[larrybl]

I noticed today while mowing that when first setting for 4th gear there seems to be a gap between 4th 5th and 6th. What I mean is that it felt like it was in gear, but when I let the clutch out it didn't move, but a light bump on the shifter and away we go. Seems like there is some slack between the higher gears. Shifts smooth, Clutch fully dis-enguages, and no slack once in gear, just seems some space between the gears. is this norm, or can it be tightened up?

1990 Craftsman 917.254450

PS, The rear rims would need cut off if I had to remove them.

 

[Umaxman]

Not sure about fixing it Larry but my old Massey has been that way for the last 15 years or more and is still going

 

[larrybl]

Thanks, May just top off the "00" grease later this winter. Not real worried at this point, works fine, except for the occasional "missed inbetween gear" selection. Hope to do this by pulling the seat pan and top pully.

 

[TAHOE99]

I've had several similar ones apart, pretty simple. They have a shifter ring on a shaft which has two long fingers that slide in two grooves in that shaft. The fingers have nubs on the ends that slip into a little cup inside the gear which locks that gear in while all the others free wheel. Depending on where you slide ring determines which gear is locked in. I took mine apart, it was full of water and rust. I also just tore apart a 5 speed from a Murray RER and it was same setup. It seems to be a little tight going into each gear kind of what you described, but nothing looked wrong. I cleaned it and put it back together, still tight. It's my wife's coworker's, they will have to be happy with it cause nothing looked wrong and I dunno.
Here is a pic of mine I took apart, you can see the big ring across from the row of gear with the slot in the shaft, that's connected to the shifter plate on top.

 

[larrybl]

Thanks for the pict TAHOE, Mine could be described as "loose" as it shifts easily and seems to have spaces (netrual) inbetween gears. It may be due to my using "00" grease, instead of cracking the case and packing the gears with lithium.

 

[TAHOE99]

The one in my Gold series 15 hp does the same thing( one in pic), sometimes I gotta "bump" the shifter to get it in gear.