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Ransomes Marquis 51: disassembly of reel cylinder?

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Arnaud Sat, 04/07/2015

Hello everybody,

I'm from The Netherlands and new within the OLC. I'm restoring a Ransomes Marquis 51 (about 1980 ??). The Briggs & Stratton engine is ready (new gaskets and diaphragm). Now busy with bod work and other components.

  

The problem is the cutting cylinder. I want to sharpen it (not back lapping but grinding) and therefore I need to disassemble the cutting unit. Also for the paint job it's better to take this apart. I know the double sprocket on teh right side has left hand thread.How can I remove it? I heated it with a small torch but no result. On the left side I removed the spring clip (don't know the English word: Seeger spring?) but the bearing housing will not come loose. Any ideas? Many thanks!

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hortimech Sat, 04/07/2015

Yes, it does have a left-hand thread and yes it will be tight. You need a long bar or similar to push through the cylinder blades and then something to turn the sprocket. We normally removed the sprocket before dropping the cutter unit out of the frame, but too late now ;-). You could wrap a piece of old chain around the sprocket and then use a 'stilson' wrench to turn the sprocket whilst holding the bar through the cylinder. you could also make yourself a chain wrench instead of using the piece of chain and the stilsons. You should only need to get the sprocket moving, once moving it should undo easily by hand. I hope you get the idea.

As for removing the bearing housings, I personally never had much success with any type of puller, easiest way is to use a couple of strong levers (snap-on used to make suitable ones under the blue-point name) and just shock them off. Like a lot of things, it would be easier to show somebody how to do this, rather than try and tell you how to do it .

Oh, the thing you call a 'seeger ring', we call it an external circlip.

 

Arnaud Sat, 04/07/2015

Hi hortimech,

Thanks for your information. The sprocket came off!! I heated it again for about 10 minutes and then plunged it directly into cold water. After this the sprocket could be relatively easy turned with a chain and a large wrench. So far so good.

The bearing houses can now be removed without further removal of other parts (the circlip on the left side already was removed)?