Well I see in another similar thread that someone said to use a spring compressor which in looking at the parts layout makes sense.

So I guess I have to add a spring compressor to my tool box, hopefully there is a generic spring compressor which will work.

I had best flip the machine up and take a look at how much space I have to work in.

Ralph

I have used a large "C" clamp to compress the spring while removing the pin and changing the lever on the very rare occasion that I have had to do that. Touchy to keep the clamp from slipping off.

Walt Conner

Thanks Walt, I had seen someone mentioning using a C clamp but I am having a hard time figuring how to get it under the ends of the spring.

Using a pair of flat nose vice grips I was able to compress three (of five) turns of the spring but the remaining two turns still exerted to much pressure to remove the pin.

I can not imagine what would happen if once the pin was removed the clamp slipped. I'll be trying again today using a C clamp, I was thinking of brazing on some flanges to the C clamp to get under the ends of the spring.

I also do not know if there was other damage done with the hard shifting.

I was using the mower hard eight hours a day backdragging with the bulldozer blade leveling off a driveway so I probable have put a few years of normal use (mowing lawns) on it in the past couple of weeks.

I can find a parts list but cannot find a maintenance manual that shows how to adjust the shift linkage so I am likely to be back with a slew of new questions.

Ralph

"I was thinking of brazing on some flanges to the C clamp to get under the ends of the spring."

You don't need to get under the ends of the spring, compress the "whole works".

Walt Conner

Thanks again Walt, wish I had sat at my computer waiting for your reply it would have saved me a couple of hours of trying to figure out how to compress the spring until I realized that you were compressing the "the whole works"!

Finally it dawned on me, I blame my slowness in the uptake sometimes (often it seems) to my affliction with the AGE virus.

I did not have a large C clamp but used a Bar clamp.

{{gwi:145750}}

Thanks again for the help.

Ralph

" I blame my slowness in the uptake sometimes (often it seems) to my affliction with the AGE virus."

Must be catching, I have that too.

Walt Conner

Well I used to be very sharp very mechanically minded but I've spent the last 15 years at 10 -12 hours a day sitting at my computer.

One can lose your sharpness about mechanical things with lack of use.

That plus the AGE infliction has certainly taken it's toll.

I have actually spent the last two months outside everyday working on a 150' brick path with a 13' x 40' patio and I have been having a ball.

Of course this work is what broke the handle of the shifter but as much work as I have gotten out of the Snapper I could buy a new one and still be ahead.

Walt, thanks again for the help I really needed your input even with my slooow comprehension.

Ralph

Hey, Ralph---don't let the fallacy of old age keep you from doing mechanical work or any other kind!!
I'm 87 plus 3 months, and work on all kinds of machines. I also play the 5-string banjo in a Blue Grass music group once a week, drive my truck and car, and am looking forward to next summer!
As for removing the mower deck, just unhook the chains, slide out the cross bar at the front, and unhook the belt from the spindle pulley under the plastic cover. You will have to loosen the idler pulley under there, too.

Y'all are life savers!

Well my fix lasted 5 1/2" years, it broke again. I ordered a replacement shift lever from Jacks Small Engines, I see that Sears Parts Direct also has the replacement parts. I am just starting to use Sears Parts Direct they seem to have a good selection.

I have quickly scanned through some of the threads addressing "Hard to Shift"

possible I'll have to start a new thread to help me out with that problem. I have seen mention of blown boots which mine have been blown for years, guess that might be a place to start.

I would suspect a bad hex shaft which the shifter assý slides back and forth on.

Walt Conner

Hey walt great to see you again. Interesting. I will have to look into this.

Thank you,

Ralph

I used a bar, about 3ft, place one end against the spring and the vertical bar that’s conviently place to compress the spring enough to place the shif handle and pin into positio. My son in law helped by pulling the ba. No need to buy special tool or removing the deck.

It is great to have another set of hands, makes the whole process a lot easier. Those of us that are alone might need a little help from tools. It was a involved process but working still!

Without help with pulling the bar I thought about using a come-a-long winch but son-in-law had showed up just in tim. A come-a-long to pull the bar might have worked out had he not showed up. My 12 1/2 HP Snapper is abou 20 years old and it‘s a workhorse.