OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Reel Lawn Mowers, Atco & Villiers etc. Help with Atco Clutch

hi, what is missing on this mower does any one have a pic of how it should look when together,thank"s

Hello and welcome, I think your mower is an Atco. Looks to be missing it's rubber block that sits between the two claws

Have a look at this EBay auction, in the picture you are missing the part in the middle. It may be a rubber or nylon block.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atco-B17-Commodore-EL-engine-to-drive-shaft-coulping-clutch-housing-/351627106914?hash=item51de9bda62:g:-RsAAOSwUdlWgSLY

The rest of the shaft would mount in between but the drive sprocket would be on the outside of the chassis. Hope this makes sense

Hi gml and Paul

Yep, as Paul said, an Atco.
Online Parts Lists may be found here:
http://www.powertoolspares.com/buy-parts/#/browse/atco/cylinder-mowers-spares-and-accessories/

thank's again fella's,i think i will see if i can sell the atco(it has rover stickers on it)and the second imperial,one is enough at this time,thank's again

I have pics of mine - I don't know how to download them !!

I have a pic on my ipad but when I click on all done nothing happens!

Hello GRNP

Information on downloading photos is HERE.

There may be an issue with your ipad software:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=71437

Hope this helps.
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Jack

Okay lets see if this works!!!

I think your mower is a mid 70s Deluxe B 14. There should be a brass plate under a bolt just near the starter. It should have stamped on it B14 - or B something depending on its width. I am in the middle of semi restoring mine. They are very UNpopular over here in WA. They crop up on Gumtree and most people have no idea what they are and the local workshops dont want to know about them . My dad has had one for over 40 years. They are temperamental - will absolutely not tolerant stale fuel at all and some people reckon they are too fast . I like em!!! I grew up using an Atco and dont like using the SB/Rover 45 , but I like their looks and ubiquity. Spray painted it Brunswick green and got the decal off Ebay. Its going to be my regular mower so its not gunna be showroom spec.

thank you very helpful i am about to paint it

i found the tag on the deck it has "b23" stamped,i have no idea what it means. i have nearly finished cosmetic resto i must say it is looking rather splendid if i don't say so myself... will post pic when finished,cheer's

hi greenpool can you post pic of chain setup,and sprocket's,i am having a bit of trouble trying to get mine right,it wont drive i have something not right thank you

help needed!!!i have put my drive chain's back together(many many time's)and i cant for the life of me understand this system,it wont drive at the moment have tightened/loosened chain,now let me say this i am fairly handy with the spanner's but this f@%$%& thing has sent me crazy. how does the sprocket on the crankshaft stay on!! if i turn everything by hand (machine elevated)the sprocket just undoes with the movement, i have copied the setup of pics and part's manual, i have spent more time on this than i should have,

Hello gml

I do not know if this is what you're after.
This is an earlier model, but it should have the same transmission.
I take it you have the primary, plate clutch working?
Is there a secondary clutch (I) on the roller?

Thank's Jack i think i am missing something under top sprocket if you look at pic you can see where something should be,also the top sprocket tighten's up too much or winds itself right off,i need a schematic or pic of the same setup will post pics see if some one know's cheer's

Hello gml

Is it possible the bearing housing goes on the other side of the frame?
i.e. that it faces the clutch from the inside.

Cheers
Jack

Thank's Jack will try it and get back to you,just looked back at this so i guess no it doesn't go that way

My bearing is on the outside

Thank's Paul,i think i have a part missing,will see how i go

What I am not seeing is what holds the sprocket on

that's what i want to know old mate,

If you are fitting it like that of course it will come off it needs a nut to hold it on and I'm not seeing any thread there. Sprockets are either splined,tapered or keyed and held in place with a nut as per the exploded drawing

it is a threaded sprocket same as reel sprocket (bottom front),tightens clockwise,not enough length on shaft for a nut,

Hello gml

This should be your machine here:-
http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/forum/atco-deluxe-information

Hope this helps.
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Jack

Where are you gml, I have 620 Loctite here, that'l fix it

Hi GML,

I don't think your missing anything, the lower hole is probably where the bearing would mount on for another model or with a different engine fitted that would have a height difference altering the angle of the shaft.

Have you tried tightening up the sprocket then with a block of wood against it give it a hit with a hammer to nudge it up tight.

Just thinking about this quoted previously " how does the sprocket on the crankshaft stay on!! if i turn everything by hand (machine elevated)the sprocket just undoes with the movement" I'm just wondering what you are rotating by hand, if you rotate the blades it will undo the sprocket, if you rotate the shaft out of the clutch it should tighten the sprocket. Could this be what is going on?

Hi Norm

I think GML did ask that, and you are quite right. The top sprocket is driven
by a shaft that turns clockwise from the LH side. This means that it would
always tighten a RH thread on the output shaft.

This is not the same for the reel. The reel would require a LH thread
because it is driven by the top sprocket.

I'm hoping GML will clarify what the issue actually is. Is it:
- the primary, plate clutch does not work?
- the top sprocket is out of alignment?
- the top sprocket won't fit the shaft?

