OK. I bought an 8 yo (I was told) Cox Stockman ride on mower. There is no other ID that I can find. Its clock says 5000+ hours (which speaks well of the machine) It was cheap and it needs a lot of work. I did this because I hoped to get one job out of it as a thrasher, then do it up and know exactlky what I have got when I am finished.
From what I can see from the Cox site it's a 4000 Live Drive. I cannot find an engine number either where it was suggested by the forum (near intake manifold) or elsewhere. The engine is a BnS 16.5 hp.
It starts with about 1/2 second of starter, even from dead cold, there is no smoke and it seems to be in very good nick. That's the good part.
OK.
(1) There is no chain tensioner. There are two idlers that swing: one in front of the chain drive and one behind and higher up. There is another arm that has a spindle, but no idler, just in front of and below the rear swing idler. The last one is fixed in place. I cannot see how an idler can be kept on this last spindle, as there is no thread to take a nut, no hole for a bolt and not for a split pin etc. The sprockets and chain are im surprisingly good order: chain fairly stiff and sprockets with no undercut or tip wear. They may of course have been replaced at some time.
The two swinging idlers have little holes in their arms: two each. Pulling them together does tension the chain and I suppose something could be mounted there, but I am not sure. The chain falls off if the mower goes on a sideways slope.
(2) The Live drive is in a bad way. I am assuming it's a conical friction drive thingy. It makes a nasty moaning noise at low to moderate pedal pressure and strains to give any power, only taking up properly at full speed, whereupon the mower shoots away and is pretty useless for cutting. Can this be adjusted, repaired or must it be replaced? This may be the killer if costs thousands.
(3) I can't get the wheel off to work on the chain drive. I realised it's a conical bushing and tried belting the nut to free it, but no go. Is a little judicious heat acceptable? I have sweated other stuff off conical axles OK, but I just thought I would check.
(4) To do major work on the machine, is draining it and flipping on its side the way to go. The Live Drive, however I need to do it, is going to need a major teardown as far as I can see.
(5) The exhaust just shoots out in front of the left hand front wheel. Is that correct? Seems a bit risky in long grass.
OK. That'll do for now...until I delve in and find what else.
Greatly appreciate any help
Nick
