gonna do inside there, but it probably won't hurt or help anything. What looked like a lot of oil leaking out of your mower was really just a little grease. You could have cleaned it up and replaced those seals and probably been good to go. I wish you luck buddy! Dane
How did you determine the correct seal to purchase? We've been looking at SearsPartsDirect for the seal for our Craftsman and they don't seem to be compatible.
I bought one of these used around 7 years ago. I blew the seals out about 4 years ago towing a yard roller up a hill. Easy fix $15 and it's been fine. It was beat when I got it and for the last 4 years I use it to trim 10 acres of hilly open field and trim the 2' tall grass around the farm fields surrounding me. I beat the tar out of it and just now starting to have trouble. Maybe there are good ones and bad ones considering my experience you are way off...
That's great!! Glad it's working for you. But you're one of the lucky ones. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes so why wouldn't a fair number of these transmissions do OK? The blind squirrel is the designers, not you..... LOL I'll grant you the fact that most of what you read is bad, because the good is rarely bragged about. BUT..... There are enough people coming out with nightmare stories about these things to make me believe they are a serious problem.
@@zacyoho9235 Could it be that there are only 5 of the General transmissions out there for every 95 hydro units mowing grass these days? Hydros normally fail because of oil leaks or because someone uses chains or consistently pulls heavy trailers. In other words.... abuse. Not because a little grass gets caught in control levers or pulleys. You may have had better results with your mower than most folks but that doesn't mean these transmissions aren't junk.
@@Daneinwv1 no. It bc they hydro units with inadequate torque output were matched up with garden tractor tires. With anything if you don't keep it clean it can add to the issues you have. Ive seen a ton of mower deck fires... That doesn't mean the mower decks are defective. It mean owners are to lazy to clean off the grass and it catches fire. Maybe you should do a video on deck fires and why it's the manufacturers fault too...
I ran mine for 9 years, still goes forward fine, but lost all power in reverse, i cant find anything on the outside components that will fix the issues, so i got another new one being delivered tomorrow.
I agree 10,000%. I'm stuck with one. Do you know of anyone, or yourself who has converted the transaxle to a more reliable one? And, if so, how did they do it?. Thank you. Enjoyed your video.
There is one part of removing the transmission I want to talk about for just a second. There is a push clip on one of the the control rods that can be a bit tricky. They are not supposed to be reused but I have in a pinch. You need to be careful when taking this off if you need to reuse it. Do not bend it. Just pry it up off of the rod with a small screwdriver. You can get them at most mower repair shops if they have a good parts department. Good luck.
The push clip sucks.all they had to do was utilize a c clip. This trans has more holes and gulleys to hide grass n dirt than a landscapers overused zero... Gotta take em down every couple years just to clean them out so the over engineered cv belt drive can move..
I'm on my second trans in my Husqvarna and it's slowly getting stubborn going into reverse (need to clean my pullies). Is there a Tuff Torq drop-in replacement for the RS800?
Sorry. Not that I know of. Just keep cleaning the pulleys as soon as they start giving you trouble or you'll push so hard with your foot that you will actually bend or break some of the plastic pieces...
I think the Tuff Torq K46 should be a drop-in (in the Husqvarna, at least) I know that I have a YTH22V46 with a Tuff Torq K46 and I have seen YTH22V46 tractors at Lowes with the RS800 in them (correction...I USED to see them, now they all have K46 transaxles in them at my local Lowes...Maybe they learned their lesson). So, you might have to fiddle with linkages and whatnot, but it SHOULD drop in.
Wow, so it did work. But it sounds like it was a lot of work to get it done. I don't know if an everyday shade tree mechanic could figure all the controls out or not. I don't mean to offend anyone, but you should consider your skill level before thinking about doing this. It sounds complicated..... I would have to really love my mower to take the time and money to do it. Some of those pulleys and control rods can be expensive on their own. And getting a belt to fit right would probably mean a lot of trips to the belt store.... Good luck!!!!!
@@danebeckett8099 I may have lucked out, since my YTA was just a few parts shy of the YTH with the K46. I just ordered all the parts that were different...about $150 in parts and $400 for the K46. Then, just started replacing down the line. I went thru 10 different belts from Lowes, but ended up using the one recommended for the YTH...but it was still to loose. So I aligned and mounted the "pusher/guide" pully I had left over in some open space just in font of the trans. Kept the belt nice and tight for normal operations. I took pictures, but not sure when I will have the time to convert those into a "how to" for the masses.
What year were these produced and have they gone back to aluminum or still these plastic ones..I'm looking to buy a good used craftsman 42" and wondering if any models still use aluminum ide b more confident w aluminum
I have a question about this transmission, we have a Ariens riding lawn mower and it clicks when in drive, my husband took it apart and wants to replace the gears, do you know if they can even be bought? Any help would be great Thanks
I have to be honest I am not for sure about internal parts. What I can say is that, during troubleshooting, General Transmission says to replace the Transmission if any problems check out to be internal. It doesn't list any internal parts if you look on their website that I have found..... Sorry
Thanks for replying, after a lot of searching online I finally found out, i'm sure they made it that way so people will have to purchase the whole transmission. Thanks
My issue is the slow reverse. Any tricks on making it faster? I noticed that forward makes the cvt pulley open up to go faster but reverse is like just a idle
Reverse is always a bit slower but if the pullies get clogged with grass and dirt and the movement gets restricted, you're just gonna be creepin'. Clean it out...... :-)
@@danebeckett8099 i did and that's not the issue. The reverse just doesn't pull the triangle piece as far forward as the forward does. The triangle piece I'm talking about is in the center under the pulley
La verdad,aca en Argentina atiendo un poulan con esa transmision de un hombre que mantiene muchos parques y hace 4 años que funciona sin ningun tipo de problemas,si es verdad que el secreto es sopletear con aire los variadores despues de cada uso si se mantienen limpios funciona perfecto,sino tienden a atascarse,pero va muy bien,ah,y ser suave en la inversion de marcha.
Hola Raúl! Acabo de comprar una con esta transmisión y me encuentro con estos comentarios. Podrías aclararme dónde hay que sopletear después de cada uso? Se puede acceder desde abajo para no tener que sacar la batería cada vez? Muchas Gracias!
This is the General Transmission web site. It will be a place to start and it describes how to look up what you need. Hope this helps..... sservices.generaltransmissions.com/en/home-page.html Thanks Vernon.....
