Hello OTT'ers ! New member here...

[miks1]

My name is Mike, and I am really happy to have found this forum !!
I have a ZD18 with a RCK54 deck. I do have a question, if I may.
The other day, I got her out to get ready for my mowing season, charged the battery up,topped of the tires, check fluid levels and then lit her off an let it idle for a good 20 minutes. I went to raise the deck and it only raises... maybe a half of an inch. I hadn't changed the trans fluid in awhile so I did a fluid change with a new filter and pulled the strainer and cleaned ( it didn't look dirty at all ) but ended up with the same results. When I put her up last fall the deck raise worked fine. Does anyone have any ideas on what this problem may be. Thank you in advance for any help.
- Mike

 

[85Hokie]

My name is Mike, and I am really happy to have found this forum !!
I have a ZD18 with a RCK54 deck. I do have a question, if I may.
The other day, I got her out to get ready for my mowing season, charged the battery up,topped of the tires, check fluid levels and then lit her off an let it idle for a good 20 minutes. I went to raise the deck and it only raises... maybe a half of an inch. I hadn't changed the trans fluid in awhile so I did a fluid change with a new filter and pulled the strainer and cleaned ( it didn't look dirty at all ) but ended up with the same results. When I put her up last fall the deck raise worked fine. Does anyone have any ideas on what this problem may be. Thank you in advance for any help.
- Mike

Glad to have you Mike,

have you checked for anything that might bind under? Sometimes weird things happen and something got bent up under the machine.

Could be a hydraulic problem too - check the bind first and report back

 

[miks1]

Glad to have you Mike,

have you checked for anything that might bind under? Sometimes weird things happen and something got bent up under the machine.

Could be a hydraulic problem too - check the bind first and report back

Thank you 85 Hokie,

Yes, that was the first thing I looked for because it acted just like id was binding up did not find anything bent or out of place. It may be an issue with the hydraulics ( I'm hoping not ). It seems a bit noisy when operating the mechanism but, I don't really know what it would be. Some threads I've read online are saying the word pre pump...sounds expensive... I'm not sure, however, how to determine this.
Thank you again for your help.
- Mike