Craftsman / Mclane 1977?

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jla59
Posts: 4
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
Grass Type: Paspalum
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Craftsman / Mclane 1977?

Post by jla59 » September 4th, 2018, 11:07 pm

I got a free Craftsman Mclane. It is 17 inch 5 blade, self-propelled. There is a label that says it was safety approved in 1977. The motor is a 60102 B&S. Does anyone have a Mclane manual from 1977 to 1983. I ask because there was a post a few years back, viewtopic.php?t=9569 by GeorgiaDad My mower looks really similar to those in his post. The issue that it has, is the self-propel doesn't work right and these older models have a different setup than the later models I see now. There is just a simple drive axle with two friction collars locked in place by set screws; these friction collars line up with the rear wheels. When you pull the drive handle the drive axle and rear wheels get close to each other but don't make contact. There is also a spring between the rear lower panel and the rear wheels axle. I'll take some pictures and post updates.

jla59
Posts: 4
Joined: September 3rd, 2018, 11:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
Grass Type: Paspalum
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Craftsman / Mclane not 1977, it's a 1985

Post by jla59 » September 16th, 2018, 9:47 pm

I fixed the self-propel drive. It had two problems. First, the drive axle would move back and forth laterally, which eventually would cause the drive axle gear to slip off of the chain. Second, the drive engage linkage would not move the axle close enough to the rear wheels. I fixed the lateral play of the axle by creating a spacer out of 3/4 inch PVC, cutting a small gap and pushing it into place. I fixed the linkage by replacing the OEM L-bolt with a J-bolt that had a longer threaded section. The longer threaded section allowed the linkage to have better adjustment range and thus I was able to make the linkage shorter; the friction axle then made contact with the rear wheels when the handle was pulled.

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