Do a tube search of RS800 transmission. Then watch the video by "General Transmission". You need to remove the top pulleys, brackets, covers and belt like they show you. Clean and blow out with an air compressor all of the grass, sticks and leaves from the top of the transmission. Then, put it all back together. Now, if you physically pull the lever that is worked by the foot pedal and rotate the pulley by hand and the axle does not turn, the transmission is probably broken internally. You can't fix that. But normally it will work fine again. Good luck. Dane
Mine I put on the brake to pickup some pine cones and it wouldn’t move after. I think the brake rocker is stopped up or came loose but cannot get to it with out dropping transmission. Stay away from these transmissions.
Now first off. It would be hard to see the CVT belt from under the mower since it is directly on top of the transmission. If you got underneath the mower and saw a broken belt, it could have been the Motor to Transmission drive belt you saw... NOT the CVT. Those are two different animals. Those definitely do wear out and break occasionally. But, if you actually had a CVT belt break, that is on top of the Transmission.......Wow.... No! I have never seen one of those wear out and break yet. But if there was a stick caught in there rubbing on the belt it is possible that it could wear out and break. It should take a whole lot of hours of normal wear to get one to the point of breaking. I'm thinking the 500-700 hour range. I would much more think it was "rubbed to death" by something. If it is the CVT that's broken, I would take it all apart and clean it up as I replaced the belt. Good luck to you!!!
@@Nick912OK Well, It could be as simple as just bad luck that something else (like a stick stubb) got crammed up in there again so soon. Or, maybe there is a nicked pulley. Something is going on in there. If the belts are being ate up and are all frayed out, look for a rub somewhere. If they are just cut without much damage, something sharp is getting to them. Maybe the plastic cover somehow.... Just play detective and you'll find it. But look for burrs on a pulley. Sorry I can't help more...
42” Ariens and my speed selector is basically no go or full speed. There is no middle or intermitted setting.. any idea what this issue may be? Does it need a cleaning?
Make sure first of all you have the same transmission as we are talking about. There are no speed selectors on the "General Transmission". But if it is this transmission, check all of the linkages and belts going to the transmission and make sure they work ok. Then if it still doesn't work, take it out and go through the troubleshooting procedure. I would think your problem would be more like a broken belt. Good luck!
@@Daneinwv1 it’s a Ariens Hydrostatic. When I say speed they refer to it as motion leveller. You simply move it between N and Fast forward to pick desired speed..
The engineers were not from West Virginia, but from France. General Transmission is a Plastic Fabrication company from Les Herbiers, France. Anybody know if it's bolt compatible with the K46's or how much work is involved in a conversion?
Yeah, if they would be from WV it would be together with duct tape and chewing gum. But it would last forever..LOL There's no Trans-axles that directly bolt up that I'm aware of.... Thanks wwindsunrain
Well, you just pop the old seals out with a very small flat tip screwdriver. They are just rubber and they're really flexible. Do not scratch the housing. Clean the transmission up real good and get all of the grease out where the seal was. Dress up the axle with fine grit sand paper to clean any rust off. Clean all grease and sandpaper residue off of the axle with carb cleaner and allow to dry. Put electrical tape around the axle so the seal lip won't get damaged when you slide it over. Put a little grease over the electrical tape and the inner seal lip. Put a thin layer of silicone around the outer seal and slide the seal into place inside the axle. Let it set overnight and you're good to go. Hope that helps.
I have one of these, quit going into reverse without a struggle and finally quit going into gear at all, completely broke down to the variation levers and bushing which had melted and shredded apart. Got the new pully and variation levels and bushing in a kit. $109.00. After hours messing with it I finally got it all back together, started it without the mower deck and put it in reverse easily, she took off, back to forward, no problem. Did this cycle twice and now having the exact same problem getting to go into reverse. Breaking it back down...If nothing wrong there I have a few springs I need to check but otherwise if thaat doesn't do it, it's going to the scrap yard.
I've done about 3 of these so far. Normally that problem is debris under the back pulley with the drive belt guard. Have to set the brake, remove battery and tray if its over the transmission. Remove the transmission if you can't get to the pulley from under the seat. Remove the drive belt and then the 4 screws for the pulley and take the pulley and cvt belt off of the transmission. Clean it up really good with compressed air if you have it. Make sure the pulley mount is properly seated in the bracket saddle before you put your pulley back on. Don't tighten the screws too much. They're just into plastic. Better to use some mild lock-tight on them. I wish you the best of luck.
@@vernonoakley2341 I googled the motor model # and that led me to a parts kit, it's been a while now. And while there was a buildup of leaves, clippings etc, pressure washing all that out of there did absolutely no good.
@@randogame4438 It's dangerous. I thought I got a great mower until I hit my house. I wonder if I've bent the rod, which would make it shorter and slow the reverse movement. Also the "lever", (clothes hanger), to allow me to tow it to the garage is not engaging. I don't know if the transmission will work IF I finish. It's a jungle out there.....Thanks all!
Well, since you can't add grease back into the unit, I would say you have to replace the seals if it is leaking. It's an easy job and doesn't cost but a couple of bucks. The pain is waiting for the seals. Just pop the old seals out with a very small flat tip screwdriver. They are just rubber and they're really flexible. Do not scratch the housing. Clean the transmission up real good and get all of the grease out where the seal was. Dress up the axle with fine grit sand paper to clean any rust off. Clean all grease and sandpaper residue off of the axle with carb cleaner and allow to dry. Clean the area where the new seals will seat with carb cleaner. There can't be any grease residue there. Put electrical tape around the axle so the seal lip won't get damaged when you slide it over. Put a little grease over the electrical tape and the inner seal lip. Put a thin layer of silicone around the outer seal and slide the seal into place inside the axle. Then just remove the tape and put the rest back together. Let it set overnight and you're good to go. Good luck!
Yep, got mine removed from tractor and waiting for the top pins that broke since I forced it to go on reverse and snapped the aluminum pin, once I took it down and apart couldn't believe the grass packed so tight on springs that was ridiculous and to access it is a pain, terrible engineering
Hey Brian.. John Deere calls it a "nut" but there's no threads and it just pushes up on the shift rod. If you're very careful when you pry it off, you can reuse it. Deere part# is GX10434
I absolutely agree. Simply way over engineered. The use of polymers on a transmission is unbelievable.. they contain bentonite grease. Complete garbage. Craftsman husky and especially Johnny deery should be ASHAMED. I have a crapsman t3200 in my shop now w gears torn up inside and decided to swap it out w a tuff torque k46.. many modifications but it is better than this gallopy
Wish I'd have seen this video before we bought this piece of junk. Think I'll just buy a used one with a manual transmission next time. Too few hours on our machine to be leaking grease and struggling to go in reverse.