The extra cut-out in the frame is - I think - a red herring here.
I cannot see what function it could have on this B23 model...

-------------------
Jack

last night i removed all the drive chains and sprocket's will post again when i go through it all,how much cork should be on clutch plate?,,.. correct sprocket,if i tighten it too much it lock's everything up,as for the clutch, well i will let you know soon thank you all for the help,

I would think that the sprocket would tighten on to the shoulder of the shaft, there should be clearance. In the link that Jack supplied you can clearly see in the last pic that the shaft has some thread protruding past the sprocket once fitted up



I feel your shaft needs to come through the bearing some more, if you have it apart are you able to post a pic of the end of the shaft where the sprocket screws up. I want to see the thread going all the way up to the shoulder.

Don't worry about the clutch, that is a separate issue for later, get the sprockets working first and as Paul says the sprocket should come up against a shoulder and be clear of the bearing. Hold a piece of string across the face of the lower sprocket and see what the alignment is like to the upper sprocket, I'm tipping the upper sprocket would be out further

some more pics,the shaft wont come through any more,there is previous damage on mounting plate,am starting to think maybe it is wrong clutch for this model

I'm assuming the last pic is the outside housing where the sprockets mount? What has been rubbing up against it, has the bearing done that? If this is the case there is an incorrect or missing distance piece, nothing should be touching that housing except the 2 bolts holding the bearing on. Assemble the parts on the shaft as it should go together without the housing and take another pic for us to look at. I don't think the problem is the clutch

here it is


you can see the sprocket is winding up hard against housing

The assembled picture is correct, what you have to achieve is the distance piece must be hard against the bearing and the sprocket hard against the other side of the bearing. Then you are able to tighten the sprocket to the shaft and it will rotate as designed. Then you have to work out what is binding up on the outer frame plate because something is binding up there. The assembled clutch shaft looks correct with the correct amount of thread showing through the sprocket

it's back together, cleaned primary clutch, replaced some bearing's that were missing, thought about what you said Norm about the distance piece, the only way was to turn the reel sprocket opposite to the pic,did the trick just need the nylon piece's that work the reel clutch will make some i guess. the binding damage was from the the guy i got it from,like me he tried a few way's but gave up,Norm,Jack,Paul,Greenpool,thank you...i will say these mower's are fast i am almost running to keep up.will post pic's soon cheer's

Glad to hear you got it sorted, was starting to think it might have beaten you

Just mowed the front,(fast)here's a couple of pic's cheer's

Looks a million dollars, good job. How often do you drive the Lincon?

Hello gml, Normand Contributors

Yep, it has come up a real treat!

A note for the record on the catcher decal you have chosen.
It says 'Manufactured by Atco (Aust.) Pty. ltd. That, of course,
is not the case with your machine. It was fully imported.

p.s. I love the Lincoln too. I bet it runs on the smell of an
oily refinery

-------------------------
Jack

Well done, sticking with it and working in an orderly manner is the key.

i just couldn't resist the Aussie decal that's all.i have two lincoln's and yes i drive them all the time,they run premium too that hurt's the wallet but what the heck...now it's one of the victa imperial's turn for a clean up,thank's again fella's

Hi gml

Ooh... the top one is classically sensational!
I love the opera window. A time when Murica thought big and
drove even bigger.

This is a great tongue-in-cheek video on the Le Baron.
[video][/video]

i had a chuckle thank's Jack,

Hey mate that's looks awesome!!! Sorry I didn't respond to your requests for help . I have been busy and didn't check the web page for ages . The 23 in the B 23 means the cutting blade width is 23 inches . So your mower is an Atco Deluxe B 23 . You can check it by getting a tape measure and measuring the width of the mower . I can tell by looking at it it's bigger than mine ( my mower!) I have a B 14 . Well done - they cut really well and the clutch / drive set up is really good ( well I think so anyway !!!!

no it is a 14" across the cutting blade.the pic you sent earlier show's a much longer shaft with clutch than mine,but thank's any way greenpool

Yep,

I don't understand the modern Atco model numbers.
A 1970s Atco De Luxe 14" is a AUB23.

Yeah I don't get it either . I was told the number corresponds to the width of the blade , clearly that isn't correct . I am curious about the driveshaft on my mower now .

hi greenpool what is width of blade of the atco in the pic you posted ?

I just measured it , its about 17 and a half inches. I am embarrassed to admit I never measured it before . I just took it as correct !! GML do you know how to remove the coupler claw off the driveshaft ??

hi greenpool my coupler claw had two grub screw's i loosened then gently tapped the claw off hope this help's (had to remove clutch)

I undid the grub screws but the coupler claw isn't budging!!! It has a locking pin in it ( I forgot what they are calked ) but it's on super tight! I have removed the engine from the mower but the claw won't budge!!! Anyone got any ideas??

it is a key way,i put wd40 in grub screw holes let soak and with a hammer and piece of wood tapped claw back towards engine first then back the other way, it took some patience.good luck