Cub Cadet Z-Force S User Manual

Professional Shop Manual

Z-Force S

NOTE: These materials are for use by trained technicians who are experienced in the service and repair of outd oor power
equipment of the kind described in this publication, and are not intended for use by untrained or inexperienced individuals.
These materials are intended to provide supplemental information to assist the trained technician. Untrained or inexperi­enced individuals should seek the assistance of an experienced and trained professional. Read, understand, and follow all
instructions and use common sense when working on power equipment. This includes the contents of the product’s Oper­ators Manual, supplied with the equipment. No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omission in this publication,
although care has been taken to make it as complete and accura te as possible at the time of publication. However, du e to
the variety of outdoor power equipment and continuing product changes that occur over time, updates will be made to these
instructions from time to time. Therefore, it may be necessary to obtain the latest materials before servicing or repairing a
product. The company reserves the right to make changes at any time to this publication without prior notice and without
incurring an obligation to make such changes to previously published versions. Instructions, photographs and illustrations
used in this publication are for reference use only and may not depict actual model and component parts.

© Copyright 2010 MTD Products Inc. All Rights Reserved

MTD Products Inc. - Product Training and Education Department

FORM NUMBER - 769-05513

06/2010

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Professional Shop Manual intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Description of the Z-Force-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Model and Serial Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 2: Engine Related Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Muffler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Fuel tank removal/replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 3: Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Brake system description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Brake adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Brake puck/rotor replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Brake shaft assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Parking brake lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 4: Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Floor pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Left control console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Right control console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Seat box assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter 5: Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Drive belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Drive belt adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

EZT transmission removal/replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

ZT 2800 transmission removal/replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Drive pedal biasing adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Hydro neutral control adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 6: Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Wheel alignment and drive control link adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Steering gear box removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Steering gearbox installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Rebuilding the steering gear box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Front wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Front yokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Removal of the steering gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Tie rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Steering shaft, bushings and dampener removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

I

Chapter 7: Electrical System ..............................................................................87

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

RMC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Key switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

RMC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

To identify a faulty RMC module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

PTO Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Parking Brake Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Reverse Safety Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Seat Safety Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Starter solenoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

PTO Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Lighting circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Start Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Run Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Run Circuit / Reverse Caution mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Engine shut-down circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Charging circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

PTO Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Reverse Mower Control (RMC) circuit operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Electrical diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Electrical environment: AC Vs. DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Ohm’s Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Kirchhoff’s current law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Kirchhoff’s voltage law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

How the system is wired together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Types of circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Parallel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Series/parallel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Opens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Increased resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

The Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Digital Multi-meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Wiring diagram or schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Fused jumper wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Test lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Self-powered continuity lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Ammeters and specialized charging system testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Charging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Checking battery condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Battery Testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Adjustable load testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

II

Fixed load testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Conductance testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Battery discharge test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Storage of batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Electrical Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Voltage Drop Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Testing switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Diodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 8: Decks And Lift Shaft....................................................................... 137

Cutting decks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Cleaning the deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

To clean the deck while it is removed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

PTO belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Deck Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Belt tension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Spindle pulleys and spindle shafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Spindle removal/installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Spindle overhaul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Leveling the deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Side to Side Leveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Front To Rear (pitch) Leveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Deck Gauge Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Front and rear deck lift shaft assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Deck lift pedal lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Chapter 9: Maintenance Intervals .....................................................................155

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Engine maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

The spark plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Air filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Oil change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Oil filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Fuel system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Servicing the fuel system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Fuel filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Clean the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

III

IV

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Professional Shop Manual intent

This Manual is intended to provide service dealers with an introduction to the mechanical aspect s o f the Z-Force-

S riding mower.

• Detailed service information about the engine will be provided by the engine manufacturer, in most cases.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this manual is correct at the time of writing. Both the product and the infor­mation about the product are subject to change without notice.

About the text format:

NOTE: is used to point out information that is relevant to the pro cedure, bu t doe s not fit as a step in the pr oce ­dure.

• Bullet points: indicate sub-steps or points.

! CA UTION! CA UTION

! WA RNI NG! WA RNI NG

! DANGER! DANGER

Disclaimer: This manual is intended for use by trained, professional technicians.

• Common sense in operation and safety is assumed.