Don't be wary of hydrostatics per say. The RS800 is NOT a hydrostatic. It is a CVT transmission such as used on a go cart. Just on a bigger scale. It has a variable pulley system. Be careful of Husqvarna transmissions also. They have a tendency to lose the front mount bolts and then the transmission will rock back and forth until the side mounts crack and break. then you have to weld brackets on it to fix that problem.
@@danebeckett8099 I spent 4 hours disassembling it today. Looks like most of our issues were from a wearing cvt belt and debris. Works like new after a cleaning and adjustment but framework and the gas tank has to come loose, on our mower, just to get to it. It would take substantially less time the next go 'round but it's not really acceptable for a mower with less than 150 hours. Hydros might be fine but several hundreds of hours were put on my parents' craftsmen manual tranny mower (that they bought used). I think it still worked fine when they sold it.
@@nodriveknowitall702 If you can find a Craftsman LT 1000 in decent shape, buy it. The transmission will take forever to fail, and the engine can be swapped from a Husqvarna (that you can get for free from your neighbor after the transmission fails) without doing any wiring or drilling new mounting bolt holes.
Really there is no need. Even when the seals leak you just have to replace the seals and not replenish any grease. Seams like there is way more than needed in there already.
There ain't one person on this earth, including me, making you watch my video. I suggest you go elsewhere as fast as possible..... You must be one of these new kids about 25 years old......
I do have this transmission in my mower. Thanks for your video. I was trying to figure out how to add oil to mine. My seal came out and I put new ones on both sides. But I couldn’t see where to put in oil. Luckily I found your video. Thanks!
Held up good for me, I run the hell out of it with five acres. Changed seals once and took it out and pressure washed it once in 8 years. Not too bad for cheap.
That's great!! Glad it's working for you. But you're one of the lucky ones. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes so why wouldn't a fair number of these transmissions do OK? The blind squirrel is the designers, not you..... LOL I'll grant you the fact that most of what you read is bad, because the good is rarely bragged about. BUT..... There are enough people coming out with nightmare stories about these things to make me believe they are a serious problem. There should never have been a transmission put on a riding mower where the operator would have to "TAKE IT OUT AND PRESSURE WASH IT". You should be mechanically inclined if you are going to do that. That's much more than the normal operator. Remember the old saying "Keep it Simple"? That was the last thing on the engineer's minds when they came up with the idea of this crappy thing. The top Gears and bellcranks on this thing looks like parts from an ancient Leonardo Da Vinci Robot. Thanks for your post Keke!
Very good info. found the answer to my long sought after question.cant thank you enough.good folks in wv.
Thank you Anthony!!!
Dane, thank you for this video! No one else has explained why my mower sticks in forward gear!
You're welcome! Glad it helped you out!
I went through 5 of those variation belts... I've been googling hard to figure out why... My rear pulley came off the line assembled wrong... 😒 This video helped me notice it
Glad you got it fixed Pink!!
Mine has been working for a good 7 to 8 years now. The only thing I've had to do is clean the grass and debris out of it and it's fairly simple to do if you are pretty mechanically inclined. I accessed mine from under the seat
Glad to hear there is another satisfied customer Patrick. :-)
I love your video ur very correct on them rearends
Thank you!!
Daniel I like my mower and I pretty much agree with everything you said, the second season of use grease started leaking out of the axle and forward and reverse controls where close to impossible to use. Thank you for some insight on this subject!
You're welcome Warren! I hope you get it running good again.....
I wonder if there is any way to add a Derrick fitting in the top and shoot some grease into the main gear housing for after experiencing loss from blown seal?
Very helpful video thank you
Thank you Moto Man!
Thanks for the video. A friend gave me a mower for salvage that had this tranny. It was exactly as you described, grass in mechanisms on the top side was prohibiting drive functionality and it was leaking oil from the axel seals. The case was cemented together and a bit beat up after separating halves with a chisel. Inside was in good shape. half of the drive gears are plastic , and the case is filled with a really thick oil, almost grease.
Thanks for the heads up Karl! Didn't know some of the gears inside were plastic. I've never actually been inside one. As bad as they are, I have saved every one of them I've worked on. Should have done a video on the disassembly.
Ya, really cool plastic differential gear assembly. Would be excellent for demonstration purposes.
I feel your pain, I’ve got mine apart again today! I’ve had mine fill up with so much clippings it won’t go forward or reverse. one year it was filled with acorns the squirrels lived in my tractor when I kept it in the shed it’s stored in the second garage now.
Every single void fills in tight and gets almost rock hard. I have a Craftsman and I keep mine clean but there is zero access to the transmission top for power washing. I’m thinking of leaving that plastic cover off since it keeps no dirt or grass out.
Yeah Ric, it's a sad fact about these things. That cover doesn't keep the grass out but it will keep sticks out. I think I'd leave it on there..... Squirrels and chipmunks suck. Especially mice under an engine cover...... They love to eat wires :-)
Thank you for this video!
Thank you!
Thanks for this video, I am one of the unlucky. Ordered a Craftsman lt2600 special with the Kohler engine and thought this thing would last forever. 6 years later and the trans lost reverse and now wont go forward. $600 for a new one but still beats $2k for a whole new mower. This video had me smiling the whole time and brought confirmation to my assumptions about what a stupid idea a plastic transmission is. Still laughing at a drunk from West Virginia lol Thank you for taking the time to review this RS800.
Thanks for the comment T&G. I would try the cleanup on it before buying a new one. The Transmission is a pain to take out but cleaning it does normally work to fix the problems.
@@Daneinwv1 Thank you for the advice! Decided to hold off ordering a new one from Amazon and took it apart. It ended up being the reverse safety switch. Here is my video about it.
ua-cam.com/video/z5MgkM2iGnc/v-deo.html
That helped me a lot. Thank you.
You're welcome. Glad it was of use..
