How neutral is neutral on a 149?
 

I am having a difficult time confirming what neutral is on my project 149. I have confirmed that the two buttons/valves that the release lever are supposed to push are pressed down. It seems that i cannot find a true neutral when searching for it with the speed control lever. I don't have any writing left around the speed control lever so i have moved it about a half inch at a time. It seems the same each time...about like pushing my jeep around in neutral, but i can still hear some chattering sound from the rear end of the 149. Should these roll quite easily when a true neutral is found?

NO! IH built Cub Cadet hydros (with the manual valves) do not "roll freely" when only the forward/reverse lever is in neutral.

In order for the tractor to roll freely the hydro release valves MUST be pressed. Not doing this and towing/pulling/pushing the tractor is the ONLY way I know of to destroy the transmission.

If the tractor is running on a flat surface and you have pushed the pedal down and the tractor doesn't creep (forward or reverse) you are there!

If it does creep, then you need to go here, http://cubfaq.com/neutraladjust.html

Sam, sorry for the confusion, i did mention in the first post that i confirmed the two button valves (what the release lever actuates) were being depressed at the same time and that i still could not find neutral. I have the engine pulled and i just need to push it in and out of the garage while working on it.

I don't think it matters where the F/R lever is; the trans is released when the buttons on the release valves are depressed. You can't really 'find' neutral with the engine off.

Matt, so if they are depressed and there is no neutral i suppose i have something else to be concerned about? Is there a next step as far as troubleshooting goes on this? On a side note, the two buttons do not rebound, they both stayed stuck down flush with the "bushing."

Does it roll at all or just roll hard? It's not going to roll very easy. The only time to be worried is if when you try to roll the tractor the wheels spin in opposite directions, or try to. That means the motor part of the hydro is probably messed up, but that's pretty unlikely.

It rolls hard, with a slight "guh-guh-guh-guh" coming from the rearend area. I am a pretty big guy (6'6" 290lb) so most might say that it doesn't really move at all. I have just been moving it really slowly...and yes i did tow it a shorts distance with my other GT at a slower than walking speed pace. I will put it up on stands tomorrow to see if i can verify if the wheels are attempting to go oppsoing and see what else i can figure out. I appreciate your help on the matter

Most Hydro's are hard to push, as long as you can move it at all you are most likely in good shape. The guh sound is the hydro motor back pumping oil as it turning from the move.

I'm pretty sure if you jack up the rearend and turn one wheel the other is going to turn in the opposite direction, that the nature of them. These rear end are not a posi lock type where both wheels are locked together.

You should also make sure the brakes are not dragging other then that you are most likely ok.

Well, i am not sure if i should be happy or scared, but i needed to move the 149 again this morning and it rolled about 5x easier than it did the first few times. The manual release buttons are still stuck in the down position. I am not sure what loosened up in the past few days, but i suppose it is rolling in true neutral now? It's still certainly not as easily rolled around as a gear drive in neutral, but that seems to be normal according to you guys' comments.

Finding neutral
 

The small buttons on the check valves will pop back up once the engine is started. Unless they're stuck. If they are stuck there is a post in the archives on how to repair them. In this post, the author uses a lathe to cut off the crimp on the bottom. I just ground the crimp off with a die grinder and then tacked the top hat caps back in place with a mig welder.

tt