• In no event shall MTD or Cub Cadet be liable for poor text interpretation or poor execution of the proce­dures described in the text.

• If the person using this manual is uncomfortable with any procedures they encounter, they should seek
the help of a qualified technician or Cub Cadet Technical Support.

Fasteners

Caution is used to point out potential danger to the technician, operator, bystanders, or sur­rounding property.

Warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoi ded, could result in death of
serious injury.

Danger indicates an imminently hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or
serious injury. This signal word is to be limited to the most extreme situations

• Most of the fasteners used on these mowers are sized in fractional inches. The engine and transmissio ns
are metric. For this reason, wrench sizes are frequently identified in the text, and measur ements are given
in U.S. and metric scales.

• If a fastener has a locking feature that has worn, replace the fastener or apply a small amount of releas­able thread locking compound such as Loctite® 242 (blue).

• Some fasteners like cotter pins are single-use items that are not to be reused. Other fasteners such as
lock washers, retaining rings, and internal cotter pins (hairpin clips) may be reused if they do not show
signs of wear or damage. This manual leaves that decision to the judgement of the technician.

1

Z-Force-S

Assembly

Torque specifications may be noted in the part of the text that covers assembly , they may also be summarized in
tables along with special instructions regarding locking or lubrication. Whichever method is more appropriate will be
used. In many cases, both will be used so that the manual is handy as a quick-reference guide as well as a step-by­step procedure guide that does not require the user to hunt for information.

The level of assembly instructions provided will be determined by the complexity and of reassembly, and by the
potential for unsafe conditions to arise from mistakes made in assembly.

Some instructions may refer to other parts of the manual for subsidiary procedures. This avoids repeating the same
procedure two or three times in the manual.

Description of the Z-Force-S

The Z-Force-S combines a traditional Z-force lap bar
zero turn rider (ZTR) with Cub Cadet’s patented Syncro

TM

Steer

that turn the front wheels much further than conventional
systems. The steering control is linked to the traction drive
system control.

technology.

The magic of the system: variable ratio steering gears

The traction drive system synchronizes the steering
angle of the front tires
rear tires.

with the speed and direction of the

A true zero-turn is achieved when the operator turns
the steering wheel far enough that the inside rear wheel
spins in reverse just like a traditional lap-bar controlled
ZTR.

Figure 1.1

2

Model and Serial Numbers

Introduction

The model and serial number tag can be found under
the seat. See Figure 1.2.

Model number

The model number is 17AI5BHB010. The break down of what the number mean is as follows:

1...............................................................................................Residential machine

....7...........................................................................................Residential zero turn mower

.......A...... ... ....................................... ... .... ... ... ... .... ....................Sales level

...........I....................................................... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ....Engine code

.............5..................................................................................Frame

Serial number

Figure 1.2

The serial number is located to the right of the model n um ­ber as shown above. See Figure 1.2.

.................B..............................................................................Transmission (B = EZT, G = ZT2800)

....................H ..........................................................................Style series

.........................B......................................................................Deck (B = 48”, D = 60”)

.............................010..............................................................Customer number

The serial number is 0J149Z20021. The serial number reads as follows:

0...............................................................................................Engineering level

..J .............................................................................................Month of production (J = October)

.....14........................................................................................Day of the month

.........9......................................................................................Last digit of the year

...........Z......... ... ... .......................................... ... .... ....................Plant it was built in (Streetsboro, OH)

..............2.................................................................................Assembly line number

.................0005........................................................................Number of unit built

3

Z-Force-S

4

Engine Related Parts

CHAPTER 2: ENGINE RELATED PARTS

This chapter will cover the engine accessories that are manufactured by Cub Cadet.

IMPORTANT: The engine is manufactured by Kawasaki. Refer to the Kawasaki manual for engine specific

service information.

Muffler

Remove the muffler by following these steps:

Bumper

1. Remove the six nuts and bolts (three on each side)
that hold the rear bumper in place using a pair of 1/2”
wrenches.

2. Slide the bumper out from between the frame, the
fuel tank bracket on the right and utility bin bracket on
the left.

Fuel tank

support bracket

See Figure 2.1.

13 mm wrench size

Figure 2.1

Figure 2.2

Exhaust pipe

3. Remove the two nuts that hold each exhaust pipe to
the cylinder head using a 13 mm wrench.
See Figure 2.2.

4. Remove the muffler and exhaust pipes.

NOTE: The exhaust pipes are welded to the muffler. The

pipes and the muffler are serviced as one assem
bly.

