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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Z-Force-S

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Z-Force-S

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Figure 4.20

Body

8. 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.

9. Lift the control console off of the mower.

See Figure 4.21.

7/16”wrench

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

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

to service.

T-30 torx

Figure 4.21

Z-Force-S

Seat

To remove/replace the seat:

1. Disconnect the seat switch.

2. Remove the four nuts that hold the seat track to the seat base using a 1/2” wrench.

3. Lift the seat off of the base.

NOTE: The track is serviced as part of the seat and

is not available separately.

4. Remove the seat switch using a 3/8” wrench. See Figure 4.23.

5. Install the seat by following the previous steps in reverse order.

See Figure 4.22.

Nuts

Seat switch

Figure 4.22

Seat switch

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

Figure 4.23

Seat box assembly

Pivot bolt

Body

Battery

To remove/replace the seat box assembly:

1. Remove the battery and battery box. See Figure 4.24.

2. Disconnect the seat switch.

Figure 4.24

3. Remove the seat pivot bolts. See Figure 4.25.

4. Remove the seat from the mower.

PTO relay

Figure 4.25

Figure 4.26

Starter solenoid

5. Disconnect the fuse holder/PTO relay from the seat box.

See Figure 4.26.

6. Remove the two screws and nuts that hold the st arter solenoid to the seat box.

NOTE: The wires do not need to be disconnected. The

solenoid can be left hanging.

7. Remove the left control console by following the procedures described in the left control console section of this chapter.

8. Remove the right control console by following the procedures described in the right control console section of this chapter.

Z-Force-S

9. Disconnect the reverse switch harness from the conduit clip on the right side of the seat box. See Figure 4.27.

10. Remove the four screws (two on each side) that hold the seat box assembly to the frame using a 1/ 2” wrench.

11. Lift the seat box assembly off of the mower.

12. Install the seat box by following the previous steps in reverse order.

See Figure 4.28.

Reverse switch harness

Figure 4.27

Screws

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

Figure 4.28

Drive

CHAPTER 5: DRIVE

The Z-Force S is built using two different models of HydroGear transmissions. The 48 ” de ck vers ion is equip ped

with two HydroGear EZT transmissions. The 60” version is equipped with two ZT2800 transmissions.

The Hydro-gear shop manual for the EZT transmissions is form number BLN-52622. The Hydro-gear shop man-

ual for the ZT2800 transmissions is form number BLN-52441. These manuals are available through HydroGear.

Drive belt

The drive belt is the most common drive system component that will need attention. To remove/replace the drive belt:

NOTE: The procedure to re place the drive belt is the same

for both transmission models.

1. Remove the deck as described in chapter 8: Cutting Decks and Lift Shaft.

2. Set the parking brake.

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

Jack stands

Figure 5.1

Figure 5.2

Idler pulleys

4. Remove one of the rear wheels. See Figure 5.1.

5. Loosen the idler pulleys using a pair of 9/16” wrenches.

6. Slip the belt past the belt guides and off of the idler pulleys.

See Figure 5.2.

Z-Force-S

7. Remove the two screws that secure the fan cover to the frame using a 1/2” wrench.

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

the screw on the left side also goes through the harness clamp.

8. Slide the fan cover out of the mower on the side that has the tire removed.

9. Remove the transmission fans using a 3/8” wrench.

10. Slide the drive belt off of the transmission pulleys.

See Figure 5.3.

See Figure 5.3. Insert.

Harness clamp

Figure 5.3

11. Unplug the electric PTO harness. See Figure 5.1.

12. Unbolt the electric PTO using an impact wrench and a 5/8” socket.

NOTE: If the PTO clutch will not slide off of the

NOTE: If the PTO will not come off using the steps

See Figure 5.5.

crankshaft, thread the bolt half way into the crankshaft. Make sure the belt keeper is in place to prevent the clutch from rotating. Star t the engine a nd turn th e P T O on and of f several times to shake it loose.

above, remove the engine mounting bolts and slide the engine forward. This will give enough clearance to slide the belt off of the engine pulley.

PTO harness

Transmission fans

Figure 5.4

PTO clutch

Figure 5.5

Drive

Engine pulley

Figure 5.6

Cub Cadet belts are designed to fit our equipment and are not standard lengths. Use of a

! CA UTION! CA UTION

14. The belt can now be snaked out of the mower.

15. Install the belt following the above steps in reverse order.

non-OEM belt may prevent the de-clutching mechanism from working properly when the brakes are applied.

13. Slide the engine pulley down far enough to slip the

NOTE: Note the direction of the key in the engine pulley. It

NOTE: When installing the engine pulley and electric PT O,

NOTE: If the engine pulley is seized to the crankshaft, the

belt off of the pulley.

should be facing down. If the pulley is installed upside down, the belt alignment will be off.

coat the crank shaft with anti-seize. This will ease pulley and clutch removal in the future.

engine bolts can be removed to slid e the engine to the rear. This will provide enough clearance to remove the belt.

See Figure 5.6.

NOTE: Tighten the electric PTO clutch bolt to a torque of 450 - 600 in-lbs (51 - 68 Nm).

16. Test dr ive the m owe r befo re returning to service.

Z-Force-S

Drive belt adjustment

The drive belt is tensioned by a spring loaded idler pulley. When the brakes are applied, the drive belt is declutched. An adjustable linkage connects the tensioning pulley to the brake shaft. A brake link that is out of adjust ment will prevent the moveable idler from correctly tensioning and de-tensioning the belt.

As the belt wears and stretches, the moveable idler need s to p ush the be lt in furthe r to kee p prop er be lt ten sion. To do this, the ferrule at the end of the brake link needs to be at the middle of the slot in the idler pulley bracket. To adjust this brake link:

NOTE: The brake link is properly adjusted when the

belt is fully de-clutched as the brake is applied and fully tensioned when the brake is released.

NOTE: The belt must be on when performing this

adjustment.

1. Release the parking brake.

2. Remove the deck as described in chapter 8 Cutting

Decks and Lift Shaft.

3. Remove the cotter pin and washer from the ferrule

on the end of the brake link.

4. Slide the ferrule out of the idler bracket.

5. Adjust the ferrule so that it lines up with the middle

of the slot and slides in without pulling on the spring. See Figure 5.8.

6. Install the washer and a new cotter pin.

7. Test drive the mower before returning to service.

8. Re-attach the deck.

See Figure 5.7.

Tensioning spring

Cotter pin

Brake link

Ferrule

Figure 5.7

Ferrule

Figure 5.8

EZT transmission removal/replacement

Drive

Bad

Drive control rod

Cam arm

spring

Speed selector plate

Figure 5.9

1. Remove the deck as described in Chapter 8 Cutting Decks and Lift Shaft.

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

3. Remove the drive belt by following the procedures described previously in this chapter.

NOTE: When removing the belt, remove the wheel of the

transmission to be removed.

4. Disconnect the brake rod spring from the cam arm. See Figure 5.9.

5. Remove the bowtie clips that secure the drive control rods to the speed selector plates.

6. Slide the rods out of the selector plate.

7. Remove the nut and bolt that hold the front of the transmission to the frame cross member using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

See Figure 5.10.

Figure 5.10

Spacer

Frame cross

member

Nut

8. Remove the nut, T -bolt and spacer that connect the transmissions to each other.

See Figure 5.11.

Figure 5.11

Z-Force-S

9. Remove the bolt holding the rear of the transmission to the torque bracket. See Figure 5.12.

10. Support the transmission to prevent it from falling while the mounting bolts are removed.

11. Remove the two bolts that fasten the transmission to the frame.

See Figure 5.15.

Torque br acket

Bolt

Figure 5.12

Transmission bolts

12. Lower the transmission enough to gain access to the by-pass rod.

13. Remove the hair pin clip that secure the by-pass rod to the by-pass lever.

14. Lift the by-pass rod off of the by pass lever.

15. Remove the transmission from the mower.

16. Install the transmission by following the previous steps in reverse order.

NOTE: Before lowering the mower to the ground

purge the transmission by:

• Move the by-pass rod to the by-pass position.

• Start the engine.

• Cycle the drive pedal from full forward to full

reverse six times.

• Move the by-pass rod to the drive position.

• Cycle the drive pedal from full forward to full

reverse six times.

17. Perform a neutral adjustment and wheel alignment by following the steps described in 6: Steering.

18. Test dr ive the m owe r befo re returning it to service.

See Figure 5.14.

Figure 5.13

By-pass rod

Figure 5.14

ZT 2800 transmission removal/replacement

Jack stands

Figure 5.15

Expansion tank

Drive

1. Remove the deck as described in chapter 8 Cutting Decks and Lift Shaft.

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

3. Remove the drive belt by following the procedures described previously in this chapter.

NOTE: When removing the belt, remove the wheel of the

transmission to be removed.

