Wolesely clearway

[vhgmcbuddy]

Ok here are some pics to view and help my puzzling conundrum! Idon’t fancy walking backwards to mow!!

Attachments:

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

[vhgmcbuddy]

Maybe I have a fusion of three different beasts!!

maybe the gearbox and main lower body isn.t even Wolesely?

I have noticed underneath the cutting blade there is the distinctive yellow paint colours of the old Clearways….

The last owner sold it to me as obviously non runner, I soon noticed there were multiple weird things like coil fitted back to front and internal parts to carburettor missing.. Think someone had a go and maybe put something back to front within the gearbox? I see no option visually or mechanically how To have the gearbox drive wheel turn the other way without turning the engine upside down so it turns the other way! It must be internal in gearbox or am I missing something really obvious? maybe I’m lacing it up wrong as I’m fitting this with no clear diagrams relative to this model..

[wristpin]

Now you tell us! Time to stop the talk and post a few decent images of the mechanicals.

[vhgmcbuddy]

I thought I did above my previous post you just replied to?

[vhgmcbuddy]

Here are pics

[trusty220]

Looking at the set-up of the belt drive to the mower deck, does the blade rotate in the right direction or does it go backwards as well? Look for the sharpened cutting edge on the blade to see if it is going the right way.

It may well be that somebody has put the wrong replacement engine on it with the rotation going the wrong way.

[dorigny]

Is there another belt missing. ? that gives forward drive via the large rear pulley. Is there a jockey pulley just visible low down in image 2.?
I’m thinking that at the moment it is operating with fibre wheel into the rear pulley in the same way as the reverse, Back Out, function of older Merry Tiller operated.

I was aware of a mechanical drive Clearway pre the Hydrostat HS30 but other than a couple of online photos I haven’t seen one, as in to work on.

One image online shows I believe a Kohler engine on a mechanical drive one.

C.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Yes the blade definitely rotates the right way and can only rotate that way as it’s edged only on one side, which is to say you couldn’t turn it upside down either at it would bend up and hit the blade cover. So I am sure the engine is turning it the right way…

[vhgmcbuddy]

I think the jockey pulley basically comes up and tightens the slack looking belt and forces it into drive

[dorigny]

My thought was based on my thinking that the existing short belt was tightened into drive by its rear pulley being drawn back which thus also puts the “fibre” wheel into drive within the large gearbox pulley.

..and then, for forward motion, another belt, missing?, provided the alternative drive from engine pulley to around the large pulley, brought into drive by the control cable pulled lifting of a conventional jockey pulley, like on, for instance, a merry tiller rotavator.

Is there an unused pulley V on the engine pulley? As that would be reqd for my theory.

As I say just a thought, as my only actual Clearway experience was with Hydrostatic HS30 from 1974 onwards.. have only seen parts list and manual for hydrostat too.

C.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Yes no unused pulleys at all… in this case I think I’ve been sold a complete lemon! It looks to me from other pics I found on line that the original engine pull start rotated the engine the other way. From what I gather, whoever put the new engine on also went to the lengths of fitting another cutting blade with the sharp edge on the opposite side. I think it was only until they started it and ran it they realised the mistake they had made!

I have only now realised it myself and have been ripped off by someone who said it cuts really well and has kept him going for years :0( I absolutely hate anybody who will lie to those lengths to mke a quick buck…

Maybe i can mod it as I am so far down the line now with restoring it

[vhgmcbuddy]

Did the Wolseley Clearways ever have reverse?

[andyfrost]

Just a thought , some of the Kubota/MAG engines actually drive from the camshaft as opposed to driving directly from the crankshaft , this gives a “reverse drive” effect.
Just check yours and see what is happening.

Andy.

[wristpin]

Kubota Mag did indeed produce an engine with a drive off the cam . In their case it was to give a low speed drive at tick over to operate with the centrifugal clutch on a Ransomes Mastiff without having to redesign the gearbox. The snag was that the cam runs in the opposite direction to the crank. The answer was to change the engine rotation . That aside, there’s no sign of a camshaft power take off on the OP’s engine.
The image of the “gearbox” is only marked Hi, Lo and Neutral so if that machine has a reverse it has to be achieved elsewhere, but the primary drive must be forward leaving any reverse side belt or friction system to deal with the lesser used reverse.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Ok so after hours of deliberation and talks with a mechanic friend along with some other research I have realised that the small fibre jockey wheel that seat back into the large gearbox pulley wheel is in fact a reverse option!

So the engine is driving it the right way, but I was only selecting reverse with the left handlebar cable…

If I bypass the smaller red wheel with the fibre disc and go from the engine pulley to the main wheel, the belt will rotate the large gearbox wheel the correctway and hence get forward motion!!!

So my next question is…. I assume there must be a drive belt that goes direct to the large gearbox wheel and should the large red gearbox wheel have another pulley for the belt to sit in? or does it also seat in the groove the reverse fibre disc drives in??

Any more help greatly appreciated… I’m sooo close

[Author]

Posts