It’s awesome when you take it to a repair shop and they laugh at you, one guy wouldn’t even come out of his office, told me to just buy a different tractor.😂
I can understand that.. He didn't want to waste your money... 🙂
Glad to hear you are from WV. What part? I’ve taken the pulley out and have cleaned debris from every spot I could access and I still have issues with my pedals sticking and sometimes not going back to neutral
I have one in my craftsman T2500 that has leaking seal on the left side. Surprisingly I found a seal kit for it
Parts are readily available.
thanks got one in for repair your video helps
Glad it helps Mike!!
@@Daneinwv1 did as you said it works great customer is happy thanks I've never had one in the shop before
I picked that straw in the form of a 2014 ariens. I’m one of those crazy people who actually enjoys taking things apart so I don’t mind the grass and the seals are only a 15 minute job but the older they get the more the grease breaks down and tends to drip out faster. if anyone reading this lost hill climbing ability I would look at the CVT belt first.
Thanks for your comment! I like tinkering with things too. But the grass and debris can turn into 2 or 3 hours work if it clogs up the pulleys and you have to pull the transmission in order to disassemble things and get it all cleaned back up. Personally, I would hope that a mower transmission would be maintenance free these days. This one is definitely not.
I understand that this video is 3 years old , but guess what ? I good friend of mine , back in July of 2022 this year actually gave me his husqvarna yta24v48 automatic riding mower, and yes it has that transaxle , or whatever you call it ! Well he was up front and honest with me and told me he wasn't sure about how much longer it would actually work, because he was told by a repair man that it was about to die ! He told me it needed new axle seals , and he just decided to go but himself a new zero turn . Up until just yesterday I only replaced both axle seals which keep popping out and yes I'm having to put more grease back in because it now sounds like it's empty and I. Nit a lawn mower machanic, and I've replaced the 139.7 inch deck belt because I have 3 blades and a 48 inch deck ! I'm slowly learning ! And I wanted to thank you very much for your video , because I almost put 15-50 oil in it ! You stated it only take grease , I almost screwed up ! I'm trying to research research research . I really need this to last me til next year at least ! I can't complain I got her for free ! Take care. From north Carolina
Glad the video could help you AC72! I know what its like to have to research... We all have to do it the 1st time don't we? I still research many, many things I do before I tear into things and it has saved me a world of problems. It's kind of like the ol' carpenter's saying, "Measure twice and cut once".... LOL
could you tell me what is that large black cone pulley on the top?? mine is making noise and I dont know the name of it to start doing research on it.
That is the Secondary Pulley It has a part number of GT79253.
I moved my battery to the rear of mower to let me pressure wash it after each mowing.
That will help!
I'm having this same problem - mechanisms are utterly clogged with debris. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Nice to know I'm not alone :)
Yeah, it is a shame this design is so poor. Hope the video helped you!
Thank you for your advice and words of caution on this type of transmission. I am currently in the market for a new riding mower and have been trying to decide on what kind of transmission is best.
I hope this gave you an idea of what goes on with these transmissions. They were a great idea but didn't work out well in actual operation. Who'd have thought a little grass would have caused so much trouble. Good luck with your search....
@@Daneinwv1 DOES the grass cause the seals to become dislodged and leak?
@@jamesmatheson8939 Probably not. They are just rubber and it just sits in the case opening. It's pressed in finger tight only. Nothing to hold it in when it comes from the factory. it can work the seal out. As the bearings get some age on them the axle gets some play and wobbles ever so slightly as it rotates.... Just enough to work it loose and then out. Have to clean it and dry it all up and reseal it with permatex.
Yep. Mine is an Ariens/Husqvarna hybrid. Only goes forward. Reverse quit after 9 years. I think it's time for a new cutter.
You got a few good years use out of it anyway....
Other than the seals leaking on mine at 240hrs after mowing in 100 degree day it's been a great transmission for the price. Compared to my John Deer with non repairable hydrostatic drive that after 120hrs won't move. I'll take my yta24v48 husqvarna from Lowe's at 1000 bucks with some basic preventative maintenance including blowing the grass out from underneath 5 minutes tops after mowing but nope people have to get their alcohol and sit in front of the tv
Thanks for the input General. I'm sorry but I did have one problem understanding your post. Did you mean that you paid 1000 bucks for it at Lowes or did you mean that it performed like 1000 bucks after keeping up the maintenance? I thought those mowers sold for like $2700 new. Maybe you got a closeout or scratch and dent model which would be great fortune for you. Regardless, you are correct. Like everything mechanical, keeping up with the PMCS is the golden rule. I will say that it is extremely difficult for an owner to keep the grass out from under the dust cover of the RS800. You don't have good enough access to be able to blow it out unless you take the battery and tray out of the mower. Then you can only get what debris is on top of the transmission. If it's already under the dust cover, it is most likely it will stay there. I'm glad yours is still running well and I would suggest you go ahead and replace those seals ASAP. There's no way to really judge how much grease has came out of it and no way I see to put grease back into it. There are cavities behind the seal area and cold grease won't get back into the transmission from there.
I wonder if a person could adapt a TuffTorque hydrostatic axle into your tractor?
I had the right side axle seal go out on me last year, lost a little bit of grease but everything seemed fine. This year, I started noticing a grinding noise every time I disengage the clutch/parking brake. After a little investigating, I found my left side axle seal was leaking now. I got it replaced and cleaned the hell out of the transmission. Used a shop vac and air compressor to clean out all of the grass, dirt, and dust that gets wedged into small spaces then lubed up seals and other parts that I had access too. I also replaced my transmission drive belt thinking maybe it was worn down a bit and possibly causing slippage; however, I'm still hearing the grinding noise every time I disengage the clutch. I'm beginning to think I've lost too much grease and its causing gears to grind within the transmission. Do you think it would be possible to turn the transmission on its side, pull one of the axle seals, then add a little bit of grease in from that point if I can figure out the type general transmission was using in these?
Ian, you can try to add the grease if you really think you need to. Most of the time the grinding noise you are talking about isn't coming from the transmission but one of the bellcranks, belt, or pulleys that hold the transmission belt tensioner. Most of the time its a Husqvarna or Craftsman that will do it. If you watch your clutch pedal, it will probably move very slightly in and out even with your foot not on it. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2" or so. This is no big deal and nothing really to worry about unless it is REALLY excessive. You will get highly annoyed from that noise though. I've seen clutches really jump around like crazy and then it's time to fix it because a belt probably has a burnt section somewhere or a pulley is worn out. Good luck.
