Repairs Husqvarna Z5426 transmission trouble (EZT slipping)
Hi all, I just found this forum and this is my first post. Unfortunatly I found this while researching a problem. I have a Husqvarna zero turn Z5426. Five mowing seasons and 150 hours on it and now the right side is not moving. If I jack it up it will run but when a load is put on it nothing. I did notice that the fan blades on the drive pulley of the EZT are gone, broken off. I must have thrown a branch up into it at some point. Anyway, what are the odds of replacing the filter and fluid would get this going again? Does anyone have any experince rebuilding these? Seem like after purchasing all the parts I’d only be saving a little over a hundred dollars. a new unit (ZC-AHBB-3D5A-2DPX) runs 465. Also if I decide to change it out myself how long does this job take?
Thanks for any insite you can give. Tom
forsbergt
Forum Newbie
Well I jumped in and had the Hyro Gear out in only about 30 minutes. I may get lucky. The drive pulley splines had striped and it was just spining on the input shaft. The question now is did the input shaft wear to much for a new pulley to fit snug for the long haul. If not and I need to replace the input shaft, well that means opening the gearbox. So then were talking new seals, bearings, oii and filter. I’m leaning towards gambling 25 on a new pulley and seeing how long it will last. If it strips after a few hours well I guess I’ll Get a new unit for a little over 500 shipped. Any opinions?
phrose
Forum Newbie
Hi all, I just found this forum and this is my first post. Unfortunatly I found this while researching a problem. I have a Husqvarna zero turn Z5426. Five mowing seasons and 150 hours on it and now the right side is not moving. If I jack it up it will run but when a load is put on it nothing. I did notice that the fan blades on the drive pulley of the EZT are gone, broken off. I must have thrown a branch up into it at some point. Anyway, what are the odds of replacing the filter and fluid would get this going again? Does anyone have any experince rebuilding these? Seem like after purchasing all the parts I’d only be saving a little over a hundred dollars. a new unit (ZC-AHBB-3D5A-2DPX) runs 465. Also if I decide to change it out myself how long does this job take?
Thanks for any insite you can give. Tom
Tom. I have the same zero and same problem. Blades engage but mower will not go. I need information too. Weakness in machine. Paul
BlazNT
Lawn Pro
EZT’s are in almost every residential ZTR. If it was a big problem with the drive they would have a fix for it. I would think you needed to replace your drive belt and did not notice it. Hot drives cause lots of problems. I had until this year the RZ5424 and used it to cut lots of lawns. I put right at 2000 hours on my drives without this problem. I did change my drive belt many times and normally before it broke. I could feel the power getting lower and would field replace it. Normally around the 200-hour mark. EZT’s are great drives but as with everything, you can get a lemon every once in a while. I also changed the oil in mine regularly or at least after every time I buried it in water in the creak I mowed around. With the Rapid cooling of the drive, it would suck water in the drive through the overflow valve that would break when too much suction was put on it.
Southland
EZT’s are in almost every residential ZTR. If it was a big problem with the drive they would have a fix for it. I would think you needed to replace your drive belt and did not notice it. Hot drives cause lots of problems. I had until this year the RZ5424 and used it to cut lots of lawns. I put right at 2000 hours on my drives without this problem. I did change my drive belt many times and normally before it broke. I could feel the power getting lower and would field replace it. Normally around the 200-hour mark. EZT’s are great drives but as with everything, you can get a lemon every once in a while. I also changed the oil in mine regularly or at least after every time I buried it in water in the creak I mowed around. With the Rapid cooling of the drive, it would suck water in the drive through the overflow valve that would break when too much suction was put on it.
Wow, 2000 hours is a lot. This give me hope for the EZTs on my Troy-Bilt. They are at 320 hours. One of the EZTs has the fan blades broken off, so I’ve got both removed and I’m going to replace the oil in them tonight along with the broken fan. Both are still strong with no performance problems, so maybe they will last a long time.
Here’s What To Do If Your Lawn Mower Won’t Start
Family Handyman
Introduction
Most of the time when a lawn mower won’t start the cause is a problem with the gas or the lawn mower carburetor.
Whatever kind of lawn mower you’ve got, the last thing you want once winter finally lifts and spring has sprung is a lawn mower that won’t start.
If you’ve taken the proper steps to winterize your lawn mower, you’re far less likely to be dealing with such issues. It’s also why you should tune up your lawn mower at the start of every season. However, it’s not out of the ordinary to find your gas-powered lawn mower not starting from time to time, so it’s important to know why your lawn mower isn’t starting and how to fix it.
Project step-by-step (6)
Check the Gas Tank
Let’s start with the obvious. Before you have a heart attack pulling on the rip cord, you’ll want to check the fuel. Like any gasoline-powered engine, lawn mowers run out from time to time. Maybe you forgot it was running on fumes when you finished mowing last time. It sounds simple, but we’ve all overlooked the gas tank from time to time.