5. Clean and remove all gasket material from the cylin­der head (and the exhaust pipe if they are being
reused).

6. Using new gaskets, install the muffler by following the
previous steps in reverse order.

NOTE: Tighten the exhaust nuts to a torque of 120 ft lbs

(14Nm).

NOTE: When installing the bumper, insert all six bolts

before tightening them. Otherwise the bumper will
bind and the holes will not line up.

-

7. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning it
to service.

5

Z-Force-S

Fuel tank removal/replacement

Remove/replace the fuel tank by following these steps:

Gasoline and its vapors are extremely flammable. Use common sens e when working aroun d

! CAUTION! CAUTION

1. Clamp off the fuel line between the fuel tank and the
fuel filter.

2. Disconnect the fuel line from the fuel tank at the fuel
filter.

3. Drain the fuel into an approved container.

the fuel system

Fuel filter

4. Remove the fuel tank by removing the four screws
that hold it to the support brackets using a 9/16”
wrench.

5. Install the fuel tank by following the previous steps
in reverse order.

6. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning
it to service.

See Figure 2.4.

Fuel line from the fuel tank

Figure 2.3

Support brackets

Figure 2.4

6

Brakes

CHAPTER 3: BRAKES

Brake system description

The Z-Force-S uses twin HydroGear transmissions to drive the re ar wheels. The hydrau lic action of the tr ansmis­sions will provide the braking for the mower while it is in motion. There is a friction brake on the transmission, but it is
used as a parking brake.

NOTE: Mowers equipped with a 48” deck have HydroGear EZT transmissions with the brakes on the inboa rd

side of the transmissions (shown below). Mowers with the 60” deck are equipped with HydroGear
ZT2800 transmissions. The brakes for the ZT2800 transmissions are mounted to the frame of the
mower on the outboard side of the transmissions. The brakes for both the EZT and the ZT2800 trans
missions function and are serviced the same way.

-

Cam arm

Brake
shaft

Figure 3.1

Brake pins

Center bell

crank

• There is a brake for each transmission.

• They are activated by moving the parking brake
lever to the “ON” position.

• The parking brake lever operates the brake shaft.

• The brake shaft has three bell cranks. The two
outer bell cranks are for applying the brakes. They
are connected to the brake caliper cam arms by
extension springs.

• When the cam arms are pulled forward, they push
on the brake pins with a cam action applying pres
sure to the brake pads. See Figure 3.1.

• The center bell crank on the brake cross shaft
assembly has a link that is connected to the drive
belt idler pulley bracket. When the parking brakes
are applied, the idler pulleys are pulled away from
the drive belt. This de-tensions the belt, disengag
ing drive to the transmissions. See Figure 3.2. The
adjustment procedure for the brake link is covered
in the drive belt adjustment section of Chapter 5:
Drive.

-

-

Brake bell

cranks

Figure 3.2

7

Z-Force-S

Brake adjustment

NOTE: When performing a brake adjustment, inspect the brake components for signs of wear or damage.

1. Block the front wheels.

2. Lift and safely support the rear of the mower.
NOTE: Make sure the parking brake is released.

3. Remove the cotter pin locking the castle nut on the
brake caliper.

4. Back the castle nut off a few turns using a 9/16”
wrench.

NOTE: Even if the brakes are set to the correct

5. Insert a 0.030” (0.8 mm) feeler gauge between the
brake rotor and the outboard brake puck.
See Figure 3.4.

NOTE: The tolerance for the brake clearan ce is

See Figure 3.3.

clearance, inserting a feeler gauge between
the rotor and the brake puck can be very dif
ficult. Loosen the castle nut first, then insert
the feeler gauge and tighten the nut to set
the proper clearances

0.020” - 0.040” (0.5 - 1.0mm). The 0.030
feeler gauge will set the clearance at the
midpoint.

Castellated nut

-

Cotter pin

Figure 3.3

6. Tighten the nut un til there is slig ht drag on the feeler
gauge.

NOTE: For even braking, both sides should be set

to the same clearance.

7. Install a new cotter pin.

8. Repeat same procedure on the other side.

9. Take the mower off of the jack stands.

10. Open the by-pass valves and check the parking brake before ret urnin g th e mo we r to serv ice .

• With the brakes released, the mower should have only hydraulic drag when it is pushed.

