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Hey guys, I'm working on fixing up an old cox scout 28 xl and I'm up to the stage where I'm trying to re install the cutter deck (I took the cutter deck off years ago and then the project got put on the back burner) and cannot for the life of me figure out how the linkage works... more specifically the engagement and disengagement of the cutter deck and the cutter brake mechanism. I cannot find any information on the internet about how it should go together. If anyone could maybe provide some photos of how it should look that would be awesome!
Thanks,
Harry

You timed this all wrong
I just sold the only Scout in the yard 2 weeks ago
I did not mean to do it but when I was asked "how much" I just pulled a silly number out of the air and said $ 2000 as is or $ 2500 with new belts blades & bearings
And blow me down he just opened his wallet and passed over 25 nice new green bills
So together we lifted it up and did the full service including the oil which I tossed in for free ( nice guy arn't I )
Anyway the IPL is here cox mowers not that they are much use as they are not the exploded type that give you a complete fitting guide, but the parts are shown in the correct assembly order.
The brake is activated by the deck being pulled back by the disengage lever
There are 2 types of brake rod that could be fitted to your mower
One is simply a rod with a right angel bend on the front & the other has a hook
On both types the brake lever end is the same but on the above type the front goes into a tab welded to the frame above the front tie rods which makes it a bugger to get at
The earlier version, the front is just a hook the slips over one of the front deck arms that run left right and from memory it hooks over the top one
Very important that the open end of the hook goes down or it can fall off during mowing
The deck end goes into the top hole on the bell crank so that as the deck goes backwards the rod pulls the lever forward which makes the pad rise and bear against the underside of the deck pulley
And remember Cox use plain A & B section belts
If you intend to use this mower, make sure that the drive cone moves square against the cast iron discs
All of the ones that have come in here , the guide plate has been very worn along with hole for pivot end of the clutch holder so it twisted .
This makes it very loud when used and damages the clutch discs beyond repair.
The last 5 Coxes I have done clutch cone replacements all needed to have that pivot bolt cut out as it was corroded solid in place
All future ones will get a steel bush with a grease nipple and a pair of replaceable thrust washers.
You will probably find the top hole very oval as well but what do you expect from a 40 year old mower

Cox did not change many parts over the years and I just checked the IPL from the new web page & see that most Scout & Scout XL drawings say "Stockman"
This is of course because the current production parts are the same as the originals and the original manuals were were spirit copies so were probably no longer good enough to scan & reproduce

Still a majority family owned company &the last time I rang them they were very helpful.
You tend to have a llot of product pride when it is your family name on the side of the mower

Thanks alot for the detailed reply. I think I've figured out where the brake linkage goes. Have you got any insight on where the engage/disengage turn buckle looking thing goes? I figure it must locate above the cutter drive pulley as it must push the deck backwards and up whilst camming over. There is a high chance that it's missing a part and never worked when I got it a few years ago. I notice that there is an empty mounting hole on the rear side of the blade spindle and im wondering if there is supposed to something there that comes up above the pulley for the linkage to attach to. Thanks again

When I have a few minutes I will take some shots of the Compact in the yard at the moment
The set up on the decks is the same on all of them
The hole in the middle of the rear cross brace on the deck behind the spindle is for the rear deck hanger
You adjust it to compensate for belt wear ( no one ever does ) and next to it is the deck stop to prevent the deck rising up far enough to foul the engine belt on front engine mowers so yours might not have one



Deck engagement links, blades off then blades on


Now the brake link
Mine goes into the tab shown, yours hooks over the bar directly under it
And the connection at the other end


Finally the deck spring
This is the one that does all the work tensioning the belt and is probably missing on your mower

Great, thats some good information. I think the brake is in the right place judging from the rub marks on the material. I have taken a few shots of where I'm at with it at the moment. I took the brake off for one shot so you can see the cutter engage link. Also note the broken part on the cutter spindle housing. I figure that would have been a belt guide or similar. I replaced the bearings in the cutter spindle and I think I may have put it back on 180 degrees from where it was before so I'll probably have to change that.

Yep the spindle housing is 90 degrees around the wrong way
The fins should be left right across the deck and the holes are for the 2 belt kepers, one of which appears to be missing and the other is broken off
The deck tension spring goes from the drag link down to the deck
Yours looks like it is running from the drag ling up to the frame