4. Release the parking brake.

5. Remove the two screws that hold the expansion t ank to the seat box using a 7/16” wrench. See Figure 5.16.

6. Follow the vent hose from the transmission to be removed up to the expansion tank.

Vent h ose

Figure 5.16

Drive control rod

7. Using a pair of pliers, squeeze the tabs on the hose clamp together while sliding the clamp down the hose.

8. Carefully remove the vent hose from the expansion tank.

NOTE: The expansion tank should be empty when the

transmission is cold.

9. Remove the bowtie clip that secures the drive cont rol rod to the speed selector plate.

10. Slide the rod out of the selector plate.

Speed selector plate

Figure 5.17

Z-Force-S

11. Remove the nut and bolt that hold th e front of the transmission to the frame cross member using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

12. Remove the nut, T -b olt and spacer that connect the transmissions to each other.

See Figure 5.18.

See Figure 5.19.

Front transmission bolt

Figure 5.18

13. Remove the bolt holding the rear of the transmission to the torque bracket. See Figure 5.20.

Spacer

Nut

Figure 5.19

Torque bracket

Figure 5.20

Drive

Transmission mount

bolts

Figure 5.21

14. Support the transmission to prevent it from falling while the mounting bolts are removed.

15. Remove the two bolts that fasten the transmission to the frame.

16. Lower the transmission enough to gain access to the by-pass rod.

17. Remove the hair pin clip that secure the by-pass rod to the by-pass lever.

18. Lift the by-pass rod off of the by pass lever.

See Figure 5.21.

See Figure 5.14.

By-pass rod

Figure 5.22

20. Install the transmission by following the previous steps in reverse order. NOTE: Before lowering the mower to the ground purge the transmission by:

• Move the by-pass rod to the by-pass position.

• Start the engine.

• Cycle the drive pedal from full toward to full reverse six times.

• Move the by-pass rod to the drive position.

• Cycle the drive pedal from full forward to full reverse six times. NOTE: Removal of the brake caliper will make installing the transmission easier, but is not required.

21. Perform a neutral adjustment and wheel alignment by following the steps described in 6: Steering.

22. Test dr ive the m owe r befo re returning it to service.

19. Remove the transmission from the mower. NOTE: If replacing the transmission, Inspect the vent

hose. If it is in good condition remove it from the old transmission and install it on the new transmis sion. If it cracked, brittle or damaged, install a new vent hose on the new transmission.

Z-Force-S

Drive pedal biasing adjustment

The Z-Force-S is equipped with a pedal biasing cam. This cam allows the pedals to be adjuste increase forward travel speed or reverse travel speed.To adjust the pedal biasing:

1. Remove the floor pan by following the procedures

described in Chapter 4 Body.

2. Inspect the bushings that support the forward drive

pedal shaft. NOTE: Any wear in the bushings will affect pedal

See Figure 5.23.

travel. Replace worn bushings before adjust ing pedal biasing cam.

d to

Forward drive pedal shaft

Bushings

Figure 5.23

3. Loosen the biasing cam lock bolt using a 9/16” wrench while holding the biasing cam with a 3/4” wrench.

4. Rotate the cam using a 3/4” wrench while watching the forward drive pedal arm.

NOTE: Adjusting the forward drive arm towards the

front of the mower will give more reverse pedal travel and less forward pedal travel. Adjusting the forward drive pedal arm towards the rear of the mower will increase forward pedal travel and decrease reverse pedal travel.

NOTE: When the bolt hole in the biasing cam in at

the top center or bottom center position, The cam is in the neutral bias position. ure 5.25.

5. Tighten the biasing cam lock bolt using a 9/16” wrench while holding the biasing cam in place with a 3/4” wrench.

See Figure 5.24.

See Fig-

More forward

Biasing cam

Neutral biasing position

More reverse

9/16” bolt

forward drive

pedal arm

Figure 5.24

6. Install the floor pan by following the procedures described in Chapter 4: Body.

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

Biasing cam

Figure 5.25

Hydro neutral control adjustment

NOTE: Neutral control rarely goes out of adjustment on its own. If it needs adjustment, check for damaged

linkage or signs of tampering.

Drive

! CAUTION! CAUTION

• Work in a well vented area to prevent carbon monoxide poiso ning or asphyxiation.

• Be careful to avoid contact with hot parts or moving parts.

Seat safety switch

The mower engine and drive system must be operated to complete this procedure. Confirm that no hazards will be incurred by running the engine or operating the drive system.

To perform the hydro neutral control adjustment: NOTE: The procedure to perform the hydro neutral contro l

adjustment is the same for the ZT 2800 and the

Tang

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

2. By-pass the seat safety switch. See Figure 5.26.

Figure 5.26

EZT transmissions.

2a. Slide the seat to the full forward position. 2b. Flip the seat up. 2c. Press in the seat bottom until the tang on the

seat switch is fully extended.

2d. Place a spring clamp on the tang to hold the

seat switch in this position.

Locking screw

Figure 6.27

3. Remove the four screws that hold the steering column cover in place using a T-30 torx driver.

4. Lock Steering Gear Box in Neutral Position: 4a. Remove the 1/4”-20 plug screw from the steer-

ing gear box centering port using a 3/8” wrench. See Figure 6.27.

4b. Thread a 1/4”-20x2” bolt into the steering box

centering port until you feel it touch the steering rack.

4c. Wh ile tr ying t o gent ly thr ea d the bo lt fu rth e r,

slowly rotate the steering shaft back and forth until the bolt seats into the detent in the steering rack.

4d. Finger tighten the screw to set the screw fully

into the detent. The steering gear box is now centered and locked.

Z-Force-S

5. Disconnect both of the drive control arms from the speed selector plates.

6. Start the engine and advance throttle to maximum RPM.

7. Release the parking brake.

8. Watch both rear tires for movement. See Figure 5.29.

See Figure 5.28.

Drive control rods

Speed selector plates

Figure 5.28

NOTE: If there is no wheel movement, the hyrdo

transmissions are in neutral and don’t need to be adjusted. Skip ahead to step 13.

NOTE: If one or both rear wheels move, the hydro

transmissions need to be adjusted. Continue on to step 9.

9. With the engine still running, locate the socket head cap screw in the slot of the speed selector plate on the transmission that needs to be adjusted.

10. Loosen the socket head cap screw using a 1/4” hex key.

See Figure 5.30.

1 1. Adjust the speed selector plate until the wheel stops

moving.

12. Tighten the socket head cap screw using a 1/4” hex key.

13. Turn-off the engine.

No movement

Figure 5.29

socket head

cap screw

Figure 5.30

Drive

14. Adjust the drive control rods so they slide freely into the hole in the selector plate. Inst all the hairpin clips.

15. Remove the spring clamp from the seat switch.

16. Lower the mower to the ground.

17. Test the drive system and all safety features before retur nin g the unit to se rvice.

Z-Force-S

Steering

CHAPTER 6: STEERING

Introduction

The steering on the Z-Force-S mower works in two phases.

• First it will steer like any other riding mower by turning the front wheels.

• Second and more importantly, the steering linkage will control the drive output of the rear wheels through the use of two HydroGear transmissions.

The steering gear box is connected to the front wheels by tie rods. When the steering wheel is turned, the gear box will turn the front wheels. The gear box will also slow the drive speed of the rear wheels. The inside wheel is slowed more than the outside wheel. When the insi de front wheel reaches an an gle of 90 will stop driving. Turning the wheel past that point will make the inside rear wheel go in reverse. The inside front wheel can reach a 108

angle with the transmission on the inside of the turn driving in reverse. The riding mower will

then make a zero radius turn.

Because the steering gear box is linked to the transmissions, the transmission adjustments and the wheel alignment must be done together. A transmission that is out of adjustment can make the steering look out of adjustment just as a steering linkage that is out of adjustment will affect the transmissions.

IMPORTANT: Check the tire air pressure and wear before attempting to diagnose any problems with the steer-

ing or tracking of a Z-Force-S riding mower. If the tires are not equal across the same axles, it will greatly affect the performance of the riding mower.

, the rear wheel on that side

IMPORTANT: All zero turn mowers must have matching tires across the same axle (both front wheels and

both back wheels).

Wheel alignment and drive control lin k adj ustments

The wheel alignment and transmission link adjustment are performed together on the Z-force S.

1 Remove the four screws that hold the steering col-

umn cover in place using a T-30 torx driver. See Figure 6.1.

Screws

Figure 6.1

Z-Force-S

2. Lock Steering Gear Box in Neutral Position: 2a. Remove the 1/4”-20 plug screw from th e

steering gear box centering port using a 3/8” wrench.

