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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Suffolk colt 35S blades continually spin when. Engine running

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Hi All,

Looking for a reason for the above problem? I think the centrifugal clutch is permanately engaged? I bought this mower along with another needing restoration but advertised as both runners, and they are, but this particular one has this problem with the blades.

as soon as i start the engine the blades spin and i cant stop them other than by turning off the engine? I looked at the tensioner first, but all seems good there, so had a look at the clutch, and there is no longitudinal movement on it, it appears to be engaged, all the time?

Any Advice would be good, thank you, bill.

Forums

wristpin Thu, 04/06/2020

Possibilities.

Engine running too fast at idle 

Clutch shoes seized on their pivots

Top shaft seized in the clutch spigot bearing

Spherical bush at the chain end of the top shaft worn / collapsed allowing the drum to rub against the shoes. 

Engine misaligned with the top shaft either horizontally or vertically.

 

Mowtown Fri, 05/06/2020

This sounds just like a problem I had on a Ransomes Marquis Mk5 s/n EJ04088 when the cylinder spun at all speeds when running but otherwise was free to turn the clutch bell by hand.  The problem was one of the brake shoes had become unglued and so floating free and wedging at any speed.  I stuck it back on with araldite and no more problem.

Ken

Buick29 Fri, 05/06/2020

Good Morning, thank you for the list of possibilities, i do think No3 on your list is the possible cause but i will work through them all. I will let you know how it goes.

Buick29 Fri, 05/06/2020

Morning Ken,

thanks for the info, i’ll Have a look at the brakes i am restoring them so they will be getting checked/changed anyway, but interesting thought all the same.

villiers98 Sun, 14/06/2020

Agree with Mowtown on this . Have seen several  Suffolks where one lining has fallen off the shoe and jammed the other . Think they were only bonded on by the time of the 35S model.