7 years still going... yes, they have issues. Yes you have to clean them and yes the axle seal "leaks". Keep it clean, it works... and easy to fix. PS I am not drunk.
Only thing I would add is that they are "easy for a mechanic" to fix...... I would never have suggest you have taken to the jug Alan.... :-)
Mine under 50 hours won't go forward or backward. Now is about 135 hours 4 years later , sometime stuck in forward or backward position. After spray wd-40 at the linkage then I was able to move the lawn mower. At the beginning the machine was under warranty and cost me 65 dollars to get it fixed. Now I am on my own for this piece of junk. They advertised it built like a tank. Actually it is a disposable transmission because you can not go inside to do anything. I have spend some time to check and clean this piece of junk..
Yepp, they're junk all right. But you won't have to go inside of it normally because the problems are almost always with the pulley system on top of the transmission getting clogged up. Take it out of the mower and clean it good and you should be fine. Good luck Buddy!!
My is fine after 7 years. I bought the upgrade md cover to keep the grass out which makes it difficult to go into reverse.
Glad to hear there is a satisfied customer LL. :-)
Mine just started making an RPM dependant noise when the brake is not engaged. Do you think cleaning the top would help that or will it need a tear down?
William, if it's the noise I believe it is, (Metal scraping metal sound) normally it's created from one of the small pulleys somewhere between the engine and transaxle. It's a bearing problem. It's usually coming more from directly under your feet than from the back of the mower. If the noise you are hearing is coming directly from the transaxle for sure, you need to see if you can find anything rubbing a fan or anything else that moves on top of the transaxle. Worse comes to worse, you will need to pull the transaxle, clean it all up and check everything for serviceability. If it makes the noise even if you aren't moving, the problem is outside of the transaxle and the gears inside are ok. Put on your detective hat and go to work. Look for anything that has been rubbing. Good Luck!!
I bought a craftsman in 2017 with this transmission. Was pretty good at cleaning the grass off of it with a leaf blower. Last year I noticed the pedal wouldn't go back to neutral . I did notice the rod from the pedal to the transmission had a lot of play . Dropped it off at the shop . Any ideas?
This whole video covers these type of problems. Packed grass in the linkages located on top of the transmission seizes things up. I hate to be the barer of bad news but the shop will probably charge you around $300 just to remove the transmission and clean it up. If you need parts on top of that..... who knows. They should be able to fix yours though so don't let them charge you over $600 for a new one. Make them fix yours! Good luck!!
Well I have one it can set awhile and it will pull out good a few minutes into it it's like it kicks into neutral sometimes I can roll it back and forth and it will lock back in
That could be a bad pully.
After each mow I took my leaf blower and blew out the grass on top of the transmission and a few times removing the battery and holder to get to the top of the transmission and took the cover off then blew it out. If you mow a hilly lawn it will wear out the trans fast. I do not think they use these transmission anymore because of lot of warrentee work claims on these transmission. I had a Poulan mower and it needed to be replaced by Poulan which cost $700.00 dollars.
At least yours was in warranty! Thanks for the insight..
I need to order the top plastic cover at the bottom of the pulley system that the pedal move to speed up and reverse. My mower stopped moving yesterday and the bottom of the assembly had melted. Where can I get it?
This link will get you to a starting point Donnie. You need to figure out which unit you have to be sure to order the right part..... Hope that helps! services.generaltransmissions.com/en/ride-on.html
These aren't bad transmissions. I have had to repair two of them, but they work great. I was told that mulching blades were more of a cause for the clippings building up. There should be a better shield over it. There is a stigma it being a plastic, but it is a strong plastic composite. There are some unscrupulous mower service shops that when a customer brings a mower in this transmission in the shop, just tells customer they need a new transmission. They don't want to fool with them, even though just maybe have to change the parts out on top of transmission. I have had a shift cam break on one and it was a $20 something part. Then one I had to change a driven pulley as its called, due to owner neglect with another issue not related to transmission.
Well Thomas, I don't understand your reasoning. In one breath you say "These aren't bad transmissions" and in the next you tell us how you've "had to repair two of them". Evidently you are a mechanic and can do this work yourself. The average Joe can't take a transmission out of a mower. Let alone figure out what needs repaired. For him, he's looking at the very least paying a shop for 2-3 hours labor. And before you say it, yes I do know it only takes 45 minute to take one out. But I also know a shop will get an hour's pay each way to work on it. Plus the time to diagnose and repair. Plus parts!!!!! At least about $350 out the door.. All this for a part of the mower that has always been very dependable in the past. So no, I don't think these transmissions are worth squat. And it doesn't bother me that they're made from plastic composite, it bothers me that they have bellcranks all over the top of it that look like a Leonardo Da Vinci contraption . Sorry...
@@Daneinwv1 I did say there could be a better shielding to keep clippings and debris from getting on transmission. The two RS800s I had to repair were from owners' neglect. The first transmission, owner never cleaned mower and allowed clippings to build up on top of the transmission. This resulted in a jammed fwd/rev shift cam and the continued stomping on pedal broke the fwd/rev cam.
The second transmission the owner for some reason, mower was missing the support rod at front of deck. Which made deck like a bulldozer blade in grass and leaves. The shift cam was cracked, the driven pulley (rear most pulley) on transmission had over heated, metal pulley was warped and belt burned.
I don't believe the transmission was at fault in either case, operator error was more the cause.
The gentleman at tech support at General Transmission Texas office was very friendly, answered questions and told me that mulching blades caused more clippings/debris to build up on the transmissions. If the 2 mower's owners had cleaned their mowers and the one owner had the support at front of deck, both would not have given them trouble.
where is the repair kit?
How do you remove the trans? I have the 6 bolts out and belt off but something still hanging it up.
Brent, if you look under the mower, there are things hooked to the transmission you need to disconnect. Linkages and a wire connector. It's all there to be seen. They don't hide from you. :-)
Where do I add more grease after replacing the axle seal? And what kind. It's all over my driveway.
Sorry Cody. I just saw this... Guess you've already figured out by now what you wanted to do but I'll say this anyway for the next person. There's no way to add grease cause there's no way to open anything up to add it. Can't put it in where the axle comes out either. But, no reason worry. Transmission only has gears inside, and there was a crap load of grease in there. You would have to leak a pound or two out to have a problem. Doesn't take much grease to make a huge mess and I doubt you leaked out as much as you think you did. I just replaced the seals and go about my business.
