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I'm trying to understand / fix the brakes on my Craftsman lawn tractor.

The understand part is that every place I've found pictures/video/instructions covers adjustments using nuts on a threaded rod - even the sites that show what appears to be the same brake assembly as mine. I don't appear to have this system to adjust. I assume this is because of the model with combined clutch and brake, but I just wanted to check to see if I'm crazy. Is this approach normal for some models?


The fix part is that I need to replace some parts in the brake assembly. I would probably replace the whole thing if I could find it at a reasonable price. I'm not absolutely certain if I have everything identified properly - mostly on the transaxle schematic on the Parts Direct site, but some parts may be on the ground drive part. Is there anywhere to buy a complete assembly? Less than the $67 that's currently in the shopping cart? I'll be double checking what I have chosen in any case. Are the parts that are shown with a single number with 2 pieces (pins and brake pads) indeed two for the price shown?

Without a rod that can be adjusted, it looks like the brakes are more likely to get out of whack - which is what's happened to mine - although perhaps if I'd looked harder sooner I might have found information about adjusting the disk brakes themselves (not user adjustable according to the manual), and had fewer issues.

Thanks
Mike

Looking at your transmission to me it looks like an 800 or 820 series Peerless tranny. If you look closely at the side of the tranny, near the axles, you will find the model number. With that I can find you a good parts breakdown. This is a manual which might help. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Tecumseh-Peerless-Transmissions-Transaxles-Differentials-Gear-Boxs/

Rivets said:

Looking at your transmission to me it looks like an 800 or 820 series Peerless tranny. If you look closely at the side of the tranny, near the axles, you will find the model number. With that I can find you a good parts breakdown. This is a manual which might help. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Tecumseh-Peerless-Transmissions-Transaxles-Differentials-Gear-Boxs/

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Thanks @Rivets. It looks like you are correct about the transmission being Peerless. There is a sticker with the following information:

PEERLESS

I didn't have a lot of luck with the link you posted. It looked like it is individual pages as PDFs. Some can be accessed, but some generate warnings of corrupt files. I tried searching different ways, but couldn't see anything about brakes or brake assembly.

Sorry about the link, try this one. Go to free manuals, then Tecumseh, look for Peerless manual. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/

I had to put this on hold for several weeks. So naturally the grass is a jungle.

I figured out the relevant diagrams (close enough), took everything off / apart that I could, and cleaned. Where I'm stuck now is with the brake disk on the transmission which I haven't been able to remove. It's about 2 1/2 inches diameter, 3/16" thick

How do I remove the disk to take a look at the brake pad? I have a large gear puller, but it's too big to be able to get behind securely, and having 3 cast arms doesn't help.

Do I need a gear puller, or can I pull off the disk somehow using other tools without mangling the disk beyond use? If I need a puller, any recommendations for type? Obviously i can figure out the size, but some of what I'm seeing for small disks look like model equipment that won't be up to the job. Others are pretty expensive for what should be a one-off. Some places say a hammer could be enough to free it, other places have horror stories (about car brakes) such as the part coming off with such force that it went through the garage wall.


I assume that when this is done the disk should be able to move along the shaft relatively freely?

Thanks
Mike

Degreaser followed by some heat followed by rust remover .
Clean the spline as best you can, I use a cup brush on the Dremel tool.
Put some levers or wedges ( builders window wedges work well for this ) behind the disc to put a load on it the TAP ( not bash or smash ) the end of the splined shaft using a hardwood drift so you don't bur over the ends of the spline.
Tap the wedges in further then tap the shaft.
When you get it off, clean the splines & apply some copper anti-sieze before reassembly.
It is very common to find the disc rusted solid t the shaft as only good mechanics lube it during a service.
I am yet to find a "I service it myself "owner who has even seen the brake let alone lubed it.

Finding penetrating fluids mostly a waste of time on rusted parts I made a puller to do mine. Mower brake pads can be made from discarded automotive brakes.

@SeniorCitizen - that's given me some ideas - thanks. If I'm interpreting correctly, you tapped into either the disk itself, or something behind that could pull the disk forward. I might try wedges (thanks @BertsMobile1) or a pry bar before getting that drastic. Or, this https://www.harborfreight.com/bolt-type-wheel-puller-set-62620.html from Harbor Freight might do the trick in the 2 puller configuration - although the parts that fit behind the disk might have to be ground down because there isn't much room.