2b. Thread a 1/4”-20x2” bolt into the steering box

centering port until you feel it touch the steer ing rack.

2c. While trying to gently thread the bolt further,

slowly rotate the steering shaft back and forth until the bolt seats into the detent in the steer ing rack.

2d. Finger tighten the screw to set the screw fully

into the detent. The steering gear box is now centered and locked.

3. Remove the hairpin clips that secure the drive control rods to the speed selector plates. See Figure 6.3.

See Figure 6.2.

Locking screw

Figure 6.2

4. Slide the rods out of the selector plate.

5. Insert two 5/16” pins through th e ho les in the axle castings. The pins should pass through the casting down to the wheel yokes.

NOTE: If both pins slide in, the wheels are aligned;

go to step 12. If one or both pins do not slide in, proceed to the next step.

NOTE: The pins should slide in and out without

binding. As the drag links are being adjusted, rock the tires back and forth to remove the load created from the tires twist ing on the floor.

See Figure 6.4.

Drive control links

Speed selector plates

Figure 6.3

5/16” pin

Figure 6.4

Steering

Figure 6.5

Straight edges

NOTE: The flat side of the yoke should be parallel to the

box section of the frame when the pins are installed.

NOTE: A couple of straight edges can be used to check

the alignment of the yoke to the frame. See Figure 6.5.

If they are not:

• Check for a bent yoke.

• Remove the yoke and check the gear timing. See the yoke section of this chapter for the proper pro cedures.

6. Loosen the jam nuts on both ends of the tie rod(s). See Figure 6.6.

See Figure 6.5.

Jam nuts

Figure 6.6

7. Disconnect one end of the tie rod. See Figure 6.7.

8. Manually move the front wheel yoke until the alignment holes line up.

9. Insert the 5/16” pin.

Tie rod

end

Figure 6.7

Z-Force-S

10. Adjust the tie rods until the ends line up with their mounting point.

11. Re-attach the tie rod(s).

12. Tighten the jam nuts.

13. Adjust the drive control rods so they slide freely into the hole in the selector plate. Install the hairpin clips.

14. Remove the 1/4”-20x2” screw from the steering gear box.

15. Reinstall the original plug screw in the steering gear box.

16. Install the steering column cover.

17. Remove the 5/16” pins.

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

See Figure 6.8.

Mounting point

Figure 6.8

Steering gear box removal

Steering shaft coupler

Locking screw

Figure 6.9

Steering

To remove/replace the gear box:

1 Remove the deck by following the procedures

described in Chapter 8: Decks and Lift Shaft.

2. Remove the floor pan by following the steps described in Chapter 4: Body/Chassis.

3. Remove the four screws that hold the steering column cover in place using a T-30 torx driver.

4. Loosen the top clamp bolt in the steering shaft coupler using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

5. Remove the bottom bolt in the steering shaft coupler . See Figure 6.9.

NOTE: The clamp bolts pass through grooves in the steer-

ing shaft and the steering gearbox input shaft.

NOTE: It is not necessary to lock the steering gearbox for

removal, but it will need to be centered and locked for installation.

Return to neutral spring

Figure 6.10

Pedal biasing cam

6. Disconnect the return to neutral spring. See Figure 6.10.

NOTE:

7. Disconnect the front side of the drive input link using a 9/16” wrench and a 15/16” wrench. See Figure 6.11.

NOTE: The rear end of the drive input link is attached to

the drive pedal shaft by a pedal biasing cam. Removing it will change the pedal travel.

Figure 6.11

Drive input link

Z-Force-S

8. Disconnect both of the tie rods from the steering gearbox using a pair of 1/2” wrenches. See Figure 6.12.

NOTE: There is a spacer between the tie rod end

and the steering rack.

NOTE: The bolt has a special tapered shoulder. Do

not replace it with a standard bolt.

9. Disconnect the reverse switch. See Figure 6.13.

Spacer

Tie rod end

Figure 6.12

10. Disconnect both of the drive control links by removing the nuts and bolts that attach the connector plates to the drive control link using a pair of 7/16” wrenches.

See Figure 6.14.

Reverse switch

Figure 6.13

Connector plate

Drive control link

Figure 6.14

Gear box mounting bolts

Figure 6.15

hairpin clip

Steering

11. Remove the four nuts and bolts (two on each side) that hold the gearbox to the frame using a pair of 1/ 2” wrenches.

12. Lower the steering gearbox out of the mower, sliding it out of the steering shaft coupler.

NOTE: If replacing the gearbox:

13. Remove the drive control connector plates by:

See Figure 6.15.

Connector

plate

Reverse switch

Roller

Figure 6.16

13a. Remove the cotter pins, washers and clevis

pins in the linkages.

13b. Remove the nuts and bolts connecting the

transmission linkage s to th e le vers o n t he st eer ing gear box.

NOTE: There are rollers in the slots. Take care not to lose

them when removing the bolts.

14. Remove the reverse switch.

See Figure 6.16.

Z-Force-S

Steering gearbox installation

1. Attach the drive control link connector plates to the steering gearbox.

2. Install the reverse switch.

3. Lock the steering gearbox in the cente r ed pos ition : 3a. Remove the 1/4”-20 plug screw from the

steering gear box centering port using a 3/8” wrench.

See Figure 6.17.

See Figure 6.18.

hairpin clip

Reverse

switch

Connector

plate

Roller

Figure 6.17

3b. Thread a 1/4”-20x2” bolt into the steering box

centering port until you feel it touch the steer ing rack.

3c. While trying to gently thread the bolt further,

slowly rotate the input shaft back and forth until the bolt seats into the detent in the steer ing rack.

3d. Finger tighten the screw to set the screw fully

into the detent. The steering gear box is now centered and locked.

4. Remove the hairpin clips that secure the drive control links to the speed selector plates. See Figure 6.19.

5. Slide the rods out of the speed selector plates.

Locking screw

Figure 6.18

Drive control rods

Figure 6.19

5/16” pin

Axle casting

Figure 6.20

Steering

6. Insert two 5/16” pins through the holes in the axle castings. The pins should pass through the casting down to the wheel yokes.

NOTE: The flat side of the yoke should be parallel to the

box section of the frame when the pins are installed.

See Figure 6.21.

See Figure 6.20.

Figure 6.21

Center the steering wheel

The yoke is parallel

to the frame

If they are not:

• Check for a bent yoke.

• Remove the yoke and check the gear timing. See the yoke section of this chapter for the proper pro cedures.

7. Center the steering wheel. See Figure 6.22.

Figure 6.22

Z-Force-S

8. Lift the steering gearbox into the frame while sliding the gearbox input shaft into the steering shaft cou pler. See Figure 6.23.

9. Install the four mounting nut s and bolt s. T ighten to a torque of 17 ft lbs (23 Nm).

10. Install the lower coupler bolt.

11. Tighten both coupler bolts to a torque of 72 in lbs (8 Nm).

NOTE: Once the steering gearbox is mounted, the

locking screw can be backed out to allow the steering shaft to be rotated for easier access to the coupler bolt. The steering gearbox must be locked again once the coupler bolts are torqued.

12. Attach the tie rods to the steering rack. See Figure 6.24.

coupler bolts

Figure 6.23

NOTE: The spacer must be between the tie rod end

and the steering rack.

NOTE: If necessary, adjust the tie rod ends so that

the hole in the rod end lines up with the hole in the steering rack.

13. Remove the 5/16” pins.

14. Attach the front side of the drive input link using a 9/ 16” wrench and a 15/16” wrench.

NOTE: If the pedal biasing cam was moved, the

drive pedal adjustment will need to be per formed by following the steps described in the drive pedal adjustment section of Chap ter 5: Drive System.

See Figure 6.25.

Spacer

Figure 6.24

Pedal biasing cam

Drive input link

Figure 6.25

Steering

Return to neutral spring

Figure 6.26

Reverse switch

15. Install the return to neutral spring. See Figure 6.26.

16. Connect the reverse switch. See Figure 6.27.

Figure 6.27

Figure 6.28

Connector plate

Drive control link

17. Connect both of the drive control links by installing the nuts and bolts that attach the connector plates to the drive control link using a pair of 7/16” wrenches. See Figure 6.28.

18. Adjust the drive control links so they slide freely into the hole in the selector plate. Install the hairpin clips.

19. Remove the locking bolt from the steering gearbox, and install the plug screw.

20. Install the floor pan by following the steps described in Chapter 4: Body/Chassis.

21. Install the steering column cover.

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

23. Install the deck.

Z-Force-S

Rebuilding the steering gear box

To take the steering gear box apart:

1. Remove the steering gear box by following the procedures described in the previous section of this chapter.

2. Remove the drive control link connector plates: 2a. Remove the hairpin clip and clevis pin.

See Figure 6.29.