• With the brakes engaged, the wheels should slide before they rotate when the mower is pushed.

11. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning it to service.

0.030” feeler
gauge

Figure 3.4

8

Brakes

Brake puck/rotor replacement

On HydroGear transmissions, the brake pucks are wearing parts that will need to be serviced from time to time. If
a mower is operated with the parking brake dragging, the pucks will wear out rapidly and the brake rotor will develop
hot spots. If the mower is operated long enough, the rotor may have grinding marks on it with excessively worn
pucks.

! CA UTION! CA UTION

The brake pucks and the rotors are serviced at the same time. To service the brake pucks:

If the rotor shows hot spots or any other signs of damage, including warpage, it must be
replaced. Failure to do so can result in the failure of the brakes

Brake spring

Figure 3.5

1. Lift and safely support the rear of the mower.

2. Make sure the parking brake is released.

3. Disconnect the brake springs. See Figure 3.5.

Loosen this bolt

4. Loosen the rear mounting bolt. See Figure 3.6.

Remove this

bolt

Figure 3.6

9

Z-Force-S

5. Remove the front mounting bolt, allowing the caliper
to swing down.

6. The outboard brake puck should fall out when the
brake caliper swings down. If it did not, it can be
removed now.

7. Slide the brake rotor off to reach the inboard brake
puck.

See Figure 3.8.

See Figure 3.7.

Caliper

Figure 3.7

8. Remove the caliper for inspection when servicing
the brake pucks. To do this, remove the rear bolt
loosened in step 4.

9. With the caliper on a work bench, remove the brake
puck, backing plate and the two brake pins.
See Figure 3.9.

10. Check for free movement of the brake pins. A dry
lubricant can be used on the brake pins sparingly.

Never put grease or anti-seize on

! CA UTION! CA UTION

of the pucks.

brake pins. It can migrate to the brake
pucks, preventing the braking action

Inboard brake

puck

Figure 3.8

Brake caliper

Brake pins

Backing plate

11. Slide the brake pins into the caliper.

12. Place the backing plate in the caliper.

10

Brake puck

Figure 3.9

Brakes

13. Place a new puck into the caliper. See Figure 3.10.
NOTE: A piece of scotch tape may be used to hold the

new brake pucks in place for assembly. The tape
will grind away when the brakes are applied.

14. Place a new brake puck into the recess in the trans­mission. Use a piece of scotch tape to hold it in place.

15. Slide the brake rotor in place, shoulder out.

Brake caliper re-assembled

Figure 3.10

19. Repeat steps 4-19 on the other side.

20. When both sides are completed, take the mower off of the jack stands.

21. Open the by-pass valves and check the parking brake before ret urnin g th e mo we r to serv ice .

• With the brakes released, the mower should have only hydraulic drag when it is pushed.

• With the brakes engaged, the wheels should slide before they rotate when the mower is pushed.

22. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning it to service.

16. Mount the brake caliper to the transmission. Apply a
small amount of releasable thread locking compound
such as Loctite® 242 (blue) to the mounting bolt s and
tighten to a torque of 80 - 120 in-lbs (9 - 13.5Nm).

17. Reconnect the brake spring.

18. Adjust the brakes as described in the previous sec­tion of this chapter.

11

Z-Force-S

Brake shaft assembly

To remove/replace the brake shaft:

1. Remove the cutting deck by following the proce­dures described in Chapter 8: Cutting Decks and
Lift shaft.

2. Lift and safely support the rear of the mower.

3. If the parking brake is set, release it.

4. Disconnect the brake springs. See Figure 3.11.

5. Disconnect the link that runs from the idler bracket
to the brake shaft by removing the cotter pin.
See Figure 3.12.

Brake springs

Figure 3.11

Cotter pin

Link

6. Disconnect the adjustable drive links from the pivot
arms by removing the bow tie clips at the ferrule end
of the link.

12

See Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.12

bow tie clip

Adjustable drive

links

Figure 3.13

Brakes

Spring

9/16” wrench

3/4” wrench

Figure 3.14

Clamp

Brake lever

Brake shaft

7. Remove the extension spring that runs from the
brake lever to the brake shaft.

8. Remove the nut and shoulder bolt that attaches the
brake lever to the brake shaft using a 9/16” wrench
and a 3/4” wrench.