Even if there is gas in the mower, if the fuel’s been in there more than a month, that could be the problem. Gas sitting around too long in the tank can get contaminated with dirt and extra moisture.
So if your gasoline has been in the mower for more than month, drain the gas properly, dispose of it correctly, and fill up the mower with new gas. It may take quite a few pulls to suck the new gas into the lawn mower carburetor, so be prepared to clean and dry the plug a few more times.
Add fuel stabilizer when you fill up the tank to help protect the gasoline in there from dirt and moisture.
Family Handyman
Check the Spark Plug
Start by making sure the lawn mower spark plug cable is connected to the plug itself. It’s quite possible that it got pulled off there over the winter while the mower was being stored in the garage.
If that’s not the issue, the next step is to remove the spark plug to see if it’s wet. There’s no way the engine will start if it is. So clean the plug with carburetor cleaner and let it dry. Cleaning it with compressed air isn’t enough; you need a solvent to remove oil residue. If it’s really grimy and dirty, it might be best to change the spark plug.
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Jam Up and Jelly Tight
Having used several zero turns over the course of many years, one of the issues I’ve come across is items that tend to stick up and get in the way during cutting. On one mower we have, the air filter is elevated—and has been beaten, broken, and replaced several times as a result. On the Husqvarna M-ZT 52, the filter is seamlessly integrated right to the back of the Briggs Stratton motor. It’s out of the way, and there’s really no conceivable way for it to be damaged. The muffler is also located inside the chassis frame, so it’s virtually impossible to bump into it or burn yourself.
If this sounds trivial to you, realize that I live in Florida where it’s not uncommon to wear shorts for over three-quarters of the year. Even the gas caps are nicely set well into the plastic shroud on the left side which contains the gas tank. They aren’t hanging up or out to get damaged or broken off. Basically, if you drag a branch all the way across this mower, there’s not a whole lot of damage you can do to it—and that’s just good engineering and design. About the only notable exception to this was the return fuel line which tended to pop off the top of the plastic tank if it got bumped.
Performance Testing
The Husqvarna M-ZT 52 zero turn mower is what I’d call a really “accurate” zero-turn, particularly with features like the foot pedal, which lets you easily lift over high spots. And when it says “2 inches” it really means it—and that’s important for consistency of cut. We can’t cut the grass too short around here or we’ll quickly burn it out in the heat of summer. The cutting deck height has some real options. You can adjust from 1.5″ to 4.5″ in 1/4″ increments. The pin adjustment system is a bit more difficult to use because you have to push it through two holes instead of just one, but it’s something that you acquire a skill for as you get more acquainted with it. Having a thicker piece of steel with a singular hole for the pin would have been preferred.
I really like the turn radius of the Husqvarna M-ZT 52. It’s tight, and the added height gives you an excellent birds-eye view of what you’re cutting or about to cut. I found it simple to get around the myriad of crepe myrtles we have in the neighborhood, and even cutting along curvy beds was easy. The mower also felt well-balanced, so on inclines and declines (I actually managed to find a few, even here in Florida,), you don’t feel as if you’re slipping or losing traction. The 13-inch tall by 6-1/2 inch wide front tires are also surprisingly big. They don’t dig in or get rutted up, even in soggy or wet grass. The weight definitely gets dispersed a lot better than with mowers that have smaller and thinner front wheels.
I think where I did run into some difficulty was with the higher seating position. You do get a better view of what you’re cutting, but it also puts you closer to any brush or tree limbs you might be cutting under or around. If you’re trying to get underneath a tree line, for example, you may whack your head on a branch if you’re not used to the height and are not being particularly careful.
Down Below
This mower comes with a parking brake, which is a feature I don’t have on some of the older models of zero turns that I use or that I have used in the past. This could be an advantage for those who would find the need to have better security for the mower when stopping it temporarily on inclines, but it also means that, as a safety device, it’s one more item that needs to be engaged when the mower starts up.
To access the top of the deck, where you blow off the belts and pulleys, you have to unscrew the locking bolt (which incidentally has a plastic top that I’m certain I’ll kick with my boot and break one of these days). Any time I see a small losable part like this I just know it’s bound to be misplaced. In either case, once the bolt is out you can lift up the deck and access the parts below.
Looking within, I felt that the belts and pulleys are much better shielded from grass than on some other mowers I’ve used. They’re just enclosed a lot more, and you end up getting less debris in the mechanisms, which will result in less wear and tear on those parts. Husqvarna also used cast iron spindle housings for the blades, which is a nice feature that you want to see on commercial-quality mowers.