ROGLMFAO !!!!!!! How did you guess ! I "survived" WVU 80/81 with my Engineer dorm friends ! In the TOWERS ! 9th floor "Penthouse" It was THEM that designed the RS800 in the middle of a Frat Party !
I had my seals go out and they said I couldn’t fix so I ordered new seals from another transmission the same size and turned mower on it’s side put a funnel over the shaft and let the oil slowly drain into the transmission then resealed and has been good since.
James I hate to be the one to break the news to you buddy... :-) ... There's not suppose to be any oil in that transmission. It's all grease up in there. The leakage that people had was from the grease heating up and flowing past the bad seals. It may look like oil but its just really hot grease coming out of there. Hydrostatic transmissions use oil pressure inside the transmission... This piece of work is just a bunch of gears with a couple of pulleys on top... Now...... I don't really know what the oil is gonna do inside there, but it probably won't hurt or help anything. What looked like a lot of oil leaking out of your mower was really just a little grease. You could have cleaned it up and replaced those seals and probably been good to go. I wish you luck buddy! Dane
How did you determine the correct seal to purchase? We've been looking at SearsPartsDirect for the seal for our Craftsman and they don't seem to be compatible.
@@suehasse4447 I looked up an earlier model and ordered seals on eBay
I bought one of these used around 7 years ago. I blew the seals out about 4 years ago towing a yard roller up a hill. Easy fix $15 and it's been fine. It was beat when I got it and for the last 4 years I use it to trim 10 acres of hilly open field and trim the 2' tall grass around the farm fields surrounding me. I beat the tar out of it and just now starting to have trouble. Maybe there are good ones and bad ones considering my experience you are way off...
That's great!! Glad it's working for you. But you're one of the lucky ones. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes so why wouldn't a fair number of these transmissions do OK? The blind squirrel is the designers, not you..... LOL I'll grant you the fact that most of what you read is bad, because the good is rarely bragged about. BUT..... There are enough people coming out with nightmare stories about these things to make me believe they are a serious problem.
@@Daneinwv1 I've seen far more hydro units on Husqvarnas fail than these... At twice the price.
@@zacyoho9235 Could it be that there are only 5 of the General transmissions out there for every 95 hydro units mowing grass these days? Hydros normally fail because of oil leaks or because someone uses chains or consistently pulls heavy trailers. In other words.... abuse. Not because a little grass gets caught in control levers or pulleys. You may have had better results with your mower than most folks but that doesn't mean these transmissions aren't junk.
@@Daneinwv1 no. It bc they hydro units with inadequate torque output were matched up with garden tractor tires. With anything if you don't keep it clean it can add to the issues you have. Ive seen a ton of mower deck fires... That doesn't mean the mower decks are defective. It mean owners are to lazy to clean off the grass and it catches fire. Maybe you should do a video on deck fires and why it's the manufacturers fault too...
@@zacyoho9235 You must work for General Transmission buddy.. :-)
I ran mine for 9 years, still goes forward fine, but lost all power in reverse, i cant find anything on the outside components that will fix the issues, so i got another new one being delivered tomorrow.
Sorry to hear that. I don't know if I would have spent the money on a 9 year old mower though...
@@Daneinwv1 lot cheaper than buying a new mower.
I agree 10,000%. I'm stuck with one. Do you know of anyone, or yourself who has converted the transaxle to a more reliable one? And, if so, how did they do it?. Thank you. Enjoyed your video.
No sir, I am sorry but I do not. Glad you liked it Jeff!
There is one part of removing the transmission I want to talk about for just a second. There is a push clip on one of the the control rods that can be a bit tricky. They are not supposed to be reused but I have in a pinch. You need to be careful when taking this off if you need to reuse it. Do not bend it. Just pry it up off of the rod with a small screwdriver. You can get them at most mower repair shops if they have a good parts department. Good luck.
The push clip sucks.all they had to do was utilize a c clip. This trans has more holes and gulleys to hide grass n dirt than a landscapers overused zero...
Gotta take em down every couple years just to clean them out so the over engineered cv belt drive can move..
I'm on my second trans in my Husqvarna and it's slowly getting stubborn going into reverse (need to clean my pullies). Is there a Tuff Torq drop-in replacement for the RS800?
Sorry. Not that I know of. Just keep cleaning the pulleys as soon as they start giving you trouble or you'll push so hard with your foot that you will actually bend or break some of the plastic pieces...
I think the Tuff Torq K46 should be a drop-in (in the Husqvarna, at least) I know that I have a YTH22V46 with a Tuff Torq K46 and I have seen YTH22V46 tractors at Lowes with the RS800 in them (correction...I USED to see them, now they all have K46 transaxles in them at my local Lowes...Maybe they learned their lesson). So, you might have to fiddle with linkages and whatnot, but it SHOULD drop in.
@@OrangeCrush440 After changing all the linkages, adding the YTH trans brackets, and adding an additional pully...it dropped right in. :)
Wow, so it did work. But it sounds like it was a lot of work to get it done. I don't know if an everyday shade tree mechanic could figure all the controls out or not. I don't mean to offend anyone, but you should consider your skill level before thinking about doing this. It sounds complicated..... I would have to really love my mower to take the time and money to do it. Some of those pulleys and control rods can be expensive on their own. And getting a belt to fit right would probably mean a lot of trips to the belt store.... Good luck!!!!!
@@danebeckett8099 I may have lucked out, since my YTA was just a few parts shy of the YTH with the K46. I just ordered all the parts that were different...about $150 in parts and $400 for the K46. Then, just started replacing down the line. I went thru 10 different belts from Lowes, but ended up using the one recommended for the YTH...but it was still to loose. So I aligned and mounted the "pusher/guide" pully I had left over in some open space just in font of the trans. Kept the belt nice and tight for normal operations. I took pictures, but not sure when I will have the time to convert those into a "how to" for the masses.
What year were these produced and have they gone back to aluminum or still these plastic ones..I'm looking to buy a good used craftsman 42" and wondering if any models still use aluminum ide b more confident w aluminum
Husqvarna only used aluminum in 2020. Just ask if its a CVT transmission before you buy.....If it is.. beware..... Thanks
HEY ! I resemble that remark !! LMAO ! I'm a MOUNTAINEER !! I SURVIVED WVU 1980-1981 !! Fukked it up for all that came behind us !! LOL !