9. Remove the clamps (one on each side) that hold the
brake shaft to the frame of the mower. Use a 1/2”
wrench.

10. Install the brake shaft by following the previous step s
in reverse order.

See Figure 3.15.

See Figure 3.14.

Figure 3.15

1 1. T est drive the mower in a safe area before returning it

to service.

13

Z-Force-S

Parking brake lever

To remove/replace the parking brake lever:

1. Remove the cutting deck by following the proce­dures described in Chapter 8: Cutting Decks and
Lift shaft.

Spring

2. Move the parking brake lever to the “OFF” position.

3. Remove the extension spring that runs from the
brake lever to the brake shaft.

NOTE: When the parking brake lever is in the “ON”

position, this spring pulls on the lever apply
ing pressure to the parking brake switch.

4. Remove the two screws from the underside of the
left control panel using a T-30 torx driver.
See Figure 3.17.

See Figure 3.16.

Brake lever

Brake shaft

-

Figure 3.16

5. Remove the grip from the parking brake lever.
See Figure 3.18.

6. Remove the two screws that hold the left control
panel to the seat box assembly using a T-30 torx
driver.

See Figure 3.18.

7. Remove the two screws that hold the control panel
to the control pods using a T-30 torx driver.

Left control panel

Figure 3.17

Grip

Screws

Figure 3.18

14

Parking brake spring

9/16” wrench

3/4” wrench

Figure 3.19

Brakes

8. Carefully raise the control panel enough to gain
access to the inside of the control pod.

9. Disconnect the spring that runs from the parking
brake lever to the frame of the mower.
See Figure 3.19.

10. Remove the nut and shoulder bolt that attach the
brake lever to the brake shaft using a 9/16” wrench
and a 3/4” wrench.

11. Remove the parking brake lever.

See Figure 3.20.

Figure 3.20

Parking brake lever

Clamp

Plastic bushings

12. Remove and inspect the plastic bushings for signs of
wear or damage.

NOTE: If there are signs of damage or wear, replace the

bushings.

13. Install the parking brake lever by following the previ­ous steps in reverse order.

14. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning it
to service.

Shoulder bolt

Nylock nut

Figure 3.21

15

Z-Force-S

16

Floor pan

Body

CHAPTER 4: BODY

Screws

Figure 4.1

Deck lift pedal

Tilt steering pedal

Clevis pin

Spacer

To remove/replace the floor pan:

1. Remove the deck by following the procedures
described in Chapter 8: Decks and Lift Shafts.

2. Remove the two screws that hold the tilt steering
pedal using a T-30 torx driver.

3. Remove the tilt steering pedal.

4. Remove the rear nut, bolt and spacer from the deck
lift indexing bracket using a pair of 9/16” wrenches.
See Figure 4.2.

5. Remove the clevis pin from the deck lift indexing
bracket.

See Figure 4.2.

See Figure 4.1.

Shoulder bolt

Lift pedal arm

Deck lift indexing bracket

Figure 4.2

6. Lower the deck lift pedal.

7. Remove the pedal by removing the shoulder bolt and
nut using a pair of 9/16” wrenches.

NOTE: On mowers equipped with a 60” deck, there are

two lift assist springs. With the deck removed,
these springs will hold the lift pedal arm in the for
ward position with great force.

-

17

Z-Force-S

8. Remove the reverse pedal using a 7/16” wrench.
See Figure 4.3.

9. Remove the drive pedal using a 1/2” wrench.
See Figure 4.3.

Drive pedal

Reverse pedal

Figure 4.3

10. Remove the eight screws that hold the floor pan to
the frame using a T-30 torx driver.

NOTE: The two outboard screws next to the seat

box are longer than the rest. They also pass
through a pair of spacers.

11. Lift the floor pan off of the mower.

NOTE: Under the floor pan there are two spacers.

See Figure 4.5.

12. Install the floor pan by following the previous steps
in reverse order.

See Figure 4.4.

Long screw

Long

screw

Figure 4.4

Spacers

18

Figure 4.5

Left control console

Body

left control panel

Screws

Figure 4.6

To remove/replace the left side control console:

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.