Fixing the brakes is the main reason for what I'm doing. The ground is very steep, and without any brakes I can't rely on the tractor just stopping at the bottom. And it's no longer safe on the driveway.

Thanks
Mike

Yes, drilled 1/4" holes and taped those with a 5/16" NF (fine) tap. Place a socket smaller than the shaft between the bar stock and the shaft end. Screw 5/16 bolts in evenly and you may need to graduate to a little longer socket as pulling progresses. That rotor must slide free on the splines and careful cleaning plus lube will take care of that.

SeniorCitizen said:

Finding penetrating fluids mostly a waste of time on rusted parts I made a puller to do mine. Mower brake pads can be made from discarded automotive brakes.

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OOH, I like that.
Yes penetrating fluid is for things that are stuck, not things that are rusted together.
Rust remover is generally HCl based and dissolves the rust leaving a space where the rust was.
I am loathed to suggest HCl as of course it will generate Hydrogen gas , burn fingers and if it gets into the box emulsify the grease.
If some of the splines are very thin it might also remove some good steel.

Note I said REMOVER, not Converter.
Converters are Phosphate based and of course leave a thick coating of Iron phosphide which is just as good at gluing the parts together as the rust.

Grease & oils ( penetrating fluids are oils ) will prevent the converter from reacting with the rust.

And for the USA readers Muriatic acid ( pool acid ) is HCl of a lower purity which is why it is generally light green.

I finally got the rotor off. I didn't want to drill into it if I could avoid it, so took quite a while researching and asking questions on Amazon. None of the products looked as if they would definitely work, and the answers weren't solid. I could have bought and returned, but thought that seeing pullers in a store might be good.

Harbor Freight didn't have anything better than I already had (cast arms too big). I did learn that the pullers I thought might work were designed for tapped holes.

Next stop Autozone, who rents tools but didn't have anything better.

Then finally O'Reilly, who also rents. I got an Evertough 2/3 jaw 2 ton puller with a jaw small enough to fit behind the rotor. I wasn't able to get the rotor off without heat, which meant another trip because I'd mislaid my propane blowtorch kit. It didn't take a lot of heat, and now there is some clean up to do, plus anti-seize fluid (so O'Reilly will make something even if my rental charge is $0 because I'll return in the 48hr window).

I don't think I'll need the puller again in a hurry, but here's pretty much the same thing (can't find it on O'Reilly) for $41. https://www.amazon.com/OEMTOOLS-25919-Long-Gear-Puller/dp/B0014WDK5A I used it in 3 jaw mode because there was enough room but I like the 2/3/ jaw flexibility.

Hopefully I can get it back together this weekend (with the old brake pads which don't have much wear).

Thanks for the help and ideas!

It's good to see progress.

Now you qualify for removing a 4 ft. diameter Bull Wheel from a 2" shaft with 2 rose bud tipped torches heating for bout a half hour. :thumbsup:

The problem with jaw pullers like the one you linked to is they are dsesigned to pull of thick things like gears which do not flex.
The approach Senior Citizen took is the better way to go.
All of the engine companies make flywheel pullers exactly the same and I have checked the Briggs small engine puller will work perfectly on the brake rotor.
A jaw puller on something thin like a disc or even worse a pulley tends to bend what it is pulling into a cupped shape.
Doing that actually pinches the item harder onto the shaft.
Pulling from closer to the hub tends to pull straiter so the front edge of the hole does not pinch onto the shaft anywhere near as much .
You will probably find the brake, once the disc can float as intended will work really well.
It is no surprise that you found little to no wear on the rear pad.
When you reassemble make sure you pay attention to the pins, they must be very clean.
I like to polish them then apply some dry lube to them

I've seen what I assumed experienced mechanics do this type of pulling completely wrong more times than not. They heat nearly cherry red where the piece is stuck then put the pullers on. By this time the shaft is also hot. Better, apply the pullers and screw a reasonable torque then apply the heat to the outer periphery of the component to be removed.

I've see many times the part begins to move when the piece can still be touched next to the shaft with the bare hand. That inner part next to the shaft cannot expand until that outer section has expanded. Heating the outer periphery actually draws the metal away from the shaft while that inner metal is still relatively cool. On this disc in question we're only talken maybe 0.0005" expansion while press fits may be in the range of 0.001" / inch of shaft diameter.