2b. Remove the nut, while leaving the bolt in

place.

Hairpin clip

Clevis pin

Figure 6.29

2c. Remove the connector plate on the nut side. 2d. Remove the bolt, washers and the roller with

the other connector plate.

3. Remove the brackets from the steering gearbox using a 3/8” wrench.

4. Remove the six remaining case screws using a 3/8” wrench.

See Figure 6.31.

See Figure 6.30.

Roller

Figure 6.30

Screws

Figure 6.31

Using one of the pry points to separate the housings

Figure 6.32

Steering

5. Lift the upper housing off of the lower housing.

NOTE: There is no sealant between the two housings.

They should easily slip apart. If they are stuck together, there are three pry points cast into the housings that can be used to separate the hous ings. See Figure 6.32.

6. Remove the steering rack. See Figure 6.33.

Wear block

7. Remove the wear block and spring.

Steering

rack

Figure 6.33

8. Remove the speed cam assemblies. See Figure 6.34.

Speed cam assemblies

Figure 6.34

Z-Force-S

9. Separate the speed cam assemblies by driving out the two roll pins using a 5/32” pin punch and a ham mer. See Figure 6.35.

10. Slide the output bevel gear assemblies off of the speed cams.

NOTE: Marking the left and right speed cams and

See Figure 6.36.

the left and right hydro arms will make reas sembly easier.

5/32” pin punch

Figure 6.35

Output bevel gear assembly

11. Separate the output bevel gear assembly by removing the snap ring. See Figure 6.37.

Hydro arm

Speed cam

Figure 6.36

Remove this snap ring

Figure 6.37

Input sector

gear

Inspect the

bushings

Figure 6.38

Steering

12. Remove the input sector gear. See Figure 6.38.

NOTE: Some gearboxes were built with a spring washer

on top of the sector gear . If the sector gear is being replaced, discard the spring washer.

13. Inspect the input sector gear bushings for damage and/or signs of wear. If they show signs of wear or damage, press both of the bushings out of th e inp ut sector gear using a press. Then install new bush ings. See Figure 6.39.

Figure 6.39

Thick washer

Figure 6.40

14. Remove the thick washer. See Figure 6.40.

Z-Force-S

15. Remove the internal cam and the thin washer. See Figure 6.41.

16. Remove both of the bevel gears and the washer on the steering shaft.

See Figure 6.42.

Thin washer

Figure 6.41

Bevel gears

Internal cam

17. Remove the snap ring from the input shaft. See Figure 6.43.

Washer

Snap ring

Steering

shaft

Figure 6.42

Figure 6.43

Input shaft

Figure 6.44

Drive out the inner bearing

Steering

18. Remove the input shaft from the inside of the housing. See Figure 6.44.

19. Inspect the bearings. If they are worn or rough, carefully drive the inner bearing out of the upper housing using a pin punch and hammer.

See Figure 6.45.

Figure 6.45

Figure 6.46

Outer

bearing

20. Drive the outer bearing out of the up pe r ho u sin g using a pin or brass punch and hammer. See Figure 6.46.

21. Thoroughly clean and degrease all parts.

22. Inspect all parts for signs of wear or damage.

NOTE: If the part has signs of wear or damage; discard

the part.

NOTE: If the two bushings in the bottom of lower ge ar bo x

housing are worn, replace the lower housing and press in two new bushings.

Z-Force-S

To assemble the steering gear box:

1. Put a dab of 737-0300A Durina of the bushings in the lower housing. See Figure 6.47.

2. Install both of the bevel gears with the rollers in-line with the steering shaft.

See Figure 6.48.

grease into each

Put a dab of grease

in each bushing

Figure 6.47

3. Install the washer on the steering shaft.

4. Place the thick washer over the splines on the sector gear. See Figure 6.49.

5. Place the thin washer on top of the thick washer.

6. Insert the sector gear into the internal cam. NOTE: There is a master spline on the sector gear

and the internal cam to ensure correct tim

ing. See Figure 6.49.

Rollers in line with the

steering shaft

Figure 6.48

Master spline

Figure 6.49

Steering

Figure 6.50

7. Apply a dab of 737-0300A Durina

grease to the

side of the steering shaft.

8. Install the internal cam so that the rollers on the bevel gears fit inside the groves on the underside of the cam.

See Figure 6.50.

9. Center the cam so that the hole in the sector gear lines up with the center of the void where the wear block goes.

See Figure 6.51. right inset.

NOTE: A wooden block can be used to hold the cam in

place while timing the internal components. The measurements of the block should be 27/32” wide x 1.5” long. The height should be at least a 1/2”. See Figure 6.51.

1.5”

Wave washer

Bushing

Figure 6.51

Output bevel gear

Bushing flange

Hydro arm

Figure 6.52

27/32”

Chamfer

NOTE: Putting a screw in the top of the block makes it

easier to remove and prevents closing the box with the block still inside.

See Figure 6.51. left inset.

10. Re-assemble the output bevel gear assemblies.

10a. Place a bushing over the hydro arm with the

flange facing away from the arm. See Figure 6.52.

10b. Place the wave washer over the hydro arm.

See Figure 6.52.

10c. Place the output bevel gear on the hydro arm

with the chamfer facing away from the hydro arm.

See Figure 6.52.

NOTE: If the output bevel gears are put on backwards it

will throw off the timing of the gearbox.

Z-Force-S

NOTE: The hydro arms and output be ve l gears

have master splines to time them to each other.

See Figure 6.53. 10d. Install the snap ring. 10e. Repeat for the right output bevel gear assem-

bly.

10f. Slide the bevel gear assemblies onto the

speed cam assemblies.

11. Place both output bevel gear assemblies on the bench, facing each other . With both assemblies resting on the same points of the speed cam, insert both shafts into the coupler.

See Figure 6.54.

Master spline

Figure 6.53

12. Drive the roll pins through the coupler and the shaf ts to hold the assembly together.

NOTE: The top of the roll pins (as they sit in the

steering gearbox) must be flush with the coupler or they will bind against the gearbox cover.

13. Insert the speed cam assemblies in the low er hou sing.

• Align the hole in the input sector gear with the

center of the square recess at the front of the lower housing. See Figure 6.55.

NOTE: The wooden block from step 9 will hold the

cam in place.

• The bevel gears should face away from the

input sector gear.

• The first tooth of each output bevel gear should

rest in the first valley of the bevel gears in the bottom of the lower housing. See Figure 6.55. inset.

Coupler

Both speed cam are in line

Figure 6.54

NOTE: If one or both of the output bevel gears are

out of time, the steering rack will lose travel on the affected side

Figure 6.55

Figure 6.56

Steering

14. Fill the lower housing with 12 oz. of 737-0300A Duri-

grease. See Figure 6.56.

15. Install the steering rack and bushings. See Figure 6.57.

Input shaft

Figure 6.57

NOTE: The rack must be centered. When centered, the

rack will measure 1.7” from the shoulder to the housing.

See Figure 6.57. inset

IMPORTANT: Before proceeding, test fit the input shaft

into the ball bearings for the cover. The input shaft needs to have a slip fit. If it is too tight, clean the shaft with some emery cloth.

16. Install the input shaft so that it is centered with the hole in the sector gear and the center of the void for the wear block.

See Figure 6.58.

Figure 6.58

Z-Force-S

17. Install the wear block and spring. See Figure 6.59. NOTE: The groove in the wear block faces the bot-

tom of the gearbox housing.

18. Press in the upper ball bearing into the upper housing. See Figure 6.60.

Wear block

Figure 6.59

19. Press the lower ball bearing into the upper housing. See Figure 6.61.

Press in the upper

ball bearing

Figure 6.60

A socket can

be used to press

in the ball bearing

Figure 6.61

Steering

NOTE: If used, remove the wooden block first.

20. Lower the gearbox cover straight down over the input shaft.

NOTE: Removal of the screw and spacer on the right

speed cam assembly may help.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT force or hammer the cover over

the input shaft. That will cause the input shaft to damage the internal cam. If the fit is tight, clean the shaft with emory cloth and try again.

The cover does not

sit flush with the bottom

Figure 6.62

Putty knife

Figure 6.63

NOTE: The cover will not sit flush with the bottom housing.

21. Using a putty knife or something similar, compress the spring into the wear block while gently pressing down on the cover.

22. While holding the cover in place, test the rack fo r fu ll range of travel in both directions.

22a. Turn the input shaft until the steering rack has

moved all the way to the left. The right shoul der should be flush with the housing.