2. Remove the deck by following the procedures
described in Chapter 8: Decks and Lift Shafts.

Release the parking brake before

! CA UTION! CA UTION

3. Remove the two screws from the underside of the left
control panel using a T-30 torx driver.

NOTE: Technicians with good dexterity can remove the

RMC module, PTO switch and hour meter with out
removing the left control panel.

• Release the parking brake

• Remove the four screws that hold the park brake

locking plate to the control panel.

• Gentle lower the locking bracket to prevent dam-

age to the parking brake switch.

• Reach into the opening to access the switches.

the control panel.

See Figure 4.6.

Ground cable

Figure 4.7

PTO clutch harness

4. Disconnect the PTO clutch harness. See Figure 4.7.

5. Disconnect the ground cable from the frame.
See Figure 4.7.

19

Z-Force-S

6. Disconnect the engine harness from the main har­ness. See Figure 4.8.

7. Disconnect the starter cable. See Figure 4.8.

8. Remove the grip from the parking brake lever.
See Figure 4.9.

9. Remove the two screws that hold the left control
panel to the seat box assembly using a T-30 torx
driver.

See Figure 4.9.

10. Remove the two screws that hold the control panel
to the control consoles using a T-30 torx driver.

Starter
cable

Engine harness

connector

Figure 4.8

Grip

11. Carefully lift up on the control panel to gain access
to the wiring under it.

12. Disconnect the wiring harness from the switches
and modules.

13. Lift the control panel off of the mower.
NOTE: If the control panel is being replaced,

See Figure 4.10.

remove the switches and modules from it
and install them on the new control panel.

Screws

Figure 4.9

RMC module

Hour meter

Key switch

PTO switch

Figure 4.10

20

Lift assist spring

Figure 4.11

Body

14. Disconnect the deck lift assist spring.
See Figure 4.11.

NOTE: The lift assist spring exerts a lot of force.

15. Remove the nuts and bolts that hold the utility bin
bracket to the control console using a pair of 1/2”
wrenches.

See Figure 4.12.

Nuts

1/2” wrench

Figure 4.12

Figure 4.13

Screws

16. Remove the two screws that hold the rear of the con­trol console to the seat box assembly using a T-30
torx driver and a 7/16” wrench.

NOTE: The upper screw goes through a reinforcement

plate for the lift assist spring.

See Figure 4.13.

21

Z-Force-S

17. Remove the screws that hold the front of the control
console to the front of the seat box assembly using
a T-30 torx driver and a 7/16” wrench.

4.21.

18. Gently pull the harness through the hole in the con­sole while lifting it off of the mower.

See Figure

19. Install the control console by following the previous
steps in reverse order.

20. Test drive the mower in a safe area before returning
it to service.

Screws

Figure 4.14

22

Right control console

right control panel

Choke cable

Throttle cable

Figure 4.15

Body

To remove/replace the right side control console:

1. Disconnect the choke and throttle cables from the
engine.

NOTE: Paint marking and color coding the cables will

NOTE: On mowers equipped with the 60” decks, remove

2. Remove the two screws from the underside of the
right control panel using a T-30 torx driver.
See Figure 4.16.

See Figure 4.15.

make reassembly easier.

the deck by following the procedures described in
Chapter 8: Decks and Lift Shafts.

Screws

Figure 4.16

Right control panel

Screws

Figure 4.17

Seat

box

assembly

3. Remove the two screws that hold the right control
panel to the seat box assembly using a T-30 torx
driver.

See Figure 4.17.

4. Remove the two screws that hold the control p anel to
the control consoles using a T-30 torx driver.

5. Lift the control panel off of the control console.

NOTE: If the control panel is being replaced, remove the

throttle and choke cables from it and install them
on the new control panel.

23

Z-Force-S

NOTE: On mowers equipped with a 60” deck, dis-

connect the deck lift assist spring.

6. Remove the nuts and bolts that hold the fuel tank
bracket to the control console using a pair of 1/2”
wrenches.

See Figure 4.19.

Lift assist spring

Figure 4.18

7. Remove the two screws that hold the rear of the
control console to the seat box assembly using a T­30 torx driver and a 7/16” wrench.

NOTE: On mowers equipped with a 60” deck, the

upper screw will go through a reinforcement
plate for the lift assist spring.

See Figure 4.20.

1/2” wrenches

Figure 4.19

7/16” wrench

T-30 driver

24

Figure 4.20