Please do tell us the final fix when your issue is resolved. I have a L3301 with 475 hrs and have never had any problems, thankfully so far.
I will print your fix and file in my book for future reference.
rr
Gentlemen (I don’t think there are any ladies on this thread),
I received my starter way early and was able to replace it today. Problem is resolved. Bench tested the old one and it is shot. Will do a post-mortem on it later today to see what might have failed.
Some observations:
This forum is excellent. I really appreciate all the advice.
As the starter and installation is expensive, time-consuming and frustrating (I lost about half my Christianity on this), much troubleshooting preceded the final fix.
Installing a new starter is made difficult by the hydraulic “plumbing” running alongside the location, as well as wires in flexible conduit, and the fact that you cannot see the bolt behind the starter.
Bolt holes are roughly at 5 and 11 o’clock. Bottom one uses a bolt going into a threaded hole; for the top one (which is out of sight), the engine block has a stud that goes through the upper hole of the starter yoke. Your ratchet extenders obviously can’t feel a thing, and likely your hands are too big to get back there, so it’s hit or miss, but so is getting the socket around d the nut to remove the old one.
Grease the stud with locktite; put some plumber’s putty in the socket to keep the nut from falling out while you defy the laws of probability and statistics to get the nut fastened back on. It’s just a matter of fishing around back there and cussing a little.
Voilà.
looking forward to the autopsy on the olde starter. Very curious as to why a factory starter on a 5 year old tractor would fail.
As far as troubleshooting safety switches goes, don’t forget to reconnect any you have bypassed for a valid test. Also, there is a way to check them using the onboard module. Found out after I had done it the old fashion way with my tester.
Finally, and again, thank you to all who offered advice. Painstaking as it was, I learned a lot.
D