22b. Turn the input shaft until the steering rack has

moved all the way to the right. The left shoul der should be flush with the housing.

See Figure 6.63.

Perimeter screws

Figure 6.64

23. Install the six perimeter screws using a 3/8” wrench. See Figure 6.64.

Z-Force-S

24. Install the snap ring on the input shaft. See Figure 6.65.

25. Install the return to neutral bracket.

Snap ring

Figure 6.65

Reverse switch

26. If the screw and spacer was removed from the speed cam assembly, re-install it.

27. Center the rack and thread a 1/4”-20x2” bol t into the hole in the gear box to lock the gear box in neutral.

28. Install the steering gear box in the mower by following the procedures described in the steering gearbox installation section of this chapter.

29. Test drive the riding mower in a safe area before returning to service.

Return to neutral

bracket

Figure 6.66

Front wheels

Axle bolt

Figure 6.67

Steering

Remove/ replace the front wheels:

1. Lift and safely support the front end of the riding mower.

2. Remove the axle bolt and nut using a pair of 3/4” wrenches.

See Figure 6.67.

Short spacer

Figure 6.68

Short spacer

3. Slide the tire and wheel assembly out of the yoke. See Figure 6.68.

NOTE: There is a short spacer on each side of the wheel.

The short spacers slide over the long spacer that the axle bolt passes through.

4. Slide the long spacer out of the wheel bearings.

NOTE: The long spacer is a tight fit to the bearing and may

need to driven out with a hammer and a brass punch.

5. Install the front wheel by following the previous steps in reverse order.

Long spacer

Figure 6.69

Z-Force-S

To replace the front wheel ball bearings:

1. Lift and safely support the front end of the riding mower.

2. Remove the front wheel by following the procedures describe in the previous section of this chapter.

3. Drive the bearings out of the wheel hub using a drif t or pin punch.

4. Drive in the new bearings using a brass punch or a tube that has the same O.D. as the bearing. See Figure 6.71.

5. Install the front wheel.

6. Pump grease in the grease fitting on the front wheel until it starts to squirt out of the hub.

7. Test drive the riding mower before returning it to service.

See Figure 6.70.

Ball bearing

Figure 6.70

Brass punch

Figure 6.71

Front yokes

Steering

Yoke cover

Figure 6.72

Hex screw

To remove/ replace the front yokes:

1 Lift and safely support the front of the riding mower.

2. Remove the front wheel by following the procedures in the front wheel section of this chapter.

3. Pry the yoke cover off using a suitable prying tool. See Figure 6.72.

4. Align the hole of the inboard steering gear with the hole in the axle casting.

5. Slide a 5/16” lock pin or a pin punch through the hole in the axle casting all the way through the inboard steering gear.

5/16” pin

punch

Wave washer

Figure 6.73

6. Remove the hex screw using a 9/16” wrench. See Figure 6.73.

NOTE: The yoke will slide out as the screw is removed.

7. Remove the washers from the top of the axle casting.

NOTE: If replacing the yoke, remove the steering gear by

following the procedures described in the ste er ing gear section of this chapter.

To install the yoke:

8. Slide the yoke into the axle casting from the underside.

NOTE: The flat side of the yoke should be parallel with the

box section of the frame.

9. Slide the wave washer over the yoke shaft. See Figure 6.74.

Figure 6.74

Z-Force-S

10. Install the hex screw with a lock washer and the fender washer.

11. Tighten the hex screw holding the yoke to a torque of 31 ft lbs (42 Nm).

12. Install the yoke cover.

13. Install the front wheel by following the procedures described in the front wheel section of the chapter.

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

See Figure 6.75.

Hex screw

Figure 6.75

Removal of the steering gears

Screws

Figure 6.76

Steering

To remove the steering gears:

1 Remove the four screws that hold the steering col-

umn cover in place using a T-30 torx driver. See Figure 6.76.

locking screw

“LH” Stamped

into gear

Figure 6.77

socket headed

cap screw

2. Lock the steering gearbox in the centered position: 2a. Remove the 1/4”-20 plug screw from the steer-

ing gear box centering port using a 3/8” wrench. See Figure 6.77.

2b. Thread a 1/4”-20x2” bolt into the steering box

centering port until you feel it touch the steering rack.

2c. Wh ile tr ying t o gent ly thr ea d the bo lt fu rth e r,

slowly rotate the steering shaft back and forth until the bolt seats into the detent in the steering rack.

2d. Finger tighten the screw to set the screw fully

into the detent. The steering gear box is now centered and locked.

3. Remove the floor pan by following the steps

described in Chapter 4: Body/Chassis.

4. Remove the yoke by following the procedures

described in the previous section of this chapter.

5. Remove the socket headed cap screw that holds the

outboard steering gear to the yoke using a 1/4” hex key.

See Figure 6.78.

NOTE: The same gear is used on both yokes. One side is

used for the left and it is flipped over for the right. Mark the hole in the yoke that the screw was removed from to help ensure proper orientation when installing the gear.

See Figure 6.78.inset.

Figure 6.78

6. Slide the gear off of the yoke.

Z-Force-S

7. Loosen the jam nuts on both ends of the tie rod(s). See Figure 6.79.

8. Disconnect the tie rod end from inboard steering gear using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

See Figure 6.80.

Jam nuts

Figure 6.79

Inboard steering

gear

9. Remove the hex screw and washer from the top side of the inboard steering gear shaft in place using a 1/2” wrench.

NOTE: A 5/16” lock pin or pin punch can be used to

lock the inboard steering gear, unless the gear is broken.

10. Slide the inboard steering gear shaft out of the axle casting.

See Figure 6.81.

Figure 6.80

Hex screw

Figure 6.81

Steering gear shaft

Steering gear

Figure 6.82

Hex screw

Steering

11. Remove the hex screw that holds the steering gear to the shaft using a 9/16” wrench.

12. Slide the steering gear off of the shaft.

NOTE: The shaft has a double-D. It may be necessary to

drive it off with a hammer.

See Figure 6.82.

Z-Force-S

Installation and timing of the steering gear s

To install and time the steering gears:

1. Slide the double-D of the steering gear shaft into the double-D hole of the inboard steering gear.

NOTE: The inboard steering gear is the same part

number for both sides. If the gear is used on the left hand side, the LH stamped into the gear must be facing the hex screw. If the gear is for the right hand side, the RH must be facing the hex screw.

2. Install the washer and the hex screw to hold the gear to the shaft using a 9/16” wrench.

3. Tighten the hex screw holding the steering gear shaft to a torque of 17 ft lbs (23 Nm).

4. Attach the outboard steering gear to the yoke with the socket headed cap screw using a 1/4” hex key. See Figure 6.84.

NOTE: The same gear is used on both yokes. If the

gear is used on the left hand side, the LH stamped into the gear must be facing up. If the gear is for the right hand side, the RH must be facing up.

See Figure 6.83.

Hex screw

Steering gear shaft

Steering gear

Figure 6.83

socket headed

cap screw

NOTE: The socket headed cap screw acts as the

turn stop for the front wheels. Do not replace it with a hex headed screw.

5. Slide the inboard steering gear shaft into the axle casting.

6. Install the hex cap screw and washer. See Figure 6.85.

7. Align the hole of the inboard steering gear with the hole in the axle casting.

8. Slide a 5/16” pin punch through the hole in the axle casting all the way through the inboard steering gear.

See Figure 6.85.

Figure 6.84

Hex cap screw

5/16” pin punch

Figure 6.85

Steering

Wave washer

Figure 6.86

Hex screw

Figure 6.87

9. Slide the yoke into the axle casting from the underside.

NOTE: The flat side of the yoke should be parallel with the

box section of the frame.

10. Slide the wave washer over the yoke shaft.

11. Install the hex screw with a lock washer and the fender washer.

12. Tighten the hex screw holdin g the yoke to a torque of 31 ft lbs (42 Nm).

13. Attach the tie rod end to the inboard steering gear. Use a pair of 1/2” wrenches to tighten the nut and bolt.

NOTE: If necessary, adjust the tie rod ends so that the

hole in the rod end lines up with the hole in the steering rack.

14. Remove the 5/16” pins.

15. Install the yoke cover.

16. Remove the locking bolt from the steering gearbox, and install the plug screw.

17. Install the floor pan by following the steps described in Chapter 4: Body/Chassis.

18. Install the steering column cover.

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

See Figure 6.87.

Z-Force-S

Tie rods

To remove/replace a tie rod:

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

2. Remove the four screws that hold the steering column cover in place using a T-30 torx driver. See Figure 6.88.

3. Lock Steering Gear Box in Neutral Position:

Screws

Figure 6.88

3a. Remove the 1/4”-20 plug screw from the

steering gear box centering port using a 3/8” wrench.