I have a question about this transmission, we have a Ariens riding lawn mower and it clicks when in drive, my husband took it apart and wants to replace the gears, do you know if they can even be bought? Any help would be great Thanks
I have to be honest I am not for sure about internal parts. What I can say is that, during troubleshooting, General Transmission says to replace the Transmission if any problems check out to be internal. It doesn't list any internal parts if you look on their website that I have found..... Sorry
Thanks for replying, after a lot of searching online I finally found out, i'm sure they made it that way so people will have to purchase the whole transmission. Thanks
My issue is the slow reverse. Any tricks on making it faster? I noticed that forward makes the cvt pulley open up to go faster but reverse is like just a idle
Reverse is always a bit slower but if the pullies get clogged with grass and dirt and the movement gets restricted, you're just gonna be creepin'. Clean it out...... :-)
@@danebeckett8099 i did and that's not the issue. The reverse just doesn't pull the triangle piece as far forward as the forward does. The triangle piece I'm talking about is in the center under the pulley
@@MrYukon04 True, but its not designed to go as fast backwards as forwards... But it shouldn't just creep either..
Is it hard to pull the transmission out? Mine goes forward but not backward
That depends on your mechanical ability. It is a job that you have to be careful and take your time.
La verdad,aca en Argentina atiendo un poulan con esa transmision de un hombre que mantiene muchos parques y hace 4 años que funciona sin ningun tipo de problemas,si es verdad que el secreto es sopletear con aire los variadores despues de cada uso si se mantienen limpios funciona perfecto,sino tienden a atascarse,pero va muy bien,ah,y ser suave en la inversion de marcha.
Hola Raúl! Acabo de comprar una con esta transmisión y me encuentro con estos comentarios. Podrías aclararme dónde hay que sopletear después de cada uso? Se puede acceder desde abajo para no tener que sacar la batería cada vez? Muchas Gracias!
Yes it works much better if you keep it clean.
I would like to know where to buy a drive kit for this. Just the plastic cup part
This is the General Transmission web site. It will be a place to start and it describes how to look up what you need. Hope this helps..... sservices.generaltransmissions.com/en/home-page.html Thanks Vernon.....
Do you have a video on tear down of all.of this ? Every thing is spinning with the belts just no forward or reverse
Do a tube search of RS800 transmission. Then watch the video by "General Transmission". You need to remove the top pulleys, brackets, covers and belt like they show you. Clean and blow out with an air compressor all of the grass, sticks and leaves from the top of the transmission. Then, put it all back together. Now, if you physically pull the lever that is worked by the foot pedal and rotate the pulley by hand and the axle does not turn, the transmission is probably broken internally. You can't fix that. But normally it will work fine again. Good luck. Dane
Mine I put on the brake to pickup some pine cones and it wouldn’t move after. I think the brake rocker is stopped up or came loose but cannot get to it with out dropping transmission. Stay away from these transmissions.
Is there any other transmission to fit up under without changing all the linkage
Billy, Someone said they put another transmission on theirs but it was a lot of work to get it done.
Have you ever had that cvt belt break? Mine stopped moving and I got underneath it and that belt is broken
Now first off. It would be hard to see the CVT belt from under the mower since it is directly on top of the transmission. If you got underneath the mower and saw a broken belt, it could have been the Motor to Transmission drive belt you saw... NOT the CVT. Those are two different animals. Those definitely do wear out and break occasionally. But, if you actually had a CVT belt break, that is on top of the Transmission.......Wow.... No! I have never seen one of those wear out and break yet. But if there was a stick caught in there rubbing on the belt it is possible that it could wear out and break. It should take a whole lot of hours of normal wear to get one to the point of breaking. I'm thinking the 500-700 hour range. I would much more think it was "rubbed to death" by something. If it is the CVT that's broken, I would take it all apart and clean it up as I replaced the belt. Good luck to you!!!
@@Daneinwv1 something is going on. I replaced this belt last month and today it broke again. :( And yes it is the cvt belt on top of the transaxle
@@Nick912OK Well, It could be as simple as just bad luck that something else (like a stick stubb) got crammed up in there again so soon. Or, maybe there is a nicked pulley. Something is going on in there. If the belts are being ate up and are all frayed out, look for a rub somewhere. If they are just cut without much damage, something sharp is getting to them. Maybe the plastic cover somehow.... Just play detective and you'll find it. But look for burrs on a pulley. Sorry I can't help more...
I'm fixing to do an frame swap for a customer...the only thing decent is that the harness is the same
Good Luck to you!! Hope it turns out great!
the sad thing is that mower companies are willing to keep selling these to the public
I agree... Money talks though......
42” Ariens and my speed selector is basically no go or full speed. There is no middle or intermitted setting.. any idea what this issue may be? Does it need a cleaning?
Make sure first of all you have the same transmission as we are talking about. There are no speed selectors on the "General Transmission". But if it is this transmission, check all of the linkages and belts going to the transmission and make sure they work ok. Then if it still doesn't work, take it out and go through the troubleshooting procedure. I would think your problem would be more like a broken belt. Good luck!
@@Daneinwv1 it’s a Ariens Hydrostatic. When I say speed they refer to it as motion leveller. You simply move it between N and Fast forward to pick desired speed..
@@TheSponge945 Sorry I missed the ball on your comment. Sounds like a pulley sticking on top of the transmission.
The engineers were not from West Virginia, but from France. General Transmission is a Plastic Fabrication company from Les Herbiers, France.
Anybody know if it's bolt compatible with the K46's or how much work is involved in a conversion?
Yeah, if they would be from WV it would be together with duct tape and chewing gum. But it would last forever..LOL There's no Trans-axles that directly bolt up that I'm aware of.... Thanks wwindsunrain
@@danebeckett8099 Haha, thanks Dane!
Show me how to remove the seals so I can put new ones in it, and by the way I am from Logan WV .
Well, you just pop the old seals out with a very small flat tip screwdriver. They are just rubber and they're really flexible. Do not scratch the housing. Clean the transmission up real good and get all of the grease out where the seal was. Dress up the axle with fine grit sand paper to clean any rust off. Clean all grease and sandpaper residue off of the axle with carb cleaner and allow to dry. Put electrical tape around the axle so the seal lip won't get damaged when you slide it over. Put a little grease over the electrical tape and the inner seal lip. Put a thin layer of silicone around the outer seal and slide the seal into place inside the axle. Let it set overnight and you're good to go. Hope that helps.
