How to relpace a shift cable on a older mtd yard bug mower

SOURCE: I have an mtd yard man mower that wont stay

I was having the exact same problem with my 6.5 hp Toro lawnmower with a Tecumseh engine. The engine would start up okay but after a few minutes of mowing, the mower would start missing and eventually shut down. I would pull and pull and pull on the starter rope, getting angry and frustrated and eventually going back in the house to let it cool down.

I looked up all kinds of information and I finally decided it was a bad coil (something about the resistance being low when the mower wasn't hot and then when it heated up the coil would conduct enough electricity to somehow make the engine shut down.)

I called a local shop and wanted to get an estimate on replacing the coil. I have no clue about engines so I dared not get into the guts of the mower myself. He told me to check the gas cap. HUH??????

He told me to make sure there wasn't a part missing out of it. I thought, what the heck would a gas cap have to do with the engine shutting down. Well, apparently there is a mechanism on these caps that prevents a vacuum from pulling on the fuel system and my gas cap indeed had a part missing. To verify this, I cut the grass for about 5 minutes. When it started to run rough, I took the gas cap off to allow pressure to escape from the gas tank and voila! it started to purr like a kitten.

So, I'm only out $4 for a new gas cap and I'm as good as new. Man I wish I was more mechanically inclined so I hope your problem is as easy to solve as this one.

Hope this helps!

SOURCE: Broken shift cable for Yard Bug

I had the same problem with the shifter cable braking.They were very expensive to replace.My cable tube(the outer part with the adjustable nuts) was still good.The cable itself was broken.I went to the nieghborhood hardware store and bought a length of cable of the correct size.I then used an electrical eyelet at each end (the eyelet has place to slide wire into it then it get crimped to hold the wire,also it has a hole in it so a screw or bolt can go through to hold it in place.I connected an eyelet to one end of cable,2nd I fed the cable through the tube,3rd, I put a screw through the hole were the cable connect to the shift linkage(@ trans),4th placed the eyelet on the screw 5th then placed the nut on the screw .At end of cable where shift nob is I placed an eyelet where the cable originally went,Pulled the new cable through taking out ALL the slack,Marked cable then crimped it,placed nut on screw.It works like new.MAKE SURE THE LINKAGE and SHIFT NOB ARE IN NUTURAL POSITION

SOURCE: Yard Machines - Won't shift into gear

The problem most likely is the shaft on which the interlock slides back and forth on inside the transmission. The yardmachines have a continous spinning shaft which ends in a bevel gear. The is an interlock plate which is connected to the Forward Reverse shift lever, this plate slides back and forth and either engages the forward gear or the backward gear. This shaft is most likely galled up, preventing everything from sliding the way it needs to. This is not a difficult thing to fix if you are somewhat mechanical. Disassemble the transmission and check if everything slides

SOURCE: mtd yard bug model - 198707 riding lawn mower blade belt size?

I dont know the belt size but if you go to mtd belts in Jackssmallengines.com you should find it. Stephen.

SOURCE: MTD Yard Machines 22'' mower, pull cord won't extend

From what you describe it sounds like the line may be tangled, remove the rewind housing in order to inspect the line up close.