install a peerless transaxle?

John d answered the question well.

If only I could find a new transaxle at a fair price, ie not double what I paid for the whole mower.

I got the transaxle out easy enough, I just have nothing to put back in it's place.

steve
January 2006

Mark:

I am in the process of rebuilding and then replacing the transaxle on my Sears riding mower. It's not the same model as yours, but it is a Peerless transaxle.

I didn't have a manual either, but found it to be quite easy if you are at all mechanically inclined. On mine there are four bolts that hold the transaxle to the frame of the tractor just inside the rear wheels. You should be able to spot those easy enough. There are also two bolts (one on each side of the transaxle near the front and on the side of the transaxle) that hold the front end to the frame. Mine also has a brake cable and a shifter cable which can be removed easily at the transaxle.

You also have to take the drive belt off the pully (easy if you push in on the brake, it will give you some slack).

If your tractor is anything like mine, the first thing you need to do is remove the panel at the rear (the panel that has the hole for attaching a trailer, etc.) There are two bolts on each side that bolt into the frame to hold it on. That gives you clear access to the transaxle. Then you need to jack the rear up in front of the rear wheels and secure it in that manner.

The wheels come off easy enough. Remove the rubber covering on the hub and you'll see a retainer pin that you need to remove. The wheel can then be slid off the axle. It has a key that fits inside the hub and a groove in the axle. Don't lose that.

Once you have the wheels off then you can start removing the bolts, cables, etc. to remove the transaxle. Make sure you have something that will hold the bottom of the transaxle up when you remove all the bolts that secure it. It's not very heavy, but it's difficult to get any leverage on due to it being up under the frame. You don't want it dropping to the ground and risking the chance of cracking the housing. Of course, if you are replacing it with a new one, that probably doesn't matter much to you.

This info may not help you at all, but if your tractor is anything like mine, it is probably a similar operation. Best of luck

John D.
September 2004