From 40 years ago: Power Drive 21 Mower

[jeclose]

Of course you've never heard of it - it dates from the late 70s/early 80s. It's a self-propelled mower that is gear-driven (no belts) with a PTO to the rear wheels. Maybe someone out there knows something: I'm trying to revive this mower that belonged to my father. I've got the engine running again, but I can't get the gear-drive that propels the rear wheels to transmit power to the wheels. There's the faintest transmission of power, that I can easily stop with the sole of my foot. What's driving me crazy is that the PTO seems to be transferring power to the gear case okay, and the gear case is transferring power to the axle, but that's where it ends. I've checked and double-checked the wheels - the pawls that lock the wheels to the axle are intact, but it still doesn't want to get power to the rear wheels.

I'm flummoxed - maybe someone here has some ideas or suggestions that I've overlooked?

 

[olgeezershonda]

I'm not familiar with it so I'm just guessing. Is there a clutch that might be slipping? A drive cable that needs to be adjusted perhaps?

To help others is this photo close to what your dad had?

 

[Rivets]

Is the model number TY21SM? If not please post the model number. Have you checked to see if the drive gear pin, by the rear wheels, is in and not broken?

 

[jeclose]

Yes, indeed - that's the mower. There is no clutch per se, but there is a cable that starts and stops the PTO from the engine, so I guess that might be termed a "clutch". That is working fine. Otherwise, it's a straight mechanical connection from the PTO to the gear case, to the wheels. I thought maybe the pawls in the wheels axles were inserted wrong, but I took the wheels off, reinserted them, and they "grab" the wheels on to the axle just fine. I just can't figure out why the power doesn't get transmitted all the way through, unless there's something happening in the gear case that has escaped me, but I also gave that a thorough going-over.

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I'm not familiar with it so I'm just guessing. Is there a clutch that might be slipping? A drive cable that needs to be adjusted perhaps?

To help others is this photo close to what your dad had?
View attachment 58607

 

[Rivets]

Model number please.

 

[olgeezershonda]

A 'clutch' is somewhat generic term and it could be defined as something as simple as a pulley being engaged against a belt. But yes please include its model and serial number.