3b. Thread a 1/4”-20x2” bolt into the steering box

centering port until you feel it touch the steer ing rack.

3c. While trying to gently thread the bolt further,

slowly rotate the steering shaft back and forth until the bolt seats into the detent in the steer ing rack.

3d. Finger tighten the screw to set the screw fully

into the detent. The steering gear box is now centered and locked.

4. Loosen the jam nuts on both ends of the tie rod using a 9/16” wrench.

See Figure 6.89.

See Figure 6.90.

locking screw

Figure 6.89

Jam nuts

Figure 6.90

inboard steering

Figure 6.91

gear

Steering

5. Disconnect the tie rod end from inboard steering gear using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

See Figure 6.91.

Tie rod end

Spacer

Figure 6.92

Tie rod ends

6. Disconnect the tie rod end from the steering gearbox using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

NOTE: There is a spacer between the tie rod end and the

steering rack.

7. Remove the tie rod from the mower.

8. Remove the tie rod ends. See Figure 6.93.

NOTE: Count the number of turns to remove the spherical

rod ends.

9. Install new tie rod ends.

See Figure 6.92.

Figure 6.93

NOTE: Install the tie rod ends the same number of turns

as it took to remove them from the old tie rod.

NOTE: Leave the jam nuts loose.

10. Install the tie rod on the riding mower.

Z-Force-S

11. Manually move the front wheel yoke until the alignment holes line up.

12. Insert the 5/16” pin. NOTE: The flat side of the yoke should be parallel

to the box section of the frame when the pins are installed.

13. Adjust the tie rods until the ends line up with their mounting point.

14. Attach the tie rod to the steering rack. NOTE: The spacer must be between the tie rod end

and the steering rack.

15. Attach the tie rod to the inboard steering gear.

16. Tighten the jam nuts.

See Figure 6.95.

5/16” pin

Figure 6.94

17. Remove the 1/4”-20x2” screw from the steering gear box.

18. Reinstall the original plug screw in the steering gear box.

19. Install the steering column cover.

20. Remove the 5/16” pins.

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

Inboard steering gear

Figure 6.95

Steering shaft, bushings and dampener removal

Steering

To remove the steering shaft:

Steering shaft coupler

Figure 6.96

1 Remove the floor pan by following the steps

described in Chapter 4: Body/Chassis.

2. Remove the four screws that hold the steering column cover in place using a T-30 torx driver.

3. Remove the steering wheel using a 1/2” wrench.

4. Loosen the top clamp bolt in the steering shaft coupler using a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

5. Remove the bottom bolt in the steering shaft coupler . See Figure 6.9.

NOTE: Do not lock the steering gearbox at this time.

6. Remove the six screws that hold the steering column to the frame using a 1/2” wrench.

7. Lift the steering column assembly off of the mower.

See Figure 6.97.

Screws

Figure 6.97

Upper steering shaft bushing

Figure 6.98

8. Remove the steering shaft from the bottom of the steering column.

9. Remove the upper steering shaft bushing. See Figure 6.98.

Z-Force-S

10. Remove the lower steering shaft bushing. NOTE: The long half of the steering shaft can be

inserted through the upper bushing hole and used to tap out the lower bushing.

To remove the steering column dampener:

11. Remove the steering column dampener pivot bolts using a 9/16” wrench and a 3/4” wrench. See Figure 6.100.

Figure 6.99

12. Remove and discard the cotter pin that secures the end of the dampener to mounting post inside the steering column.

13. Slide the dampener off of the mounting post.

See Figure 6.101.

Pivot bolts

Figure 6.100

Mounting post

Figure 6.101

Steering

Pivot bracket

Figure 6.102

14. Remove the pivot bracket from the dampener using a pair of 17 mm wrenches.

NOTE: This dampener has a locking feature. The pin

extending from the threaded end of the dampener releases the dampener so that it can extend or retract.

See Figure 6.102.

Z-Force-S

Steering shaft, bushings and dampener installation

1. Attach the pivot bracket to the end of the dampener using a pair of 17 mm wrenches.

NOTE: Apply a small amount of releasable thread

locking compound such as Loctite® 242 (blue) to the threads of the dampener.

NOTE: The outer nut should be flush with the end of

the threaded portion of the dampener.

See Figure 6.103.

NOTE: This dampener has a locking feature. The

pin extending from the threaded end of the dampener releases the dampener so that it can extend or retract.

2. Slide the end of the dampener over the mounting post inside the steering column.

3. Install a new cotter pin. See Figure 6.104.

See Figure 6.103.

Nut flush with the

threaded end of the dampener

Figure 6.103

Cotter pin

Mounting post

4. Slide a bushing onto the long end of the steering shaft.

See Figure 6.105.

NOTE: The flange must face the universal joint.

Figure 6.104

Bushing

Flange

Figure 6.105

Steering

5. Slide the steering shaft and bushing into the bottom of the steering column.

Figure 6.106

Upper bushing

E-ring

Bushing

6. Align the bushing with the hole in the steering column.

7. Tap the bushing in place using the E-ring on the steering shaft.

8. Install the upper bushing into the top side of the steering column.

See Figure 6.106.

See Figure 6.107.

Figure 6.107

Lift activation lever

Pivot bolts

Figure 6.108

9. Install the steering column dampener pivot bolts using a 9/16” wrench and a 3/4” wrench. See Figure 6.108.

NOTE: Make sure the shoulder of the lift pivot bolt passes

through the lift activation lever.

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10. Lower the steering column assembly onto the frame of the mower.

NOTE: Slide the steering shaft coupler over the

input shaft of the steering gearbox while low ering the steering column in place. See Figure 6.109.

11. Install the lower coupler bolt.

12. Tighten both of the coupler bolts with a pair of 1/2” wrenches.

13. Install the six screws that hold the steering column to the frame.

14. Install the floor pan by following the procedures described in Chapter 4: Body.

15. Install the steering column cover.

See Figure 6.110.

Steering column

coupler

Figure 6.109

16. Align the holes in the axle castings with the holes in the steering gears.

17. Install a pair of 5/16” pins in the holes. See Figure 6.111.

Screws

Figure 6.110

Axle casting

Figure 6.111

Steering wheel centered

Steering wheel

screw

Figure 6.112

Steering

18. Center and install the steering wheel.

19. Tighten the steering wheel screw using a 1/2” wrench.

20. Remove the 5/16” pins.

21. Test drive the mower in a safe area.

See Figure 6.112.

Z-Force-S

CHAPTER 7: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Introduction

This chapter is divided into four sections:

• Section 1: About this chapter and precautions

• Section 2: Components

• This section will describe the location and operation of the electrical components on the mower. Where appropriate, some disassembly or component removal instructions will be included.

• Section 3: Diagnostic Techniques

• This section will cover basic tools, techniques, and methodology for diagnosing electrical issues on the mower. A lot of the information in this section can be applied to other equipment.

• Section 4: Schematics

Before disconnecting any electrical component, take precautions to prevent the component or

! CA UTION! CA UTION

the wires attached to it from shorting out. The mo st effective means of doing th is is to disconnect the battery ground cable from the negative battery terminal. Unless performing test s that require the electrical system to be in operation, disconnect the negative cable from the battery before doing any work to the electrical system of the mower.

Electrical System

Components

The Z-Force-S has the same Cub Cadet Rev-Tek system used on the 1000 series tractors.

RMC Module

The RMC module contains elect ron ic logic circuits. When diagnosing anything that is connected to the RMC module, a high impedance test light or a high impedance digital multi-meter (DMM) must be used. The amperage draw of a standard incandescent test light may over-burden some internal electronic circuits, burning out the module.

NOTE: These tools are not outrageously expensive or exotic. High impedance test lights (Thexton model 125 is typical) can be purchased locally from stores like NAPA for under $30.00. Appropriate multi meters can be purchased for under $100.00, and are an invaluable tool for any competent technician.

• It is typical when industries shift from electromechanical to electronic controls that diagnosis shifts from tracing through a number of independent circuits to checking the in-puts to and out-puts from a central processor. This is similar to, but much less complex than the transition that the auto industry made with the conversion to fuel injection in the 1980s.

NOTE: The starter safety circuit has no connection to the RMC module.

• It is still important to be familiar with the workings of the individual components of the electrical system, but some of them can now be checked from a central point on the mower. This makes life easier on the technician, frequently making it unnecessary to connect to difficult to reach switches in the preliminary stages of diagnosis.

• The function of individual safety switches can be seen as providing information “inputs” to the RMC module.

• The next part of this section gives a detailed descri ption of the electrical components on this mower, their function in the system, and their physical location on the mower. Armed with this information and the proper tools, a technician should be able to efficiently diagnose most electrical problems.

