Westwood T1200

[bertsmobile1]

A UK manufacturer that did not get gobbled up by the EU Global Garden Products ( formally known as Stiga ) conglomerate and according to their web page , now part of Ariens .
When Husqvarna split off it triggered a massive reorganization of the EU lawn & garden factories .
Husqvarna bought a lot of their contract manufacturers so you had the same situation as the USA when Husqvarna bought AYP .
So all of the smaller factories had to either merge or become uneconomic .
IF you want to get an idea of just how many brands were made in Europe then go to Ebay Italy, France or Germany and search for mowers

 

[clicon357]

How about a couple more pictures of the mower. Curious about this machine, never heard of one. Inquiring minds........

Common as muck in these parts. This one was a freebie for me. They will literally be lying abandoned pretty much in peoples gardens.

https://flic.kr/p/NyosoK

https://flic.kr/p/2bdvwLE

 

[clicon357]

Well...the repaired mower deck is good but the mower gearbox isn't well. Factory filled apparently with (mega expensive) Bentonite lubricant and then the casing sealed with "Permatex 599 Ultra Gray". It changes up/down OK but it feels like something is slipping in the gearbox, it's SO slow. Belt is not slipping.

Went off to a neighbours yesterday to rescue the seemingly good gearbox from an abandoned mower that hit a stump and has the front end all bent up. (Social distancing on a 5 acre plot is not an issue btw ). There were in fact two similar mowers there. Both in a very sorry state. I had permission to turn both over on their bonnets.

The salvaged Peerless (American made) "crash" gearbox c/w wheels/tyres removed and back home sitting atop my mower after a cursory jet wash and attempt to pump the tyres up. The nuts and bolts that attach the gearbox have been put in an open topped plastic bag and lowered into the citric acid barrel for it to work it's magic. Of the two salvaged wheels one pumped up OK to 10psi the other is all cracked and leaking like a sieve.



Typically as is the case with these mowers the n/s rear wheel was seized solid on the shaft of this salvaged gearbox/axle. (People will bin them just for this). Lucky tbh it's not both wheels stuck as was the case with my mower under the tarp. I managed way back to get the o/s wheel off as it's that you have to remove to access the brake caliper. I still have to get the n/s off of mine, not done as its a mission but I'll have to now. Sods Law the stuck wheel on the salvage axle had the perished tyre. The stuck wheel on my mower has the good tyre!

So that was one problem to sort. Sat it upright with copious amounts 3 in 1 & penetrating oil on the end of the shaft hoping it'd seep down. Left it a couple of hours then the stuck wheel came off after some persuasion involving a pair of trestles, two pieces of 4x2, a drift and a hammer. Actually easier than with the gear box in situ. Shafts all emery clothed and lubed. Bosses in the citric acid bath.



Next problem:

The gear change rod attaches to this lug atop the gearbox (yellow gearbox filler bung just behind):


That won't move for me to check the gear changes until I can un-seize the brake which is solid.:



It was this that stumped me for a while on mine until a mate in the States kindly sourced me a new caliper from over there. That's on, working a treat and all lubed up on my mower with the now suspect gearbox. Needs to likely come off and go on this salvaged one. The problem is the aluminium caliper and two fixing bolts etc become "one" through the corrosion. Last time I sheared the heads of both bolts I'm pointing to. Again I've lubed it up with penetrating oil and I'll come back to it.

Just waiting for the brake to free up! Might end up barrowing it to another neighbour and trying his oxy torch on it if MAPP gas doesnt help.

Tried getting the rusted pulley off the gearbox but the circlip just disintegrated and the pulley wouldn't budge. More penetrating oil, more waiting, can't find my really big gear puller either!

 

[clicon357]

Before deciding to change the gearbox I propped the rear of mine up on axle stands then took the rear o/s wheel off exposing the brake / clutch. Started her up and changed gear. You can see the shaft speeding up/slowing down as you change gear. All looks good.

However...when driving, 1, 2, 3 & 4 are so slow its painful. 5th gear shows promise but it sort of kangaroos a bit. If you hold the gear select lever down a tad it goes faster in 5th gear and doesn't kangaroo. I wonder if there's wear where the gear linkage attaches to the gearbox. Or whether i need to adjust the brake rod?

 

[bertsmobile1]

The box is a constant mesh, not crash and changing gears while moving will usually break the tabs off the shift keys .
When this happens, the mower usually goes nowhere but occasionally will drive very slow till the last remenants of the keys are ground away .
The shift keys and most gears are still available.

Next time you pull a brake off, leave the arm in place and just undo the caliper.
The bolt in the center is for adjusting the brake

Chances are your old box will be repairable at a reasonable cost.
Get your gear greas from a tractor or farm supply shop it will be a lot cheaper from them than an auto parts store or mower shop.
Bentonite grease is what most axel greases are, the stuff that is yellow/brown in colour & smells bad.

 

[clicon357]

The box is a constant mesh, not crash and changing gears while moving will usually break the tabs off the shift keys .
When this happens, the mower usually goes nowhere but occasionally will drive very slow till the last remenants of the keys are ground away .
The shift keys and most gears are still available.