Details, Details, Details
There are a lot of small details with the Husqvarna M-ZT 52 zero turn mower that I really like. While there’s only a single 5-gallon fuel tank with reserve (You don’t typically get dual tanks at this price point on any zero turns that I’ve seen.), they made great use of the opposite plastic shroud, giving you a large holding compartment to store things. The seat, which is easy to adjust, is incredibly comfortable as well, and I could sit in it for hours without getting sore or feeling too much vibration from the cutting deck or motor. There’s also a seat belt, but I didn’t need to use it since I cut mostly on flat surfaces.
When you flip the seat up to access the battery and other components, Husqvarna also included a steel cable to keep it from tipping all the way forward. It’s just a small feature, but that’s the kind of thing I found over and over again on this mower: they paid attention to the small details.
Grease Points and a Hitch
The front and rear grease points are super-easy to access, which is a nice feature—particularly for those of us who maintain our own equipment. The tension for the drive arms is easy to adjust as is the height they are set at, so you can move them up or down to get a perfect feel. And when you step into the mower, Husqvarna provided an ample amount of grip tape for your feet in all the right places.
On the back of the mower, I couldn’t help but notice a basic tow hitch point. Given the available torque, I’d expect it to be able to pull a small cart with no difficulty at all. The anti-roll bar that comes with the Husqvarna mower rattled when I first used it, but I took a 15/16″ socket to tighten it down at the point where it folds over, and it didn’t bother me again. If you’re planning to fold it back and forth a lot, I could see the rattling being an issue. Once we snugged that up, it was actually apparent that the M-ZT 52 is a rather tight product. I’ve had other mowers that I’d lovingly describe as “rattle boxes”, and this one doesn’t have a ton of vibration as I used it.
Summing It Up
If you want features the Husqvarna M-ZT 52 zero-turn doesn’t deliver, consider stepping up to a commercial model. Husqvarna has provided lots of features and performance at a really incredible price. While each individual feature may not be remarkable, the sum of the whole M-ZT 52 impresses. This well-thought-out mower was clearly designed by folks who know a lot about operating zero turns.
Performance-wise, I really had no complaints about the product. It cut fast, and even when I encountered some areas with lots of new-growth oak trees sprouting up all over, the Husqvarna M-ZT 52 zero turn mower just took it all in stride. When cutting close on the right side it was easy to flip up the exhaust flap and get in tight. Acceleration on this mower was also quite good. With a top speed of 10 mph, it’s not the fastest zero turn I’ve used, but it’s faster than anything else I’ve found at this price, and it definitely feels snappy. The blades don’t get outrun by the speed of the mower, either. It seems to be able to cut pretty quickly and keep up with itself.
Price and Expectations
The biggest “problem” with the Husqvarna M-ZT 52 mower is that it looks, rides and operates like a commercial zero-turn. In fact, you’ll forget it only costs 5,500. You may even start thinking that it should have features like dual gas tanks or have a top speed of 13 mph. Don’t. Because it’s already got a bigger gas tank and higher top speed than most mowers in this price range. It’s also got build quality that far surpasses many other comparable products on the market. My takeaway is that this is an incredible value. It delivers commercial quality and features at a price that appeals to smaller commercial users. For that, I can’t help but recommend the M-ZT series mowers.
Husqvarna Zero Turn Steering Problems? Read Our Quick Fixes!
Husqvarna has long been synonymous with quality and reliability in the world of outdoor power equipment. Their range of zero-turn mowers is no exception, offering homeowners and landscapers alike a convenient and efficient way to maintain their lawns.
However, even the most respected brands can sometimes face issues with their products, and steering problems are one of the most common concerns faced by Husqvarna zero-turn mower owners.
Maintenance Tips
Proper maintenance of your Husqvarna zero-turn mower is crucial to ensure smooth movement and steering in the right direction.
Here are some maintenance tips to help prevent and resolve steering problems in your mower:
Regular Maintenance
Discharging or Bagging Problems
If your Husqvarna mower is not discharging or bagging the cut grass properly, you may be mowing too fast or with the throttle set too low. Tall or wet grass is difficult to cut and blow out the discharge area.
Loose or broken blades, pulleys, spindles or belts can cause your Husqvarna lawn mower to vibrate excessively. Loose or missing engine-mounting bolts, as well as an unlevel deck can also cause vibration.
Makes Husqvarna Lawnmowers?
The Husqvarna Group, which manufactures a wide range of products around the globe, makes Husqvarna push mowers and riding lawn mowers. In addition to lawn mowers, Husqvarna manufactures bicycles, motorcycles, garden and forestry equipment, cutting equipment, and sewing machines. In 1959, Husqvarna decided to try its hand at power lawn mowers. In the years since, it has been acquired by and then spun off again from Electrolux.
- If your Husqvarna mower is not discharging or bagging the cut grass properly, you may be mowing too fast or with the throttle set too low.
- In addition to lawn mowers, Husqvarna manufactures bicycles, motorcycles, garden and forestry equipment, cutting equipment, and sewing machines.