Z-Force-S

Key switch

The Key Switch is similar to those used in a variety of MTD applications since 1999. The differ ence , in this case, is that it is incorporated in the same housing as the RMC module; the two items are not available separately. See Figure 7.1.

1. In the OFF position, continuity can be found

between the M, G, and A1 terminals. See Figure 7.2.

• M is connected to the magneto by a yellow wire, G is connected to ground by a green wire, and A1 is connected to the after fire solenoid.

NOTE: In the OFF position, the magneto primary windings are grounded, disabling the ignition sys tem. The after fire solenoid loses its power from the B terminal. This turns off the fuel supply.

Front

RMC Module

Key

Switch

Back

Figure 7.1

• Symptom: engine runs with key in OFF position: The key switch is not completing the path to ground either because of an internal fault or a bad ground connection elsewhere in the harness. Check continuity between M, G, and A1 terminals with key switch in OFF position. Check the green wire for continuity to ground.

• Symptom: loud “BANG” when key is turned to the OFF position: The after fire solenoid is not closing, either because it is physically damaged or the power is not being turned off. Check for power at the solenoid. Check continuity between G and A1 terminals. Check for no continuity between A1 and the B terminals.

NOTE: If the engine is at an idle when the key is turned off, fuel is drawn into the engine through the idle ports of the carburetor by-passing the fuel shut off solenoid. The raw fuel will travel through the engine and ignite in the muffler causing an after fire.

• Symptom: Engine runs 3-5 seconds after key is turned to OFF position: The after fire solenoid is turning off the fuel supply, but the ignition is continuing to operate. Check continuity between the M and G terminals in the OFF position. Check continuity from yellow wire connection all the way to the spade terminal on the magneto.

2. In the START position, continuity can be found between B, S, and A1 terminals.

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• Battery power from the B terminal is directed to the start circuit through the S terminal and to the after fire solenoid through A1.

• Symptom: No crank and no starter solenoid click solenoid. Test for a good battery then check for power where the fused red wire with white trace connects to the B terminal. Check for continuity between B and S terminals in START posi tion. If power is getting to the S terminal in the START position, the problem lies down-stream in the starter circuit, Check continuity from the orange wire on the S terminal to the orange wire with white trace on the trigger spade on the starter solenoid. If it is broken, trace through the parking brake and PTO switches.

• Symptom: No crank, solenoid click battery voltage, battery cables, starter cable, solenoid, or ground issue.

: The problem lies in the heavy-gauge side of the starter circuit; low

: Power is not getting to the trigger spade on the starter

Electrical System

• Symptom: Crank, spark, but no fuel in the fuel tank, test for power at the after fire solenoid. If there is no power there, then check for continuity from B to A1 in the START position. If power is reaching the red wire that connects to the A1 terminal in the start position, the problem lies down stream of the key switch. A handy quick-check is to apply power to the red wires where they connect to the S terminal (whole circuit) or directly to the after fire solenoid to listen for the audible “click” that it makes when functioning.

• Symptom: Crank, but no spark changed independently of the RMC module, this would arouse suspicion that the wrong key switch was installed. Otherwise, the problem lies elsewhere in the safety circuits or engine. Do not over look the possibility of a bad magneto or chafed ground lead within the engine harness.

3. In the NORMAL RUN position (green zone), the B and A1 terminals should have continuity. Once the engine is running, the alternator produces current that tracks-back to charge the battery, via the red wire connected to the B terminal.

• Symptom: Battery does not charge: Follow the engine manufacturer’s recommendations for testing alter-

nator output. If alternator output is getting to and through the key switch, but not reaching the battery, the fuse may have blown after start-up. A blown fuse will disable the starter circuit. A simple quick-test for the presence of alternator output at the battery is to check across the battery posts for DC voltage.

• Symptom: After fire solenoid does not work: engine starts and dies

directly by the red wire with a white trace from the A1 terminal of the key switch, and should operate independently of anything else on the mower once the engine is running. If the alternator fails and battery power is not reaching the after fire solenoid through the key switch, it will not work. This is an unusual set of circumstances.

: First check the fuel tank to verify that there is fuel in it. If there is fuel

: This is a highly unlikely scenario. If it occurs after a key switch has been

: The after fire solenoid is powered

4. In the REVERSE CAUTION MODE (yellow zone), the same characteristics are true as for the normal run position, but in addition the L terminal will have continuity with the A2 terminal. The A2 terminal is connected to the RMC module by a purple wire. The L terminal (formerly used for the lighting circuit) connects directly to the ground circuit of green wires. When the key is in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position, the purple wire car ries a ground signal to the RMC module. When the seat is occupied, this ground signal arms (enables), but does not turn on the RMC module.

• Symptom: RMC module will not turn on: Check for continuity between A2 and L terminals on the key

switch when it is in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position. Confirm that the green wire has continuity to ground. If the switch is capable of establishing a gr ound signal to the RMC module, the problem is likely to lie elsewhere in the system.

• Symptom: RMC module will not turn on

wire is broken when the key switch is in any position other than REVERSE CAUTION MODE.

• The RMC module is disarmed (disabled) when the seat is empty. To re-arm the module, the key is moved to another position, breaking the ground signal, then returned to the REVERSE CAUTION MODE, re-establishing the ground signal. It works something like a latched relay. If it is not possible to break the ground-path, it is not possible to freshly establish it either, and the RMC module will not be armable.

• Causes for such a condition might include a shorted or incorrect key switch, or a chafed purple wire shorting to ground between the key switch and the RMC module.

: confirm that the ground path (continuity to ground) to the purple

Z-Force-S

RMC Module

The RMC Module is in the same housing as the key switch, and is not available separately. For the purpose of diagnosis, it is treated separately. Diagnosis of the module with the key switch introduces too many over-lapping vari ables. See Figure 7.3.

• Principle: To diagnose the module, the simplest approach is to check all of the inputs (safety circuits) that are connected to it. If the inputs work properly , but the RM C module does not work properly (outputs), then the module can be determined to be faulty. A specific procedure is covered, following the description of the correct operation of the RMC module.

• Working properly: The module cannot be diagnosed if its function is not understood. It is designed to work as follows: See Figure 7.4.

• When the RMC module is disarmed, the mower will operate as MTD mowers have historically operated:

• If reverse is engaged when the electric PTO

is ON, the PTO clutch will turn off.

• If the operator leaves the seat with the engine

running, the engine will turn off.

• If the operator leaves the seat with the PTO

in the OFF position, the engine will turn off unless the parking brake is applied.

• When the RMC module is armed, the mower

will operate identically to when the module is disarmed.

• When the RMC module is armed and turned on: The mower will operate identically to when the module is disarmed, except that the operator will be able to put the transmission in reverse with the PTO engaged and the cutting deck will continue to run. The operator may put the mower into and out of reverse as many times as they wish without having to re-arm or turn on the module again.

• T o arm the RMC module: The operator must turn the key switch to the REVERSE CAUTION MODE (yellow zone), while sitting in the operator’s seat.

• To turn the RMC module ON: The module must first be armed, then the orange triangular button is depressed, illuminating the red LED indicator to indicate that it is ON. It is important that the operator must take two actions to turn the RMC module ON so that they do not do so inadvertently.

• The RMC module will turn OFF and disarm if: The operator moves the key to any position other than REVERSE CAUTION MODE or gets out of the seat. If the operator leaves the seat without setting the parking brake, the engine will turn off. The key movement necessary to re-start the engine will make it necessary to re-arm and turn on the RMC module if the operator wishes to continue with the ability put the mower in reverse while the PTO is running.

• To re-arm and turn the module ON: If the key is in REVERSE CAUTION MODE position, it must be turned to another position (Normal Run), then returned to REVERSE CAUTION MODE. Once re-armed, the module can be turned on by pressing the orange triangular button. It will be confirmed that the module is ON by the illumination of the red LED on the module.

LED Indicator

RMC Module

Figure 7.3

Figure 7.4

Purple

Yellow/White

Red

Green

Red/Black

Yellow/Black

Electrical System

To identify a faulty RMC module:

If the RMC module does not function as described, the RMC plug test should be the first step in diagnosis.

• If the RMC plug test confirms that the safety circuits (inputs) work as designed, yet the RMC module does not work properly, the RMC module is faulty.

• The RMC plug test will give an indication of what the problem is if it is not a faulty RMC module. If the problem is identified in a particular circuit, check the safety switch that is associated with that circuit. If the switch is good, then the problem lies within the wiring harness.

Figure 7.5

Yellow wire with black trace

• Behavior: When the female pin terminal leading into the main harness is probed (yellow wire with black trace), it should show DC power with the key on and the PTO switch off.