Next time you pull a brake off, leave the arm in place and just undo the caliper.
The bolt in the center is for adjusting the brake

Chances are your old box will be repairable at a reasonable cost.
Get your gear greas from a tractor or farm supply shop it will be a lot cheaper from them than an auto parts store or mower shop.
Bentonite grease is what most axel greases are, the stuff that is yellow/brown in colour & smells bad.

Thanks for that. Not sure if it helps in diagnosing but I propped the rear of mine up on axle stands then took the rear o/s wheel off exposing the brake / clutch. Started her up and changed up / down through the gears. You can see the shaft speeding up/slowing down as you change gear. All looks good.

However...when driving, as in under load 1, 2, 3 & 4 are so slow its painful. 5th gear shows promise but it sort of kangaroos a bit. If you hold the gear select lever down a tad it goes faster in 5th gear and doesn't kangaroo. I wonder if there's wear where the gear linkage attaches to the gearbox. Or whether i need to adjust the brake rod?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Do yourself a favour and download a copy of the Tecumseh/ peerless technical manual .
You can get one from the K & T parts Warehouse Web page .
IPL's are a bit harder to come across.
When there is no load on the rear wheels the box works as it should but when there is load on it, it slips.
Split your box apart, it is not difficult but it helps if you give it a good scrub or bath from a pressure washer first .
There are leverage points cast into the box , just take your time and you will be fine.
When you see how they work it will be blindingly obvious but trying t explain them never works.
They ae quite similar to a motorcycle gear box which is also constant mesh .
Last time I did a set of shift keys I charged the customer $ 30 ( Aus ) for the keys & $ 100 for labour .
I use lighter grease in the box which I buy from Tractor Supply in 25 L drums for the same price as 2 x 1kg tubs from Super Cheap & Nasty Car parts.
THe top pulley can stay in place as it comes out with the top cover and once apart you can get stuck into the shaft to remove the pulley.
THe pulley is still available as is the input shaft although I got mine from the UK because including freight it was 1/2 the price of buying retain in OZ .

Getting back to the brake,
The disc is on a spline and works on the layshaft.
With the belt on the input shaft and the layshaft locked then the diff also locks so one wheel turns in each direction so you go nowhere .
The pins do rust solid in the caliper over time
I generally take the caliper off then press them out while applying liberal amounts of heat.
On the subject of head, liberal aoplications to the box should free up those caliper bolts as well
Install with some never sieze to prevent them rusting in solid or replace with marine grade stainless ones.
The pins need to be polished smooth the lubed with some dry lithium chassis grease , CRC does the best then allowed to dry off before assembly .
Also make sue yu do not loose the shim which sits behind the inner brake pad ,

 

[clicon357]

Managed to shear one caliper bolt flush with the gearbox ? Other one sheared but enough sticking out so I can get mole grips on it. It'll move left/right a bit but won't turn. Drilling / retapping now. Off to find the easy outs. At least I can see the gearbox ID plate that's still on there.



Edit: Just sheared the second bolt!

 

[clicon357]

Well this mower is fighting me all the way!

Seems that although the gearboxes are the same, my original one has tapped fixing holes into the ali gearbox. On the donor gearbox these are pilot drilled (I hope to the right size) and not tapped as the gearbox attaches a different way.

And to boot they're UNC. Just hoping I have the taps!

This is mine. One bolt came out OK. The remaining one feels like it's going to shear. Not the end of the World as it'll be sheared in the duff gearbox which is to go on the bench for stripping and I can drill it out and re tap at my leisure.



This is the donor, holes need tapping:



Managed to drill out the caliper bolts and re tap. I think they're 1/4" 20tpi UNC originally. Got some plated 1/4" BSW bolts (off an old bunk bed) that fit near as and what I used on the brake on my own mower, cut down as projecting studs with a couple of nuts on.

I presume when splitting these gearboxes it's ok to use one of the instant gaskets like this?

 

[clicon357]

Looking at re tapping the bolts into the gearbox this morning.

The removed bolt measures 5/16" outside diameter. Teeth per inch is 18. So from my trusty Zeus book that makes it 5/16" BSW or 5/16-18 UNC. This Peerless gearbox being American I'd go for it being UNC.

(BSW have 55deg and UNC 60deg thread angles. In the rough and ready circles it's considered acceptable to interchange bolts as all but the 1/2" size interchange from memory. 1/2" BSW is 12tpi, 1/2" UNC is 13tpi. There's other differences in the thread tips are pointed on one and rounded on the other).

I only have taps for UNC but likely to be one bolt down anyway if (when) this next one shears.

The holes in the gearbox measures up 9/32" as far as I can tell. So 7.32mm in new money.

Recommended tapping hole sizes are 6.4/6.5mm for BSW and 6.5/6.6mm for UNC. I'm guessing these holes have grown a bit through corrosion.

I'm tempted to drill out the 7.32mm holes to 8.2mm and re tap at M10 metric coarse. Not sure that tapping M8 will be "grippy" enough in there. M8 requires a 6.8mm tapping hole and I'm at 7.32mm.

Thinking M10 will be a bit "chunkier".

Or I get some UNC bolts...

Any thoughts to push me one way or the other?