Gear speed lever - fitting issue ?

donnybegood

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Hi and thankyou for reading this.

I purchased a used Weedeater One (Mowcart 66) a couple of months ago and just finished fitting a new transaxle to it.

During disassembly a month back, I had to disconnect the long gear speed motion control lever (handle) on the right hand side of the drivers seat from the short selector lever at the transaxle and didn't take any notice of the long lever's amount of tension in the plastic housing slots, adjacent to the driver's seat.

When I went to refit the long motion lever to the short transaxle lever yesterday, it appears its tension in the selector slots in the plastic housing adjacent to the seat is obtained only by the (forced) inward bending of the short lever extension on the transaxle, which puts a lot of pressure on the transaxle end selector bush etc.

It would be possible, but difficult to fit and tighten the long lever handle to the short transaxle lever with so much tension happening.

I thought "that much tension cant be right", so as its possible to undo 2 x screws on the long lever and turn the long lever handle around 180 degrees (its not a straight handle - has bends), I did so.

It then lines up well with the short transaxle end lever...... but the long handle doesn't retain in the speed selector slots in the plastic housing next to the drivers seat properly, as there is next to no tension now on the long handle.

So Im thinking, turn the long lever back around 180 degree like it was...... remove the large plastic housing with the speed selection slots in it next to the drivers seat …...then fit the long lever to the short lever on the transaxle with no tension now in play (as its now not located in the plastic housing slots)...... and then slide the slotted housing over the top of the long lever handle, engaging it into one of the slots, and use some pressure to line up and refit the housing ?

Can anyone clear this up for me please ?
 
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bertsmobile1

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:welcome:

So we are talking about parts # 33 & # 34 in the image below.
iplimage.gif

Correct fitting is as per the diagram.
If you have fitted the transmission correctly and it is not too far to the left , then bend the lever or use longer mounting bolts with spacers to move it to the right a bit.
 

donnybegood

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donnybegood

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:welcome:

So we are talking about parts # 33 & # 34 in the image below.
View attachment 42830

Correct fitting is as per the diagram.
If you have fitted the transmission correctly and it is not too far to the left , then bend the lever or use longer mounting bolts with spacers to move it to the right a bit.

Thanks again Bert. Yes that's the parts.

The transmission assembly slides ono guide rails attached to the tubular frame, and then bolted in to the side plates, i.e. it cant go left or right in the frame. The assembly even came with installation instructions. I say "even" because this mower has no workshop manual available, which gets a lot of owner's gripes.

I will probably add the spacers as you suggest. I assume the manufacturer wanted to be real sure you couldn't accidently change gear on the fly with your knee. The Owner's Manual says not to change speed while moving, so there may be a connection here as the transmission is not built to tank specs.

I'll post some photos when I finish the whole thing ( got to pull the deck off and check it all out yet) of how I fitted grease nipples to the diff shaft each end, and to the wheels. Getting access for the grease gun to the diff shaft nipples was the hardest part.

regards,
Don
 

bertsmobile1

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Don,
If the mower has gears, never ever change gears while the mower is moving.
A mower gear box is a constant mesh type.
Every pair of gears are engaged with each other ,
One shaft all the gears are fixed and on the other all the gears free wheel.
There is a key in a keyway that locks one of the gears to the shaft. so that pair of gears are driving the mower.
The keys are easily broken,
Looking at the diagram, there is nothing holding the change rod into the shift gate on the mudguard.
The position of the change shaft is the only things that holds the shift key in place.
Unlike say a motorcycle gearbox where gears have self locking dogs to hold them together the mower gearbox has nothing but the shift rod.
All that it does is move the keys in or out so having a lot of force on it is no real problem as it only moves when you change gears and there is nothing rotating against it.
They sell millions of these units every year so the set up must be OK .
 

donnybegood

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Don,
If the mower has gears, never ever change gears while the mower is moving.
A mower gear box is a constant mesh type.
Every pair of gears are engaged with each other ,
One shaft all the gears are fixed and on the other all the gears free wheel.
There is a key in a keyway that locks one of the gears to the shaft. so that pair of gears are driving the mower.
The keys are easily broken,
Looking at the diagram, there is nothing holding the change rod into the shift gate on the mudguard.
The position of the change shaft is the only things that holds the shift key in place.
Unlike say a motorcycle gearbox where gears have self locking dogs to hold them together the mower gearbox has nothing but the shift rod.
All that it does is move the keys in or out so having a lot of force on it is no real problem as it only moves when you change gears and there is nothing rotating against it.
They sell millions of these units every year so the set up must be OK .[/QUOTE
Thanks Bert. yep, I remember motorbike gearboxes and those initial engaging dogs from my earlier days. A sort of syncromesh, hey ?

I think in this Mowcart/ Weedeater One design, the manufacturer doesn't want you moving a rotating vertical friction wheel on the input shaft across the face of the horizontally rotating face of the friction disc on the bottom of the engine belt pulley, unless you put the' clutch' in and separate the two.

I think the speed selection notches alter the gearing, so to speak, by moving the friction wheel from, eg. the centre of the friction disc towards its outward circumference.

In some ways I'm impressed with the design, but generally, its not made to last or to be adjusted. Pity really, as grease nipples and chain tensioners are not space technology and not costly in mass production !

I double checked the orientation of the motion selector handle and as you deduced, it was correct in the first place. It will certainly have tension in the selector slots !

Thanks again ,
Don
 
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