The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers
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How to... advice needed

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cbastiaan Wed, 27/04/2022

I am trying to get my Ransome Ajax Mk. ? taken apart to get it a old style new paint job. Before getting to the task of cleaning, stripping paint and sanding I need to get this machine in pieces. I am now struggling with the biggest gear in the box, where I am not able to get this one off. The smallest was the easiest to get off.

I have seen a video, but the gears don't add up, not the same. It was said that the gear should be pulled, but I have a feeling mine is not like that. I have ordered myself a few gear pullers, just to make sure I am not damaging anything, just using a hammer and a screwdriver ;)

Is there anybody here that has a bit of a nudge for me to tell me what or how i should attack this job? If needed I can make more pictures, but for now this is a start

Gears

Forums

Lee Smallwood Sun, 01/05/2022

Hi, those gears can be tricky but yes, definitely pulled off, some puller legs can be quite bulky to fit between casing and gear, if you have access to heating metal. Might help, but persistence and patience, there will be a small metal key, that fits into slot on shaft, can’t remenber if it’s loose or fixed, if loose it might try and escape. Let us know if pullers do the trick

cbastiaan Sun, 15/05/2022

The more I look at the gear, it almost seems that it needs to be screwed off instead of pulled of.

could it possibly be that the hole in that gear is to put a bolt in it and tap it in the direction the nut came off?

 

wristpin Sun, 15/05/2022

It’s years since I’ve had an Ajax apart but I seem to recollect that the sprocket just pushes on but on its reverse is a boss with a slot in it that registers with a pin that passes through the shaft. Try gentle prying with a couple of old screw drivers or short tyre levers - alternate left and right, the rotate the gear 90 degrees and repeat the gentle prying . Repeat this for a while and you may find that the gear starts to draw off the shaft. If you have a heat gun , play the hot air around the centre of the gear . Same with a blow lamp but take great care with that as I think that the gear is made of a fairly soft alloy. For the same reason , gentle  rocking and prying.

y 

cbastiaan Thu, 08/06/2023

Finally some good news and progress.

I found a machinery shop in Crieff which was able to help me out with the largest gear. It was, like he told me, pretty easy 🤯.

so the gear is off, now I need to get the pin out and start dismantling the mower.

I get all fired up again now I got some progress. I now need to find me the right paint for the job, so if anybody has a good shop/internet shop, they can recommend, I am all ears.