• Circuitry: The yellow wire with a black trace is the grou nd side of the P TO relay coil. It splits with one lead going to the PTO switch and the other going to the RMC module.

NOTE: Like the electronic components found on most

cars, the RMC module requires a fully charged battery to work properly. If the system voltage falls below 12 V, an accurate diagnosis of the RMC module is impossible because the module will be temporarily disabled by low voltage.

1. Disconnect the molded 8-pin plug from the RMC module. See Figure 7.5.

2. Looking at the plug head-on, it will be configured as shown in the diagram: There will be 8 female pin ter minals. When probed, they should yield the results described in the following sections.

3. Check the PTO and seat safety circuit s with the 8-pin pigtail connector unplugged, then reconnect it and continue with the RMC plug test.

See Figure 7.5.

• If there is continuity to ground when the PTO is OFF, the switch may be inoperative or there may be a short to ground in the wire leading to it. If there is not continuity to ground when the PT O switch is ON, the PTO switch may be inoperative, or there may be an open condition in the wire that leads to it.

• Interpretation: If behavior is correct, the N.C. side of the PTO switch /circuit is functioning properly

Yellow wire

• Behavior: When the female pin terminal leading into the main harness is probed (yellow wire), there should be continuity to ground only when the seat

• Circuitry: The yellow wire with white trace leads to the seat safety switch, where it finds a path to ground when the seat is empty.

• Interpretation: If behavior is correct, the seat safety circuit is good. If there is continuity to ground when the seat is occupied, the switch may be inoperative, or there may be a short to ground in the wire leading to it. If there is not continuity to ground when the seat is empty , the switch may be inop erative or there may be an open condition in the wire leading to it.

is empty.

Z-Force-S

Red wire with black trace

• Behavior: There is a red wire with black trace between yellow wire with a black trace and the green wire. This wire provides the module with input from the reverse switch. When the mower is in reverse, this terminal should have continuity to ground.

• Circuitry: This wire runs directly to the reverse safety switch on the drive pedal shaft. This is a simple metal tang switch that grounds-out against a bolt.

• Interpretation: Continuity to ground when the mower is not in reverse would indicate a short to ground. This could take the form of a chafed wire contacting ground, a bent reverse safety switch that is always in contact with another metal part, or a broken plastic insulator that separates the switch from the drive pedal shaft.

Lack of continuity to ground would indicate a broken or disconne cted wire leading to the reverse safety switch, or a switch that is not closing because of physical damage or corrosion.

Green wire

• Behavior: At the opposite end of the top row from the yellow wire with black trace is a green wire. The green wire should always have continuity to ground.

• Circuitry: The green wire leads to ground.

• Interpretation: If this ground path is not good, there will probably be other ground-related issues with the mower: slow starter motor, slow battery charge, dim lights. All ground connections should be mechanically secure and corrosion free.

Red wire

• Behavior: The red wire on the OCR plug carries battery volta ge. It should show D.C. battery volt age when the key switch is in any of the run positions.

• Circuitry: This wire draws power directly from the A1 terminal on the key switch.

• Interpretation: If there is no battery voltage at this terminal, the mower is probably not functioning at all. Look for a blown fuse, disconnected battery or some other major fault.

Purple wire

• Behavior: There should be continuity to ground at this terminal when the key switch is in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position.

• Circuitry: When the key switch is in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position, a ground path is est ablished by connecting terminal A2 to terminal L within the key switch. The purple wire from the RMC module connects to A2, and a green ground wire connects to L.

• Interpretation: If the purple wire fails to reach a ground path when the key switch is in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position, the RMC module will not arm or operate. Check the key switch for continuity between A2 and L in the REVERSE CAUTION MODE position, confirm that the green wire connecting to the L terminal does have good continuity to ground, and check for any loss of continuity in the purple wire that extends from the key switch to the RMC module, including the molded connector between the two components.

4. If the RMC plug test indicates fault with any of the safety switches, the next step is to test the suspect switch. The operation of those switches is described in the following sections.

Electrical System

PTO Switch

Understanding the PT O switch

1. A-COM is in the starter inhibit circuit. It is a normally closed (NC) set of contacts. Power coming from the brake switch (key switch in ST AR T, brakes ON) flows through the orange wire with black trace to the PTO switch. When the PTO is OFF, and the contacts are closed, the power continues through the orange wire with white trace to the trigger terminal on the starter solenoid.

2. B-COM is in the PTO relay latch circuit. It is a normally opened (NO) set of contacts. The yellow wire with a black trace is connected to the RMC module and the coil of the PTO relay. When the PTO switch is in the “ON” position, the yellow wire with a black trace

Figure 7.6

3. In C-Com, power is supplied to the PTO switch from the A1 terminal of the ignition switch through a red wire. When the PTO switch is turned on, this completes the circuit to allow power to go to the P T O clutch. It is a nor mally opened (NO) set of contacts.

is connected to the white wire with a black trace. If the PTO relay is energized, a ground signal will pass through the white wire with a black trace to the yellow wire with a black trace keeping the relay energized.

NOTE: The top terminals are showing normally closed at rest and the middle terminals are normally open at rest

NOTE: There are three contact s on the right side in the C- COM. For this application the norma lly opened (NO) contact is used.

Parking Brake Switch

The parking brake switch is mounted inside left side control pod, underneath the parking brake cont rol lever plate. See Figure 7.7.

• The plunger on the switch is depressed when the

Parking brake

switch

Pigtail for the headlight kit to plug in to

Figure 7.7

NOTE: The left control panel was removed to

view the switch.

parking brake is set. The switch contains two sets of contacts.

• A normally open (NO) set of contacts is in the starter inhibit circuit. When the parking brake is set, the contacts are closed, power coming from the key switch (key switch in START) through the orange wire is passed on to the PTO switch through the orange wire with black trace.

• A normally closed (NC) set of contacts is in the safety shut-down circuit. The yellow wire with a white trace carries a ground signal from the seat switch (seat is empty). Setting the parking brake closes the contacts, passing the ground signal through the yellow wire to the magneto primary windings.

• The yellow wire with a white trace leads to one element of the seat switch. If the seat is vacant and the pedal is up, the engine will turn off.

Z-Force-S

Reverse Safety Switch

The Reverse Safety Switch is mounted on the right side of the steering gear box. It is the same part number as the parking brake switch. It has two sets of contacts, but only the normally open (N.O.) set is used.

See Figure 7.8.

Reverse switch

• When the plunger is depressed, the contacts are closed providing a ground path to the RMC module.

Seat Safety Switch

The Seat Safety Switch is mounted inside the seat. It

contains two sets of N.O. contacts See Figure 7.9.

• The yellow wire goes to the RMC module. When the seat is vacant, the contacts close, providing a ground path to the RMC module. If the seat is empty, the circuit is completed, turning off the RMC module.

• The yellow wire with white trace goes to the brake switch. When the seat is vacant, the contacts clo se, providing a ground path in series with the brake switch. If the brake is not applied, and the seat is empty, the circuit is completed, shorting out the primary windings of the magneto, turning off the engine.

Steering gearbox

Figure 7.8

Seat mounting plate

Seat safety switch

trace

• The two green wires are ground wires.

• The most common problems are likely to be caused by bad grounds in the green wires.

NOTE: The seat switch connector is a shorted N.C. connector. That means when the connector is unplugged,

a tiny jumper inside the connector shorts out the contacts. When the connector is shorted, the circuit thinks that the seat is empty.

Figure 7.9

Cub Cadet Z-Force S User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Professional Shop Manual intent

Fasteners

Assembly

Description of the Z-Force-S

Model and Serial Numbers

CHAPTER 2: ENGINE RELATED PARTS

Muffler

Fuel tank removal/replacement

CHAPTER 3: BRAKES

Brake system description

Brake adjustment

Brake puck/rotor replacement

Brake shaft assembly

Parking brake lever

Floor pan

CHAPTER 4: BODY

Left control console

Right control console

Seat

Seat box assembly

CHAPTER 5: DRIVE

Drive belt

Drive belt adjustment

EZT transmission removal/replacement

ZT 2800 transmission removal/replacement

Drive pedal biasing adjustment

Hydro neutral control adjustment

CHAPTER 6: STEERING

Introduction

Wheel alignment and drive control lin k adj ustments

Steering gear box removal

Steering gearbox installation

Rebuilding the steering gear box

Front wheels

Front yokes

Removal of the steering gears

Tie rods

Steering shaft, bushings and dampener removal

CHAPTER 7: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Introduction

RMC Module

Key switch

RMC Module

To identify a faulty RMC module:

PTO Switch

Parking Brake Switch

Reverse Safety Switch

Seat safety switch