I have 400 hours on mine cleaned it twice
I feel your pain Joe.
I have one of these, quit going into reverse without a struggle and finally quit going into gear at all, completely broke down to the variation levers and bushing which had melted and shredded apart. Got the new pully and variation levels and bushing in a kit. $109.00. After hours messing with it I finally got it all back together, started it without the mower deck and put it in reverse easily, she took off, back to forward, no problem. Did this cycle twice and now having the exact same problem getting to go into reverse. Breaking it back down...If nothing wrong there I have a few springs I need to check but otherwise if thaat doesn't do it, it's going to the scrap yard.
I've done about 3 of these so far. Normally that problem is debris under the back pulley with the drive belt guard. Have to set the brake, remove battery and tray if its over the transmission. Remove the transmission if you can't get to the pulley from under the seat. Remove the drive belt and then the 4 screws for the pulley and take the pulley and cvt belt off of the transmission. Clean it up really good with compressed air if you have it. Make sure the pulley mount is properly seated in the bracket saddle before you put your pulley back on. Don't tighten the screws too much. They're just into plastic. Better to use some mild lock-tight on them. I wish you the best of luck.
where did you purchase the kit? Can you get parts for the kit without all of it?
@@vernonoakley2341 I googled the motor model # and that led me to a parts kit, it's been a while now. And while there was a buildup of leaves, clippings etc, pressure washing all that out of there did absolutely no good.
@@randogame4438 It's dangerous. I thought I got a great mower until I hit my house. I wonder if I've bent the rod, which would make it shorter and slow the reverse movement. Also the "lever", (clothes hanger), to allow me to tow it to the garage is not engaging. I don't know if the transmission will work IF I finish. It's a jungle out there.....Thanks all!
Is it worth it to replace the seals?
Well, since you can't add grease back into the unit, I would say you have to replace the seals if it is leaking. It's an easy job and doesn't cost but a couple of bucks. The pain is waiting for the seals. Just pop the old seals out with a very small flat tip screwdriver. They are just rubber and they're really flexible. Do not scratch the housing. Clean the transmission up real good and get all of the grease out where the seal was. Dress up the axle with fine grit sand paper to clean any rust off. Clean all grease and sandpaper residue off of the axle with carb cleaner and allow to dry. Clean the area where the new seals will seat with carb cleaner. There can't be any grease residue there. Put electrical tape around the axle so the seal lip won't get damaged when you slide it over. Put a little grease over the electrical tape and the inner seal lip. Put a thin layer of silicone around the outer seal and slide the seal into place inside the axle. Then just remove the tape and put the rest back together. Let it set overnight and you're good to go. Good luck!
Where can I find seals
Thank you got my belt changed hjad to take the gas tank off.
That is a good option on some mowers!!
I got one. Pedal sticks going from forward to reverse. No way to work on it without removing it. They want us to just buy new mowers when they break.
Yepp or pay their certified shop hundreds of dollars to clean it....
Where do you get the seals
Husqvarna part number 587086401 Ebay has them.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084MN25R3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Yep, got mine removed from tractor and waiting for the top pins that broke since I forced it to go on reverse and snapped the aluminum pin, once I took it down and apart couldn't believe the grass packed so tight on springs that was ridiculous and to access it is a pain, terrible engineering
I agree Joao! It's a work of art huh? It sure isn't an engineering marvel... LOL
Do youknow what type of clip or retainer is used where the shift linkage attaches to the tranny? Part # maybe?
Hey Brian.. John Deere calls it a "nut" but there's no threads and it just pushes up on the shift rod. If you're very careful when you pry it off, you can reuse it. Deere part# is GX10434
This is true it is bad will reverse slow
French company it must be part of Fiat cooperation. The only thing good from France is Michelin tires .
I'm still pissed. I have one two years old that failed.
I think that you may have gotten the worst one so far Pondart. Sorry. I hope the video will help you fix it though and save you some money..
I absolutely agree.
Simply way over engineered. The use of polymers on a transmission is unbelievable.. they contain bentonite grease. Complete garbage. Craftsman husky and especially Johnny deery should be ASHAMED.
I have a crapsman t3200 in my shop now w gears torn up inside and decided to swap it out w a tuff torque k46.. many modifications but it is better than this gallopy
Mark, Heck of a job to modify that set up for the k46. There must be an engineer buried somewhere in you..... LOL
Wish I'd have seen this video before we bought this piece of junk. Think I'll just buy a used one with a manual transmission next time. Too few hours on our machine to be leaking grease and struggling to go in reverse.
Don't be wary of hydrostatics per say. The RS800 is NOT a hydrostatic. It is a CVT transmission such as used on a go cart. Just on a bigger scale. It has a variable pulley system. Be careful of Husqvarna transmissions also. They have a tendency to lose the front mount bolts and then the transmission will rock back and forth until the side mounts crack and break. then you have to weld brackets on it to fix that problem.
@@danebeckett8099 I spent 4 hours disassembling it today. Looks like most of our issues were from a wearing cvt belt and debris. Works like new after a cleaning and adjustment but framework and the gas tank has to come loose, on our mower, just to get to it. It would take substantially less time the next go 'round but it's not really acceptable for a mower with less than 150 hours. Hydros might be fine but several hundreds of hours were put on my parents' craftsmen manual tranny mower (that they bought used). I think it still worked fine when they sold it.
@@nodriveknowitall702 If you can find a Craftsman LT 1000 in decent shape, buy it. The transmission will take forever to fail, and the engine can be swapped from a Husqvarna (that you can get for free from your neighbor after the transmission fails) without doing any wiring or drilling new mounting bolt holes.
How about adding a grease fitting?
Really there is no need. Even when the seals leak you just have to replace the seals and not replenish any grease. Seams like there is way more than needed in there already.
I'm stuck with one of these POS's. Terrible design. May be ok for someone with a small level yard but on steep grades they fail in a hurry.
Sorry to hear about this CGARRIS.
These things are junk..they should have stayed with the actual hydrostatic
pice o chit. i hate mine.
Transmission has no grease, it has gear oil.
Maybe in your world.
Sure wish you do less complaining and more teaching
There ain't one person on this earth, including me, making you watch my video. I suggest you go elsewhere as fast as possible..... You must be one of these new kids about 25 years old......
yes they are junk should be recalled
Yessssssssssssss!