L100 5 Speed. No brakes and Stays in Neutral

[JonnyBlaze]

MODEL L100A. Working on a JD L100. Just replaced the camshaft now dealing with a brake/transaxle issue. The brake doesn't work and the tractor rolls freely when turned off and in gear and doesn't move when turned on and in gear. There is tension on the belt when parking brake is off. I see the pulley on the trans turning when its running. I removed the caliper to see if the two pins were stuck and they are not.

Is the brake rotor supposed to turn when moving the tractor back and forth? It doesn't move so I can see why the brake wouldn't work in that regard. What do I need to do?

More to the story: This is the second trans I put in it because I though the first one was junk as it was doing the exact same thing. But now I'm not so sure...

 

[Luffydog]

have you checked the keyway on the rear axle

 

[JonnyBlaze]

have you checked the keyway on the rear axle

If you mean for the wheels, yes.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

I see the pulley turning on trans as well.

 

[bertsmobile1]

That model was fitted with a mechanical 5 speed constant mesh gear box.
To change gears, you have to stop dead then shift , a method of drive which seems to be beyond the understanding of the highly educated people now days
When you try to shift while it is moving you rip the dogs of the shifting keys and if you are really lucky smash a few gears as well.

The box has 5 gears on one shaft that are fixed and always engaged with another 5 gears on the other shaft like the image below

This is called a constant mesh box because all of the gears are always meshed with each others.
The lay shaft has 2 groves running full length and in the groves are sliding keys that lock one gear to the shaft to make the mower drive as shown below
The long thin things are the keys

These keys have broken off so the 5 gears just free wheel on the shaft and the mower goes nowhere.
The brake works on the layshaft so while it will be locked solid, because the gears on the layshaft are all spinning freely on the shaft there is nothing to stop the main shaft from turning.

As easy fix but very messy as you have to split the oil ( or grease ) filled tranny

 

[JonnyBlaze]

That model was fitted with a mechanical 5 speed constant mesh gear box.
To change gears, you have to stop dead then shift , a method of drive which seems to be beyond the understanding of the highly educated people now days
When you try to shift while it is moving you rip the dogs of the shifting keys and if you are really lucky smash a few gears as well.

The box has 5 gears on one shaft that are fixed and always engaged with another 5 gears on the other shaft like the image below
View attachment 37507
This is called a constant mesh box because all of the gears are always meshed with each others.
The lay shaft has 2 groves running full length and in the groves are sliding keys that lock one gear to the shaft to make the mower drive as shown below
The long thin things are the keys
View attachment 37508
These keys have broken off so the 5 gears just free wheel on the shaft and the mower goes nowhere.
The brake works on the layshaft so while it will be locked solid, because the gears on the layshaft are all spinning freely on the shaft there is nothing to stop the main shaft from turning.
View attachment 37506
As easy fix but very messy as you have to split the oil ( or grease ) filled tranny

Thanks for the info. What are the chances both trans are bad?

 

[JonnyBlaze]

I got it fixed. Based on your info, I decided to turn the pulley by hand and I saw the axle moving on the one I took out. Grabbed the axle and tried to hold it still and it still turned. I then did the same to the second trans and it slipped while I was turning the pulley. So I put the original one back in and pulled the brake off the bad trans and put it on the original and works like a charm! Thanks again!

 

[bertsmobile1]

Good to see you got it fixed,
Heed the warning about changing without the mower at a dead stop.

Pull the spare tranny apart while it is out and see what is wrong.
A lot of people like those boxes in particular the mower racers.
Good thing is they will run for centuries with little more than the odd regrease and occasional wheel oil seal

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Good to see you got it fixed,
Heed the warning about changing without the mower at a dead stop.

Pull the spare tranny apart while it is out and see what is wrong.
A lot of people like those boxes in particular the mower racers.
Good thing is they will run for centuries with little more than the odd regrease and occasional wheel oil seal

Will do. Thanks.

Only thing I dont like is that it engages at the top of the pedal and launches. I googled it and see threads of similar complaints but no solutions... It does it whether the throttle lever is on fast or slow.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Will do. Thanks.

Only thing I dont like is that it engages at the top of the pedal and launches. I googled it and see threads of similar complaints but no solutions... It does it whether the throttle lever is on fast or slow.

You have one pedal that doubles as the clutch and the brake.
The clutching is nothing more than making the belt go slack so it slips on one of the pulleys ( usually engine pulley ).
The brake, you have already worked out.
Generally the brake lever is moved by a spring on the rod which has an adjustment nut for adjustment.
So you can adjust the brake so it comes in just as the clutch releases.
There is a second adjustment on the brake arm itself, that is the big nut on the brake lever, it is very sensitive so you move it little bit , then check.

Ideally if you are on a hill pointing upwards the clutch should engage and drive you forward before the brake releases fully and allows you to roll backwards.

I have a lot of very old people iny repair run and am forever backing off brakes & adjusting clutches to be less severe as most have bad backs.