Vibrating Case 220

[X-Y switch]

Just answered an ad for a Case 220 lawn and garden tractor. The tractor and mower deck are in very good original condition. Started up and ran ok but when driven it has a very bad vibration, I'm sure this is not normal, has anyone had experience with this problem? What measures should be taken to correct it? I'm sure someone will say that a single cylinder engine will vibrate but this is way beyond normal
Thanks for any comments, Harry

 

[casenut1]

Sounds like a spindle is going out on the deck.

 

[Dalex]

Or a damaged blade that's out of balance ...

 

[CKain(MI)]

Was that vibration with the mower deck spinning ?

 

[bradley martin]

Another possibility is the motor mounts are shot. I had that once on a 220 and it took me quite a while to figure out what was causing the vibration. Like the one you describe, it was fine and then all of a sudden it would start vibrating so bad that you would think it was about to throw a rod. Finally figured it out by sticking a pry bar between the engine and frame when it was vibrating and found that a bit of tension on the pry bar stopped the vibrating,

 

[Harry J. Case]

The mower deck was not running when I test ran the tractor and experienced the vibration, probably the motor mounts.

 

[Theodores]

I had a similar situation once. Please check the clucth assembly for engaging the mower deck. More importantly, check the shaft in which
the bearings and spacers ride. Here's what happened in my case. If the bearings wear / cease, the shaft still spins when running, and
because tension exists to power the mower drive-belt, the shaft begins to develop significant groves. If these groves get deep enough, the
shaft gets hot and can actually bend under the belt tension when shut off. This bent shaft then cools and hardens. Then, the next time you
start up the tractor, the oblonged shaft creates quite the vibration, all of the time.
I bought one at an auction that had the issue I described above. It ran great, but felt like it was going to fly apart at idle. I wish I would have
kept the bent shaft, as I'm sure folks will not believe it is possible, but once the bearing wears the shaft in half, it is quite easy to see how it
could bend. It only takes a small bend in the shaft to create a world of vibration. I hope this helps.