Common Snapper rear engine riding mower replacement parts
- Air filter. The engine air filter prevents abrasive particles from entering the engine's cylinders, which could cause mechanical wear and oil contamination.
- Alternator. The alternator is a set of wire coils under the flywheel of the engine that generates electricity to power the tractor when it's running. The alternator also recharges the battery while the engine runs.
- Flywheel key. The flywheel key is a small metal rectangle that keeps the crankshaft and flywheel aligned when you tighten the flywheel nut. To protect more expensive components from damage, the flywheel key is designed to shear if the mower blade hits an object hard enough to make the flywheel slip out of alignment with the crankshaft.
- Blade belt. The blade belt attaches to the engine pulley and spins the cutting blade(s).
- Spark plug. The spark plug is the device responsible for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine. This current ignites the compressed fuel/air mixture by means of an electric spark, while containing combustion pressure within the engine.
Fixing your Snapper rear engine riding mower when it's not cutting evenly
If your riding lawn mower is cutting the grass unevenly, start by checking the pattern of the cut. If the cut looks like slanted stair steps, inflate the tires to the manufacturer's recommendation and level the mower deck. If you see alternating stripes of taller and shorter turf, slow down while mowing-mowing too fast can cause those stripes. If slowing down doesn't fix the stripes, sharpen or replace the mower blades. Sharpening or replacing the mower blades is also the answer if grass tips look ragged or tattered instead of cleanly cut.
Blade vibration also causes an uneven cut. To eliminate vibration, replace unbalanced blades and worn mandrels. Replace a worn blade belt because a worn belt won't spin the blades correctly. Worn deck idler pulleys can also cause vibration, so replace any deck pulleys that don't spin freely. Check the mower deck for damage and replace the deck if it's bent. Finally, tune up the mower engine if it doesn't run smoothly when mowing.