1976 A-100 CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT.

[WildWon 1]

Can anyone out there help me with a clutch adjustment procedure for a 1976 Wheelhorse model A-100, 4 speed Peerless (somewhat recently- last spring, but has worked fine, since, until recently- removed , rebuilt transaxle? Has a 14.5HP briggs vertical shaft for a motor.

Thanks to all.

The WildWon

Elida, Ohio

[WildWon 1]

still full time gearbox when clutch is depressed. I think I did All the adjustments today........., and it ran just fine, about 2 weeks ago - Low on the clutch pedal. Only thing that happened was.... I ran over a piece of baling twine with the mower deck, about 2 weeks ago/ spun a belt somewhere..... mower dec serpentine belt shows some wear, and I'll replace it, but the clutch is now full time engaged. Today, I even moved the motor back & the rear end/transaxle pulley Forward.

Help, please.

[gwgdog66 23]

:thumbs: I'm not familiar with the vertical shaft Engine Wheel Horse's. One of the members that have one should be along shortly, to provide some good guidance.

Here are a couple of places to start.

I would drop the mower deck, and get it out of the way to get a good look at the underside linkage and any Idler pulley's on the drive belt. Could be some of the bailing line got sucked up in the pulley's of the drive belt line. I broke a roll pin on the clutching linkage on mine once that caused me all kinds of problems until I found the problem.

[WildWon 1]

Thanks, Gary

Didn't find any twine up in the clutch/idler pullies. All the pullies are free, and seems like they should disengage/slip the drive belt when the clutch is depressed. For some reason, though, it doesn't.

It's as if (both the old belt (2 yrs usage, including 2 weeks ago, before the problem occurred) and a brand new belt, are suddenly about 1" too short.

roll pin? I don't see anyplace where one should be/go.

Ive adjusted the clutch before, and not had any troubles with it.

Moved the motor back yesterday, and rotated the transaxle forward, yesterday. Nothing doing - same troubles, but it's very slightly better now.

Ideas?

I've tried to adjust everything for max. slippage, but the clutch still doesn't slip the belt. Still full time drive, even when the clutch is depressed.

I don't get it.

[gwgdog66 23]

Will it shift into neutral?

[dgjks6 6]

This is a shot in the dark since I have never worked on the a-100's. But I looked at the toro master parts viewer and I don't really see anything adjustable.

That leads me to believe that you maybe bent something? Maybe a wrong sized belt?

I looks from the diagram that the vert shafts works similar to the horizontal where there really isn't an adjusment.

Can you post some pics?

[WildWon 1]

old belt was working fine before the incident. new belt is same part number, even wheel horse original. both the same size - I stretched them out to compare length, also..

The only things I can see to adjust are the rod for the clutch pedal & moving the motor back, rear end forward. the rod/pedal linkage has little play, but not enough to hurt here, I don't think.

The idler on the swing arm that disengages the pulleys to slip them, comes to /near the center of the belts. Belt slips when pulled by hand, with motor off & clutch pedal down,but still drives with motor running. Like it's not slipping enough.

[WildWon 1]

I can shift it into neutral, with/without engine running, but I have to bump the handle when motor is running, and some grinding. (with/without clutch pedal).

I can shift it into neutral without grinding, when motor is not running.

[dgjks6 6]

if the cluth is not working, the trans will always be engaged. So it will grind when you shift gears. I would not do that again until you get the belt issue resolved.

here's an idea - and I only suggest it because it happened to me. Is the belt on right?

[WildWon 1]

Thanks, appreciate the input.

Is there a diagram of correct belt routing somewhere?

I don't see a different way it could go on?

[dgjks6 6]

this is the best I could find

can you post some pics?

[WildWon 1]

Thanks

I don't have a camera to snap a couple pictures with, But after looking at the diagram, that's how it's routed.

Other ideas?

[dgjks6 6]

I am officially out of ideas.

Anyone else?

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

Are all of the belt guides installed and adjusted properly?

There should be one on the (movable) tensioner pulley and one on each side at the engine pulley.

The two at the engine pulley should almost be touching the back side of the belt when it's tensioned, and the one at the tensioner pulley should "catch" the belt and direct the slack forward toward the engine when the clutch pedal is depressed.

There should also be a flat metal guide on the stationary (flat) idler.

Did you get all of these back in the proper position when installing the new belt?

Did you bend them out of the way (to install the belt), or remove them entirely? :thumbs:

[WildWon 1]

Guys, thanks for the input. Still not solved, though. To the best of my knowledge, I've done or checked everything that's been suggested.

Anyone else have ideas on what could be wrong? I'm pretty stumped, and I'm pretty mechanical.

Thanks,

The WildWon

Elida, Ohio

[mavfreak 11]

If I get a chance and it stops raining I'll go see if I can get a picture of my A100 a see if I can figure out something. I know there isn't much ajustment on these and its a pain

[shorts 182]

get the deck out of the way so you can crawl under it and inspect the clutch linkage, if the engine and transmission didn't get knocked out of position and the belts didn't shrink something in the clutch/belt tensioning device is malfunctioning, I'm assuming that the clutch releases the belt tension, when you operate the clutch pedal the spring tensioned idler should move away from the belt to let it slip on the crank pulley look for a lever that doesnt rotate with the shaft it's mounted on, broken rollpin or loose/missing setscrew, or a linkage rod that isn't connected to a lever, missing clevis pin or broken rodend

[WildWon 1]

Thanks, guys.

STILL not making progress. With the engine running, in neutral, I can look from underneath, and see that the belt has some whip to it, both with the clutch pedal down, and without. The belt is running in both cases, even with what appears to be a fair amount of slack.

With the engine off, I can slip the belt on the crank pulley, as suggested, when the clutch pedal is depressed.

I don't see any roll pins, and the clutch pedal seems to work adequately, but the belt doesn't slip.

I've adjusted the belt 'guides' in several different directions to try to push the belt forward to slip on the crank pulley.

Heath, Maybe a picture would help. Funny... I grew up in Butler. My dad grew up in prospect. My uncles and a cousin are still in prospect.

Would you be so kind as to take a picture of the belt guides, and a confirmation of the correct belt routing through the idler and tensioner arm?

This is very frustrating, for something that seems to be so simple.

Thanks guys, any other ideas?

The WildWon

Elida, Ohio (via Butler, PA).

[WildWon 1]

Looked more closely at the drive pulley, and noticed that it had been rubbing against the steering shaft for some time. To the point where it had flared the top flange of the pulley (aftermarket pulley). to narrow the V-belt groove. This, in turn tightened the belt, and did not allow it to slip when the clutch pedal was depressed.

Finally got it!

Thanks again to all.

The WildWon

Elida, Ohio

1976 A-100 Wheel Horse, with 14.5HP briggs I/C motor.

& a straight pipe, to let everyone know!

[dgjks6 6]

I'm glad you got it fixed. :hide:

[WildWon 1]

LOL....

So is my 13" tall YARD/Jungle/Mud BOG.... ;o) we're having FUN, now.

Thanks again to all who've helped/commented!

The WildWon

[gwgdog66 23]

LOL....

So is my 13" tall YARD/Jungle/Mud BOG.... ;o) we're having FUN, now.

Thanks again to all who've helped/commented!

The WildWon

Glad you got it fixed!!